27.—(1) A person who is aggrieved by a—
(a)decision of the Office of Rail Regulation to refuse his application for—
(i)a safety certificate or safety authorisation;
(ii)an amended safety certificate or safety authorisation;
(b)direction of the Office of Rail Regulation to make an application to amend his safety certificate or safety authorisation; or
(c)decision of the Office of Rail Regulation to revoke his—
(i)safety certificate or part of it; or
(ii)safety authorisation,
may appeal to the Secretary of State.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the Secretary of State may, in such cases as he considers it appropriate to do so, having regard to the nature of the questions which appear to him to arise, direct that an appeal under that paragraph shall be determined on his behalf by a person appointed by him for that purpose.
(3) Before the determination of an appeal the Secretary of State shall ask the appellant and the Office of Rail Regulation whether they wish to appear and be heard on the appeal and—
(a)The appeal may be determined without a hearing of the parties if both of them express a wish not to appear and be heard as aforesaid;
(b)The Secretary of State shall, if either of the parties expresses a wish to appear and be heard, afford to both of them an opportunity of doing so.
(4) The Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992 shall apply to a hearing held by a person appointed in pursuance of paragraph (2) to determine an appeal as it applies to a statutory inquiry held by the Secretary of State, but as if in section 10(1) of that Act (statement of reasons for decisions) the reference to any decision taken by the Secretary of State included a reference to a decision taken on his behalf by that person.
[F1(4A) A hearing held by a person appointed in pursuance of paragraph (2) shall be a statutory inquiry for the purposes of Schedule 7 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council).]
(5) A person who determines an appeal under this regulation on behalf of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State, if he determines such an appeal, may give such directions as he considers appropriate to give effect to his determination.
(6) The Secretary of State may pay to any person appointed to hear or determine an appeal under paragraph (2) on his behalf such remuneration and allowances as the Secretary of State may with the approval of the [F2Treasury] determine.
(7) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), a failure by the Office of Rail Regulation to make a decision on whether or not to issue or amend a safety certificate or safety authorisation within the four month period for making a decision calculated in accordance with regulation 17(7) shall be treated as a refusal of the application.
(8) The Health and Safety Licensing Appeals (Hearing Procedure) Rules 1974 M1, as respects England and Wales, and the Health and Safety Licensing Appeals (Hearing Procedure)(Scotland) M2 Rules 1974, as respects Scotland, shall apply to an appeal under paragraph (1) as they apply to an appeal under [F3section 44(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974], but with the modification that references to a licensing authority are to be read as references to the Office of Rail Regulation.
(9) Where an appeal is made under paragraphs (1)(a) or (1)(c), the decision in question shall be suspended pending the final determination of the appeal.
Textual Amendments
F1Reg. 27(4A) inserted (26.8.2011) by The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1860), regs. 1, 2(8)(a)
F2Word in reg. 27(6) substituted (26.8.2011) by The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1860), regs. 1, 2(8)(b)
F3Words in reg. 27(8) substituted (26.8.2011) by The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1860), regs. 1, 2(8)(c)
Marginal Citations
M2S.I. 1974/2068 [Scots.]