Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Amend Clause 18 and 36 duties, mandating bodies to improve rail network accessibility.
Recommendation
The clause 18 duty on Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road and the Secretary of State, and the clause 36 duty on the Passengers’ Council, should be amended to require these bodies to exercise their functions in a way that improves accessibility of the rail network. (Recommendation, Paragraph 61)
Government Response Summary
The Government welcomes the Committee’s support for the specific inclusion of the needs of disabled passengers in the passenger interest duty at clause 18, and in the duty on the Passengers’ Council at clause 36 and Accessibility is one of the Government’s top priorities for the railway and will be a central focus for GBR and other key decision-makers in the industry.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government notes this recommendation. The Government welcomes the Committee’s support for the specific inclusion of the needs of disabled passengers in the passenger interest duty at clause 18, and in the duty on the Passengers’ Council at clause 36. Accessibility is one of the Government’s top priorities for the railway and will be a central focus for GBR and other key decision-makers in the industry. That is exactly why we have included the duties at clause 18 and clause 36. This means that for the first time passenger services on our railways will be bound by an accessibility duty. This is a significant improvement to the current framework where there is no accessibility duty in legislation for any train operating company or for Network Rail. These duties make it clear that GBR, Ministers, the ORR and the Passengers’ Council must consider the needs of those with disabilities when carrying out their statutory railway functions. This means promoting the interests of disabled passengers will be an integral part of decisions made on the railways. Therefore, the Government disagrees with the recommended amendment as the current wording will already drive continual accessibility improvements. The detail of these improvements, including the expectations on GBR for delivery, will be set out by GBR within its Business Plan. Before signing this off, the Secretary of State, with advice from the ORR, will need to be comfortable that the ambition shown by GBR within the Business Plan reflects adequate consideration of all of its duties, including to promote the interests of disabled passengers. This highlights how the duties sit within the wider framework setting the strategic direction for GBR. Accessibility is a key tenet throughout this framework. For example, another part of that framework is the LTRS to which GBR will have to have regard. One of the stated objectives for the LTRS is that GBR will meet the needs of customers, and, as set out in the LTRS Fact Sheet, improving accessibility will be a key element of meeting this objective. Taken together, a clear ambition for the future of our railways within the LTRS and the specific accessibility duties provide us with confidence that GBR and others will exercise their functions in a way that encourages accessibility improvements across the railways in an affordable, sustainable way. The Bill as drafted should achieve this objective already.