Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support access to (a) public transport and (b) mobility schemes for people with epilepsy who are unable to drive.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to reliable and affordable public transport, and we appreciate how important this is for people who are unable to drive.
We are committed to improving bus services, so they are more inclusive and enable everyone to travel safely and confidently. In December last year, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local bus services. From safer and more accessible bus stops and stations, to more comprehensive disability training for drivers and frontline staff and a new requirement for local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks, the Bill will help ensure that local bus services better meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including disabled people who are unable to drive.
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free bus travel in England, to those of state pension age and those with eligible disabilities between 9:30 and 23:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends and bank holidays. Those who would, if they applied for a driving licence, have their application refused on the grounds of medical fitness, are eligible for an ENCTS bus pass.
The government also has ambitious plans to reform the rail sector, unifying track and train under one organisation. The cornerstone of the Government’s plan for rail reform is to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly owned arm’s length body charged with running Britain’s railways in the public interest. GBR will be a new, publicly owned company with accountable, integrated leadership across track and train, sitting at the heart of the reformed rail sector. This will help drive a more consistent passenger experience ensuring a relentless focus on high performance and service standards for Britain’s railways.
Accessibility is one of the Government’s six priorities for the railway and will be central to GBR. To support this, the Railways Bill includes legal requirements relating to accessibility that will ensure that the interests of passengers, including those with accessibility needs, will be a fundamental part of decision-making on the railways.
We are already taking action ahead of the establishment of GBR to make rail travel easier and more reliable for disabled passengers, including investing over £10 million in upgrades to the Passenger Assist Scheme which supports disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. We have improved information about the facilities available to provide support to passengers at stations and will be publishing a rail accessibility roadmap which sets out the actions we are taking to make the railway more accessible ahead of GBR being established.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to increase research funding into the development of anti-epileptic drugs with fewer side effects and greater efficacy.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including epilepsy treatment and side effects.
These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on epilepsy to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the NIHR’s Open Data website, at the following link:
https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/
The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and which includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including epilepsy.