References to local transport plans

Question proposed, That this schedule be the First schedule to the Bill.

May I ask the Minister a specific question? What would be the effect of not including paragraph 8 of schedule 1? Would it mean that road user charging and workplace parking levies could not go ahead?

I hope not. Perhaps it would help if I started by explaining a bit of the background to the schedule.

Schedule 1 will make a series of amendments to the Transport Act 2000 and replace references to local transport plans in the provisions on buses and road charging in parts 2 and 3 of the 2000 Act, with reference to local transport policies. Under each of the existing references to the 2000 Act, a local transport authority’s duty is linked to its local transport plan. For example, at present, under section 139 of the 2000 Act, an authority must have regard to its local transport plan in determining what local bus information should be made available to the public. Similarly, a local authority can have a workplace levy parking scheme only if it appears desirable in terms of the policies in the authority’s local transport plan. Also, an authority is able to spend its revenue from a workplace parking levy or road user charge only on directly or indirectly facilitating the achievement of policies in its local transport plan.

We have made these changes because we think local transport authorities should be able to start implementing new policies once they have been agreed, rather than having to wait until those new policies have appeared in a revised and republished local transport plan. Having said all that, it is important to recognise that for the revenue that would arise from either a workplace parking levy or a road user charging scheme to be put into policies in the local transport plan, it would have had to appear in the local transport plan in the first place.

With regard removing paragraph 8, that paragraph makes only a very small adjustment to the existing wording. However, that adjustment is necessary to bring the provision made by paragraph 8 of schedule 12 to the 2000 Act within the application of the new definition in section 108(5) made under clause 7(5) of the Bill. I am very impressed with that explanation, as I hope the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire is.

Impressed, yes; supportive, no. I want nothing to do with anything that facilitates road user charging or workplace levies.

Question put, That this schedule be the First schedule to the Bill:—

The Committee divided: Ayes 11, Noes 5.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Schedule 16 agreed to.