§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of the Rail Regulator are subject to(a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [37911]
§ Mr. Watts[holding answer 18 July 1996]: (a) The central rail users consultative committee, CRUCC, and the rail users consultative committees, RUCCs, are not listed in schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 and hence their activities are not subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. However, where a committee acts on behalf of the Office of the Rail Regulator to conduct an investigation, its activities are subject to investigation.
(b) The CRUCC and RUCCs are not subject to investigation by the Audit Commission.
(c) The Office of the Rail Regulator, ORR, accounts, which include the CRUCC and RUCCs annual accounts, are subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office.
(d) The CRUCC and RUCCs are not subject to the code of practice on access to Government information.
(e) The CRUCC and RUCCs have developed their own performance indicators which are agreed by ORR. They are actively examining a wider range of performance indicators.
(f) The CRUCC and RUCCs are not subject to the provisions under the citizen's charter.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of the Rail Regulator publish(a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [37913]
§ Mr. Watts[holding answer 18 July 1996]: It is a statutory requirement for the central rail users consultative committee, CRUCC, and the rail users consultative committees, RUCCs to publish annual reports. The CRUCC and RUCCs' annual accounts are included in the Office of the Rail Regulator's annual accounts as a statutory requirement. The total spending for each RUCC, broken down by committee and category, is also included in the CRUCC annual report.
The minutes and agendas for meetings for the CRUCC and RUCCs are available to the public. The former is a voluntary action and is limited by the statutory requirement not to disclose without prior consent information with 683W respect to any particular business or individual. The latter is a statutory requirement but does not extend to matters from which the public will be excluded.
There is currently no register of members' interests and there is no statutory requirement to produce one. A register is currently under consideration as part of the code of conduct for members of the committees.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the statutory base of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of the Rail Regulator; and if they(a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public, indicating in both instances whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [37912]
§ Mr. Watts[holding answer 18 July 1996]: The central rail users consultative committee and the eight rail users consultative committees are independent statutory bodies established under sections 2 and 3 of the Railways Act 1993. Under schedules 2 and 3 of the Railways Act 1993, the Office of the Rail Regulator provides finance from within its running cost out of money provided by Parliament, and administrative support and accommodation for the committees.
Meetings of the committees are required by statute to be open to the public. Members of the public are excluded from meetings when confidential matters or matters the disclosure of which may seriously and prejudicially effect the interest of an individual or body are discussed. In addition, sub-committee meetings are held which are not open to the public.