Asked by Baroness Brinton To ask Her Majesty’s Government
what steps they are taking to ensure that all train operating
companies are complying with the Equality Act 2010 in providing
assistance to disabled passengers. Lord Young of Cookham
(Con) My Lords, we expect all train companies to do
everything possible to make travel easy for all...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking
to ensure that all train operating companies are complying
with the Equality Act 2010 in providing assistance to
disabled passengers.
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(Con)
My Lords, we expect all train companies to do everything
possible to make travel easy for all passengers, including
those with disabilities. Train companies have a legal
obligation to make reasonable adjustments and must comply
with the Equality Act 2010. They must also publish a
disabled people’s protection policy which sets out their
plans for disabled access and which must be approved by the
independent Rail Regulator. The Government will publish an
inclusive transport strategy later this year.
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(LD)
I thank the Minister for his reply. Last week, Govia
Thameslink introduced new formal guidance for staff stating
that if the train might be delayed or late the PRM—that is
a passenger with reduced mobility to you and me—must not be
put on the train, not even if they have pre-booked and
arrived in time: the train is now more important. I believe
this breaches the Equality Act, and the Office of Rail and
Road has said so. What can the Government do to ensure that
all train operating companies comply with the Equality Act,
and what will they say to Govia Thameslink?
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I have seen the guidance issued by Govia. It is insensitive
and unacceptable. The Government have made their views
clear to GTR. It is withdrawing the guidance and replacing
it with guidance that makes it clear that its policy is to
assist all passengers safely who need help with their
journey. We are keen to see the Office of Rail and Road use
its enforcement powers to hold train operating companies to
account where they let disabled passengers down. I
understand the distress caused by the guidance to which the
noble Baroness referred.
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(Lab)
My Lords, does the Minister remember that when he took the
legislation through the House of Commons to privatise rail
services, the late, great Robert Adley said it would properly
be described as the poll tax on wheels. Has that not proved
correct?
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As a matter of fact, I did not take the legislation through
the House of Commons; it was taken through by, I think, my
noble friend . It was my task to
implement it, which was as much of a challenge. Despite its
criticism, the basic structure introduced in that Parliament
has remained the same with the rolling stock companies, the
train operating companies, franchising and Railtrack/Network
Rail. If it was such a disastrous structure, why has it
remained almost intact for 25 years?
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(CB)
My Lords, is the Minister aware that it is very difficult if
you are a disabled person who has booked assistance, which I
have sometimes, and you get delayed, generally by getting
stuck in a taxi in the traffic, and cannot get through to the
station to warn it that you are not coming on that train? Can
he do something about that?
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I understand the noble Baroness’s concern. All train
operating companies have to sign up to Passenger Assist,
which enables people to pre-book to make sure that the right
facilities are in place at the right station at the right
time. If the station is inaccessible to the passenger, the
train operating company should make arrangements, perhaps
with an accessible taxi, to get the passenger to a station
which they can access. The ORR is reviewing the disabled
passengers policy, and I will see that the noble Baroness’s
point is passed on to it.
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(LD)
My Lords, some disabilities are hidden. I declare an interest
as I wear two hearing aids and hear very little. Such people
have great difficulty coping with train and bus announcements
made audibly to passengers who do not suffer in that way.
What progress have the Government made in ensuring that the
provision of visual and audio announcements on buses and
trains is obligatory?
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My recollection is that when the buses Bill went through your
Lordships’ House a few years ago an amendment was passed
obliging buses to have both audio and visual information
available, and my understanding is that the regulations to
facilitate that will be introduced shortly. In the meantime,
27% of bus services have accessibility, making it possible
for those in wheelchairs to use public transport.
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(Con)
Is my noble friend not being rather modest about his role in
controlling the privatisation of the railway services? Surely
a great tribute should be paid, given the enormous numbers of
extra passengers travelling by privatised rail.
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I am enormously grateful to my noble friend.
Pre-privatisation, when the rail network was in public
ownership, I had to go to the Treasury on bended knee to
plead for investment in trains, and there was always
education, health and defence. One of the key benefits of
privatisation was that once the railway industry was in the
private sector that constraint fell away, and there was a
dramatic increase in investment in the railways after
privatisation.
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(Lab)
My Lords, I do not think I have ever heard so complete and
satisfactory an Answer to a Question in this House as the
Minister’s first Answer. Could we therefore give him a leave
of absence from the House so that he can deal with the
underlying problem of why all the trains are so late and tend
to them each individually?
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I think I am right in saying that the noble Lord himself was
once Secretary of State for Transport. I wonder whether he
delivered to himself the plea that he has just made to me.
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