I entirely understand where my hon. Friend is coming from, and new clause 9 is very welcome. He says that the power will be time-limited. What will happen if the time runs out, but a new operator has not been found?

I entirely understand where my hon. Friend is coming from, and new clause 9 is very welcome. He says that the power will be time-limited. What will happen if the time runs out, but a new operator has not been found?

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. The power is time-limited; the proposal is that the time should be limited to nine months, with the option of having a further three months thereafter. It is, in our opinion, highly unlikely that a transport operator would not be found, because...

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. The power is time-limited; the proposal is that the time should be limited to nine months, with the option of having a further three months thereafter. It is, in our opinion, highly unlikely that a transport operator would not be found, because...

We are making that provision in the Bill, and as I said, we will be consulting on our guidance and so on with trade unions and bus operators alike to take the provisions forward. They are clearly laid out on the face of the Bill to give a true minimum...

We are making that provision in the Bill, and as I said, we will be consulting on our guidance and so on with trade unions and bus operators alike to take the provisions forward. They are clearly laid out on the face of the Bill to give a true minimum...

I thank the hon. Lady for that intervention. She knows the answer, as I made my position clear throughout the whole Committee stage, just as my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby made his clear on Second Reading. We do not believe that quality contracts will be successful....

I thank the hon. Lady for that intervention. She knows the answer, as I made my position clear throughout the whole Committee stage, just as my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby made his clear on Second Reading. We do not believe that quality contracts will be successful....

I welcome many of the statements that the Minister has made tonight with regard to TUPE. A joint mechanism between the Government and the trade unions would be invaluable to monitor the implementation of the legislation in the coming period, particularly the detail that will be in the regulations, which...

I welcome many of the statements that the Minister has made tonight with regard to TUPE. A joint mechanism between the Government and the trade unions would be invaluable to monitor the implementation of the legislation in the coming period, particularly the detail that will be in the regulations, which...

Will my hon. Friend clarify, on that specific point, that that will also apply to employees of operators who are not local government operators?

Will my hon. Friend clarify, on that specific point, that that will also apply to employees of operators who are not local government operators?

This covers all employees who have been working under quality contract schemes. Let me turn finally to issues of unfair dismissal, particularly whether it is automatically unfair if an employee is dismissed by an operator who fails to win a quality contract. We do not believe that that constitutes unfair...

This covers all employees who have been working under quality contract schemes. Let me turn finally to issues of unfair dismissal, particularly whether it is automatically unfair if an employee is dismissed by an operator who fails to win a quality contract. We do not believe that that constitutes unfair...

It might be that I do not understand new clause 9. Will the Minister talk me through the scenario that was adverted to by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer), in which an authority issues an invitation to tender within the appropriate time frame but no...

It might be that I do not understand new clause 9. Will the Minister talk me through the scenario that was adverted to by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer), in which an authority issues an invitation to tender within the appropriate time frame but no...

This provision is for a time-limited period of nine months, plus three months as a further option, to get the contracts in place. Under the scheme, there is a period of time for the contract that was running, so it would be for the remainder of that period that this...

This provision is for a time-limited period of nine months, plus three months as a further option, to get the contracts in place. Under the scheme, there is a period of time for the contract that was running, so it would be for the remainder of that period that this...

I think that my hon. Friend has got the drift of this. The rationale that he has put forward has been clearly understood on both sides of the House. However, I am worried about the unknown and unexpected things that could happen at the end of the 12-month period. I...

I think that my hon. Friend has got the drift of this. The rationale that he has put forward has been clearly understood on both sides of the House. However, I am worried about the unknown and unexpected things that could happen at the end of the 12-month period. I...

I understand what my hon. Friend is trying to achieve. However, if I am to revisit the matter before the end of Report, I shall have to move extremely quickly to do it before 9 o'clock. I ask hon. Members to accept that we have recognised the issue of the...

I understand what my hon. Friend is trying to achieve. However, if I am to revisit the matter before the end of Report, I shall have to move extremely quickly to do it before 9 o'clock. I ask hon. Members to accept that we have recognised the issue of the...

Will the Minister give way again on that point?

Will the Minister give way again on that point?

No; let me make some progress. In common, however, with my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central, I want to respond to the amendments and to comments made by right hon. and hon. Members in the debate. Indeed, it would be discourteous not to do so. My hon....

No; let me make some progress. In common, however, with my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central, I want to respond to the amendments and to comments made by right hon. and hon. Members in the debate. Indeed, it would be discourteous not to do so. My hon....

Does the Minister view amendment No. 8 as almost a wrecking one, as under (c)(iii), all the consultees have to be"““living within 150 metres of any part of the route as specified in the proposed scheme””?" If one person were missed out, we would end up with judicial review, which...

Does the Minister view amendment No. 8 as almost a wrecking one, as under (c)(iii), all the consultees have to be"““living within 150 metres of any part of the route as specified in the proposed scheme””?" If one person were missed out, we would end up with judicial review, which...

I think that my hon. Friend may well have put his finger directly on the intention behind some of these amendments—[Interruption.] I am sure that the hon. Member for Wimbledon has been closely following our deliberations and he will have read the amendments tabled by others.

I think that my hon. Friend may well have put his finger directly on the intention behind some of these amendments—[Interruption.] I am sure that the hon. Member for Wimbledon has been closely following our deliberations and he will have read the amendments tabled by others.

There would, of course, be an incentive for the local transport authority, as it would have been charged with providing those services for the bus passengers to whom it was responsible. I have genuinely tried to find out whether there is any belief that this process would be likely to...

There would, of course, be an incentive for the local transport authority, as it would have been charged with providing those services for the bus passengers to whom it was responsible. I have genuinely tried to find out whether there is any belief that this process would be likely to...

May I suggest a way forward? We all understand that the Minister does not want to give local authorities carte blanche indefinitely. A solution might be to give the traffic commissioner further authority to extend the process beyond the three months. The commissioner, an independent person, might be able to...

May I suggest a way forward? We all understand that the Minister does not want to give local authorities carte blanche indefinitely. A solution might be to give the traffic commissioner further authority to extend the process beyond the three months. The commissioner, an independent person, might be able to...

I agree with the Minister's analysis, but does he think it would be helpful for local authorities to avoid any pitfalls by discussing the scheme informally with the QCS board before its submission, or does he think that the two processes should be separated so that there is no prior...

I agree with the Minister's analysis, but does he think it would be helpful for local authorities to avoid any pitfalls by discussing the scheme informally with the QCS board before its submission, or does he think that the two processes should be separated so that there is no prior...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I have said clearly that those who propose the scheme should use every option to ensure that they consult. As I said in response to an earlier intervention about the time process, local transport authorities will take time to develop a scheme....

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I have said clearly that those who propose the scheme should use every option to ensure that they consult. As I said in response to an earlier intervention about the time process, local transport authorities will take time to develop a scheme....

The Minister just used the phrase ““a full-case review””, but will he be absolutely clear about that? My understanding was that the Transport Tribunal's role in investigating any appeal where there was a division between the QCS board and a local authority would be limited to matters of disagreement between...

The Minister just used the phrase ““a full-case review””, but will he be absolutely clear about that? My understanding was that the Transport Tribunal's role in investigating any appeal where there was a division between the QCS board and a local authority would be limited to matters of disagreement between...