Rail Ticket Sales (Hansard, 15 July 1996)

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what enforcement measures are available in respect of train operating companies that do not comply with their licence obligation to give impartial sales advice on competitive routes. [37084]

§ Mr. Watts
The regulator's powers of enforcement are set out in sections 55 to 58 of the Railways Act 1993. Section 55 states that, where he is satisfied that an operator is contravening, or is likely to contravene, any relevant condition of his licence, the regulator shall make an order to secure compliance. Section 55(5) states that no order need be made if, for instance, the regulator is satisfied that the relevant operator has agreed to take, and is taking all such steps as are appropriate for the purpose of securing or facilitating compliance with the condition in question.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will halt further sales of train operating company franchises until a review is made of impartial ticket sales. [37055]

§ Mr. Watts
No.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the temporary moratorium on the enforcement of the licence conditions for train operating companies to give impartial ticket sales advice on competitive routes was introduced; and when it ended. [37085]

§ Mr. Watts
No such moratorium has ever existed.
354W

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action has been taken against train operating companies that have not complied with their licence obligation to give impartial sales advice on competitive routes in each month since January. [37116]

§ Mr. Watts
The enforcement of licence obligations is a matter for the independent Rail Regulator. He has said that he will consider carefully any evidence which suggests that train operators are failing to fulfil their licence obligations.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will establish an independent national rail ticket sales organisation which can ensure that all rail passengers are given unbiased sales advice. [37054]

§ Mr. Watts
No. The sales of rail tickets is a matter for train operators, subject to the requirements on impartiality contained in their licences and policed by the independent Rail Regulator. The regulator has all the powers he needs to ensure that train operators comply with their licence obligations.

§ Mrs. Dunwoody
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct the Rail Regulator to conduct an urgent review of rail ticket sales. [37053]

§ Mr. Watts
The independent Rail Regulator has already said that he intends shortly to launch a wide-ranging consultation exercise on the practical application of train operators' obligations on impartial ticket retailing.