Schedule 3 – Abolition of Rail Regulator: savings, etc.
52.The effect of this Schedule is that anything done by the Regulator prior to the transfer of his functions to the Office of Rail Regulation will continue to be valid as if it had been done by the Office. Similarly, anything in the process of being done by, or in relation to, the Regulator will be continued by, or in relation to, the Office.
53.Paragraph 6 makes it clear that the Act does not affect the International Rail Regulator in any way. That is a separate office, which will continue to exist.
Public Sector financial and manpower cost
54.The appointment of additional non-executive members of a Regulatory Board for the Office of Rail Regulation will entail additional costs. This would be recovered at least in part from the regulated industry, though offset indirectly by increases in public subsidy. The extra costs would probably be less than £200,000, less than a 1.5% increase in the ORR’s budget.
Human Rights assessment
55.The Government considers that the substitution of a regulatory board of rail regulation for the Rail Regulator does not involve any human rights implications, and that the provisions of the Act concerning the Office of Rail Regulation are compatible with the Convention.