Oral Answers to Questions

Rosie Cooper Excerpts

Thursday 3rd December 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

Whether he plans to allow publicly owned rail operators to bid for future rail contracts under the proposed concession model.

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Chris Heaton-Harris)]

We will outline our plans for the railway in a White Paper when the course of the pandemic becomes clearer.

[Rosie Cooper [V]]

Even prior to this pandemic, disabled people reported that work opportunities were out of reach due to the lack of accessibility on transport. What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure that disabled people are not prevented from accessing and staying in employment because of the really pressing accessibility issues on our rail network?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

The hon. Lady asks a very sensible question on a very important day, the United Nations-sponsored International Day of Persons with Disabilities. There is some good news, because 75% of all journeys—on what is a Victorian network that we are trying to upgrade—are now through step-free stations, compared with 50% only a few years ago.