4. What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with the Leader of the House about working with transport providers to ensure that their services are accessible to people with disabilities? OAQ52803

Well, as a Government, we are absolutely committed to improving access to public transport that removes barriers to travel, that promotes independent living, and which empowers vulnerable groups to participate in society. This is a cornerstone of 'Taking Wales Forward', which sets out our ambitions to build a united, connected and sustainable Wales.

Cabinet Secretary, I was very impressed a few weeks ago by an announcement from Arriva Trains Wales about their new package to assist rail users with sight loss. That included such things as specialist audio guides, assistance dog cards and familiarisation trips for groups that support people affected by sight loss. We know that there are 107,000 people affected by sight loss in Wales, and the RNIB suggests that 80 per cent of people affected by sight loss could not travel whenever or wherever they like. What I would like to know is: will the new provider, Transport for Wales, be rolling out this package of support measures previously introduced by Arriva, so that ambitious schemes like the metro are accessible to all in Wales?

Yes. I'd like, first of all, to thank the Member for her question and recognise her keen interest in this area. I can confirm that the intention is to continue to improve the experience of people with sight loss who wish to use our public transport system. I'm also pleased to say that provisions such as assisted travel audio guides, the orange wallet scheme, mobility scooters and assistance dog travel schemes will be rolled out across Wales.

Now, I think it's fair to say that buses provide a huge number of journeys for people with limited sight or with sight loss. And we, I think, led the way in many respects in ensuring that audiovisual announcements are made on bus services that depend on taxpayers' subsidies. This was very ambitious and, at the time, it was quite a controversial measure—it was a controversial intervention and demand on the industry. However, we didn't shy away from it, and I'm keen, through the reforms that I spoke about earlier this afternoon, that we go on improving the passenger experience, not just on trains but on buses, for people of all ability, for people who have limited sight or people who have no sight at all.

Cabinet Secretary, I welcome the recent announcement that the Abergavenny railway station is to be provided with disabled access after a long campaign by local residents. Given that nearly a quarter of railway stations in Wales are not accessible for wheelchairs, can the Cabinet Secretary advise this Assembly on what discussions he has had about making all stations fully accessible for disabled people and when this objective is likely to be achieved in Wales? 

Can I thank the Member for his question? I highlighted to Nick Ramsay how we intend to spend, specifically, £15 million of the nearly £200 million available for station improvements specifically on improving access for disabled people. I will be writing to Members as soon as we have put together the tool that will measure which stations should be prioritised. I recognise that a number of Members in this Chamber represent constituencies with communities that currently have platforms that can't be accessed by disabled people. I wish to ensure that the tool that's adopted to measure the priority stations is one that is transparent, easily understood and is fair. I'll be writing to Members with details of that tool as soon as possible.