§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase powers available to the rail users consultative committees; and if he will make a statement. [62430]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonA New Deal for the Railways (Cm 4024) announced that, subject to legislation, sponsorship of the Rail Users' Consultative Committees will be transferred from the Rail Regulator to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). In future, the Committees will have explicit new powers to report perceived breaches of franchise agreements to the SRA, not just breaches of passenger and station licences. In addition, the Committees' remit will be extended to any open access operators (i.e. to passenger
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Franchise Date Circumstances New commitments Great Western Trains 23 February 1998 Three call-ins for infringements of thresholds for cancellations and part cancellations, deemed a breach of the franchise agreement Operator committed to improvements in Passenger's Charter payments for delayed journeys, to implement a recovery plan to improve rolling stock reliability and train crew availability, to spend £500,000 on additional rolling stock items and £500,000 on additional customer information systems in 1998–99. services not provided under franchise agreements). We will ensure that the Committees include a wide cross-section of passengers, and want them to co-operate with bus user representative bodies and to contribute jointly to the development of the regional transport strategies which will form part of Regional Planning Guidance.