Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Fabricant Excerpts

Thursday 17th November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman feels enormously privileged at the prospect of a meeting with the Minister of State, as of course would most sane people.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

I wish he would meet me. Question 3, please, Mr Speaker.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

3. When he plans to announce the next tranche of railway stations to be provided with disabled access to all platforms; and if he will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Paul Maynard)]

All the funding under the current pot of money for Access for All has been allocated to stations. We intend to seek further funding for the next rail control period. We will seek nominations from the industry and start to announce the successful projects in 2018.

[Michael Fabricant]

Lichfield happens to be one of the smallest cities in the country, but Lichfield Trent Valley railway station is an important interchange between the west coast main line and the cross-city line that connects Lichfield with Birmingham and with Redditch. Yet two out of the three platforms are completely inaccessible to anybody who is disabled, or indeed anybody who has baggage with them and wants to get to one of those platforms. We were meant to get disabled access in October this year, so when is it going to happen?

[Paul Maynard]

I am glad that my hon. Friend shares my commitment to and passion for improving disabled accessibility. I understand that he has met Network Rail at the station to discuss its plans for the project. It intends to start work as soon as possible and it should take about a year to complete, so I hope it will been seen within a year. Network Rail should appreciate that Access for All projects are as important as any of its major prestige projects.