PARLIAMENT FRIDAY.
2:24 pm, 18th November 2016

Disability Equality Training (Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Drivers) Bill

Sheryl Murray. Conservative

I congratulate Andrew Gwynne on his success in securing this private Member’s Bill. I will not dwell on the two Bills that I took through this place in the previous Parliament. I strongly agree with the noble intentions behind this Bill, but I have a few genuine queries about it that I hope the Minister and the hon. Gentleman will pay attention to.

The hon. Gentleman and I have not agreed across the Chamber in the past, and we have been opponents in an animal competition in which our cats had a little spat a while back.

I note that in the Bill a lot of emphasis is placed on the fact that not all local authorities have been able to impose inspections. I have a few suggestions for the Minister about how he might work with local authorities and the measures that he might introduce. I mentioned the policy of North West Leicestershire District Council. Its website explains:

“Taxis are an invaluable means of door to door transport. For many people, including the elderly and disabled people, taxis are literally a lifeline to the community.”

In my own constituency that is very true. We have so many villages where many elderly and disabled people rely on taxis to go to the doctor’s, the shops or even the post office. Taxis are the only means of transport and the most flexible mode of transport available. Sometimes in some of my villages people have a doctor’s appointment at, say, 11 am and there is only bus a day that leaves at 8.30 am, so they need a taxi to transport them instead. The attitude of drivers and their understanding of disabled people is vital.
The local authority that I mentioned says that it is likely that mystery shoppers will be employed to monitor industry performance. That is a good way of checking to make sure—

Kwasi Kwarteng Conservative, Spelthorne

With reference to monitoring, will my hon. Friend take into account the remarks of my hon. Friend Tom Pursglove about Uber? There must be some degree of equalisation between licensed taxi drivers and others who are not.

Sheryll Murray Conservative, South East Cornwall

Indeed. I entirely agree with my hon. Friend and with my hon. Friend Tom Pursglove. Employing mystery shoppers would be one way of ensuring that checks are carried out. Suspending the licences of drivers who have not undergone the mandatory training, as North West Leicestershire District Council has, is a good idea.

John Hayes John Hayes Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Given the time, I will have to say this now as I have no other means of doing so: whatever happens today, this cause will not die. I will make sure that it does not die. I invite Andrew Gwynne to come and see me next week to take it further. This discrimination cannot be allowed to continue. I am sorry to intervene on my hon. Friend Mrs Murray, but that is the only way I can make that point.

The PDF of the Bill

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2016-2017/0019/17019.pdf

Answers to written Questions.