Local Transport Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 118: 118: Clause 75, page 64, line 24, leave out paragraphs (b) and (c) and insert— ““( ) a district council.”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, this is a simple amendment—or at least I think that it is. Clause 75 allows the Secretary of State to make an order delegating functions of one or more local authorities in an integrated transport area to the ITA or, where relevant, its successor body. In carrying out their reviews of governance arrangements in their area, authorities will want to consider whether delegating local authority functions to the ITA could lead to better integrated decision-making and implementation, or whether any such improvements could best be achieved through joint working, without the need formally to delegate functions. In particular, authorities carrying out reviews will want to consider how far, if at all, the current division of responsibilities for statutory transport functions creates a barrier to improving transport in the area. The Bill already provides the flexibility for the boundaries of an existing or new ITA to be expanded to incorporate the territory of a non-metropolitan district without the need to include the whole of its parent county. However, while Clause 75 currently allows for the delegation of the functions of a county, unitary or metropolitan district council to an ITA or its successor body, it does not allow for the functions of a non-metropolitan district council to be delegated in this way. The amendment therefore provides that the Secretary of State can delegate the functions of a non-metropolitan district council by order to an ITA to ensure the same flexibility for the functions of non-metropolitan district councils as for other local authorities. As with the power to delegate the statutory functions of other authorities to an ITA, the power is subject to the requirement that the Secretary of State consider that the statutory function can appropriately be exercised by the ITA and to affirmative resolution of both this House and another place. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to. Clause 100 [Charges]: