§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is currently undertaken or sponsored by his Department into improved transport for women and children.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleMy Department has a long-standing programme of research into the transport needs of people with mobility problems, including women, children, elderly people and those with disabilities.
Current projects include work on the design and operation of fully accessible low floor buses, the development of design standards for bus and coach stations—jointly funded with the passenger transport executives—and the use of unstaffed railway stations by people with mobility problems—jointly funded with British Rail. My Department is also conducting research into the incidence of assaults on bus passengers.