Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the suggested guideline for issuing authorities of 12 weeks for the renewal of Blue Badges on people with disabilities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is responsible for the legislation that governs the Blue Badge scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administering the scheme, including issuing/re-issuing badges.
There are no timescales set for administering applications/renewals either in legislation or guidance. 12 weeks is mentioned in the gov.uk landing page for those applying for or renewing a badge online using the Department’s Blue Badge Digital Service and reflects how long typically the process takes. But each cases is considered on its merits by the relevant local authority.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to introduce a minimum bus service frequency standard in rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas. We plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding and introducing local network safeguards, giving local transport authorities enhanced accountability over bus operators.