Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) legal (b) other costs to the public purse of the judicial review of the Airports National Policy Statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The external costs to date to the Department of defending the judicial review claims are £1,608,642 for legal costs and £95,152 for other costs.
Following the judgments in favour of the Secretary of State, the Department will seek to recover up to £625,000 in costs from the unsuccessful claimants.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates the cross-government steering group considering the development of the Airports National Policy Statement and accompanying Appraisal of Sustainability met since June 2017; and if he will list the job titles of the members of that steering group.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Since June 2017, there have been four meetings of the steering group that meets to discuss the National Policy Statement and Appraisal of Sustainability on the following dates: 4 September 2017, 14 September 2017, 10 April 2018 and 30 May 2018.
The membership of the steering group is cross-Government. There is no fixed invitee or attendee list; representatives from the following Departments, Offices and Agencies are invited to send representatives to attend meetings: Department for Transport, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, HM Treasury, Scotland Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Home Office, Northern Ireland Office, Wales Office, Department for Education and Public Health England. Attendees will often vary depending on the agenda to be discussed.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates special advisers of his Department (a) met and (b) exchanged corresponded with (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) officials of HM Treasury from June 2017 in relation to the Airports National Policy Statement and accompanying documents and analysis.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Special advisers may engage with Government colleagues on a wide range of issues from time to time, and act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
More broadly, I would note that all Departmental representatives involved in any discussions prior to the designation of the Airports National Policy Statement will have followed the propriety arrangements set out in Engaging with Stakeholders: Statement of Approach by Ministers and Officials dealing with the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, which is published online:
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date officials of his Department gave their final advice to Ministers of his Department on Public Service Obligations in relation to the (a) draft-original, (b) draft-revised and (c) final Airports National Policy Statement; and from which directorate that advice was received.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Secretary of State has set out a clear commitment that Public Service Obligations would be imposed, if required, to boost and retain connectivity from an expanded Heathrow Airport. This will complement the requirements in the Airports National Policy Statement for Heathrow to work with airlines to strengthen existing routes and introduce new connections.
As per the usual process, final advice was provided to the Secretary of State, and was subject to cross Whitehall agreement, ahead of the (a) draft Airport National Policy Statement; (b) revised draft Airports National Policy Statement; and (c) proposed Airports National Policy Statement being laid before Parliament. This advice was provided on the following dates: (a) 15 December 2016; (b) 20 October 2017 and (c) 22 May 2018.
The Airport Expansion and Aviation, Maritime and Analysis Directorate and the Aviation Directorate respectively provide regular advice, as appropriate, to Ministers on domestic connectivity, including on Public Service Obligations. The future use of Public Service Obligations and Government’s ambition on domestic connectivity more generally will be detailed in the Aviation Strategy Green Paper towards the end of the year.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the titles of the risk registers in relation to the (a) Airport Capacity Programme Board and (b) cross-government steering group on the development of the Airports National Policy Statement and the accompanying Appraisal of Sustainability; and the dates on which those risk register have been updated.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Airport Expansion & Aviation and Maritime Analysis Risk Register is updated and circulated to Airport Capacity Programme Board (ACPB) members monthly, in advance of each meeting. There are 43 Airport Capacity Programme Board ‘risk register’ documents with titles constructed from the date of the meeting, the relevant paper number or the version number of the risk register.
The cross-Government steering group that meets to discuss the Airports National Policy Statement and Appraisal of Sustainability does not maintain a risk register.
The title of each risk register up to June 2018 is provided below:
140312 ACaP 1.7 Risk Register
140513 ACaP 2.6 risk register
141001 4.7 ACaP board risk register
141119 5.6 Acap Board Risk Register
141215 6.7 December Risk Register
150127 – 7.6 Risk Register
150312 8.7 ACPB risk register
150414 9.6 ACPB risk register
150429 17. ACPB stocktake risk register
150520 11.7 ACPB risk register
150625 12.6 ACAP 25_06_15 risk register
150810 – 13.6 Risk Register for ACPB 12 Aug
151007 – 15.10 Risk Register for October ACPB
151103 – 16.11 Risk Register for November ACPB
151203 ACPB Risk Register Report_Aviation Dec
160107 – 18.8 ACPB Risk Register Report January 2016
160222 – 19.9 Risk Register Report ACPB
160311 – 20.6 Post Deep Dives ACP Risk Register Report for ACPB
160408 – 21.7 160408 Risk Register for April ACPB
160511 – 22.12 ACP Risk Register Report for ACPB May 19
160615 – 24.10 ACAP Risk Register June
160713 – 25.5 ACAP Risk Register for ACPB July
160913 – 27.9 Risk Register Report Sep
161011 – Risk Register Report Oct - Final
161109 – Paper 29.4 Risk Register Report November
170116 – Paper 31.6 Risk Register Report – Jan 2017
170220 – Paper 32.7 ACPB Risk Register Report
170310 – Paper 33.6 ACPB Risk Register – March 2017
170412 – Paper 34.9 ACP Risk Register – April 2017
170510 – Paper 35.6 ACPB Risk Register – May 2017
170612 – Paper 36.7 Airport Capacity Risk Register for ACPB – June 2017
170704 – Paper 37.4 ACP Risk Register Report – July 2017 v4
170807 – Paper 38.6 ACP Risk Register Report – August 2017 ACPB version
170911 – Paper 39.4 Airport Expansion Risk Register Report – Sept 2017_ACPB
171010 – Paper 40.4 Risk Register Report – Oct 2017 - ACPB
171109 – Paper 41.4 ACPB Risk Register
171207 – Paper 42.4 AEAMA Risk Register Report
180110 – Paper 43.5 AEAMA Risk Register Report – Jan 2018
180213 - Paper 44.4 AEAMA Risk Register Report - Feb 2018
180307 - Paper 45.4 AEAMA Risk Register Report - March 2018_v6ACPB
180409 - AEAMA Risk Register Report - April 2018_v5ACPB
180504 – Item 2. paper 47.3 Risk Register – May 2018 – ACPB v1
180613 - AEAMA Risk Register Report - June 2018_v5 ACPB
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the remits of the (a) Airport Expansion & Aviation and Maritime Analysis Directorate and (b) Aviation Directorate are in relation to the Airports National Policy Statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Airport Expansion & Aviation and Maritime Analysis Directorate is responsible for the policies set out in the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) which was designated on 26 June 2018. The Directorate will lead further work with Heathrow Airport Limited on their plans to deliver the Northwest Runway at Heathrow in accordance with the NPS. However, It will not be involved in decisions on any future applications for development consent, which will be handled by a separate team elsewhere in the Department to ensure propriety.
The Directorate also includes an expert multi-disciplinary analytical division which undertakes modelling and economic and statistical analysis for the Department on aviation and maritime issues. The Aviation Directorate has responsibility for aviation policy more generally, including (for example) airspace modernisation and the proposed Aviation Strategy. Both directorates have regard to where the work of one may affects the other.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates the Airport Capacity Programme Board met since June 2017; and if he will list the job titles of its members.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Twelve Airport Capacity Programme Boards have been held since June 2017. The membership occasionally changes. However, for the board to be quorate the following members are required to attend: two Airport Capacity Senior Civil Servants, a representative from the Aviation Directorate, a senior legal representative, a Board member who is external to the Airport Capacity Directorate (to ensure appropriate independent challenge is maintained) and road and rail representatives, for items on surface access and the M25.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) domestic and (b) international routes have ceased operating at regional airports since 2015.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Between 2015 and 2017 a) 18 domestic passenger routes and b) 51 international passenger routes have ceased operating at regional airports. These figures are based on scheduled flights departing from regional airports that operate at least weekly. With regard to domestic passenger routes, in the same period 18 routes have been created.
The proposed Airports National Policy Statement sets out an expectation that expansion at Heathrow will deliver an additional six domestic routes. Separately, the Secretary of State has set out a clear ambition that about 15% of slots made available from a new runway will be used for domestic routes.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the amendments to the May 2018 guidance in the WebTAG aviation module to include the benefits to non-UK residents who are international to international transfer passengers passing through UK airports in the economic benefits of (a) Heathrow Airport Limited north west runway, the preferred scheme in the Airports National Policy Statement and (b) the Gatwick Airport non-preferred scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The case for the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme does not rely on the monetised benefits accruing to international transfer (I-to-I) passengers. In the Government’s reports, benefits are clearly separated into those accruing to UK, non-UK and I-to-I passengers for all three schemes. This shows that the Northwest Runway scheme delivers greater benefits to UK residents soonest – it is not overtaken until the 2060s – and it does so without including the full economic benefits expected from this scheme. By maintaining the UK’s hub status through attracting I-to-Is, the Northwest Runway scheme delivers the best outcome for the UK’s connectivity, which in turn should deliver the biggest boost for the UK’s economy by facilitating more freight, trade and productivity growth.
In producing its analysis the Government has followed appraisal guidance wherever appropriate in line with standard advice that the guidance should be used proportionately and not prescriptively. While the Government recognises the aim to separate impacts according to whether they accrue to UK or to non-UK residents, this is not always possible. In the case of aviation, it is particularly difficult to disaggregate costs by residency. The Government’s assessment therefore presents all effects to all actors, regardless of residency, to allow a consistent comparison between costs and benefits. The amendment to the Department’s appraisal guidance provides further clarity on how to deal with this issue and is consistent with the Government’s analysis to date.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund has been allocated by route in each financial year since 2013-14; and how much of such funding has been allocated for expenditure in each year from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Funding paid or allocated through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund for each financial year from 2013-14 to 2021-22 is shown in the attached table.