Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6120 on Aviation: EU Law, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a derogation to regulation EU 261/2004 for twin otter aircraft (a) with a carrying capacity of 20 passengers or fewer and (b) that operate on public service obligation air routes with regard to timetable changes one month ahead of their expected flight, to increase flexibility and efficiency.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has committed to further consultation on the compensation and payment frameworks for flight disruption under Regulation 261/2004. The full scope of that consultation has not yet been determined.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of accidents caused by (a) electric and (b) other vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DfT reported road casualty statistics reports numbers of personal injury road traffic collisions in Great Britain that were reported to the police using the STATS19 reporting system.
STATS19 does not assign blame in a collision. DfT therefore does not hold data on whether it was an electric or other vehicle type that was at fault in a collision. STATS19 does though report the vehicle types involved in a collision.
In 2022, there were 2,195 road collisions involving vehicles with an electric battery, and 93,636 road collisions involving motor vehicles recorded as powered by other non-electric fuel propulsion methods (including petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles).
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a derogation to regulation EU 261/2004 for twin otter aircraft with a carrying capacity of 20 passengers or less operating on public service obligation air routes.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Regulation 261/2004 makes provisions on the rights of passengers to compensation and assistance in the event of flight cancellations, long delays, or denied boarding.
As set out in the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation response, the Department has committed to conduct further consultation on the compensation and payment framework across all forms of disruption.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when will the Government have a 3D air navigation system in place, in line with other G20 countries, given the UK's departure from European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department is considering all options in relation to the loss of access to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The priority remains to identify a system that retains the benefits and functionality that EGNOS provided, while offering benefits across transport and other sectors with critical national infrastructure
To meet this ambition the DfT is funding via the UK Space Agency a project led by Inmarsat, a UK satellite communications company, to use one of its spacecraft to demonstrate the capabilities of a UK Satellite-Based Augmentation System. In addition, the Department is conducting further research to assess requirements following loss of access to EGNOS. The Inmarsat trial and accompanying research will inform the Department’s considerations on next steps for this work.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of connectivity between London and Glasgow; and what steps he is taking to help improve that connectivity.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Lord Peter Hendy’s independent Union Connectivity Review, published in November 2021, considered transport connectivity across the UK.
We are considering Lord Hendy’s recommendations carefully and will publish our response as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the impact on (a) productivity and (b) commercial business of the UK's withdrawal from EGNOS.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
We are monitoring the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EGNOS programme following the end of the EGNOS Working Agreements on 25 June 2021.
The UK is exploring options to fulfil its needs for secure and resilient position, navigation and timing information. This is considering the aviation sector’s long-term needs and requirements.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his timeframe is for implementing a new system in place of EGNOS which has the same functions.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
We are monitoring the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EGNOS programme following the end of the EGNOS Working Agreements on 25 June 2021.
The UK is exploring options to fulfil its needs for secure and resilient position, navigation and timing information. This is considering the aviation sector’s long-term needs and requirements.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of commercial flights that have not been completed as a result of withdrawal of the UK from EGNOS.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
We are monitoring the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EGNOS programme following the end of the EGNOS Working Agreements on 25 June 2021.
The UK is exploring options to fulfil its needs for secure and resilient position, navigation and timing information. This is considering the aviation sector’s long-term needs and requirements.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the environmental standards will be for fuels in aviation in the (a) UK and (b) EU; and whether his Department has plans to harmonise those rules.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Between July and September, the Department consulted on proposals for a UK sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) mandate requiring jet fuel suppliers to blend an increasing proportion of SAF into aviation fuel from 2025.
The consultation sought views on the eligibility criteria SAF will need to meet, the interactions between SAF and other domestic and international policy, and the compliance, reporting and verification principles of the proposed SAF mandate scheme. The consultation proposes strong sustainability criteria that SAF will need to meet to receive support. Our proposed criteria would restrict support to SAF produced from feedstocks and process inputs that deliver significant GHG emissions savings, when considering their supply chains and direct and indirect sustainability and land use impacts.
The Department is carefully considering responses received to the consultation and will publish a summary of responses including next steps in due course. This will formalise our position on the GHG emissions savings and other sustainability criteria that SAF would have to meet under a UK mandate.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to mandate controlled airspace at air traffic control airports.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government has no such plans. Any proposal to amend the specific classification of UK airspace must follow the Civil Aviation Authority’s CAP1616 airspace change process. This requires active engagement and consultation with stakeholders and the airspace change sponsor must be able to demonstrate that its proposal is safe and consistent with relevant UK aviation policy such as the Airspace Modernisation Strategy.