There
are three MPs with responsibility for the borough of Bexley, though if you read
the local newspapers you might be forgiven for thinking there is only one;
Teresa Pearce, MP for Thamesmead and Erith. If there is a local event she is
there, if the last remaining river view is threatened by Bexley council, she
will hand in your petition for you or if you relish the sight of an MP dressed in
rubber and waist deep in canal mud then she is your girl.
Raising local issues in Parliament is her specialty, a pity more MPs don’t remember
that that is what they are there for. Last week it was disabled access to Erith
station, or rather the lack of it.
Teresa Pearce: Whether
her Department has conducted an impact assessment of the proposal in the McNulty report on closure of ticket offices.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Mrs. Theresa
Villiers): No impact assessment has been conducted of this proposal in the
independent report undertaken by Sir Roy McNulty.
Teresa Pearce: Disabled people in my constituency already
have trouble accessing work and leisure opportunities in London because Erith station’s
London-bound platform has no disabled lift or step-free access. They are advised by the train
operating company to travel in the opposite direction for 15 minutes and then
change trains. The closure of the ticket office at Erith will further
disadvantage this group of people. Will the Minister consider an equality impact
assessment on the proposal and reject McNulty’s plans to close ticket offices,
particularly at places such as Erith, where disabled people already face a
difficult journey?
Mrs. Villiers: In considering the recommendations of the independent McNulty
report and before any decision was made on changes to future ticket office
rules, it would of course be vital carefully to assess the needs of disabled
communities and pensioners. That would be a very important part of any decisions
made on future reform of ticket offices.
Southeastern’s leaflet on disabled access shows Crayford to be no better than
Erith and Albany Park to be worse but neither seems to have an MP willing to
speak up for them.
This subject is a little off topic for Bonkers but as I am just off to visit my disabled daughter by train I thought I would indulge myself with giving Teresa’s campaign a little plug. It is a subject more up Hugh Neal’s street than mine, he has covered it on his ‘Maggot Sandwich’ blog several times already and it is more than likely he will do so again later today. If he doesn’t, you may wish to consider descending on him with flaming torches and pitchforks. (Apologies: ‘in’ joke.)