The Minister of State for Transport (Mr Sadiq Khan):  Under section 19 of the Transport Act 1985, the Secretary of State has the power to designate bodies who may issue permits under that section to eligible community transport operators.  These ‘section 19’ permits allow the holder to operate transport services for hire or reward, subject to certain conditions, without the need for a full Public Service Vehicle operator’s licence.

While developing the policy proposals now contained in the Local Transport Act 2008, the Government signalled its intention to review the current list of designated bodies.  The Department for Transport will shortly be publishing a consultation on how it intends to advance this review.  Copies of the consultation materials will be made available on the Department’s website (www.dft.gov.uk/consultations) and will be placed in the Libraries of the House.