Transport (Wales) Bill

My Lords, here comes the definitive reply. Clause 1(3) makes it clear that walking and cycling are modes of transport for the purposes of the general transport duty. As I stated in Grand Committee, this subsection deals with the modes of transport rather than meeting the needs of particular sectors of society. Following Committee, I wrote to the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Conwy, regarding his concerns about inclusion in the Bill of the elderly and disabled, and hope that other noble Lords have had a chance to read that letter. It would be worth spending a moment reiterating a few points from that letter which highlight the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to developing their transport policies to ensure accessibility for all people equally, as well as the reasons why the amendment is not necessary. One of the Welsh Assembly Government’s underlying principles is equality of opportunity, reflecting the statutory requirement at Section 120 of the Government of Wales Act. The Welsh Assembly Government are committed to that principle, which is crucial in the development of all their policies. The commitment is embedded in the non-statutory Transport Framework for Wales published in 2001, which provides the strategic framework setting out how the Welsh Assembly Government will facilitate the operation and enhancement of the Welsh transport network. More specifically, accessibility is one of the criteria used by the Assembly Government to appraise new transport schemes, and is a pre-condition for support under the transport grant mechanism which funds major local authority transport schemes. That is reiterated in the Assembly’s guidance on local transport plans. Those existing arrangements will be further strengthened by the measures in the Bill, particularly the imposition of the general transport duty on the Assembly, the requirement to prepare a statutory Wales transport strategy, and the new procedures for transport planning and implementation. I hope that noble Lords find the explanation that I have given satisfactory and encouraging, and I ask the noble Lord to withdraw his amendment.