Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help local authorities to ensure that visually impaired people are able to safely access public transport, in the context of social distancing requirements.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government remains as committed to delivering inclusive transport for all passengers as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made clear to local authorities that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies and that they must continue to consider the needs of disabled people.
Our expectation is that transport operators should continue to assist disabled passengers who need assistance, including those with sight loss. I made this clear in my open letter to the rail industry on 8 April 2020.
I am also meeting regularly with key disability stakeholders, including Guide Dogs, to hear directly from them about the experiences of disabled people using transport. This means we will be able to take action quickly if we find that passengers are not receiving the assistance to which they are entitled.
An accessible public realm is vital to enabling disabled people to access public transport. On 9 May the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities on reallocating road space which makes clear that authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics when making changes to their transport networks. Public Sector Equality Duty requirements apply to temporary measures as they do to permanent ones.
Further, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for the owners and operators of urban centres to help social distancing, including at transport hubs.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that wheelchair users are able to safely access public transport, in the context of social distancing guidelines.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government remains as committed to delivering inclusive transport for all passengers as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made clear to local authorities that the Public Sector Equality Duty still applies and that they must continue to consider the needs of disabled people.
Our expectation is that transport operators should continue to assist disabled passengers who need assistance, including wheelchair users. I made this clear in my open letter to the rail industry on 8 April 2020.
I am also meeting regularly with key disability stakeholders, including Disability Rights UK, Scope and Transport for All, to hear directly from them about the experiences of disabled people using transport. This means we will be able to take action quickly if we find that passengers are not receiving the assistance to which they are entitled.
An accessible public realm is vital to enabling disabled people to access public transport. On 9 May the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities on reallocating road space which makes clear that authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics when making changes to their transport networks. Public Sector Equality Duty requirements apply to temporary measures as they do to permanent ones.
Further, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for the owners and operators of urban centres to help social distancing, including at transport hubs.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to announce health screening measures to enable a (a) restarting of aviation in the UK and (b) basis of a common international standard for global travel.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In line with the Prime Minister’s announcement in relation to the next phase of the pandemic, the Department for Transport will introduce new measures specific to the aviation sector later this month as part of the Government’s overall efforts.
Further, the Department is working closely with the aviation sector to co-produce agreed common standards on health measures that could be deployed throughout the aviation customer journey. These measures will help to restart the sector and provide passengers and staff with the confidence they need to start flying again. The Department is working internationally to aim to ensure any UK measures are recognised globally given the international nature of the sector.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made (a) of the performance of the current franchise with Northern Rail and (b) the level of service provided by Northern Rail to the (i) Glossop to Hadfield line, (ii) Hope Valley line and (iii) Buxton to Manchester line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Northern’s recent performance has not been satisfactory, particularly in relation to train cancellations. The Rail North Partnership which manages the Northern franchise on behalf of the Department of Transport and Transport for the North is continuously assessing the operator’s performance.
The Public Performance Measure (PPM) – the measure for train punctuality in Britain - for the Glossop to Manchester route which includes Hadfield was 82 per cent from October 13 to November 9. The Sheffield to Manchester route including Hope Valley was 52 per cent following severe weather disruption during this time and the Buxton to Manchester line was 81 per cent. The PPM average for Northern during this period was 71 per cent.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish an update on the planned Mottram bypass and Glossop Spur.
Answered by George Freeman
The second Road Investment Strategy will confirm the Government’s plans for the strategic road network. We expect this to be published before the start of the second Road Period on 1 April 2020.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the proposed investment in the Hope Valley train line.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Network Rail are working with suppliers on the detailed designs for the scheme and are very mindful of the sensitive nature of the National Park.
Work is underway to update the business case for the scheme to inform a final investment decision this Autumn. This is in line with our new approach to rail enhancements to ensure we address the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of schemes.