Development of policies by ITA no longer joint duty with district councils

Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.

As I said this morning, clause 12 will result in the duties to develop local transport policies and to produce local transport plans applying just to the integrated transport authority—following consultation with its constituent councils—in each integrated transport area. The changes will help to promote a more integrated approach to transport planning across major conurbations outside London. The clause relates to transport planning duties in the six metropolitan counties. In the metropolitan counties, the duties in the Transport Act 2000 to develop transport policies and to produce a transport plan setting out those policies sit jointly with the passenger transport authority and the metropolitan district councils.

The wording of the duty to develop transport policies is proposed to be amended by clause 8. As amended, the duty on local transport authorities will be to

“develop policies for the promotion and encouragement of safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport.”

A further duty in the 2000 Act is for local transport authorities to

“carry out their functions so as to implement those policies.”

Clause 12 reflects a shift in responsibility towards integrated transport authorities—the new name that will be given to passenger transport authorities by the governance part of the Bill. The clause is thus an important plank in our policy for the Bill and I hope that the Committee accepts it.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 12 ordered to stand part of the Bill.