Local Transport Act 2008

31Continuation of schemes for further periodsE+W

After section 131 of the TA 2000 insert—

“131AContinuation of schemes for further periods

(1)If it appears to them appropriate to do so, the authority or authorities who made a quality contracts scheme (other than any to whose area the scheme no longer relates) may decide that the scheme should continue in operation for a further period, with or without modification.

(2)Before making such a decision, they must, unless the proposal that the scheme should continue is an exempt continuation proposal (see section 131B), comply with the requirements of—

(a)section 124(2)(b) (approval by Welsh Ministers), if the scheme is for an area in Wales, or

(b)section 124(2)(c) (publication of request to, and response to report of, QCS board), if the scheme is for an area in England.

(3)Section 125 applies in relation to the continuation of a scheme under this section as it applies in relation to the making of a scheme, but with the following modifications—

(a)any reference to a proposal to make a scheme is to be read as a reference to a proposal for the continuation of a scheme,

(b)any reference to the proposed scheme is to be read as a reference to the scheme as proposed to continue in operation,

and with the further modifications specified in subsections (4) and (5), but this is subject to such modifications or exclusions as may be prescribed by regulations under section 133.

(4)If the proposal is an exempt continuation proposal—

(a)section 125(1)(d) (duty to send copy of notice to senior traffic commissioner if scheme relates to area in England) does not apply, but

(b)section 125(3)(e) (duty to consult traffic commissioners for areas to which scheme relates) applies with the omission of the words “if the proposed scheme relates to an area in Wales,”.

(5)The consultation document that is to be published by virtue of section 125(1)(a), as applied by subsection (3), must (instead of complying with section 125(1A)) include—

(a)a description of the scheme, together with any proposed modifications to it;

(b)a statement of the opinion of the authority or authorities as to the effectiveness of the scheme in achieving the objectives set out in paragraphs (a) to (e) of section 124(1) or, as the case may be, paragraphs (b) and (d) of section 124(1A) up to the date of the report;

(c)a statement of the reasons why they are satisfied that the scheme as proposed to be continued (with any proposed modifications) will meet the conditions in subsection (1) or, as the case may be, (1A) of section 124;

(d)a description of any arrangements which the authority or authorities intend to make (including arrangements with other authorities or other persons) for or in connection with the continuation of the scheme;

(e)a statement of the period for which it is proposed that the scheme should continue in operation, which must not be more than a further 10 years;

(f)if the authority or authorities consider that the proposal for the scheme to continue is an exempt continuation proposal, a statement of that fact;

(g)a statement of how any costs which the authority or authorities expect to incur under the scheme are to be defrayed;

(h)a declaration by the chief finance officer or officers of the authority or authorities that, after taking into account—

(i)any estimated income from fares, and

(ii)any grants from Ministers of the Crown or government departments,

any remaining funding required to continue the scheme in operation can be provided from other resources available to the authority or authorities;

(i)the date by which any written responses to the consultation must be submitted to the authority or authorities.

(6)For the purposes of this section—

(a)subsection (1B) of section 125 (matters to be included in the description of the proposed scheme) applies for the purposes of subsection (5)(a) as it applies for the purposes of subsection (1A)(a) of that section, and

(b)subsection (1C) of that section (meaning of “chief finance officer”) applies for the purposes of subsection (5)(h) as it applies for the purposes of subsection (1A)(e) of that section.

(7)The consultation document mentioned in subsection (5) must be published and supplied in accordance with section 125(1)(a) and (b) (as applied by this section) not less than 12 months before the scheme's expiry date.

(8)For the purposes of this section, a scheme's “expiry date” is the later of the following dates—

(a)the end of the period specified in the scheme in accordance with section 127(2)(c),

(b)if the scheme has been continuing in operation by virtue of the previous application of this section, the end of the period for which it is so continuing in operation.

(9)The period for which a scheme continues in operation by virtue of a decision under subsection (1) may begin—

(a)on such day falling before, on, or immediately after the scheme's expiry date as the authority or authorities decide, or

(b)if the circumstances are such that the continuation of the scheme cannot begin on a day falling within paragraph (a), on such later day as the authority or authorities decide in accordance with regulations made by the appropriate national authority for the purposes of such circumstances.

(10)If the authority or authorities publish and supply a consultation document in accordance with subsection (7), the scheme remains in operation (without any modifications proposed by them under subsection (1)) until—

(a)in a case where the scheme is to continue in operation for a further period, the day before the beginning of that period, or

(b)in any other case, the scheme's expiry date.

(11)Section 130 (tendering) applies to a scheme that continues in operation under this section (whether or not the proposal for the scheme to continue in operation was an exempt continuation proposal) but subject to regulations made by the appropriate national authority under section 133(3).”.