Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of statutory safeguard training for (a) private hire and (b) taxi drivers under the Police and Crime Act 2017.

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 enables the Secretary of State for Transport to issue statutory guidance to licensing authorities on exercising their taxi and private hire vehicle licensing functions to protect children and vulnerable adults. Statutory guidance was published in 2020 under these powers. This means that all licensing authorities should provide safeguarding advice and guidance to the sector and should require all taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the content and format of such training.