Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted in Part
Mandate at least two Passengers' Council board members have lived disability experience.
Recommendation
The Bill should be amended to require that at least two members of the Passengers’ Council board have lived experience of travelling as a disabled person. We see no reason why the Government’s intentions in this respect should not be codified and safeguarded in legislation, given the utmost importance of involvement of disabled people at strategic levels. (Recommendation, Paragraph 65)
Government Response Summary
The Government is clear that the Passengers’ Council must represent all passengers including disabled passengers and confirm its intentions for this on the floor of the House to ensure both the Committee and disabled passengers are reassured there will be no rolling back of representation on the Board of the Passengers’ Council but does not feel legislation is needed to ensure this representation continues.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Government is clear that the Passengers’ Council must represent all passengers including disabled passengers. Under current arrangements, the Passengers’ Council Board is comprised of 8 members. Two of the members of the current Passengers’ Council Board have direct experience of accessibility issues. Of these, one has lived experience as a disabled passenger; and one is a former chair of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and is the current chair of the National Centre for Accessible Transport. The Government is not proposing to change this as the Passengers’ Council moves from Transport Focus to the Passengers’ Council. Additionally, the general duties contained in clause 18 of the Railways Bill to promote the interests of passengers including, in particular the needs of disabled passengers and to act in the wider public interest will apply when making decisions relating to Board appointments for the Passengers’ Council. This will ensure that the future composition of the Board continues to be suitably representative of passengers, including disabled passengers. Therefore, while legislation is not needed to ensure this representation continues, the Government will happily confirm its intentions for this on the floor of the House to ensure both the Committee and disabled passengers are reassured there will be no rolling back of representation on the Board of the Passengers’ Council.