Committee publishes transport legislative competence order report
15 February 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)
The Welsh Affairs Committee says powers relating to concessionary fares and learner transport safety should be transferred from Westminster to the National Assembly for Wales
New powers relating to concessionary fares would enable the Assembly Government to exercise control over the whole concessionary fares scheme, not just a part of it, and the Committee concludes that this is a logical approach to keep the scheme coherent and workable.
In relation to learner transport safety, the Committee says it is satisfied that the power to define and regulate safety standards on contracted learner transport should be devolved to the National Assembly and it is consistent with the overall devolution settlement.
Concerns about the impact of new legislation in these areas which were expressed in evidence to the Committee should be dealt with by the Assembly during the normal course of considering additional powers.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr Hywel Francis MP, said:
"We support the proposed Order which aims to deliver the highest standards of safety for children travelling to and from school and which also seeks to bring coherence to policies relating to concessionary fares."