§ 75. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the concern of county councils 143W that the Transport Users' Consultative Committee, in considering objections to rail closures, are limited to hardship; and whether he will take steps to enable them to apply the factors set out under Section 135 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960.
§ Mr. MarplesI have received representations on this subject from certain county councils in the west of England. Under Section 56(9) of the Transport Act, 1962, the function of an Area Transport Users' Consultative Committee is to consider objections to a proposed passenger closure and report to me on the hardship (if any) which it may cause. The report may contain proposals for alleviating that hardship. I am not in a position to vary this statutory function so as to bring within the scope of the Committee's consideration any matters set out in Section 135 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, which they cannot already consider as part of that function.