The appropriate national authority may issue guidance to non-metropolitan local traffic authoritiesF10, Integrated Transport AuthoritiesF17, combined authoritiesF22, combined county authorities and London traffic authorities in relation to the discharge of their functions with respect to charging schemes and licensing schemes under this Part; and such authorities shall, in exercising those functions, have regard to any such guidance.

Before issuing guidance under this section which relates to joint local-London charging schemesF11, joint ITA-London charging schemes or joint local-London licensing schemes the Secretary of State shall consult the Greater London Authority about the guidance so far as it so relates.

Guidance issued under this section shall be published in such manner as the appropriate national authority by which it is issued considers appropriate; and the appropriate national authority may at any time vary or revoke guidance issued by it under this section.

Information obtained by a traffic authority or Integrated Transport AuthorityF19, Integrated Transport Authority F24, combined authority or combined county authority for or in connection with any of their functions other than functions under this Part may be used by them for or in connection with the performance or proposed performance of any of their functions under this Part or with respect to a relevant scheme or proposed relevant scheme.

The Secretary of State or the Welsh Ministers may charge a reasonable fee in respect of the cost of supplying information under subsection (1) or (3).

Where a traffic authority or Integrated Transport AuthorityF20, Integrated Transport Authority F25, combined authority or combined county authority asks the Secretary of State to obtain overseas registration information from an overseas registration authority with a view to the Secretary of State disclosing that information under subsection (1) or (3), the Secretary of State may charge a reasonable fee in respect of the cost of obtaining, or seeking to obtain, the information.

In this section—

• “overseas registration authority” means any authority of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom with responsibility under the law of that country or territory for maintaining a register of vehicles;

• “overseas registration information” means information derived from particulars contained in a register of vehicles that is maintained by an overseas registration authority;

• “relevant scheme” means a charging scheme or licensing scheme under this Part.

Chapter I applies in relation to Crown roads (within the meaning of section 131 of the M1Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984) as in relation to other roads.

The provisions of this Part and of regulations and schemes under it bind the Crown.

Nothing in this section affects Her Majesty in her private capacity; and this subsection shall be construed as if section 38(3) of the M2Crown Proceedings Act 1947 (interpretation of references in that Act to Her Majesty in her private capacity) were contained in this Act.

The power to make an order making, varying or revoking a trunk road charging scheme is exercisable by statutory instrument.

Regulations under paragraph F13... F1513(5) of Schedule 12 shall not be made without the consent of the Treasury.

A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Secretary of State or the Lord Chancellor under any other provision of this Part shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

The references in subsections (4) and (5) to regulations made by the Secretary of State include regulations made by him jointly with the F28Welsh Ministers.

A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Welsh Ministers under any other provision of this Part shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of Senedd Cymru.

The references in subsections (7) and (8) to regulations made by the Welsh Ministers include regulations made by them jointly with the Secretary of State.

In this Part—

• “the appropriate national authority” means—

  1. a

     the Secretary of State in relation to charging schemes and licensing schemes relating only to England,

  2. b

     the National Assembly for Wales in relation to charging schemes and licensing relating only to Wales, and

  3. c

     the Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales, acting jointly, in relation to charging schemes and licensing schemes relating to both England and Wales,

• “bridge” means a bridge or viaduct and includes the abutments of a bridge,

• “charging authority” and “charging authorities” have the meanings given by section 163(5),

• “charging scheme” has the meaning given by section 163(1),

• “charging scheme penalty charges” shall be construed in accordance with section 173(1),

• F21“combined authority” has the meaning given by section 163(5A),

• F26“combined county authority” has the meaning given by section 163 (5B);

• F12“eligible local traffic authority” has the meaning given by section 163(4A),

• “exempt vehicle”, in relation to a licensing scheme, means a motor vehicle exempt from licensing under the scheme by virtue of regulations under subsection (1) of section 187 or provision included in the scheme by virtue of subsection (2) of that section,

• “financial year” means a period of twelve months ending with 31st March,

• “joint local charging scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(3)(b),

• F12“joint local-ITA charging scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(3)(bb),

• F12“joint ITA-London charging scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(3)(cc),

• “joint local licensing scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 178(5)(b),

• “joint local-London charging scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(3)(c),

• “joint local-London licensing scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 178(5)(c),

• “licence” shall be construed in accordance with section 178(3),

• “licensed unit” has the meaning given by section 178(4),

• “licensing area” shall be construed in accordance with section 186(1)(a),

• “licensing authority” and “licensing authorities” have the meanings given by section 178(6),

• “licensing scheme” has the meaning given by section 178(1),

• “licensing scheme penalty charges” shall be construed in accordance with section 189(1),

• “local charging scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(3)(a),

• “local licensing scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 178(5)(a),

• “local traffic authority” has the same meaning as in the M3Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984,

• F2“local transport policies” has the meaning given in section 108(5),

• “London traffic authority” means Transport for London, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London,

• “motor vehicle” has the meaning given in section 185(1) of the M4Road Traffic Act 1988, except that section 189 of that Act (exception for certain pedestrian controlled vehicles and electrically assisted pedal cycles) shall apply as it applies for the purposes of the Road Traffic Acts,

• “non-metropolitan local traffic authority” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(4),

• “operation” includes enforcement (related expressions being construed accordingly),

• “registered keeper”, in relation to a charge imposed in respect of motor vehicle, means the person in whose name the vehicle was registered under the M5Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 at the time of the act, omission, event or circumstances in respect of which the charge is imposed,

• “road” has the same meaning as in the M6Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984,

• “trunk road charging scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 163(3)(d), and

• “workplace parking place” shall be construed in accordance with section 182.

Any reference in this Part to an authority’s F3local transport policies shall, where the authority is the council of a metropolitan district, be construed as a reference to F4the local transport policies ofF1the Integrated Transport Authority for the integrated transport area in which the district is included F5....

Any reference in this Part to a class of motor vehicles is a reference to a class defined or described, by reference to any characteristics of the motor vehicles or to any other circumstances whatsoever, in regulations made by the appropriate national authority.