Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that private hire vehicle drivers receive qualifications from officially recognised training institutions.

The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory framework within which licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades and issues guidance to assist licensing authorities in carrying out these licensing functions. Statutory guidance, published in 2020, recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Best practice guidance to licensing authorities, updated in 2023, recommends that drivers should be trained in disability awareness and/or have their knowledge and skills assessed. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the format and content of such training, including what, if any, training institutions are used.