Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with Govia Thameslink Railway on the reduction of its (a) Southern and (b) London Bridge to East Croydon railway lines.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The department has regular discussions with Operators to assess the level of service provision and ensure that the timetable meets passenger demand. The timetable will remain under regular review however there are no significant changes currently planned to services between East Croydon and London Bridge
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to encourage rail operators to reinstate services which were cut during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As the pandemic has changed travel habits, the Department expects train operators to use this opportunity to reassess their services to provide efficient rail timetables that respond to new passenger travel patterns, are fit for the future, and carefully balance cost, capacity and performance.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to allow disabled people who are in receipt of the standard mobility award for Personal Independence Payment to pay their vehicle tax to the DVLA through a direct debit scheme.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Data on whether an individual is entitled to the enhanced or standard rate mobility component of the personal independence payment is held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the DWP on how data can be shared securely and appropriately between the two departments. Once this has been established, the DVLA will consider the technical developments needed to allow such applications to be accepted online and to pay by direct debit.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the training bus drivers receive on supporting the accessibility needs of people with disabilities.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Drivers of regular bus and coach services are already legally required to complete disability awareness training.
The Department for Transport publishes annual bus statistics which include an assessment of the proportion of on-board staff that have taken disability awareness training. The most recent release (2021/22) estimated that 99% of on-board staff working for local bus operators had taken this training. We are aware that statistics indicate a low level of non-compliance with these requirements. We engage regularly with DVSA regarding their enforcement of accessibility requirements.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what training railway staff receive on supporting the accessibility needs of people with disabilities.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
All station operators must establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) that states how they will protect the interests of disabled passengers at stations and provides an overview of the accessibility of station facilities and services. As part of the ATP, operators must ensure that all frontline staff undertake disability awareness training, and that staff must receive refresher training within 2 years of receipt of disability awareness or disability equality training. Additionally, the Department mandates through its contracts with train operators that all staff with management responsibilities have undertaken this training.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2023 to Question 191230 on Railway Stations: Disability, when he expects the Great British Railways Transition Team to publish data on the accessibility of station facilities.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Great British Railways Transition Team is working with Network Rail and the Department to consider how to make Accessibility Audit data available to the public. This work is underway, and we will announce further details in due course.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the closure of rail ticket offices on disabled passengers.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in their consultation.
We recognise that many passengers value the services provided by staff at ticket offices and the Department recently hosted roundtable discussions with industry and accessibility and transport groups to discuss this matter. We continue to engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to understand any concerns.
No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future. This will include assisting those who need additional support and cannot or do not want to use digital tickets.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce tactile paving in all Network Rail stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We remain fully committed to fitting tactile paving at all remaining mainline railway stations in Britain by the end of 2025 at the latest. In the meantime, safety announcements are being made to advise blind and partially sighted passengers of the current lack of tactiles at platform edges where this is still the case.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news article entitled New plans to boost protections for airline passengers on of 27 June 2023, when his Department plans to begin further work on how to strengthen compensation for passengers facing disruption from cancellations and delays; and whether a proposed date has been set for the completion of that work.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government published the response to the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation on 27 June 2023. The response sets out findings from the consultation and next steps on the proposals.
Responses to the proposals on compensation and refunds illustrated the complexity of the system and a range of competing factors and so the Government concluded further work is required to consider the merits and limitations of any changes in the area. The Government will consult on the compensation and payment framework for all forms of disruption. The Government will set out a timeframe for further consultation in due course.
The legislative reforms to give the Civil Aviation Authority additional powers to enforce consumer rights and mandating Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for all airlines will be taken forward when parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, the Department will work with the industry and associated stakeholders to drive forward improvements for aviation consumers.
The Government wants everyone to have equal opportunity to travel by air with dignity and respect. The Minister for Aviation chaired an Aviation Accessibility Roundtable on 28 June 2023 with disabled people, organisations representing disabled people, disability experts, members of both Houses of Parliament and the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee. The roundtable considered the key issues and concerns that these passenger groups face and explored possible solutions to amplify their voice and improve the travel experience for disabled and less mobile passengers. The Department for Transport will continue discussions with these stakeholders.
The Government launched the new training package for the Department for Transport’s REAL disability awareness training programme on 27 June 2023, to ensure those handling powered wheelchairs are aware of the impact any damage has for the user, with useful tips on handling this vital equipment.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news article entitled New plans to boost protections for airline passengers of 27 June 2023, when his Department plans to introduce strengthened (a) enforcement powers for the aviation regulator and (b) dispute resolution measures for passengers on flights operating to and from the UK.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government published the response to the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation on 27 June 2023. The response sets out findings from the consultation and next steps on the proposals.
Responses to the proposals on compensation and refunds illustrated the complexity of the system and a range of competing factors and so the Government concluded further work is required to consider the merits and limitations of any changes in the area. The Government will consult on the compensation and payment framework for all forms of disruption. The Government will set out a timeframe for further consultation in due course.
The legislative reforms to give the Civil Aviation Authority additional powers to enforce consumer rights and mandating Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for all airlines will be taken forward when parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, the Department will work with the industry and associated stakeholders to drive forward improvements for aviation consumers.
The Government wants everyone to have equal opportunity to travel by air with dignity and respect. The Minister for Aviation chaired an Aviation Accessibility Roundtable on 28 June 2023 with disabled people, organisations representing disabled people, disability experts, members of both Houses of Parliament and the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee. The roundtable considered the key issues and concerns that these passenger groups face and explored possible solutions to amplify their voice and improve the travel experience for disabled and less mobile passengers. The Department for Transport will continue discussions with these stakeholders.
The Government launched the new training package for the Department for Transport’s REAL disability awareness training programme on 27 June 2023, to ensure those handling powered wheelchairs are aware of the impact any damage has for the user, with useful tips on handling this vital equipment.