Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to encourage licensing authorities to provide mandatory disability equality training on the rights and needs of disabled passengers for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

I know that disability awareness training can provide taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to give disabled passengers the assistance they need, and am clear that licensing authorities should use their existing powers to require drivers to complete it.

On 12^th February the Government published its response to the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV Licensing, indicating its intention to introduce mandatory disability awareness training as part of National Minimum Standards when Parliamentary time allows.