Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with (a) RNIB, (b) Guide Dogs, (c) Transport for All and (d) Living Streets on the potential impact of pavement delivery robots on disabled and older pedestrians; and whether an equality impact assessment has been carried out on any proposed trial framework.

Department officials have engaged with stakeholders representing disabled people and pedestrians, including the RNIB, Guide Dogs and Living Streets, to inform the development of the Government’s policy approach to pavement robot trials. Discussions have covered pavement obstruction, pedestrian safety in shared spaces, and service accessibility. Officials will continue to engage with stakeholders as policy development progresses.

The Department is in parallel developing an equality impact assessment to support consideration of the potential impacts of any proposed trial framework. This work will help ensure that equalities impacts are properly considered in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty.