Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the condition of runways at UK airports and their ability to withstand climate change-related weather conditions.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Safety is our utmost priority in aviation and therefore in extreme heat UK airports have increased monitoring of operations, including runway inspections.
There are a number of factors that can impact wear of runways. To mitigate these risks, regular rehabilitation and resurfacing works are scheduled by all major airports to keep their runways in the best condition to support aircraft movements safely. In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority requires all certified airports to inspect their runway a minimum of two times a day along the standard international guidelines for inspection.
HM Government recognises that the fight against climate change is one of the greatest and most pressing challenges facing the modern world. The third National Adaptation Programme is due in 2023. It will showcase the government’s strategy and plans to tackle the effects of climate change, including how to protect people, infrastructure and the environment in heatwaves.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to enable the deployment of technologically mature but presently economically unviable decarbonisation technologies, such as shore power.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is supporting the decarbonisation of the UK Maritime sector through a two-pronged approach: R&D funding and investment; and a comprehensive policy and regulatory programme.
Building on the success of the first Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, in March 2022 the government announced a £206m R&D fund to be managed by the newly established UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). UK SHORE will work in partnership with industry to tackle supply and demand barriers and speed the transition of the UK toward a decarbonised maritime sector. The UK SHORE programme is being scoped and is considering different kinds of projects. The programme will aim to deliver a suite of interventions transforming the UK into a global leader in the design, manufacture and operation of clean maritime technology – boosting both jobs and economic growth.
Earlier this year a 12 -week call for evidence on the uptake of shore power in the UK was launched as part of a commitment in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan. The responses to the call for evidence have been analysed and were published in July 2022. The next step is to use the evidence to develop policy proposals and consult on them later this year.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in establishing clean maritime clusters.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned a study into maritime clusters. The work was delivered by E4Tech and UMAS and identified a wide range of UK locations where innovation strengths could combine with local demand for clean solutions, providing a foundation for maritime clusters. Based on this work, clusters are being considered as one option as part of wider initiatives such as Centre for Smart Shipping, which forms a part of the newly established UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK Shore).
UK SHORE is a £206m Research and Development investment programme, which will work in partnership with industry to tackle the technological barriers to maritime decarbonization and speed the transition of the UK toward a decarbonised maritime sector. It will deliver a suite of interventions transforming the UK into a global leader in the design, manufacture and operation of clean maritime technology – boosting both jobs and economic growth.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the research and innovation budget they have allocated to support the maritime sector in (1) this, and (2) the next, financial year.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The proportion of DfT’s R&D budget allocated to the maritime sector is 15.4% in 22-23, and 22.4% in 23-24.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional funding they are providing to local authorities to enable them to prevent roads melting in the extreme heat.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As per section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, it is up to the respective local highway authority to decide how best they maintain their highway network, including during heatwaves, based on local needs and priorities. The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), who work closely with the Department for Transport and are members of the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG), advised highway authorities and road operators that applying granite grit dust on the road surface during high temperatures can help keep the highway network from melting excessively.
The Government has committed £915 million per year for local highways maintenance for local highway authorities outside London and Mayoral Combined Authorities, for the three years starting 2022-23. This represents a highways maintenance funding level consistent with 2021/22. The three-year settlement will enable local highway authorities to plan more effectively for managing their highways assets, preventing potholes and other road defects across their local highway networks.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have given to local authorities on preventing roads melting in the extreme heat.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As per section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, it is up to the respective local highway authority to decide how best they maintain their highway network, including during heatwaves, based on local needs and priorities. The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), who work closely with the Department for Transport and are members of the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKRLG), advised highway authorities and road operators that applying granite grit dust on the road surface during high temperatures can help keep the highway network from melting excessively.
The Government has committed £915 million per year for local highways maintenance for local highway authorities outside London and Mayoral Combined Authorities, for the three years starting 2022-23. This represents a highways maintenance funding level consistent with 2021/22. The three-year settlement will enable local highway authorities to plan more effectively for managing their highways assets, preventing potholes and other road defects across their local highway networks.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to enable the deployment of technologically mature but presently economically unviable decarbonisation technologies, such as shore power.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We made a commitment in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan to consult on the appropriate steps to support and, if needed, mandate the uptake of shore power in the UK. We conducted a call for evidence between 7 February and 25 April. My officials are currently analysing the responses and will publish a summary in due course. We recognise the barriers to the uptake of shore power, and we will be using the evidence provided in the call for evidence responses to inform our policy development. We intend to publish a further consultation on specific proposals of shore power later this year.
We will aim to publish a Government response to the shore power consultation as part of the refresh of the Clean Maritime Plan in 2023.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a strategy for deploying (1) shore power, and (2) electric recharging infrastructure, at UK ports, harbours and marinas.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We made a commitment in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan to consult on the appropriate steps to support and, if needed, mandate the uptake of shore power in the UK. We conducted a call for evidence between 7 February and 25 April. My officials are currently analysing the responses and will publish a summary in due course. We recognise the barriers to the uptake of shore power, and we will be using the evidence provided in the call for evidence responses to inform our policy development. We intend to publish a further consultation on specific proposals of shore power later this year.
We will aim to publish a Government response to the shore power consultation as part of the refresh of the Clean Maritime Plan in 2023.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help the maritime sector realise the ambitions set out in Maritime 2050: Navigating the Future, published on 24 January 2019 and updated on 12 September 2019.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is determined to deliver for the maritime sector and our coastal communities. We are working hand in hand with industry to achieve this by delivering on the recommendations of Maritime 2050. We have recently published the Maritime Recovery Route Map, setting out actions that Government and industry will take to enhance skills, achieve Net Zero, harness technology to innovate, strengthen infrastructure, and boost our competitive advantage. This, coupled with the steps set out in the recently published Future of Freight Plan, will help us and industry drive levelling up across the country, meeting the aspirations of the Coastal Powerhouse Manifesto.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the recommendations contained within the Maritime UK and Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group Maritime UK: Coastal Powerhouse Manifesto, published in September 2021.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is determined to deliver for the maritime sector and our coastal communities. We are working hand in hand with industry to achieve this by delivering on the recommendations of Maritime 2050. We have recently published the Maritime Recovery Route Map, setting out actions that Government and industry will take to enhance skills, achieve Net Zero, harness technology to innovate, strengthen infrastructure, and boost our competitive advantage. This, coupled with the steps set out in the recently published Future of Freight Plan, will help us and industry drive levelling up across the country, meeting the aspirations of the Coastal Powerhouse Manifesto.