Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Private Hire Drivers

Thursday 17 March 2022 · 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 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government supports the proportionate regulation of the private hire sector.
  • The Government will consult on guidance for licensing authorities to ensure high standards in safety, accessibility, and workers' rights.
  • The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by taxi and private hire drivers during the pandemic.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Employment
Context

The question arises from concerns about the adequacy of working conditions and level of job security for private hire drivers. The background includes a broader context of regulatory considerations in the sector.

Question

What recent assessment has his Department made of the (a) adequacy of working conditions and (b) level of job security of private hire drivers?

Answer from Robert Courts

The Government support the proportionate regulation of the sector and will shortly be consulting on guidance to licensing authorities on how they might best achieve that, while maintaining high standards in safety, accessibility and workers' rights.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assessment on adequacy of working conditions and job security was not provided; instead, general statement about regulation is given.

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Q2 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Economy Employment
Context

The question stems from observations that support for taxi and private hire drivers was inconsistent across regions during the pandemic, leading to a loss of experienced individuals in the sector. The background includes an assessment request.

Question

During the pandemic, the support available for taxi and private hire drivers around the country was patchy, and many experienced people have been lost to the sector. What assessment has been made of the situation and, in hindsight, what could have been done differently?

Answer from Robert Courts

I pay tribute to the sector for how it dealt with exceptionally challenging times during the pandemic; the hon. Gentleman is quite right to draw attention to that. These have been unparalleled and difficult times across the entirety of the economy. The key thing is that now we have one of the most open societies in the world because of the success of the vaccine roll-out. I am confident that the sector and the wider economy will bounce back.

Not addressed: No assessment was provided or suggestions on how support could have been improved; instead, general praise for handling the pandemic is given.

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