PENALTY FARES ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT (Hansard, 25 November 1986)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)

Earlier this year my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport established a working group of officials from the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor's Department, London Regional Transport and my department to review the principles which should apply to penalty fares schemes on public transport. The group was asked, in particular, to review the penalty fares provisions of the London Regional Transport Act 1984. This was in line with the undertakings given to Parliament by the Government during consideration of the relevant sections of the LRT Act, that if further improvements could be identified before the penalty fare provisions were brought into effect then we would be prepared to implement them in amending legislation. [House of CommonsOfficial Report for 25th June 1984, Col. 765]. The working group was also asked to examine concerns which had been raised about the different powers contained in the London Docklands Railways Acts 1984 and 1985 and London Docklands Railway (City Extension) Bill. The working group has now reported and the Government have accepted their recommendations for changes to the existing legislation. My right honourable friend has given LRT consent to deposit a Private Bill seeking to amend the penalty fares provisions of the London Regional Transport and London Docklands Railways Acts to bring them into line with the working group's recommendations. I have today deposited a copy of the working group's report, Penalty Fares on Public Transport, in the Library.