Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Global Travel Taskforce has made and what proposals it has put forward in response to the challenges posed by covid-19 to international travel, since its establishment; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Secretary of State for Transport jointly chairs the Global Travel Taskforce with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. They and other Ministers have very regular discussions about its work with officials and industry partners.
The Taskforce has undertaken extensive consultation with the transport industry, international partners, the tourism sector, business leaders, and the private testing sector, and invited submissions from all of these partners on its work.
The Taskforce will submit its recommendations to the Prime Minister in November.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on the potential merits of introducing a 12-month waiver for Air Passenger Duty to support vital trade and connectivity during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Department recognises the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver connectivity.
Air Passenger Duty is led by HM Treasury. The Department for Transport works closely with HM Treasury and both Departments have engaged closely with the aviation sector to understand their assessment of the outlook for the sector and implications of any sector specific support measures.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates he had discussions with chief executives of UK airports in (a) March, (b) April, (c) May and (d) June 2020.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In recognition of the challenging times that the aviation sector continues to face due to Covid-19, the Secretary of State has kept an open dialogue with UK airports. Engagement has included regular structured round tables with the Minister for Aviation as well as one-to-one calls, considered on a case by case basis. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual engagements or their frequency.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on establishing air bridges to other countries.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is actively considering the concept of international travel corridors, including air bridges, and how they could be implemented in practice along with other measures.
Ultimately, we will be guided by the science, and the health of the public will always come first.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the economic effect of covid-19 on (a) airports and (b) the local authorities in which they are located.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector as a result of COVID-19, and has been engaging regularly with airports throughout the UK to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on their financial position. The Government continues to do so.
Businesses across the industry, including airports, have drawn on the unprecedented package of economic measures we have put in place during this time.
The Government has now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities, through an un-ringfenced grant, so they can address pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will continue to work with local government over the coming weeks to develop a collective understanding of the costs that local authorities are facing, and to ensure that they are managing as the pandemic progresses.