House of Commons
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Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani says this new strategy "will greatly help disabled people across the UK", and shows that "the government is listening to concerns that have been raised".

Ms Ghani tells MP: "we must not make fast decisions, and must collate responses from people of all communities."

On the issue of parking meters which can only be used via phones, the minister says she will "go away and look at this to ensure that these are more accessible for everyone".

Ms Ghani says she is "keen" to implement a new bus strategy to ensure that "services are as comprehensive as possible".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow transport minister Rachael Maskell says "we must communicate with disabled people to enhance their experiences of using transport".

"It is vital that we get both maps and apps right, and that we extend opportunity to access for transport for everyone," she says.

Ms Maskell says "this is a really positive advancement, but transport is failing disabled people currently."

"14 million people are dependent on the government getting this right", she says.

House of Commons
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SNP's Ronnie Cowan says: "disabled people accessing transport must be an everyday, unremarkable and mundane occurrence".

However he adds: "sadly, we are not at that point".

Mr Cowan says "ensuring all methods of transport are suitable for disabled people should be a priority", and urges the government to do more.

He does however say "this strategy is a good start".

House of Lords
Parliament

Retail billionaire Sir Philip Green has been named in the House of Lords as the man facing newspaper allegations of sexual harassment.

He was named by Labour’s Lord Hain using parliamentary privilege.

House of Lords
Parliament

Brexit minister Lord Callanan says: "We have already had people's vote in 2016, and the people voted to leave the European Union".

On Saturday's march, he says: "however passionate...it was only a small fraction of those who participated in the original people's vote".

He says those calling for another referendum are showing a lack of respect for referendums, so questions why anyone should trust them to respect the result of another.

Not respecting the result of the 2016 referendum runs the risk of damaging democracy and undermining the faith of the British people, he says.

A clear majority voted to leave, and it is now the job of the government to deliver it, he adds.

House of Lords
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Wrapping up for the Lib Dems, Baroness Ludford says to those who call a people's vote undemocratic, "how can any vote be undemocratic?"

"History will not be kind to any politician who hides behind purely logistical arguments, legalese or arcane parliamentary procedure in order to deny people a vote on the outcome of these Brexit negotiations at such a fragile and crucial moment for our country", she says.

For Labour, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town says "some people still seem to threaten or even welcome" no deal being reached.

"It would be unforgivable for Parliament to permit a no deal Brexit", she says.

She says a second referendum "would be challenging", but this could be overcome through cross-party consensus, but it "still leaves open" the question of what goes on the ballot paper.

House of Commons
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Shadow transport minister Rachael Maskell says the economy will benefit if disabled people can get out of their homes and onto public transport.

Ms Maskell says that for too long governments and society have "tragically built barriers" to disabled people across different modes of transport.

She goes on to say to talk about the "major barrier" of cracked pavements and walkways, which she says have caused people to lose their lives as well as causing damage to wheelchairs.

House of Lords
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Crossbencher Lord Butler of Brockwell acknowledges today's debate has involved "30 consecutive speeches in favour of a referendum", followed by two against it.

"There is a duty to allow people to review their decision," he says, adding that Leavers should want that too.

Lord Butler says he would be satisfied with a second referendum even if the result remains the same, as he would be "secure in knowing that the people have taken as informed decision as possible."

"This is too important an issue on which to act ignorance."

House of Lords
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Labour's Lord Grocott asks "are we to have referendums every two years? I voted to leave in 1975, I had to wait 41 years for my mind to be reflected in a vote."

He says the People's Vote campaign is "patronising", suggesting to those who voted to leave the EU that they "didn't understand the issues."

"Democracy is threatened when people with power say to those without 'we know what's good for you, better than you know yourselves' and I've heard that in numerous contributions to this debate today."

House of Lords
Parliament

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Conservative peer Lord Shinkwin says to turn over the result of "the people's vote in 2016", would be the equivalent of deeming an election result invalid because the government is not doing well in the polls.

Lord Shinkwin says that if the UK failed genuinely to leave the EU, the rest of this parliament would be spent attempting to rebuild trust among those who voted leave. "The chances of that succeeding are about the same as Chequers [the PM's plan] delivering Brexit."

