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Transport (Wales) Bill

Clause 7 will empower the National Assembly for Wales to secure the provision of any public passenger transport service which it considers appropriate for the purposes of meeting any public transport requirement within Wales which would not, in the view of the Assembly, otherwise be met. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that if the Welsh Assembly Government exercised that power, that consideration would be given to all members of the public, including those who were elderly or disabled. However, I consider the amendment unnecessary because, under the terms of Clause 7(1), the Welsh Assembly Government may secure the provision of any services which it considers appropriate for the purpose of meeting any public transport requirement which would not otherwise be met. The Assembly, of course, takes account of the transport requirements of the general public in deciding whether additional services should be secured. Therefore, in our view, we do not need the amendment tabled by the noble Lords, Lord Roberts of Conway and Lord Luke, to achieve that. We achieve that within the existing provisions. I hope that the noble Lord, having heard what I have said, will withdraw his amendment.