Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to raise awareness of the mechanisms by which disabled people can report discrimination in the event of being refused access to a taxi or private hire vehicle.

It is illegal for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to refuse the carriage of passengers with assistance dogs, and I am clear that they must comply with the law.

Responsibility for investigating allegations of discriminatory behaviour and, where appropriate, prosecuting drivers, rests with the respective local licensing authorities, and each will have its own procedure for the reporting of incidents.

We are however committed to understanding refusal incidents more clearly, and will shortly begin research on the reasons why they occur and what further steps might be taken to eradicate them.