Disability awareness and equality training can provide taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to give disabled passengers the assistance they need. I encourage all licensing authorities to use their existing powers to require drivers to undertaken this in advance of its inclusion in national minimum standards in licensing.<\/p>
<\/p>
As stated in the Government response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, we will bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time allows.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-09T15:07:04.987Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Taxis: Licensing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to set National Minimum Standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing including a requirement for all taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake disability equality training.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4621", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Darren Jones"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol North West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Darren Jones"} ], "uin" : "284213"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142755", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142755/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government remains committed to publishing best practice guidance on the provision of high quality disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers, to support operators to ensure that every driver has the knowledge and skills to assist disabled passengers.<\/p>
<\/p>
We will publish the guidance later in the year and will work with the bus and coach industry to encourage its adoption.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-09T12:13:28.16Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bus Services: Disability"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the best practice guidance on disability awareness training for bus drivers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1490", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bridgend"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mrs Madeleine Moon"} ], "uin" : "284341"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142798", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142798/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department for Transport provides total funding of £70.6m per year which is dedicated to research, development and innovation in the rail industry, as well as additional investment in targeted major modernisation projects such as smart ticketing and digital signalling. Funding for general research and innovation includes projects to support the development of hydrogen-powered trains, with projects researching how they will be approved for entering service, as well as enabling the first mainline testing of a hydrogen train.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) funds, with industry, a network of university-based centres of excellence for rail research and innovation, as well as committing £11m to a dedicated centre at the University of Leeds. BEIS also offers Industrial Strategy challenge funds for which the rail industry can bid; and has recently announced £40m to explore how the use of hydrogen can be rolled out across the UK, and £100m to enable greater supply of low carbon hydrogen for use across the economy. These funding opportunities will be important to enable hydrogen-powered trains to run on the network in the future.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3977", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Daventry"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Heaton-Harris"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-09T13:22:04.263Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Innovation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the growth of new rail technologies, including hydrogen-powered trains.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birkenhead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Frank Field"} ], "uin" : "284451"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142799", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142799/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The DfT is committed to promoting innovation through its rail franchise programme and is trialling a three-year pilot fund within the TransPennine Express (TPE) and the Arriva Rail North (Northern) franchises. This is aimed at supporting the development of innovations, focussing on decarbonisation, passenger improvements and capacity and must benefit wider railway and society.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3977", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Daventry"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Heaton-Harris"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-09T12:25:29.397Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: North West"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to promote innovation in the North West rail cluster.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/478", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birkenhead"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Frank Field"} ], "uin" : "284188"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142804", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1142804/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Passenger demand flows between specific stations and on specific routes are not publicly available as this data is commercially sensitive. However, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publish data on the estimates of the total number of passengers entering and exiting each station in Great Britain.<\/p>
<\/p>
Total number of station entries and exits, 2017-18 financial year<\/strong><\/p> Station name<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Entries and exits<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Dronfield<\/p><\/td> 202,622<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Manchester Oxford Road<\/p><\/td> 8,558,308<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Liverpool Lime Street<\/p><\/td> 16,032,460<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Manchester Piccadilly<\/p><\/td> 27,724,962<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Additional years are available at the following link:<\/p>