"Having the confidence to leave now... holds out the prospect of stability and prosperity free of an increasingly unstable EU," he says.

He appeals to MPs to "look beyond the fog of Brexit fatigue" and resist the urge to settle for just any deal, "in deeds as well as warm words, the people's vote of the 2016 referendum must be honoured."

House of Commons
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Transport Minister Nus Ghani says the strategy aim is to create a transport system offering "equal access for disabled people by 2030".

Ms Ghani cites examples of taxi drivers "illegally" refusing to pick up disabled people and says the government intends to raise awareness of the rights of disabled passengers, as they are "not widely understood".

"Towns should be designed in a way that works for all", she adds.

Image source, HoC

House of Lords
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Baroness Wheatcroft says the People's Vote is not a second referendum, "what we're seeking is a vote on the terms of any deal that the government can bring forward".

The Conservative peer says the government knows "it is trying to do something which would inflict long term damage on this country."

"This is looking increasingly like a posh boys Brexit," she says, "the rich will be insulated."

"Why are those who favour a bed of nails so reluctant to ask voters whether they risk to share it?"

Image source, Getty Images

MPs are now debating the government's strategy, external to make the transport system better for disabled people.

The Department of Transport announced the strategy in July.

House of Commons
Parliament

Winding up the debate, minister Nigel Adams says "all dietary patterns" of women of childbearing age will be considered in the forthcoming consultation on adding folic acid to flour.

He acknowledges adding folic acid to flour is "not particularly expensive" to deal with, and everyone will be able to make their feelings known within the consultation.

Image source, HoC

House of Lords
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Conservative peer Lord Finklestein says if a second vote had been suggested during the 2016 campaign, it would have "changed the result profoundly".

Leave "would have won a heavy victory", he says.

Another referendum would be far more divisive, and "will also very likely produce an outcome that remains disputed", he says.

He says many Remainers like him recognise that "we did lose", and therefore consider it their responsibility "to make our very best effort to deliver Brexit".

But he warns Brexiteers: "We do not expect to be making that good faith effort alone...you cannot look to us to deliver your Brexit if you will not make compromises yourself.

"You cannot expect us to tip the country into chaos because you won't make the effort you demand from us."

House of Commons
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Labour MP Owen Smith, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on folic acid fortification, says "this is a long time coming."

"We've known the evidence for 30 years, it's time something is done," he says.

Mr Smith says this is an area where the last Labour government "didn't take action in when they should have done".

He says mothers are 72% less likely to give birth to a child with neural defects if they supplement their diet with folic acid.

Using that statistic, he goes on to suggest that "3,000 babies would have been saved had Labour brought in the measure in 1998".

House of Lords
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Conservative peer Lord Balfe says "a lot of rubbish is being said...many of us who have campaigned to remain want to use this opportunity to remain."

He warns however that, "whilst I'm very much in favour of another referendum...one thing that I would council everybody against is I don't believe the result would be any different".

House of Commons
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SNP's Patrick Grady says it is "universally agreed by health associations that the fortification of folic acid has great benefits".

He says in the countries where mandatory fortification has been carried out for years, "the number of brain-related birth defects have dramatically reduced."

"It is welcome that action is finally being taken", he says.

The consultation's purpose should be "how fortification takes place, and not if", he says.

House of Commons
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Shadow health minister Sharon Hodgson says it is "about time" that a consultation on adding folic acid to flour is taking place.

"Why it has taken the government so long to get to this point?", she asks.

She says more than 85 countries have mandatory folic acid fortification, however none of these are in the EU.

Ms Hodges asks if the advice for pregnant women to take voluntary folic acid supplements will continue throughout the consultation.

She asks if the consultation will assess how people who don't eat flour or wheat will get their folic acid, and for a date on when the consultation will be concluded.

House of Commons
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Communities Minister Nigel Adams says foods already fortified with folic acid include spinach, kale, wheat bran, cabbage, beans, and broccoli.

In adding folic acid to flour, the government is trying to prevent birth defects of the brain, spine and spinal cord which occur in the "first few weeks of pregnancy".

Mr Adams says consultation on the policy will begin next year, and ministers will continue to monitor the latest advice issued by the health industry.

"We need to learn from such approaches elsewhere," he says - including from Canada, which "started fortification" in the 1990s.