Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent national safeguarding standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, including (i) DBS checks, (ii) knowledge and safeguarding tests and (iii) the use of in-vehicle CCTV; b) whether her Department collects data on (i) the number of licences issued by each authority, (ii) the proportion issued to drivers residing outside that authority area, and (iii) the number of drivers operating predominantly beyond the area where they are licensed; and c) what assessment her Department has made of the approach taken by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in retrospectively applying enhanced licensing standards, and whether it plans to encourage or mandate similar practices nationally.

On Tuesday 18 November, the Government tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to seek a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations the national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. These standards would be subject to consultation and would be primarily focused on passenger safety and accessibility. This would mean that wherever they are travelling in England, passengers can be reassured that the drivers of any taxi or private hire vehicle service they are using are subject to robust safeguarding standards. If agreed by Parliament, it would be possible for national standards to be applied to existing licence holders.

The Department has published data about the number of licences issued by each licensing authority. This can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-statistics-england-2024

The Department does not collect data on where licensed taxi or private hire vehicle drivers reside or on the number of taxi or private hire vehicle journeys that take place outside of the area in which the drivers are licensed. Licensing authorities may hold this information.

The Department recognises the good work carried out by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse to improve their taxi and private hire vehicle licensing functions.