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Written Question
Blue Badge Scheme
Monday 5th September 2016

Asked by: Michael Dugher (Labour - Barnsley East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his officials last updated the Blue Badge Scheme local authority guidance; whether he plans to update that guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Andrew Jones

The extent to which a specific condition affects people will vary. If we were to provide automatic eligibility without further assessment by virtue of having dementia it may not reflect genuine need.

However, the ‘subject to further assessment’ criteria do not preclude the issue of badges to people with mental/cognitive disabilities. Any permanent and substantial disability may qualify for a badge if it causes “very considerable difficulty in walking”. It is for the local authority to assess the degree of challenge on a case-by-case basis.

The guidance was last updated in October 2014. There are no plans to update it at this time.

Written Question
Blue Badge Scheme
Monday 5th September 2016

Asked by: Michael Dugher (Labour - Barnsley East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to include having dementia and Alzheimer's Disease as criteria for (a) eligibility without further assessment or (b) eligibility subject to further assessment for the Blue Badge Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Andrew Jones

The extent to which a specific condition affects people will vary. If we were to provide automatic eligibility without further assessment by virtue of having dementia it may not reflect genuine need.

However, the ‘subject to further assessment’ criteria do not preclude the issue of badges to people with mental/cognitive disabilities. Any permanent and substantial disability may qualify for a badge if it causes “very considerable difficulty in walking”. It is for the local authority to assess the degree of challenge on a case-by-case basis.

The guidance was last updated in October 2014. There are no plans to update it at this time.

Written Question
Rolling Stock
Wednesday 2nd March 2016

Asked by: Michael Dugher (Labour - Barnsley East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many heavy rail vehicles built before 1999 have not been refurbished to comply with (a) RVAR 10 and (b) PRM TSI regulations; and what proportion of the national heavy rail fleet meets those requirements.

Answered by Claire Perry

The total heavy rail fleet comprises 12,610 vehicles. Of these vehicles, 7,903 are either built or refurbished to be compliant with the applicable accessibility standards. This is 62.7% of the fleet. The equivalent proportion as at March 2010 was 45 per cent.

Within those figures there are 6336 vehicles built pre-1999 in service. Of that figure, to date 1,628 vehicles have been refurbished to meet accessibility standards. We expect all the remaining vehicles to be made compliant, or replaced, by 2020. Some of the pre-1999 fleet will be replaced shortly under new rolling stock programmes such as IEP, and others, such as Pacers will no longer be in service by the 2020 accessibility compliance deadline.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 16 Jul 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"On 25 June, just seven weeks after the election, the Secretary of State announced that the Government were shelving vital electrification upgrades in the midlands and north— projects that Ministers repeatedly promised to deliver before and during the general election. Will the Secretary of State say categorically when he first …..."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 16 Jul 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"That is not an answer to my question. The Secretary of State says that he was in the dark, but we know that the Government were warned by the rail regulator in November last year, and by the Transport Committee in January, that costs were escalating and big rail projects …..."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 01 Jul 2015
Davies Commission Report

"I thank the Secretary of State for giving me advance sight of his fairly brief statement, and I join him in thanking Sir Howard Davies and his team for the vital work that they have done since 2012 in producing what is a very important report. I also pay tribute …..."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Davies Commission Report
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 01 Jul 2015
Davies Commission Report

"Business as usual next week...."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Davies Commission Report
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 25 Jun 2015
Network Rail

"I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement.

Let us be absolutely clear: the Government’s total failure to deliver a fit-for-purpose railway has today been completely and damningly exposed. First, the publication of the latest national rail passenger survey—I note the Secretary of State did not …..."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Network Rail
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 11 Jun 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"Recent reports suggest that the Government are looking at breaking up and privatising parts of Network Rail. We know that under this Government Network Rail is still underperforming and needs to improve. That was again highlighted by the recent investigations by the Office of Rail and Road—and just ask anyone …..."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 11 Jun 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"That was not an answer, so we will try again. The Secretary of State’s own Department—this is not my press release—refused to deny recently that it was looking at changes to the structure and ownership of Network Rail. The truth is we need improved co-ordination across our railways, we need …..."
Michael Dugher - View Speech

View all Michael Dugher (Lab - Barnsley East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions