Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to meet the Inclusive Transport Strategy target to develop a monitoring and enforcement framework for mandatory bus driver disability awareness training by spring 2019.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Department for Transport publishes annual bus statistics which include an assessment of the proportion of operators requiring relevant staff to undertake disability awareness training consistent with relevant legislation. The most recent release indicated that 98% of staff worked for bus operators that mandated this training. The Department continues to engage with industry and regulators to ensure a proportionate approach to enforcement is followed.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has held with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) British Transport Police on tackling crime on Scotland's railways.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Policing is a devolved matter and policing in Scotland is therefore devolved to the Scottish Government. I am not aware of any recent discussions involving the Secretary of State for Transport.
The policing of the railway in Scotland is delivered by the British Transport Police (BTP) who work closely with train operating companies and the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of train cancellations in 2018.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The industry definition for cancellations includes those trains which did not complete their full journey or failed to call at one or more stations. Around 4% of planned services met this criteria between 7 January 2018 and 5 January 2019.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's draft EU Withdrawal Agreement on the the financial viability of UK airports.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms of a time-limited implementation period. During this time air services and businesses, including airports, will be able to continue as they do now without having to comply with a different set of rules and regulations. The Political Declaration sets out the broad terms of our future relationship with the EU and signals the ambition of both sides to agree a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement that will provide for market access for UK and EU airlines. This agreement will therefore support the continued competitiveness of the UK aviation sector.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
What recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the proposal to merge British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Scotland Act 2016, following the Smith Agreement, devolves responsibility for railway policing in Scotland. The Scottish Government have announced that, although full integration of the British Transport Police into Police Scotland remains the long-term ambition, other options are now being explored. The Government continues to work with the Scottish Government as they develop their plans and we remain committed to ensuring the continuing effectiveness of railway policing across the network.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the viability of the aviation sector of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The Government is undertaking a wide range of ongoing analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. Our overall programme of work is comprehensive, thorough and is continuously updated. The Department for Transport is working closely with the sector to ensure that the requirements of the industry are factored into negotiations.
The UK government and European Commission have agreed in principle that the two sides should negotiate a comprehensive air transport agreement. This will ensure that the aviation sector can continue to provide the connectivity that is vital for both the UK and EU. We are focused on securing the right arrangements for the future, so that our aviation industry can continue to thrive and passengers across the UK and the EU continue to have high levels of connectivity and choice at attractive prices. The EU model of liberalisation has enhanced competition which has led to these benefits we see today.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the viability of the UK aviation sector of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
Aviation is critical to both the UK and the EU, so the Government has confidence that an outcome that works in the interests of both sides can be achieved. The Government’s July 2018 White Paper sets out proposals for a comprehensive Air Transport Agreement which seeks to maintain reciprocal liberalised aviation access to, from and within the territory of the UK and the EU, as well as continued participation in the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) system.
We will continue to work closely with the international aviation community to ensure that the needs of the industry are addressed as part of the negotiations and that this global industry continues to be a major success story for the UK economy.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the viability of the UK aviation sector of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
Aviation is critical to both the UK and the EU, so the Government has confidence that an outcome that works in the interests of both sides can be achieved. The Government’s July 2018 White Paper sets out proposals for a comprehensive Air Transport Agreement which seeks to maintain reciprocal liberalised aviation access to, from and within the territory of the UK and the EU, as well as continued participation in the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) system.
We will continue to work closely with the international aviation community to ensure that the needs of the industry are addressed as part of the negotiations and that this global industry continues to be a major success story for the UK economy.