(1)There shall be established in accordance with this section a body to be known as the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.
(2)The Committee shall consist of—
(a)a chairman appointed by the Secretary of State; and
(b)not less than ten, nor more than twenty, other members appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with such bodies as appear to him to be representative of the interests of persons likely to be significantly concerned with matters within the competence of the Committee.
(3)The Secretary of State shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, secure that at all times at least half of the membership of the Committee consists of persons who are disabled.
(4)The Secretary of State may appoint one or more members of the Committee to be deputy chairman or (as the case may be) deputy chairmen of the Committee.
(5)It shall be the duty of the Committee to consider any matter, relating to the needs of disabled persons in connection with public passenger transport, which is referred to them by the Secretary of State or which they think it appropriate to consider without such a reference and to give such advice to the Secretary of State on any matter which they have considered as they think appropriate.
(6)The Committee shall make an annual report to the Secretary of State, who shall lay a copy of it before each House of Parliament.
(7)The Secretary of State shall from time to time issue guidance as to measures that may be taken with a view to—
(a)making access to vehicles used in the provision of public passenger transport services by road easier for disabled persons; and
(b)making such vehicles better adapted to the needs of disabled persons.
(8)The Secretary of State shall consult the Committee before issuing any such guidance.
(9)Schedule 5 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Committee.