Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has issued to airports and airlines on ensuring that social distancing measures are implemented while passengers (a) enter and exit aircraft and (b) wait in airport waiting rooms and lounges; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts
The government has introduced a range of measures such as social distancing and the wearing of face coverings to help reduce the risk of transmission on aircraft and at airports, as well as issuing clear guidance for both passengers and operators. Where social distancing is not possible, airlines are advised to carry out a risk assessment and implement appropriate risk controls. For example, wearing a face covering can play a role in helping us to protect other passengers, which is why it is mandatory to wear one on board aircraft.
Additionally, operators are encouraged to introduce clear signage and one-way passenger flows where appropriate. Arrangements may vary depending on the port or airport and the guidance is available to support port operators. The government continue to engage with the aviation sector to ensure they are supported in implementing best practices.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to require his Department and its agencies to provide a payroll deduction service to allow staff to save more easily with a credit union; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
There are no plans to require the Department of Transport or its agencies to provide a payroll deduction service as described.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote active travel to (a) school and (b) work; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, with the aim that half of all journeys in towns and cities are cycled or walked by 2030. This included a £2 billion package of funding for active travel over the next 5 years, which is the largest ever boost for cycling and walking, and will deliver transformational change. The plan included a number of steps which will support active travel to school and work including the roll-out of segregated cycle lanes in towns and cities; cycle training for everyone who wants to undertake it, whether free or at a nominal charge; and increasing the number of school streets.
The Department recently announced £2m to enable more children to cycle and walk to school. This will support the roll out of Doctor Bike clinics which will deliver cycle repair workshops in primary schools through Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival programme and further expansion of the Walk to School Outreach programme delivered by Living Streets.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to (a) temperature test people (i) arriving at and (ii) departing from airports and ports for covid-19 and (b) introduce quarantine arrangements for people arriving at those airports and ports whose temperature indicates that they may have that infection; and if will he make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Airports are following Public Health England’s (PHE) guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19, as well as following their existing internal protocols on preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
The UK Government is not mandating arriving and exit health screening currently. This is under constant review and if there is a change in policy, all ports and airports will be notified accordingly.
The advice for travellers is the same as for the rest of the population: they are advised to reduce their social contacts by staying at home and following the same social distancing measures as the rest of the country. If they begin to show symptoms, they should self-isolate. All airports are required to identify specific isolation areas to be used in case a passenger becomes ill until the local health response arrives.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the risk of covid-19 infection on the Southern Rail, West Midland Trains and Chiltern Railway services that operate in Harrow West constituency.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
To help tackle the spread of Covid-19, Southern Rail, West Midland Trains and Chiltern Railway, along with other rail operators and Network Rail are taking steps to keep our trains and stations clean. High-touch areas, such as hand rails and ticket machine screens on trains and at stations are being cleaned intensively, and staff are ensuring toilets are stocked with soap. We have also published health guidance for staff and the transport sector, in line with Public Health England protocols. As part of the Government’s programme of enhanced engagement, 2,500 digital and printed posters have been displayed at railway stations. The rail industry is making sure their staff remain abreast the latest health advice, and are promoting best practice to the travelling public at stations and online, through websites and apps.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the security of people's jobs in the aviation sector.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Following the Chancellor’s recent announcement, we are working urgently to develop proposals to support the UK aviation industry - we are committed to ensuring the sector and its employees continue to thrive.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2020 to Question 18496 on Ports: Finance, how much funding was allocated to (a) Dover and (b) Felixstowe; and what that funding was spent on.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Through the Ports and Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity Fund, grants were awarded to 16 ports, including the Ports of Dover and Felixstowe. £1m was allocated to the Port of Dover, for a project to increase the number of freight vehicle spaces on assembly lanes. £0.8m was allocated to Felixstowe, for a project to deliver additional trailer storage bays.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the recipients were and what the purpose was of each (a) grant and (b) loan of funding under the Ports Infrastructure Resilience and Capacity Fund in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The recipients of grants under the Ports and Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity Fund were: Bristol, Dover, Felixstowe, Harwich, Heysham, Hull, Immingham, Liverpool, London Gateway, Newhaven, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Sheerness, Southampton and Teesport. These grants were for a range of infrastructure projects contributing to more resilient handling of traffic and freight at maritime ports. This fund was set up in 2019, so no grants were awarded in previous years.
No loan funding has been awarded through this fund.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase capacity for (a) freight and (b) passenger traffic at (i) each UK ferry port, (ii) Heathrow and (iii) Gatwick; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
UK ports are successful private enterprises, with a long history of private sector investment, that operate on a commercial basis delivering the capacity and capability required to serve their markets. As such the Government does not routinely intervene to increase capacity for either freight or passenger traffic. The Government is supportive of ambitions for Port growth, and has set out its vision and ambitions for the future of the British maritime sector in the Maritime 2050: navigating the future.
This Government has over the last 12 months, provided significant investment worth £30 million to our national ports infrastructure, including the Ports Infrastructure Resilience and Capacity fund which has been granted to ensure that UK ports are not only prepared for growth, but they are ready and eager for it.
The Airports National Policy Statement was designated as government policy in June 2018 following a vote in the House of Commons. It sets out that there is a need to increase airport capacity in the South East of England by 2030 by constructing one new runway and that this need is best met by the Northwest runway scheme at Heathrow Airport. It requires that at least 740,000 air transport movements are delivered at Heathrow per annum.
The Northwest runway scheme would enable Heathrow to nearly double its current freight capacity, it would also lead to better domestic connectivity by securing at least 14 domestic routes.
The Government is also supportive of airports making best use of their existing capacity, subject to the assessment of the merits of individual applications, including consideration of their environmental impacts. The Government set out its policy position for the South East of England in Beyond the Horizon: The future of UK aviation: Making best use of existing runways.
These policies make clear that the government considers that potential airport growth applications should be considered under the appropriate planning regime and should take careful account of all relevant considerations, particularly economic and environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.