The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued last year and is supporting a Private Members’ Bill (Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill) which would further enhance the protection the licensing regime provides to the public. A consultation on updated best practice guidance for licensing authorities will be launched shortly.

The Government is committed to introducing legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to reform the regulation of the sector.

The Department is supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers through the recently issued Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and will consult on updated best practice guidance on other matters later this year.

Data sharing arrangements between licensing authorities are a matter for each authority to consider.

There have not been any recent meetings between ministers and local authorities or other external stakeholders specifically regarding the development of a data sharing arrangements on the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, PHV operators between licencing authorities.

The Government supports the ‘Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill 2017-19’ Private Members’ Bill which seeks to mandate the sharing of some licensing information between authorities.

Data sharing arrangements between licensing authorities are a matter for each authority to consider.

There have not been any recent meetings between ministers and local authorities or other external stakeholders specifically regarding the development of a data sharing arrangements on the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, PHV operators between licencing authorities.

The Government supports the ‘Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill 2017-19’ Private Members’ Bill which seeks to mandate the sharing of some licensing information between authorities.

Data sharing arrangements between licensing authorities are a matter for each authority to consider.

There have not been any recent meetings between ministers and local authorities or other external stakeholders specifically regarding the development of a data sharing arrangements on the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, PHV operators between licencing authorities.

The Government supports the ‘Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill 2017-19’ Private Members’ Bill which seeks to mandate the sharing of some licensing information between authorities.

The terms of reference and membership of the task and finish group on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing were designed to bring together a small but broadly representative group of sector stakeholders, to consider current issues and produce recommendations for action. In recognition of the breadth of perspectives that the group would need to consider, the terms of reference were specifically designed to ensure that the group would have the ability to invite others to provide evidence. To that end, the group has already taken written evidence from a range of organisations including the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and the National Association of Taxi Users.

In recognition of the breadth of perspectives and needs which the task and finish group on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing must consider in its review of sector issues, the terms of reference were designed to ensure that evidence could be taken from external parties. The group has recognised the importance of the sector to disabled people by already taking written evidence from the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and the National Association of Taxi Users.

The legislation that provides for the licensing of taxi services is enabling in its nature, giving licensing authorities the discretion to set standards that they deem to be appropriate for their area. Although currently there is no requirement in legislation for local authorities to have a published taxi licensing policy in place, the Department for Transport does publish Best Practice Guidance to assist licensing authorities when setting standards for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers and operators.

The Department will, for the first time, issue statutory guidance to licensing authorities. The guidance will contain robust standards that I expect all licensing authorities to adopt, to ensure that all passengers, particularly children and vulnerable adults, are protected when using taxi and PHV services. We will also consult on revised best practice guidance which will include recommendations to licensing authorities to assist them in setting appropriate standards to enable the provision of services the public demand.

At the recent Westminster Hall Debate on the ‘Regulation of working conditions in the private hire industry’ I announced my intention to set up a working group to consider how PHV and taxi licensing authorities use their powers. The group’s terms of reference and membership will be confirmed shortly.

It is essential that taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) services are accessible to everyone wishing to use them, and it is unacceptable that a minority of drivers continue to discriminate against owners of assistance dogs.

Our upcoming consultation on revised best practice for licensing authorities will include strengthened recommendations relating to authorities’ response to alleged instances of assistance dog refusal.

The best practice guidance issued by the Department for Transport to local licensing authorities is currently being reviewed and updated. In addition to this, the Government has also introduced an amendment to the Policing and Crime Bill that will enable statutory guidance to be issued on aspects related to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. Both parts of the guidance will be consulted on once the Policing and Crime Bill receives Royal Assent.

The number of offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts for failure to comply with a section 168 duty in relation to an assistance dog for a disabled person, with the number sentenced to a fine and the number sentenced to a Level 3 fine (the maximum available for the offence), in England and Wales, from 2011 to 2015 can be viewed in the table. These offenders were all individuals rather than companies.

Under section 16 of the Transport Act 1985 local licensing authorities outside of London have the power to limit the number of licensed Hackney carriages if they are satisfied that there is no significant demand for the services of Hackney carriages (within the area to which the licence would apply) which is unmet. There are no powers to restrict the number of Hackney carriages in London or private hire vehicles in or outside of London and the Government has no plans to introduce any such legislation at this time.

Local authorities can issue licences to prospective Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle drivers irrespective of where the driver lives. The Department provides Best Practice Guidance for local authorities to help them develop their own standards for taxi and PHV operators, drivers and vehicles.

Local authorities can issue licences to prospective Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle drivers irrespective of where the driver lives. The Department provides Best Practice Guidance for local authorities to help them develop their own standards for taxi and PHV operators, drivers and vehicles.

The Department spent the following amounts on taxi fares during the last two full financial years:

2010-11: £154,934

2011-12: £139,791.

These figures include expenditure from both Administration and Programme budgets. During the same period NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CFH) spent the following:

2010-11: £87,675.73

2011-12: £68,372.95.

NHS CFH Travel and Subsistence policy makes it clear that the use of taxis is subject to there being a health and safety reason or where either public transport is not available or the number of staff travelling together make this the best value for money method of travel.