Clause 66
Local Transport Bill [Lords]
6:45 pm
Stephen Hammond (Shadow Minister, Transport; Wimbledon, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 266, in clause 66, page 56, line 19, leave out subsection (2).
Subsection (2) repeals the provisions set out in the Transport Act 1985, which state that when a local authority votes on matters relating to the activities of a transport company owned by the council, any councillors who are directors of that company are not allowed to vote without the Secretary of State’s permission. When I read the explanatory note saying that that obligation would be dispensed with, I was slightly at a loss. It seems a perfectly sensible and logical provision that preserves independence of decision making, so I am surprised that the Government want to delete it.