To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Aviation: Training
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on implementing his Department's policy document entitled Options for addressing the cost of pilot training, published on 31 May 2023.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.

As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.

Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.

Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.


Written Question
Aviation: Training
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to introduce a Government-backed loan for pilot training.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.

As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.

Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.

Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.


Written Question
Aviation: Training
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support people who are training to be pilots.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.

As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.

Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.

Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.


Written Question
Aviation: Training
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to launch a support scheme for pilot training.

Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.

As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.

Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.

Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.


Written Question
Motor Vehicle Tyres (Labelling) (Enforcement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the answer of 17 April 2023 to Question 176600 on Motor Vehicle Tyres (Labelling) (Enforcement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, what recent progress his Department has made on reviewing its stock of Retained EU Law.

Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport

The Department continues to actively review retained EU laws to identify and progress opportunities for reform by June 2026, when the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act’s powers expire.

We have already taken steps, such as through four statutory instruments already laid so far that seek to revoke or reform transport retained EU laws, the detail of which is available online. This is in addition to revoking over 65 unnecessary transport retained EU laws through the Act itself, including the Port Services Regulations 2019.


Written Question
Motor Vehicle Tyres (Labelling) (Enforcement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
Monday 17th April 2023

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the retained EU law bill, whether he plans to (a) revoke, (b) retain or (c) replace The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Labelling) (Enforcement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Department for Transport is currently in the process of reviewing its stock of Retained EU Law, including The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Labelling) (Enforcement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. The Department will set out its approach to each piece of Retained EU Law in due course.


Written Question
Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme
Monday 25th January 2021

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (a) applies to England only and (b) is funded through new resource; and what the value is of any Barnett consequential for each of the Devolved areas.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) will apply only to England. AGOSS constitutes new spend for the Department for Transport and Barnett consequentials will apply as standard.


Written Question
Aviation: Coronavirus
Monday 9th November 2020

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the effect of travel corridors on the the aerospace sector.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Ministers and officials in the Department for Transport have held extensive discussions about the effect of travel corridors on the aerospace sector?with their counterparts across Government, including in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

BEIS is a member of the Global Travel Taskforce, which is tasked with considering robust and sustainable proposals that will facilitate safer international travel.

Specialist aerospace engineers and specialist workers responsible for ensuring the safe operation of aircraft are exempt from self-isolation measures.

Additionally, Department for Transport officials are working closely with BEIS officials as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership Group.


Written Question
Shipping: Carbon Emissions
Tuesday 20th October 2020

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to support decarbonisation of the maritime sector.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Clean Maritime Plan, published in July 2019, is the environmental route map of the Maritime 2050 Strategy, outlining the UK’s pathway to zero carbon emissions in domestic maritime. In launching the Clean Maritime Plan, the UK became one of the first countries to publish a strategy on domestic action to reduce shipping emissions following the agreement of the International Maritime Organization’s initial IMO strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. Government has continued to make good progress in implementing the commitments in the Clean Maritime Plan.

At the end of March 2020, the Government published a document “Decarbonising Transport: Setting the Challenge” kicking off our work on preparing a Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which will include further details of the Government plans regarding the decarbonisation of the maritime sector. Following extensive consultation, the Transport Decarbonisation Plan will be published later this year.


Written Question
Aviation: Coronavirus
Thursday 10th September 2020

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how an airline passenger flying from Northern Ireland to Great Britain can demonstrate to an airline that they are exempt from wearing a face covering for medical reasons.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The use of face coverings on public transport is mandatory in both Northern Ireland and England. Guidance for both Northern Ireland and England can be found at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-face-coverings and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own.

Some circumstances make it difficult for certain people to wear face coverings.

If a passenger has a condition which means they cannot wear a face covering they only need to say, if asked, that they cannot wear a face covering because they are exempt.

The reasons for a person not wearing a face covering may not always be visible.