Operator Licensing (Hansard, 7 February 1994)

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the method used to calculate the annual savings to the transport industry of his proposals for simplifying the operator licensing system for buses and lorries quoted in his press statement No. 24 of 19 January.

§ Mr. Key
The press statement figure was based on the saving to the haulage industry as a result of the introduction of continuous licensing. It was calculated on a fee charged at five-yearly intervals which would be less than the current grant charge because no processing of an application would be involved and the elimination of advertisement costs for operators already in the industry.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to ensure that local residents are aware of their rights to object to the issue of goods vehicle operator licences.

§ Mr. Key
Applicants for a goods vehicle operator's licence must advertise their application for a licence in a local newspaper which is circulated in the area of the applicant's operating centre, i.e. where the vehicles are to be kept. The advertisement must appear within 21 days before, or 21 days after, the application is made.
The advertisement makes local residents aware of their right, if they are owners or occupiers of land in the vicinity of an operating centre, to submit written representations to the licensing authority within 21 days after the date when the advertisement appeared in the local newspaper.
Further advice is given to representors in a booklet entitled "A Guide to making Representations". Copies of this booklet are available free of charge from traffic area offices.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the savings to his Department of the introduction of continuous licensing for operators of buses and lorries.
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§ Mr. Key
It is estimated that the effect on departmental expenditure will be neutral.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the meetings held by his officials with representatives of local authorities to discuss the deregulation of operator licensing.

§ Mr. Norris
Prior to the 1989 review of passenger and goods vehicle operator licensing, meetings took place between officials and the associations of district councils, county councils and metropolitan authorities. These associations received and responded to the 1993 consultation document but no further meetings were requested.