Clause 20
Local Transport Bill [ Lords ]
4:15 pm
Norman Baker (Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Transport; Lewes, Liberal Democrat)
I am sympathetic to the amendments. If we are to have a list that specifies several individuals, including the chief of police, it seems odd that others are not included. I appreciate the Minister’s argument that it is up to local authorities or others to judge who they think fit, but once we have started devising a list, it is difficult to argue that some people should be on it, while others should not. I see no reason why the chief of police should be on the list, but not others.
Amendment No. 146 draws attention to the failure to mention those responsible for rail services in the area. We are creating integrated transport authorities and it seems bizarre to have an integrated transport authority without a requirement to consider the railways as part of the quality contracts process. The amendment would tidy up such matters. Consulting rail operators would ensure that rail capacity development, delivery of timetables and so on, would be taken into account when designing a quality contracts scheme. That is important because if, for example, Network Rail or a train operating company has plans to significantly enhance a service, that is a relevant factor when deciding whether a quality contracts scheme should be pursued in the way that it was originally designed. Similarly, if there are plans to withdraw services, that may drive up the need for a quality contracts scheme. What the rail industry does is important and significant when deciding what should be in the quality contracts scheme.
There are other benefits. Discussions may take place as to how buses and trains should integrate, and that should be part of a quality contracts scheme. Once discussions in the rail industry have taken place, a quality contracts scheme may have a different content from what would otherwise have been the case. It is not efficient to say that a good ITA will automatically talk to the rail industry, because it may not.
There are only 15 council areas in England and Wales without a railway station, so it is virtually certain that we will need to ensure integration between rail and bus. It is sensible to send a clear message to those responsible for consultation requirements to ensure that the rail industry is properly consulted. The Minister may say that it would be odd if they were not consulted, but it is not in the Bill. It would be odd if the chief of police were not consulted—although not quite so odd as the rail industry—but the chief of police is in the Bill, so why should not the rail industry be there?