Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Thursday Volume 596 11 June 2015 No. 15 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 11 June 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1309 11 JUNE 2015 1310 but will she look at the issue of theoretical access, where House of Commons elevators are often left out of order for days, if not weeks, on end, making disabled access only theoretical? Thursday 11 June 2015 Claire Perry: I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that further. The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): Across the whole PRAYERS United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, there have obviously been great advances in improving access for those with sensory disablement—sight and [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] hearing problems. As people travel between the four regions, has the Minister had any discussions with the Minister responsible in Northern Ireland to ensure Oral Answers to Questions uniformity in access for those with sensory disablements across the whole United Kingdom? Claire Perry: I have had not had those discussions, TRANSPORT because I have only recently picked up that part of my portfolio, but my predecessor might have done. I shall apprise myself of the facts and, if necessary, would be The Secretary of State was asked— delighted to have that meeting. Disabled People’s Access (Public Transport) Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con): We all 1. Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): strongly support proper access to public transport for What assessment he has made of recent progress in disabled people, which is absolutely essential. As the improving disabled people’s access to public transport. Minister represents a rural area, as I do, does she agree [900245] that some bus companies simply cannot afford to provide that? One way forward must be through dial-a-ride The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport services, such as the one offered by Bradies taxis in (Claire Perry): The Department for Transport’s 2015 Malmesbury, which I launched last Saturday, whereby annual progress report on promoting accessibility for elderly and disabled people in particular can ring up disabled people on public transport has just been published, and find small buses to take them where they want and it demonstrates good progress in achieving an to go. inclusive transport system. The Government remain firmly committed to improving disabled people’s access Claire Perry: My hon. Friend, whose constituency to all public transport services. neighbours mine, makes an important point. Of course, I was delighted that the Government made money Chi Onwurah: In Newcastle, we are proud that our available in the previous Parliament to support exactly Metro was the first in the country to be fully wheelchair that sort of community access scheme. accessible, and I hope that the Minister will support renewed investment in it. That vision of inclusive transport Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South) (Lab): The should by now include talking buses, given that the Minister’s colleague, the Under-Secretary of State for technology is so widely available, but the Minister has Transport, the hon. Member for Harrogate and done nothing to ensure that is implemented and has cut Knaresborough (Andrew Jones)—I congratulate him on by half the budget for accessibility, so when will we have his appointment—said at a transport event last night that inclusive public transport? his door would always be open. I invite the Minister and her new colleague to start with disabled people’s access Claire Perry: The hon. Lady will be pleased to know to buses, because the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, that 83% of buses operating in the UK now meet legal the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the accessibility requirements, and that will rise to almost Transport Committee have all said that the Government’s 100% by the end of next year. She is right to focus on exemption of bus companies from mandatory driver talking buses—something that she and I have worked training is not working? The Government have ducked on with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association—but and dived on this: a review was first promised for 2014, we have been advised that the cost of rolling that out then more evidence this January confirmed the disquiet, across the country is prohibitively high. However, another and this week I received a written answer telling me that way—I am sure that she, as a highly experienced digital there will be a research project—a review of the review expert, will approve of this—is to make all data on of the review. Will she use the open door that her public transport open-sourced so that applications such colleague spoke about to stop the buck being passed for as the Next Stop app, which is being trialled in Leeds, disabled people on buses? can be rolled out. That would give a much more personalised service to disabled people accessing public Claire Perry: All our ministerial doors are always transport. open to all colleagues. I invite the hon. Gentleman to focus on the fact that almost 100% of drivers have now Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) (Con): received some form of disability awareness training. We I am sure that the Minister welcomes the progress being think that the future lies in providing public sector data, made across the country in improving disabled access, so that people can use an app themselves to make their 1311 Oral Answers11 JUNE 2015 Oral Answers 1312 specific journey. The cost of providing this across the Chris Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab): A road UK can be prohibitive, but we will have 100% accessibility investment strategy is only as effective as the bodies that on all buses by the end of next year. are tasked with delivering it. Will the Minister therefore have conversations with Highways England about its Road Investment Strategy catastrophic mismanagement of the Posthouse roundabout A483-A55 junction in my constituency, where delays to commuters and huge costs to businesses continue months 2. Stephen McPartland (Stevenage) (Con): What after the work should have been concluded? steps his Department is taking to deliver the road investment strategy. [900246] Andrew Jones: I will have monitoring meetings with Highways England every month for the remainder of 5. Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) the time in which it delivers our plan. I want to make (Con): What steps his Department is taking to deliver sure that it is on top of this and delivering it. The the road investment strategy. [900249] Government’s ambition for the road investment strategy is significant, with £15 billion of investment, 127 schemes The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and 1,300 additional lane miles. It is a significant step (Andrew Jones): The road investment strategy, published change for our strategic road network. Its delivery is in December 2014, set out ambitious plans for £15.2 billion critical, and it is one of the top things that I will focus of investment in the strategic road network between 2015 on. I will also focus on a method of communication and 2021. The Department created a new Government- from Highways England and me to all colleagues. owned company, Highways England, to focus on delivering this plan. Highways England published its delivery Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge and Hyde) (Lab/Co-op): plan in March this year, setting out next steps for the One of the most important decisions made in the previous schemes starting construction or completing by the end Parliament was the decision to proceed with the Mottram of March 2020. bypass in my constituency, giving us the much-needed improved connectivity between Manchester and South Stephen McPartland: The widening of the A1M between Yorkshire. There are now a number of issues to resolve junctions 6 and 8 will release the economic stranglehold to take the scheme forward, particularly whether on Hertfordshire. Will the Minister update the House Hollingworth will benefit and whether we can build a on the Department’s plans to start that work? new tunnel under the Pennines, which, if feasible, will be very exciting. May I trouble the ministerial team for Andrew Jones: I most certainly can. As part of the a short meeting in this Session to advance these matters road investment strategy, the A1M between junctions 6 further? and 8—the Welwyn to Stevenage stretch—will become a smart motorway. I cannot provide an exact start date Andrew Jones: Yes; I am happy to do that. for construction, but the next step is the detailed design and planning of the scheme, plus consultation with the Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con): Before the election, local community to produce the best possible scheme. the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Nic Dakin) and I That work will be taken forward by Highways England. had a very useful meeting with the previous Roads My hon. Friend has long been a keen champion of this Minister in connection with the A15, which provides scheme, and I will make sure that he is kept fully access to the Humber ports. Although this is a local informed of progress. authority road, some involvement with the Department will be necessary. Will the new Minister meet me and all Stephen Metcalfe: One of the things my hon. Friend the agencies involved at an early date? and I agree on is the need for additional Thames crossings, but we potentially disagree about the location.