Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with bus companies to ensure that the required level of disability awareness training is undertaken by all bus drivers.

Bus and coach operators must ensure that drivers subject to the EU Regulation 181/2011 requirement to complete disability awareness training receive appropriate instruction. As part of the 2018 annual bus statistics survey, we sought data on whether operators were compliant with these new duties, and results will be published on January 30^th. We also intend to publish best practice guidance on disability awareness training in the spring.

We are committed to developing a framework for the monitoring and enforcement of relevant training requirements, and continue to liaise with Regulators and the bus industry to ensure that operators understand fully their responsibilities.