Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the recommendation, made by the Select Committee on the Equality Act 2010 and Disability (Session 2015–16), to ensure that no taxi driver or private hire vehicle driver is licensed without having undertaken disability equality training; and whether they have any plans to introduce statutory guidance to that end.

Taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) services must be accessible to those who rely upon them, and disability awareness training can be effective in equipping drivers with the skills and knowledge to provide all passengers with the assistance they require. The Department is currently considering the responses to the consultation on the draft Accessibility Action Plan which will inform the updated Best Practice Guidance for taxi and PHV licensing authorities.

It is the Department’s expectation that the guidance will include a recommendation that authorities should use their existing powers to require prospective drivers to complete disability awareness and equality training. There are however no existing powers to give this guidance statutory status.

In addition, my Right Honourable Friend, the Minister of State for Transport, announced in a Westminster Hall debate that he would be setting up a working group to consider current issues concerning taxi and PHV licensing such as this and it will be reporting its findings in the New Year.