Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency guidance that seatbelt buckle guards should not be used on the safety of young people with additional needs and disabilities when travelling in vehicles, including taxis and mini buses.

I recognise the importance of vulnerable young people being able to travel safely to school and elsewhere and I understand why some local authorities have chosen to use these devices to try and keep children safe. However, there are potential safety issues in the event of an emergency, and for this reason DVSA has sent two direct notices to public service vehicle operators to highlight the potential issues.

However, this is a complicated matter and the DVSA has no plans to target enforcement action against their use, instead it will support PSV operators and other transport providers and DVSA is working with industry to develop solutions to maintain the safe transport of PSV users.