The Local Services Franchises (Traffic Commissioner Notices and Panels) (Scotland) Regulations 2024

Oral evidence sessions held by a panel

11.—(1) Where a panel is to hold an oral evidence session, the panel must—

(a) give written notice of the date, time and location of the oral evidence session to—

(i) the local transport authority seeking approval of the proposal,

(ii) any person from whom the panel has invited evidence in accordance with regulation 10, and

(iii) any person who has submitted a request to give oral evidence in accordance with regulation 9(1), and

(b) give notice of the date, time and location of the oral evidence session in at least one newspaper circulating in the area to which the proposal relates.

(2) The panel may determine the procedure to be followed in an oral evidence session and in particular may—

(a) determine the way in which oral evidence is to be presented,

(b) impose time limits on the presentation of oral evidence,

(c) exclude any person from a session, or part of a session, where the panel considers the information likely to be disclosed is of a confidential or commercially sensitive nature,

(d) direct, where two or more parties make a request to submit evidence on a particular issue, that evidence is to be submitted by one party only on behalf of all of them,

(e) decline to hear evidence or submissions which could have been submitted to the local transport authority making the proposal in response to the authority’s consultation under section 13G of the 2001 Act.

(3) Oral evidence sessions must be held in public, unless the panel has determined under paragraph (2)(c) that any person is to be excluded from a session or part of a session.