Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times he has visited Scotland in an official capacity since the 2015 General Election; and what meetings were held on each such visit.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Transport in Scotland is in large part a devolved matter. However, the Secretary of State has met members of the Scottish Parliament in London and other Department for Transport ministers have visited Scotland on the following dates:
Robert Goodwill 5 November 2015 and 21 March 2016
Claire Perry 8 January 2016
Andrew Jones 7 September 2016
The visits included meetings on a variety of transport-related issues.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's press release of 27 March 2015, Government revs up motorcycle market, if he will implement grants for the purchase of electronic motorcycles.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government remains committed to supporting the UK’s zero emission motorcycle industry. We have been working with stakeholders on the details of the most suitable scheme and will make a further announcement shortly.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2015 to Question 2952, if he will make it his policy to secure accredited Living Wage Employer status for his Department from the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Chancellor has announced a new National Living Wage which will be compulsory as of next April and is expected to reach £9 an hour by 2020. Tackling low pay is part of the Government's plan to move to a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society. The Department for Transport pays the London Living Wage to its London employees and the UK Living Wage elsewhere.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the amount of Regional Air Connectivity funding that will be made available in each of the next three years.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
There is currently £20 million annually available for the next three years from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. The Government has already provided £3.4 million to support both the Dundee to London Stansted route and the Newquay to Gatwick route through public service obligations in 2014/15 and 2015/16 and has committed a further £2million over this and the next three financial years to support these routes.
In addition to this the Government undertook earlier this year an initial application stage for airlines to bid for start-up aid funding. The Government will announce after the July Budget how we will take this forward.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that are supported in (a) Dundee and (b) the UK by regional air connectivity funding.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of the 29 June 2015, UIN 4048
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate how many people in the Dundee area benefit from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Dundee has benefited from £2.8 million of financial support from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to maintain its air link to London through a public service obligation (PSO). The Government assessment of the route is that it would generate £3.9 million worth of benefits over the two year funding period.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the number of jobs (a) created and (b) supported by the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Regional Air Connectivity Fund currently provides financial support for two public service obligation routes (PSO). In assessing the suitability of these routes the Department for Transport undertook an economic appraisal. Whilst this did not identify directly the number of jobs created or supported, it did calculate the economic benefits associated with funding each route.
The Department assessment of the Dundee – London Stansted PSO was that it would generate £3.9 million worth of benefits over the two year funding period, whilst the Newquay Cornwall – London Gatwick PSO would generate £13.3 million worth of benefits over the four year funding period.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received on the continuation, cessation or expansion of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
I have received a number of representations from Honourable Members and persons with an interest in the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.