§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities in the United Kingdom undertake private hire work in addition to their public transport duties; if he will publish a list of such authorities; and if he has any plans to seek to restrict such activities.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThirty-five of the 37 district council operators in England recorded some private hire mileage in 1982, but the total amounted to under 3 per cent. of their overall mileage. The undertakings concerned were
Barrow, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Burnley.Chester, Chesterfield, Cleveland, Colchester, Derby.Eastbourne, East Staffs, Fylde, Great Yarmouth, Grimsby, Halton, Hartlepool, Hyndburn.Ipswich, Kingston-upon-Hull, Lancaster, Leicester, Lincoln, Maidstone, Northampton, Nottingham.Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rossendale, Southampton, Southend, Thamesdown, Warrington.I have no plans to restrict these activities.
§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for Transport if any requirements are imposed upon local authorities who provide public transport to keep separate accounts for any private hire activity they may undertake; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThere is no requirement that local authority transport undertakings should keep separate accounts for private hire activity, although the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy recommends that bus operators should show the income received from contract and private hire work separately in their accounts.