Kate Dearden MP: speeches

Speeches

• 18 Mar 2025 · Stations: Step-free Access · Hansard source

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  We will be able to make an announcement over the summer. I will not stand here today and make unfunded spending commitments—as Members will probably appreciate, that would be far above my pay grade. We will announce the stations that are progressing to design in the summer and the outcome, most likely, after the spending review. The programme is, of course, vital to ensure that people with disabilities, parents with prams, who Members have mentioned, and older people, as well as anyone with reduced mobility, are not excluded from our public transport system. It is about giving everyone the same opportunity to travel freely, with dignity and without encountering unnecessary barriers. Access for All is just one element in improving access to railway stations, and I will highlight some recent successes. The Elizabeth line has made significant strides in improving station accessibility across all 41 stations on the line, setting a benchmark for future projects, including level boarding from platform to train in its central section. That means that passengers with wheelchairs or other mobility aids can board trains without the need for assistance, thanks to the alignment of platforms and trains at the same level, which is a significant achievement for inclusive design. Another notable example is the Northumberland line project, with all six of its new stations having step-free access. That ensures that everybody, regardless of their physical ability, can access a service, eliminating barriers and promoting equality. The stations are designed to accommodate passengers with mobility challenges by providing ramps, lifts and other accessible features. We are also pleased that the trans-Pennine route upgrade is set to deliver step-free access at all but one of its stations once the upgrade work is complete. In addition to those specific projects, the broader rail industry is taking steps to improve step-free access in both existing and new stations. The Office of Rail and Road plays a crucial role in that effort by setting guidelines and taking enforcement action against companies that fail to meet accessibility requirements. The industry is held accountable to standards that require a commitment to step-free access as part of its service offering. When those requirements are not met, the Office of Rail and Road can take the necessary actions to ensure compliance, which may include fines or forcing the implementation of corrective measures. I have highlighted the importance of delivering step-free access across Great Britain, which reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving accessibility. Programmes such as Access for All, alongside major advancements such as the trans-Pennine route upgrade and the Elizabeth line, demonstrate the progress that we are making. In conclusion, I urge all Members to continue to advocate for step-free access at stations, not just as an aspiration but as an essential part of our transport infrastructure. Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind. The journey towards an accessible and inclusive transport system is one that we can and must complete. I again thank the hon. Member for Wimbledon for securing this important debate and I thank everyone else here for their contributions to it. I wish you all a great day. Question put and agreed to.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Stations: Step-free Access · Hansard source

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  We will continue to take the Access for All programme forward as fast as funds allow. We will write to her with any updates we can provide. We are strongly committed to making the oldest railway in the world accessible to everybody and we will announce the stations progressing to design in the summer. We remain committed to building on progress and Ministers are carefully considering the best approach for the Access for All programme in control period 7. The Department for Transport will provide updates to all stakeholders in due course.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Stations: Step-free Access · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Mr Kohler) on securing this important debate on step-free access at stations. We all recognise how vital our transportation system is to the daily lives of millions across the country. It is the backbone of our economy, connecting people to jobs, opportunities and essential services, while also enabling people to spend time with friends and family. Crucially, it is also about ensuring that everybody, regardless of their mobility, can access those same opportunities. At a recent meeting hosted by a fantastic organisation based in my Halifax constituency called Lead the Way, which provides invaluable guidance and support to people with learning disabilities and to their families and carers, I had the opportunity to hear directly from constituents about the significant impacts that inaccessible travel can have on their lives. As I said to those constituents, and I say to Members today, I absolutely share the passion for delivering transport infrastructure that is not only efficient, but inclusive. The principle of step-free access at stations is a vital element in ensuring that we have a transport system that works for everyone. The Government’s ambition is to see everybody using our transport network with ease and confidence. That means giving disabled people, older people and those with additional needs access to the services that many of us take for granted. Since 2006, the Access for All programme has been pivotal in advancing that goal. Since launching, the programme has developed step-free, accessible routes at more than 260 stations, as well as smaller-scale improvements at more than 1,500 stations, including accessible toilets and improved customer information systems. The Department has been clear that the need for step-free access at our stations is not just a matter of convenience, but a matter of fairness. That is why, since April 2024, 22 stations have been completed under the Access for All programme, with a further five due to be completed by April 2025.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Stations: Step-free Access · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for her contribution, which has been noted and heard. I am just coming to an update on the Access for All programme. As I mentioned, 22 stations have been completed under the programme, with a further five due to be completed by April 2025. That will be the highest number of stations completed in any single year since the programme began, but we know our work is far from done. Much of our rail network was designed in the Victorian era. It was an impressive engineering achievement for its time, but it falls short of meeting the accessibility standards that 21st century passengers rightly expect. Today, only a fifth of stations across Great Britain offer step-free access to and between all platforms. However, it is important to recognise the progress made, with 75% of journeys now passing through step-free stations, which is a significant improvement on 50% in 2005. I share hon. Members’ frustrations that changes have not happened at the pace people would like to see. The Network Rail performance at the end of control period 6 was not good enough, with a number of projects late and over budget. We have taken steps to rectify that, including restoring a strong national oversight team at National Rail, so that best practice between routes and regions can be shared. Under the previous Government, 310 nominations were received from Network Rail, train operating companies and other strategic transport organisations for the next round of Access for All. Last year, a list of 50 stations selected for initial feasibility work was announced. I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made with those studies. To date, 29 feasibility studies have been completed, with remaining studies on track for completion by the summer.

