{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/quality-contracts-schemes-qcs-boards-england-regulations-2009/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/quality-contracts-schemes-qcs-boards-england-regulations-2009/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2009/3243",
  "legislation_title": "The Quality Contracts Schemes (QCS Boards) (England) Regulations 2009",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/quality-contracts-schemes-qcs-boards-england-regulations-2009",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "(This note is not part of the Regulations)\nThese Regulations make provision about QCS boards, as defined in section 126A(1) of the Transport Act 2000 (“the Act”), constituted to consider proposals by a local transport authority to make a quality contracts scheme.\nA quality contracts scheme is a scheme made under the Act in which a local authority determines the local bus network in the area to which the scheme relates. Where such a scheme is in place, local bus services can only (with some exceptions) be provided under quality contracts. A quality contract is a contract made by the local authority under which a particular operator is granted the exclusive right to operate specified services. The provisions relating to quality contracts schemes in the Act were amended by the Local Transport Act 2008.\nBefore making a scheme, a local transport authority in England must submit its proposals to a specially constituted QCS board. The board must publish an opinion and, where appropriate, recommendations as to whether the proposed scheme satisfies the public interest criteria prescribed in section 124(1) (or, where the scheme is proposed by an Integrated Transport Authority to provide bus services in place of a railway service which has been reduced or discontinued, section 124(1A)) of the Act, and whether the authority has complied with the notice and consultation requirements prescribed in section 125 of the Act.\nRegulation 3 makes provision about the giving of written notices, and in particular the circumstances in which electronic communication may be used.\nRegulations 4 to 7 prescribe how a QCS board is to be constituted and prescribe time limits for the completion of certain tasks.\nRegulation 8 imposes certain requirements on a QCS board in responding to a request for procedural advice. In particular, it places a requirement on the board to make copies of requests for advice, and the advice given, publicly available.\nRegulations 9 and 10 prescribe the procedure to be followed when a local transport authority asks the QCS board to consider a proposed scheme. The QCS board must acknowledge the request within 14 days. Where the authority submits a further request for the QCS board to consider a modified scheme, regulation 10 prescribes the information which must be sent with that request.\nRegulation 11 enables the board to invite authorities and any person consulted on the proposed scheme to submit written or oral evidence to the board. It also provides that any person may ask the board for an opportunity to present oral evidence. The regulation prescribes the circumstances in which the board is obliged to hold an oral evidence session. The regulation also enables the QCS board to determine the procedure to be followed at an oral evidence session.\nRegulation 12 provides that the obligation to hold an oral evidence session does not apply where a modified scheme is submitted to the QCS board for consideration and oral evidence has already been given in respect of the original proposals.\nRegulation 13 prescribes the time limits within which the board should normally publish its report about a proposed scheme. If the board does not publish its report within the period prescribed, a statement must be prepared explaining why the report has not been published within that period, and when it is expected to be published (see section 126E(5) and (6) of the Act).\nRegulation 14 imposes restrictions on the publication of certain information which is supplied to the local transport authority or to the board in confidence.\nRegulation 15 enables the QCS board to publish interim reports.\nAn impact assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR. The assessment is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which can be found alongside these Regulations on the Office of Public Sector Information website (www.opsi.gov.uk).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/3243/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:59:03.848265+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}