Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Global Travel Taskforce report to the Prime Minister on international travel of 12 April 2021, whether the report or its findings or recommendations will be published; and when the Global Travel Taskforce will next report after that.
Answered by Robert Courts
The “Report of the Global Travel Taskforce: The Safe Return of International Travel” was published on 9 April 2021. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-travel-taskforce-safe-return-of-international-travel
The report and its annexes have also been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2021 to Question 140207 on the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme, what conditions are in place to access support from that scheme; which companies are to receive support from that scheme; how much those companies will each receive; and what the cost to the public purse is of that scheme.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible businesses, covering the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. On 3 March a six month extension to the scheme from 1 April 2021 was announced. It will cover the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses for the first 6 months of the 2021/22 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £4m.
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme will support airports and ground handlers that have been severely impacted by the pandemic while retaining relatively high fixed costs, including business rates liabilities. We are currently considering applications to ensure payments are made to successful applicants by the end of the financial year and cannot comment on an ongoing process.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total size of the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme funding will be; and whether conditions to maintain jobs or reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be applied for airlines and airports to access that support.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme, announced on 24 November will provide support for eligible businesses, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per applicant of £8m.
Final decisions on the scheme and eligibility criteria are yet to be made. AGOSS will be launched shortly with further details of the scheme, including conditions to access that support, to be set out.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the class 142s and class 144s being reintroduced on the Southport-Manchester/Alderley Edge routes will release human waste and effluent on the tracks.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Class 142/144s are currently only intended for use as a contingency measure to add capacity for distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is no expectation that any of the Class 142 or Class 144 units will be fitted with controlled-emission toilets due to their impending replacement.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many trains and what proportion of operators continue to release human waste and effluent on tracks in England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The following franchised train operators have varying quantities of trains that are not fitted with controlled emission toilets (CET): Chiltern, CrossCountry, EMR, GWR, Greater Anglia, Northern, WMT and Transport for Wales. Other operators, such as charter and heritage, for which the Department is not responsible for also operate trains that are not fitted with CET equipment.
Out of a national fleet of over 14,000 carriages there are approximately 350 that still discharge waste to the track and all of these will be refurbished or replaced.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated annual volume is of human waste and effluent released on rail tracks in England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department has not made an estimate of how much human waste and effluent is released on to the tracks.
As the number of trains that are not fitted with controlled-emission toilets are replaced by new or refurbished rolling stock, there will be a corresponding and significant reduction of waste released.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeline is for ending the practice of dumping human waste and effluent on tracks, by (a) route and (b) franchise.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The timeline for ending the practice of toilets discharging to the tracks will be driven by the introduction of new rolling stock and the major refurbishment of existing rolling stock.
By the end of this year it is estimated that a small number of vehicles will still discharge to the track.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on extending the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020 to the families of transport workers who die from covid-19.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 27th April a scheme where families of eligible NHS and care workers, who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline work, will receive a £60,000 payment. The government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will extend the compensation scheme for families of NHS and care workers who die of covid-19 to transport workers in recognition of the vital services that they are providing during the outbreak of that disease.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced on 27th April a scheme where families of eligible NHS and care workers, who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline work, will receive a £60,000 payment. The Government will continue to review the support provided to key workers on the front-line.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all frontline railway workers are equipped with adequate personal protective equipment.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Railway workers play a vital part in ensuring passengers and goods continue to move across the country, and we have been clear their safety remains a priority. Employers are protecting staff in line with government advice, and are taking all necessary steps to make their workplaces COVID-secure – for example, by reconfiguring the workplace to enable social distancing, providing hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities, and continuing their enhanced cleaning regimes. Employers have carried out necessary risk assessments and are providing PPE in accordance with these assessments.