LABOUR SLASHES DISABLED ACCESS TRANSPORT FUND BY 50%

LABOUR SLASHES DISABLED ACCESS TRANSPORT FUND BY 50%

LATEST WESTMINSTER CUT IS 'UNCONSCIONABLE' ATTACK ON DISABILITY EQUALITY

SNP MSP Bill Kidd has expressed anger at Labour plans to slash by over 50 per cent the 'Access for All' Small Schemes Fund, which is used to improve access to the railway network for disabled people, and has echoed calls by Scottish Government Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson for the planned cut to be suspended.

The 'Access for All' Small Schemes Fund is administered and distributed by the UK Department for Transport. Scotland's share for 2010/11 should have been £796,000 but this has been slashed to £390,000 - a cut of 51 per cent. Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has written to UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Mole, to protest at the cut.

SNP MSP for Glasgow, Bill Kidd, who is a member of the Scottish Parliament's Equalities Committee, backed Mr Stevenson's action, saying:

"Only two weeks after they all but abolished the Independent Living Fund, Labour are attempting to sneak through another cut in support for disabled people just days before they look set to be kicked out of office.

"The Access for All Small Schemes Fund is not an enormous sum of money in the scheme of things - less than £8 million for the whole of the UK - but it pays for extremely important work, increasing the number of railway stations that are step-free and wheelchair accessible and improving mobility, independence and equal access to transport for disabled people.

"This is further evidence that Labour sees equality for disabled people as a soft target in their cuts agenda. Slashing funds for improved disabled access is bad enough; trying to sneak it through days before a general election, in the hope that no one will notice, is unconscionable. It is a final grim milestone in Labour's appalling record of cutting disability benefits and support throughout their time in power.

"Labour must listen to the Scottish Government's representations and suspend this cut immediately."