Road Traffic Act 1960

33 Power of Advisory Committee to hold inquiries

(1) In a case where the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee think it desirable or expedient so to do, the Committee may, before advising and reporting to the Minister on any matter referred to them in pursuance of this or any other Act, appoint one or more of their number to hold, or may if they think it advisable themselves hold, such public inquiry into the matter as they may think fit, and when one or more members of the Committee are appointed to hold the inquiry they shall make a report to the Committee.

(2) Before any such inquiry is held the Committee shall give public notice of the date and place at which the inquiry will be held and of the matters to be dealt with at the inquiry, and any person affected may make representations to the member or members holding the inquiry, or, in the case of an inquiry held by the Committee themselves, to the Committee, and unless in their discretion the member, members or Committee consider it unnecessary, any such person shall be heard at the inquiry.

For the purposes of this subsection the Corporation of the City of London and the council of any county, borough or district wholly or partly comprised in the London Traffic Area shall be deemed to be persons affected and (notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this subsection) shall have the right to be heard in any case where the Corporation or council, or any persons represented by them, may be affected by the inquiry.

(3) In a case where the Minister thinks it expedient or proper so to do, he may delegate to the Committee the duty of holding any inquiry respecting any matter affecting traffic within the London Traffic Area which under the provisions of this or any other Act he is authorised or required to hold, and where he has so delegated any such duty the Committee shall appoint one or more of their number to hold, or may if they think it advisable themselves hold, such inquiry as is required under the provisions in respect of which the duty has been delegated ; and when one or more members of the Committee are appointed to hold the inquiry they shall make a report to the Committee.

(4) In a case where in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this section a public inquiry is held by a member of the Committee or by the Committee themselves, the member or Committee may by order require any person, subject to payment or tender of the reasonable expenses of his attendance, to attend as a witness at the inquiry and to give evidence, or to produce any documents in his possession or power which relate to the subject matter of the inquiry and are such as would not be privileged from production in a court of law, and shall have power to take evidence on oath, and that member or the chairman of the Committee shall have power to administer oaths for that purpose.

(5) If a person fails without reasonable excuse to comply with an order made under the last foregoing subsection, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(6) In this section "borough" includes metropolitan borough.