Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Railway Stations: Access for Disabled People

Thursday 3 December 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government has allocated 350 million to improve accessibility at 209 stations through the Access for All programme.
  • Transport policy in London, including accessibility, is devolved to the Mayor of London and delivered by Transport for London.
  • Only one third of stations in London provide step-free access according to the London Assembly transport committee.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Transport
Context

The London Assembly transport committee reported that only one third of London's stations provide step-free access. This prompted a question on measures to improve such accessibility.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to improve access at railway stations for disabled people?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

The Government recently made £350 million available to make accessibility improvements at a further 209 stations through the Access for All programme. We also require the industry to comply with current accessibility standards whenever they install, replace or renew station infrastructure.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Transport
Context

According to reports from the London Assembly transport committee, only one third of stations in London provide step-free access. The question focuses on what pressure can be exerted on the Mayor of London to ensure such improvements are made.

Question

According to the London Assembly transport committee, only one third of stations in London provide step-free access. What pressure can my hon. Friend bring to bear on the Mayor of London to ensure that this is improved and that stations like West Ruislip in my constituency, which the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Andrew Stephenson), had the opportunity to visit recently, are brought up to standard?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

As my hon. Friend rightly highlights, transport policy in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and delivered by Transport for London. It is therefore a matter for the Mayor to determine his accessibility policy. However, Ministers and officials in the Department for Transport hold regular discussions with the Mayor on a range of transport issues, including this issue, and I will make sure it is highlighted at the next one.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific pressure or action to be taken against the Mayor was not addressed.

How: Devolved Responsibility

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email