Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Access for All

Thursday 8 June 2023 · 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

  • Afzal Khan inquired about the timeline for decisions on Access for All programme funding.
  • The Minister stated they are working with Network Rail to assess over 300 nominated stations.
  • The Minister committed to announcing successful projects for funding beyond 2024 later in 2023.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Afzal Khan Lab Manchester Rusholme
Transport
Context

The MP is concerned about the delay in deciding which projects will receive funding from the Access for All programme.

Question

When does he plan to make a decision on which projects will receive funding from the Access for All programme?

Answer from Huw Merriman

We are currently working with Network Rail to assess over 300 stations nominated for Access for All, and we aim to make a determination later in 2023 for funding beyond 2024. I hope to be in a position to announce the list of successful projects later this year, in anticipation of securing further funding in the following year.

Answered
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Q2 Afzal Khan Lab Manchester Rusholme
Transport
Context

The MP associates himself with the Secretary of State's comments about a rail crash in India and expresses frustration with delayed responses from the Department for Transport. He asks if the Minister will meet with him and his constituents to discuss the issues at Levenshulme station.

Question

I, too, associate myself with the Secretary of State's comments about the rail crash in India. The response from the Department for Transport has always been “later”, “soon” or “in due course”, so I ask the same simple question I have asked every rail Minister since 2017: will the hon. Gentleman come to Manchester to meet Levenshulme station users to talk about access and accessibility?

Answer from Huw Merriman

I have recently come back from a very positive trip to Manchester, where I met stakeholders. I have no doubt that I will be there again soon, and I would be very happy to call in on the hon. Gentleman and his campaign. We have delivered step-free access to more than 200 stations through Access for All, and we have made improvements at 1,500 other stations. I look forward to working with him and his project, which I will visit next time I am up.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to meet Levenshulme station users specifically not addressed in concrete terms

How: I Have No Doubt That I Will Be There Again Soon, We Have Delivered Step-Free Access To More Than 200 Stations

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