Mr. Speaker,
I rise today in support of this bill, no one should have difficulties travelling on public transport. Especially not people with disabilities. I especially welcome the expansion of the Sunflower program allowing for people with disabilities to have a discreet way to communicate that they may need extra help without attracting too much personal attention. As a society and government we need to do more to help people with disabilities navigate through life without making it needlessly more complex and difficult. In that regard I hope that the Department of Transport and the Department of Work and Pensions do not make the application process too strenuous on individuals who need and want the lanyard. After the situation with the Winter fuel subsidy, I hope the Government has remembered that often the people who need something the most have difficulties completing paperwork for a variety of reasons.
However, after careful discussions I believe that this legislation can be improved with a clearer defined structure, purpose, and budget for the Office for Transit Access and Equity. One that makes it clear how the Office will improve the Transport situation for people with Disabilities by having full enforcement powers over the regulation. Finally we will have one agency or office designed to specifically enforce these regulations across types of transport. This Office would also amend the Second Permanent Secretary out of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Secretary of State had the best of intentions when he decided to create the position in his legislation. However, only Her Majesty’s Treasury, Department of International Trade, and the Ministry of Justice have a second permanent secretary position all of which have a significant role overseeing a number of different tasks, offices, agencies and help the Permanent Secretary over some of the largest Ministries in our Government. The Ministry of Justice for example Second Permanent is responsible for overseeing the Office of the Public Guardian, Legal Aid Agency and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and will support the Permanent Secretary in leading across the 75,000 strong Ministry of Justice group. A Ministry four times the size of the Department of Transport. I do not believe that a Second Permanent Secretary is the correct solution at the moment, instead I believe that a board designed to run the Office for Transit Access and Equity will be far more effective. Especially in regards to making sure that the voices of people with disabilities are heard. The current version of the legislation there is no statutory mandate to have people with disabilities in the room. A clear recommendation from the “Travel Fair” report that the Secretary of State cited.
With all that being said I table the following amendment:
Webster 1:
The DfT will create the position of Second Permanent Secretary in the Department with responsibility for inclusion in all facets of DfT's work, including oversight of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and leading an Office for Transit Access and Equity. An Office for Transit Access and Equity will be created to act as a single regulator for the regulations concerning the ability for people with disabilities to use public transport. As well as being responsible for the further development and improvement of the Rights of the Disabled on transport, and the Inclusive Transit Plan. The Office shall consist of a chairman and at least four other members appointed by the Secretary of State, the board should always have a majority of its members be people with disabilities. The Office shall appoint a Chief Executive, and may appoint other employees. The Office may establish one of more committees, which may include persons who are neither members of nor employed by the office. The Office may delegate a function to the Chief Executive, another employee, or a committee. The Office shall receive money from fines related to violations of regulations under the office's preview, and it shall receive funding from the Department of Transport. The Office may not borrow money.
*Underlined text is being amended out
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Secretary of State to accept the amendment as friendly, as it seeks a stronger solution to the problem the bill addresses. We have an obligation to the people of this country who have disabilities to make sure that our regulations are being properly enforced right now. My amendment will clearly help improve that. As well as it serves as an Office that can continue advocating for better, more accessible travel to all people, and the stronger and clearer the function of the office is, the more helpful in developing the second, third and four steps we need to make. By making sure the voices in the round come from the community and experts we can feel more confident about the future work we do. The Every Community Counts campaign is about listening to the communities and offering the reforms they need something the Rt. Honorable Gentleman from Bexleyheath and Crayford agreed with, when he said on twitter, “Our Bigger Britain agenda is about giving you, the Brutus people, the power to succeed. Therefore it’s only right that we put power into the hands of families and local communities to beat drug addiction once and for all.” Now I imagine the Rt. Honorable Gentleman from Bexleyheath and Crayford meant British People.
Laughs Typos happen to the best of us. Back to my point, my amendment is the most effective way to achieve what this community has been calling for. As it calls for the inclusion of voices from the community it is likely to be far more effective for achieving the goals that the Secretary of State and I share. Making Transport easier to use for people with disabilities. I hope that the Secretary of State will accept my amendment as friendly.
We need to do far more to help make the lives of disabled people easier and ultimately freer. I read the “Travel Fair” report cited by the Right Honorable Gentleman, and the Inclusive Transit Strategy. In doing so while I think this is a good first step, I call on the Secretary of State to be bolder by doing more. The Travel Fair report cited how a single regulator that helped make sure that private companies were following the rules in regards to regulations would be immensely helpful to protecting the rights of disabled people. For which I hope the Secretary of State accept my amendment, or we see his version sometime soon. Using public transit in this country should not be an immensely stressful task. However, using public transit induces stress at an overwhelming rate amongst people who are disabled, and this is a sign we ought to do more. I hope the Secretary of State will be continuing the obligations that his predecessors have made in regards to the Inclusive Transit strategy. Furthermore I call upon the Secretary of State to include more funding for the Personal Independence Payment scheme, and to increase funding on concessionary fees to 1.5 billion pounds and expand availability for the pass.
Once again, I am happy to join the Secretary of State on this FIRST STEP, but we cannot stop here. Passengers who are disabled are far more likely to need to plan their journeys, and on top of the release of bus data, the Secretary of State and his department should consider how the use of an app for both a computer and a phone that can update with live information to include delays can be useful in making travel easier for people with disabilities. Furthermore I agree with the proposal outlined by “Travel Fair” about the creation of a single regulator and call on the Government to present legislation on the matter as soon as possible. I pledge to hold the Government to account to make sure that they make their second step asap and that it does everything possible to help disabled people; as well as making sure any of their previous pledges for funding under the inclusive transit plan strategy are kept. I would like to make one final call on the Government to make more funding available to improve stations, and areas near bus stops to be more suitable for use by people with disabilities, especially those who use wheelchairs. Ultimately, while it is a good first step, it cannot be the only step.