Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to review the Airports National Policy Statement in light of the Government's commitment to net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
On 6th September the Secretary of State wrote to those stakeholders who had requested a review of the Airports National Policy Statement under the Planning Act 2008, communicating that it is not appropriate to review the ANPS at this time. The issue of whether to review the ANPS will be reconsidered after the Jet Zero Strategy has been finalised and we have more certainty about the longer-term impact of Covid-19 on aviation.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of theory driving test availability in the Liverpool City Region; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure additional test facilities.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The average waiting time for a driving theory test in the Liverpool City Region is 5 weeks.
The theory test centre estate and service for England, Scotland and Wales, which is currently delivered by a sole supplier, is changing. From 6 September 2021, the contract for running theory test centres is to be split into three regions and the number of theory test centres in Great Britain will increase from 180 to 202.
As part of its service recovery, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has extended theory test centre opening hours in England, where conditions allow, creating 300,000 extra theory test appointments. It has also opened 10 temporary theory test super centres in England, which will create a minimum of 120,000 extra appointments each month.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made in reducing barriers to travel for people with assistance dogs seeking to travel to the (a) EU and (b) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government is engaging with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to explore means to streamline pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland recognising the high standards of animal health that we share. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has also written to the European Vice-President seeking to ensure that an agreement can be made to address the barriers imposed on pet travel between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Northern Ireland-based pets and assistance dogs returning to Northern Ireland from Great Britain can continue to use a Northern Ireland-issued EU Pet Passport to re-enter Northern Ireland and will not need an animal health certificate. Current guidance on pet travel to Northern Ireland is available on DAERA’s NIDirect website.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affiars are proactively engaging with the assistance dog community and relevant stakeholders on the impacts on dog movements from Great Britain to the EU and to Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of retention of jobs in the aviation sector relating to special assistance support for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government recognises that the aviation sector is home to many highly skilled and highly trained staff. We recognise that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will result in greater uncertainty over future demand (at least in the short/medium term) and that this has a knock-on effect on the operational requirements of airlines. However, airports are legally obliged to provide assistance, free of charge, for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility to ensure equal access to aviation.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to extend the 12-month period drivers can use non-GB driving licences.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Holders of driving licences issued outside of the European Union who become resident in Great Britain can drive small vehicles (motorcars and motorcycles) for up one year from the date they become resident.
To continue driving after this period the driver must either exchange their licence, if it was issued by a country which has been designated for licence exchange purposes, or apply for a provisional driving licence and pass both a theory and practical driving test.
The Government keeps the ongoing impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic and any changes that may be needed to existing arrangements under review.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timescales the Government has for implementing the recommendations of the Global Travel Taskforce.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The recommendations contained in the Global Travel Taskforce (GTT) report cover three broad principles: first, setting out clear public health measures; second, seeking to increase demand safely; and third, looking to the UK to drive a co-ordinated response with global partners.
The Test to Release (TTR) scheme, one of the key recommendations in the GTT, went live on 15 December. This provides passengers arriving in England with the option to shorten the self-isolation by up to half following a negative COVID-19 test.
The launch of TTR is just the first step – the remaining 13 recommendations also represent key deliverables that will play an important role in supporting industry to get back on a trajectory towards strong economic growth, and are being worked on at pace.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department is making on supporting the UK’s aviation sector in the development of sustainable aviation fuels.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government is committed to promoting the use and production of sustainable aviation fuels. To help overcome barriers to the sector’s development in the UK the Department for Transport’s Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C) has made up to £20m of matched capital funding available. As part of this competition we are currently supporting two projects looking to build plants capable of supplying advanced fuels at a large scale for use in aviation.
In addition, we are incentivising the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). Such fuels are eligible for support under the RTFO and can be categorised as a development fuel, thereby potentially benefiting from a higher tradeable certificate value. DfT officials are also working closely with industry to explore further options for how we can support the UK’s development of sustainable aviation fuels.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the COVID Emergency Management Arrangements (EMA) with Train Operating Companies, what steps his Department took to ensure that those companies had sought financial support packages in advance of entering into the EMA.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) temporarily suspend the existing franchise agreements' financial mechanisms for an initial period of six months. They were developed at an early stage of the covid-19 crisis as a bespoke solution to address the particular circumstances of rail franchises. These include the fact that the government would face large and direct financial exposure via its obligations under the Railways Act if any franchise were to fail financially and become unable to operate its services. The EMAs include explicit provisions to prevent 'double recovery', ensuring franchisees cannot be compensated through the EMAs where funding from other government support schemes has been obtained.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG), what steps his Department took to ensure that large bus operators had sought financial support packages before entering into the CBSSG.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
As part of the terms and conditions of the Covid-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG), operators are required to make use of existing COVID-19 related funding where possible.
The reconciliation process set out in the CBSSG guidance seeks to make operators no better or worse off than pre-Covid-19 levels, on their net costs of operating. The reconciliation process will take into account all revenues generated and costs incurred by operators while in receipt of CBSSG, including revenues and costs from both commercial and tendered services.
The Department will undertake reconciliation calculations to assess whether an overpayment of the scheme has occurred, and notify the relevant operator to make a repayment to DfT within 4 weeks of the conclusion of this calculation.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Corovavirus Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG) what steps he is taking to ensure that bus operators recoup only the costs of their operations under the CBSSG.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
As part of the terms and conditions of the Covid-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG), operators are required to make use of existing COVID-19 related funding where possible.
The reconciliation process set out in the CBSSG guidance seeks to make operators no better or worse off than pre-Covid-19 levels, on their net costs of operating. The reconciliation process will take into account all revenues generated and costs incurred by operators while in receipt of CBSSG, including revenues and costs from both commercial and tendered services.
The Department will undertake reconciliation calculations to assess whether an overpayment of the scheme has occurred, and notify the relevant operator to make a repayment to DfT within 4 weeks of the conclusion of this calculation.