• 22 Jul 2024 · Economy, Welfare and Public Services · Hansard source

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  Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to make my first contribution to this House. I thank the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) for his contribution to the debate. Today’s debate is a crucial one for how we rebuild our economy in a way that works for all. I am delighted to be joining my many, many excellent new Labour colleagues in making their brilliant maiden speeches. I am also delighted to follow the incredible Holly Lynch. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Holly dedicated her talent and energy to supporting her constituents. She was a casework champion who still found time to push for protections for our emergency service workers and for global causes, such as Fairtrade. Holly’s commitment was second to none, and I will do my best to follow in her footsteps. In succeeding Holly, I am proud to take my place in one of Parliament’s great traditions: the Labour women of Halifax. Since the election of Shirley Summerskill in 1964, there have only been four years where Halifax has not been represented by a Labour woman. I am lucky to have the support of brilliant women, from the Labour Women’s Network to trade union colleagues and my late teacher Elaine Barker who set me on the road to this House. I am standing on the shoulders of my sisters, and I will not let them down. Halifax is a town bursting with history. It was a centre of the wool trade and textile manufacturing, with the Piece Hall the most beautiful and well-known testament to our heritage, but there is far more to the history of Halifax than that. We have a magnificent minster, the imposing Wainhouse Tower, and Shibden Hall, home of lesbian diarist Anne Lister. Halifax’s industrial heritage has meant a close connection to socialist movements. It was a stronghold for Chartists, a centre of trade union activism and the birthplace of Halifax building society, and it has a legacy of co-operative movements. As a trade unionist and now a Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament, it is a history I am proud to celebrate, and celebrating our history has become a big part of Halifax’s future. The Piece Hall is now one of the UK’s best music venues. This summer it is hosting Idles, Tom Jones and the Ministry of Sound, and I will leave it to hon. Members to guess who I would prefer to see. We have reimagined the beating industrial heart of Halifax at Dean Clough mill as a centre for arts, culture, food and shopping. That, combined with the beautiful nature of the Calder valley, has seen Halifax transforming into Haliwood. Many in this Chamber will have seen “Happy Valley”, but there is also “Gentleman Jack” and “Last Tango in Halifax”, and we even hosted Marvel for its “Secret Invasion”. As a Member of Parliament for Halifax, I will lobby for any future editions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to come and celebrate the home of toffee, Rolos and Quality Street. There are so many other things that make Halifax a unique and special town, from our fabulous independent department store Harveys—where I bought today’s lovely dress—to Eureka! the museum where I and every other former schoolkid in the north of England went on school trips, and, of course, the famous Shay, home to Halifax Town and Halifax Panthers. I must also mention some of the challenges that my town still faces. Like most of the ex-industrial UK, we have faced decades of neglect and under-investment. Halifax endures significant deprivation, with above-average levels of unemployment and child poverty. Access to housing is a problem, especially for young people, and the availability of GPs came up time and time again on the doorstep. The people of Halifax have struggled for too long with the cost of living crisis, low wages and poor public services. That has been the story of my town and of our country. As anyone who knows Yorkshire will guess, the people of Halifax have done much to help each other. Halifax is the home of Andy’s Man Club, which many Members will know from its essential work to support men’s mental health. I met its volunteers as well as those of Healthy Minds, which is another great charity helping tackle mental illness. Noah’s Ark debt centre offers crucial financial support, and the Holy Nativity church in Mixenden is one of several organisations running a food bank and a pay-what-you-can café. Daisy Chain café provides a haven for the elderly to meet and socialise, and St Augustine’s Centre gives much needed support to refugees. Those brilliant community initiatives have done their best to help those who have been struggling in recent years, and they have achieved much. However, we know that the buck stops with us and that we must address the issues facing our nation and prove that things can get better. These issues, when not addressed, lead to suffering, despair and anger. We on the Labour Benches can celebrate our success at the election, but a victory for our party is only ever a means to an end. Our goal now is to bring about the change that we promised. I am proud to be delivering my maiden speech in this debate, where we set the agenda for what we will do to improve the lives of everyone across the country. Part of this is close to my own heart: the new deal for working people. In my previous role at the brilliant Community trade union, I was proud to be part of drafting those aims alongside trade union colleagues. The agenda on extending workers’ rights, including for those who are self-employed or part of the gig economy, is one that I want to champion over the next five years. I would like to end with a few thank yous. First, I thank all the people I have mentioned so far, who make Halifax the wonderful town that it is, for everything they do. Secondly, to the incredible activists of Halifax—the Labour team in our town should be the envy of constituency Labour parties nationwide—I could not be more grateful. As every Member in this House knows, we are here because of those around us—the family, friends and colleagues who support us—so I want to thank my wonderful friends, my mum, my dad, my sister, and my partner Brad. Finally, I thank the people of Halifax for trusting me. I will fight every day to achieve everything that I can for them and reward the faith that they have shown in me.