§ `(1) The following provisions of this section apply for the purposes of the operation of the free travel scheme in relation to any accounting year of London Regional Transport to which the scheme applies (referred to below in this section as the relevant accounting year).
§ (2) As soon as the requirements for the application of the free travel scheme to the relevant accounting year are met, London Regional Transport shall notify all London borough councils and the Common Council (referred to below in this section as issuing authorities) that the scheme will apply to that accounting year.
§ (3) London Regional Transport shall from time to time supply to each issuing authority such travel concession permits as appear to London Regional Transport to be required by that authority for issue to eligible London residents in accordance with the following provisions of this section.
§ (4) Subject to subsection (5) below, an issuing authority shall issue a travel concession permit supplied by London Regional Transport under this section to any eligible London resident who applies for one and is resident in the area of that authority.
§ (5) The issue of such a permit by any issuing authority shall be subject to such terms, limitations or conditions as the authority may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, from time to time determine as respects any category of eligible London residents.
§ (6) Before 1st February in the accounting year immediately preceding the relevant accounting year London Regional 1020 Transport shall give written notification to each issuing authority of the charge to be paid to them under this section by the issuing authority, for each quarter of the relevant accounting year, in respect of a travel concession permit issued under this section to an eligible London resident of each category which is valid on the first day of that quarter.
§ (7) The charges payable by issuing authorities under this section—
- (a) shall be fixed by London Regional Transport with a view to securing that the costs of the operation of the free travel scheme are met from the proceeds of those charges (taking one accounting year to which the scheme applies with another, where the scheme applies to two or more consecutive accounting years); and
- (b) may differ for different quarters of an accounting year.
§ (8) The reference in subsection (7)(a) above to the costs of the operation of the free travel scheme is a reference, in relation to any accounting year of London Regional Transport taken into account in fixing any charges under that subsection.. to the aggregate of—
- (a) the revenue by way of fares which London Regional Transport estimate they and any subsidiaries of theirs have lost or will lose in that year in consequence of the provision of free travel under the scheme; and
- (b) any other costs which London Regional Transport have incurred or estimate that they will incur in that year in connection with providing or for the purpose of securing the provision of free travel under the scheme (including any payments London Regional Transport have made or propose to make for that purpose to any person with whom they have entered into an agreement by N, irtue of section 3(2) of this Act).
§ (9) Before the end of the first month of each quarter of the relevant accounting year, each issuing authority shall—
- (a) pay to London Regional Transport, in respect of each travel concession permit issued by that authority and valid on the first day of that quarter, the charge fixed by London Regional Transport under this section for that quarter which is applicable to that permit;
- (b) provide London Regional Transport with a written statement giving the particulars required by subsection (10) below with respect to the travel concession permits supplied to the authority by London Regional Transport under this section; and
- (c) if required to do so by London Regional Transport, return to London Regional Transport all such permits which have not been issued by the authority before the beginning of that quarter.
§ (10) The particulars required by this subsection in any statement under subsection (9)(b) above with respect to any quarter of the relevant accounting year are—
- (a) the number of such permits issued to eligible London residents of each category which are valid on the first day of that quarter;
- (b) the number of such permits so issued (if any) which expired or were surrendered to the authority during the last preceding quarter; and
- (c) the number of such permits supplied for issue to eligible London residents of each category which have not been issued by the authority before the beginning of the quarter for which the statement is required.
§ (11) In the application of section 48(7)(c) of this Act for the purposes of the free travel scheme and this section, the reference to the opinion of the local authority or any of the local authorities there mentioned shall be read, in relation to persons resident in the area of an issuing authority, as a reference to the opinion of that authority.
§ (12) The annual report of London Regional Transport under section 33 of this Act with respect to the relevant accounting year shall contain a statement of—
- (a) the manner in which the charges fixed under this section in respect of each quarter of that year were calculated; and
- (b) the aggregate of the amounts paid to London Regional Transport during that year by the issuing authorities under this section'.—[Mr. Ridley.]
§ Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.