Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the current east midlands trains franchise was the first one to require bidders to cover pension costs.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Railways Pension Scheme was established in 1994, replacing the previous British Rail scheme. Contributions in to the Railways Pension Scheme are split according to a shared cost arrangement, whereby employers (the Train Operating Companies) pay 60% and employees pay the remaining 40%. Train Operating Companies are and continue to be responsible for paying employer pension contributions during a franchise term, and in the vast majority of franchises, have been on full risk for changes to those contributions during their franchise term since the Railways Pension Scheme was established.
In the new East Midlands franchise, the operator is exposed to no additional risks or demands when compared to current franchisees. Indeed, the new franchise includes a risk sharing mechanism with the government, which reduces the risk that the operator will be exposed to. In this, the operator retains the risks that it is able to manage, which are the contributions which cover employee’s pension rights arising from future service.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when new trains will be provided for the Sheffield to London Service; by what date all such new trains will be running and how those trains will be powered.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Brand-new trains, capable of operating under electric or diesel power, will be introduced into service by April 2022 with the full fleet required to be in service by the end of 2022. As an interim measure, from May 2020, modern diesel trains will begin to replace the current fleet on Midland Main Line intercity services.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what reports he has received on football agents and intermediaries brokering illegal private flights to fly themselves, clients or related parties on a commercial basis; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As the Air Accident Investigation Branch are conducting a live investigation into the Piper PA-46 Malibu crash of 21 January 2019, it would not be appropriate for the Government to share details of any reports it may or may not have received.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch’s Special Bulletin of 25 February 2019 states: “The investigation is considering the regulations applicable to the operation of this flight including airworthiness requirements; flight crew licencing; and the carriage of passengers.
The basis on which the passenger was being carried on N264DB has not yet been established.”
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) consistently monitor and investigate any reports they receive on illegal private flights they receive. The CAA does, and will investigate allegations of illegal public transport. The CAA will prosecute people where there is sufficient evidence, and where it is in the public interest to do so.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority on the Piper PA-46 Malibu crash of 21 January 2019.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Aviation Minister has discussed this issue with the Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and the Department for Transport remains in regular contact with the Civil Aviation Authority on this issue.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reform the issue of grey charters as a result of the Piper PA-46 Malibu crash of 21 January 2019.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB)’s investigation into the Piper PA-46 Malibu crash of 21 January 2019 is under way, and the Government will consider any recommendations the investigation makes in due course.
There are already strict rules in place that require commercial air transport operations to be operated by the holder of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC). All UK AOC holders are overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and are subject to appropriate high-level safety rules. The CAA does, and will investigate allegations of illegal public transport. The CAA will prosecute people where there is sufficient evidence, and where it is in the public interest to do so.
It is illegal to operate a commercial air transport flight without an AOC. The CAA conducts spot check visits to airfields and public events where aeroplane and helicopter operations take place, and where it finds evidence that a flight may have operated illegally it has the power to detain an aircraft and, where appropriate, take enforcement action.
The CAA has previously conducted awareness campaigns with the aim of raising awareness of the dangers of illegal operations, and of what to look for when chartering an aircraft to ensure the flight is legal. The CAA expects to initiate a further campaign of this type shortly.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the representatives of the football industry since the Piper PA-46 Malibu crash of 21 January 2019.
Answered by Jesse Norman
No such discussions have taken place at this time.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives from the private commercial aviation industry on the issue of grey charters as a result of the Piper PA-46 Malibu crash on 21 January 2019.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Aviation Minister held discussions with the Chief Executive of the British Air Charter Associations on the issue of illegal public transport on 3 April 2019.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch’s Special Bulletin of 25 February 2019 states: “The investigation is considering the regulations applicable to the operation of this flight including airworthiness requirements; flight crew licencing; and the carriage of passengers. The basis on which the passenger was being carried on N264DB has not yet been established.”
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing: protecting users, published on 12 February 2019, whether he has plans for statutory guidance to prohibit vehicles from undertaking journeys which do not take place or end in the area which they are licensed.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The draft statutory guidance on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing which the Department is consulting on is made using powers in the Policing and Crime Act 2017. Section 177 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 enables the Secretary of State to issue guidance to public authorities as to how their licensing functions under taxi and private hire vehicle legislation may be exercised so as to protect children, and vulnerable individuals who are 18 or over, from harm. The Department does not believe that prohibiting vehicles from undertaking journeys which do not take place or end in the area in which they are licensed falls within scope of the section 177 powers.
In the response to the report by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Government agreed with the principle that all taxi and private hire vehicle journeys should start and/or end within the area that issued the licences, and set out that further consideration will be given to how this might best work in practice, with a view to legislation.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation on statutory guidance for the licensing of private hire vehicles, whether the Government will provide financial assistance to help vehicle owners make the changes necessary to meet the new regulations.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The draft statutory guidance proposes a number of measures for licensing authorities to consider when setting taxi and private hire vehicle policy and administration of the regime. Adoption of the recommendations made in the final statutory guidance and any assistance that might be needed for the trade in their area will be a matter for licensing authorities.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to amend the rules on vehicle licensing as a result of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Fundo de Garantia Automovel v Juliana and another, Case C-80/17.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department does not intend to make any changes to vehicle licensing rules as a direct result of the Juliana judgment. In relation to this judgment, the Department conducted a review of the rules around the UK’s Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) regime. A SORN registration is an official step that withdraws a vehicle from being used for travel on roads and the Department’s position is that the exemption from the compulsory motor insurance requirement in these circumstances is compliant with the Juliana judgement. Consequently, the position of the Department is that no further steps are needed to satisfy the requirements of the Juliana judgment.