§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the present powers of the metropolitan county councils in relation to freight transport; and in which bodies those powers would be vested under the proposals to abolish those councils.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMetropolitan councils, as highway authorities, have power to enforce the regulations on114W maximum lorry weights and, as part of their general responsibilities for traffic regulation, to make orders restricting the movements of lorries. In both cases, it is proposed that the present powers of the metropolitan councils should be transferred to the district councils.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Transport which of the transport powers contained in (a) the Local Government Act 1972, (b) the Highways Act 1980 and (c) the Transport Act 1983 will be removed from local government and transferred to central Government consequent upon the implementation of the proposals contained in the White Paper "Streamlining the Cities" and its associated consultation documents.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe White Paper contains proposals for the transfer of powers from the GLC and the metropolitan counties to London boroughs, metropolitan districts and the proposed new joint public transport boards. They would not involve any significant transfer of powers from local to central Government. The final details of legislation would have to be determined on the basis of consultation with all the interests concerned.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to the proposed joint boards for public transport referred to in his recent consultation document "Reallocation of Transport Responsibilities" in metropolitan county areas (a) which powers included in the Transport Act 1983 the joint boards will inherit from the metropolitan county council and (b) what are the remaining powers of the metropolitan counties under the Transport Act 1983 and what will happen to these.
§ Mr. RidleyIt is the intention that the joint boards should take over from the metropolitan county councils those powers and duties conferred by the Transport Act 1983 which they require in order to exercise general control over the provision of public transport services in their areas, including control over fares and service levels and over the amounts of revenue support to be provided. Ultimately policy will be decided in the light of responses to the consultation document.