The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England issue taxi and private hire vehicle service licences.

Licensing authorities have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a licence is a fit and proper person. As part of this assessment all licensing authorities require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check; this provides details of convictions and cautions and may include additional information which a chief police officer reasonably believes is relevant and ought to be disclosed.

The Department is consulting on draft statutory guidance to be issued to licensing authorities on how they should use the extensive existing powers to protect children and vulnerable adult when using these services. This includes a policy on the assessment of previous criminal convictions. The draft policy places passenger safety as the priority while enabling past offenders to sufficiently evidence that they have been successfully rehabilitated so that they might obtain a licence.

The legislation that provides for licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle services is enabling in its nature, giving local licensing authorities the discretion to set standards that they deem to be appropriate for their area.

The Government committed in the response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing to take forward legislation when time allows to enable the setting of national minimum standards in licensing.

The Department is also consulting on draft statutory guidance to be issued to licensing authorities on how they should use the extensive existing powers to protect children and vulnerable adults when using these services.

The Government’s response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing agreed with the principle that all taxi and private hire vehicle journeys should start and/or end within the area that issued the licences, and set out that further consideration will be given to how this might best work in practice, with a view to legislation.

Licensing authorities have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence to is a fit and proper person to hold such a licence. Licensing authorities remain responsible for ensuring that the drivers they license remain fit and proper throughout the period of the licence.

The draft statutory guidance to be issued to licensing authorities which Government is currently consulting on recommends measures to ensure authorities are aware of new information that may affect the suitability of individuals to hold a licence, such as clear complaint processes and biannual enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks including the barred lists.

The Department’s view is that the use of CCTV can provide a safer environment for the benefit of taxi and private hire vehicle passengers and drivers. The impact assessment that accompanies the Department’s consultation on statutory guidance for local licensing authorities considers in-vehicle CCTV and the costs and benefits of this. Benefits include improved passenger safety as the presence of CCTV is a deterrent to crime.

I know that disability awareness training can provide taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to give disabled passengers the assistance they need, and am clear that licensing authorities should use their existing powers to require drivers to complete it.

On 12^th February the Government published its response to the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and PHV Licensing, indicating its intention to introduce mandatory disability awareness training as part of National Minimum Standards when Parliamentary time allows.

It is illegal for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to refuse the carriage of passengers with assistance dogs, and I am clear that they must comply with the law.

Responsibility for investigating allegations of discriminatory behaviour and, where appropriate, prosecuting drivers, rests with the respective local licensing authorities, and each will have its own procedure for the reporting of incidents.

We are however committed to understanding refusal incidents more clearly, and will shortly begin research on the reasons why they occur and what further steps might be taken to eradicate them.