Buses: Wheelchair Users

Lord McInnes of Kilwinning Excerpts

Tuesday 15th May 2018 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sugg]

My Lords, I am pleased to hear of the provision of the Oxford Tube service. For many disabled people, the quality of their interactions with coach and bus drivers will be as important as physical accessibility. Since March, it has been a mandatory requirement for drivers of local and scheduled buses to complete disability awareness training, and we are working with the industry and enforcement bodies to ensure that that requirement is implemented effectively. As I said, we are working on guidance for this training and will certainly look at what the Oxford Tube is doing.

[Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Con)]

My Lords, although this important work is being carried out, many disabled people rely on community transport schemes. What measures are the Government taking to protect those schemes from the draconian new EU regulations?

[Baroness Sugg]

I agree with my noble friend that community transport operators provide vital services. We are interpreting the exemptions to the EU regulations as widely as legally permissible within the existing legal framework so that as many community transport organisations and operators as possible can continue to provide their important services. There was a recent debate on this matter in the other place, and my honourable friend the Roads Minister has addressed this issue in detail. I will pass on a copy of his letter to my noble friend and place a copy in the Library.

Brexit: Aviation Safety Regime

Lord McInnes of Kilwinning Excerpts

Wednesday 17th January 2018 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sugg]

My Lords, of course we are aware of the important relationship we have with the USA regarding our aerospace industry. Last year we exported more than £2 billion-worth of aerospace products to the USA and imported £4.5 billion-worth. As I said, we are fully aware of the industry’s views on this and we will be presenting those as we go forward in our negotiations. I should also mention that Administrator Huerta made it clear that from his standpoint, we can make any scenario that might be negotiated work, and we are working very closely with the Americans.

[Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Con)]

My Lords, as my noble friend may be aware, there is a very significant aerospace industrial hub at Prestwick in Ayrshire, based around BAE Systems’ work on existing aircraft and Spirit AeroSystems’ work on the Airbus wings. Both these companies rely heavily on the American industrial supply chain. What are the Government going to do to support jobs and business at these two Scottish companies?

[Baroness Sugg]

My noble friend is absolutely right. The UK has been very successful in securing a leading supply chain role globally, particularly with Airbus. The industry supports 128,000 direct jobs and 153,000 indirect jobs across the country. Of course, we must do all we can to ensure that we protect these jobs, and the industry. Globally integrated supply chains are mutually beneficial to us and our import and export partners, and it is in all our interests to ensure that trade continues.