Asked by: Paul Farrelly (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase public understanding of invisible disabilities.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On Tuesday 25 June, the Government launched a new cross-government approach on disability which is guided by a vision that recognises the contributions that disabled people make and where disabled people can participate fully in society. To drive forward this approach, government will establish a new cross-departmental disability team in the Cabinet Office, and the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) will be incorporated into the team. This move recognises that disabled people, including those with hidden disabilities, face barriers across the life course and a wide range of aspects of their lives and coordinated cross-government action is therefore vital.
The British Standards Institution, and others involved in supporting the “Grace’s Sign” campaign, are currently exploring the potential for developing a symbol for hidden disabilities. The project is in an early scoping phase, but its intended aim is that the symbol would be recognised by the International Organization for Standardization. Achieving this involves a multi-stage process, which can take time, but if successful, greatly enhances the chances of its sustained future use in public signage. If successful, greater use and public acceptance of such a symbol would increase awareness of hidden disabilities, and help promote an understanding of the possible access and support needs of people with hidden disabilities.
Various Sector Champions appointed by the Minister for Disabled People are working within their sectors to support all disabled people, raise awareness of their needs and drive improvements in how these are met. Examples relating to hidden disabilities include: railway franchises thinking about supporting people with a wider range of disabilities, including through quiet areas at stations; a lanyard to identify those with hidden disabilities at airports, with staff trained to recognise this and offer help; and within the retail sector, many large stores holding quiet hours (no music and dimmed lighting) to improve the shopping experience for those with some hidden disabilities (such as autism or ADHD).
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why Access for All funding is not being made available for Pokesdown railway station; and what criteria were used to select those stations included in the list published on 4 April.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Pokesdown was not nominated for this funding as South Western Railway already have a commitment in their Franchise Agreement to install lifts to the footbridge linking the platforms. This is currently due to be complete in early 2020.
Stations were selected based on their annual footfall, weighted by the incidence of disability in the area. We also took into account local factors such as proximity to a hospital or the availability of third party funding for the project. We also chose some stations to ensure a fair geographical spread of projects across the country.
Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which railway stations were considered for Access for All funding in Control Period 6 but were not successful.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Department for Transport asked the industry to nominate stations for the new funding by 16 November last year, and received nominations for over 300 stations. In the Loughborough constituency, Loughborough Station was nominated unsuccessfully as it was made step-free under Access for All in 2011/12. Neither Barrow-Upon-Soar nor Sileby Stations were nominated.
In total 73 stations are set to benefit from this funding by 2024. This is in addition to the 24 Access for All projects that are currently in design or construction.
Asked by: Ruth George (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timescale is for groups to apply for the Mid-Tier Access for All programme.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We have made £20m available for Mid-Tier Access for All projects. Details of how this funding will be allocated are being finalised now and we intend to open the nomination process later this summer.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has recently (a) sought and (b) received representations on the effect on disabled passengers of de-staffing railway stations.
Answered by Andrew Jones
With growing passenger numbers, the Department wants to see more not fewer staff on the railway. Train operating company employees have increased by 20% from 49,000 to 59,000 between 2010-11 and 2017-18.
We believe that train operators themselves are best placed to determine how staff are deployed to best to meet the needs of their passengers. We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders such as the Rail Delivery Group who is the custodian of the Passenger Assist reservation scheme to discuss issues that will make the rail network more accessible.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether priority funding has been awarded under the Access for All scheme to (a) Rock Ferry and (b) Birkenhead Park stations.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We have received more than 300 nominations for the next tranche of Access for All funding, totaling £300m. 10 of those nominations are from the Merseytravel area. The assessment of these nominations is now complete and we will be announcing the successful stations early in April.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve step-free access at rural train stations.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We are committed to improving accessibility at railway stations and we have made an additional £300m available to extend our Access for All programme until at least 2024. The industry has nominated more than 300 stations, including many in rural areas, for this funding and we hope to announce the successful stations in April.
In addition, whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure this must comply with current accessibility standards. Failure to do so can lead to enforcement action by the Office of Rail and Road.
Asked by: Kirstene Hair (Conservative - Angus)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on increasing step-free access at rail stations in (a) Angus and (b) Scotland.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
My officials and Transport Scotland discuss railway station accessibility at least monthly as part of the governance of the Access for All programme. We have made a further £300m available for Access for All and the Scottish Government have nominated a number of stations from across Scotland for this new funding. We intend to announce the successful stations in April next year.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase funding for the Access for All scheme to improve the provision of step-free access at train stations.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Inclusive Transport Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, included a commitment to extend our Access for All programme across rail Control Period 6 (2019 to 2024) with an additional £300m of funding from the public purse. We have received more than 300 nominations for this funding and plan to announce the successful stations in April next year.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the time required for all train stations in England and Wales to have step free access at the current pace of works funded by the Access for All funding scheme.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
It is this Government which is giving funding to continue the Access for All programme into the 2019 to 2024 period. Around 75% of rail journeys in the UK now have step free access to and between every platform, which compares with only 50% of journeys in 2005.