5. Statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Reform

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:45 pm on 24 November 2020.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 4:45, 24 November 2020

Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for the questions she's raised, and also for her wider contribution in terms of flagging up the disproportionate impact that coronavirus has had on some of the most vulnerable people in society, including, in terms of the taxi and private hire vehicle industry, members of the BAME community? We recognise that the industry has been severely impacted by the pandemic, in particular the BAME community in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea primarily, which represents a high proportion of the industry.

As I've said to other contributors this afternoon, the information that's available, in terms of support, is there online. We've asked the WLGA to share that information with taxi drivers; we've also asked trade unions to do so likewise. Officials have worked very closely, I think, with the WLGA and local authorities in providing solutions to issues such as the suitability of temporary vehicle safety screens. And, as I've already said, we're investigating the possibility of providing high-quality PPE to taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

And, of course, we've got the advisory group, which was established and has been meeting since April of this year, to consider the disproportionate number of COVID-19 related deaths within BAME communities. Work is going to continue on developing recommendations to ensure that the safety of workers is of paramount significance, and that we help reduce the number of deaths, particularly within key sectors where the BAME community is highly represented. So, obviously, the taxi and private hire vehicle industry is going to be a key concern of ours.

I'd say again to Jenny Rathbone that she is absolutely right that the issue of cross-bordering is perhaps the most pressing issue that we need to overcome, that we need to challenge. Because it's as a direct result of cross-bordering that many taxi drivers, particularly in Cardiff where there is oversupply, experienced poor levels of remuneration—low wages—before the pandemic, and as a consequence, even if they were able to secure funding through the self-employment support scheme, at only 80 per cent, it was barely enough to live on. That's why the discretionary assistance fund has been so important. That's why the discretionary grant scheme has been so important—the £25 million. But we want to go on looking at how we can help the sector in any way possible.

And finally, in terms of green taxis, I've already outlined the pilots that are taking place and how those pilots will then inform the scale of the support that's going to be required in order to transition the industry towards our net-zero ambitions. And, of course, there will a role, obviously, for the UK Government in this regard. They've announced that the date has been brought forward to 2030 for no new internal combustion engine vehicles to be produced, so we await as well—potentially tomorrow—any additional funding that may be announced from the UK Government to help ensure that that ambition, that target, can be met.