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.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to extend the Public Service Obligation designated route between Newquay Airport and London Gatwick beyond its expiry in October 2018.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Cornwall County Council are currently running an Invitation to Tender for the Newquay to London Public Service Obligation air service to operate from 28th October 2018. The Department will consider Cornwall Council’s preferred bid and any request for funding in due course.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what maximum time limit the Government is able to issue a Public Service Obligation air route for; and whether that time limit can be extended.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Article 16(9) of Regulation 1008/2008 states that a member state may limit access to a route to one air carrier for a period of up to 4 years, before it must be reviewed. This can be extended to up to 5 years if the route serves an outermost region.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of additional domestic connections and (b) annual cost to the public purse of subsidising a ring-fenced (i) five per cent (ii) 10 per cent and (iii) 15 percent of the newly created slots.
Answered by Jesse Norman
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. The Department expects that the majority of these routes will be commercially viable, as many are today, with support from Heathrow Airport. This support includes discounted charges for domestic passengers, and a £10 million Route Connectivity Fund.
The Government will also take action, where appropriate, to secure routes through the use of Public Service Obligations (PSOs). PSOs provide the opportunity to offer exclusive rights to airlines to operate a route. Where this does not deliver the required level of connectivity, the Government may also offer subsidies to an airline to operate the route, which includes exemption from Air Passenger Duty.
The Government’s approach to domestic connectivity will be set out in a Green Paper on the Aviation Strategy towards the end of this year, and the extent to which subsidies will be required can only be determined subject to market conditions nearer to the time of new capacity becoming operational.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the statement, this will include a highly valued scheduled night flight ban of six and a half hours between 11pm and 7am in the Revised draft Airports National Policy Statement published on 24 October 2017 was amended to read, this is expected to include a highly valued scheduled night flight ban of six and a half hours between 11pm and 7am in the Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The reason for making this amendment to the proposed Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) is to ensure Chapter 3 of the document, which sets out why the Government has stated its preference for the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme, is consistent with Chapter 5, which focuses on the potential effects of the scheme, including noise.
The Government has always been clear that should the proposed Airports NPS be designated, consideration of any ban, including timings, would be subject to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Balanced Approach to noise management, including consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.
The Government would anticipate there to be runway alternation at night. This means that some communities would experience additional periods of noise relief between 23:00 and 07:00, potentially up to eight hours including any ban, subject to consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what means the Government plans to hold Heathrow Airport to account in the event that new air routes are not secured through the Airports National Policy Statement in line with paragraph 3.34 of that statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Airports National Policy Statement is clear that the Government requires Heathrow Airport Limited to work with its airlines to protect existing routes and deliver at least six new connections. This will be examined as part of any Development Consent Order application.
In parallel, the Government will also take action, where appropriate, to secure routes through the use of Public Service Obligations. This will include the ring-fencing of appropriately timed slots. The Government’s commitments on domestic connectivity will be detailed in a Green Paper on the Aviation Strategy which is due to be published towards the end of this year.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates (a) his Ministerial team and (b) officials of his Department have met with representatives of Heathrow Airport Limited as a result of the process to develop the Airports National Policy Statement since 2015.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Ministers and officials have met regularly with Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) since 2015 to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the operation of the UK’s largest airport, as well as the potential delivery of its expansion. These meetings are governed by propriety arrangements set out in the Statement of Approach, which is published online:
As per the Statement of Approach, Ministers and officials have not discussed the merits of the content of the Airports National Policy Statement with Heathrow Airport Limited.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received legal advice on the compliance with legal air quality limits of the proposal in the Airports National Policy Statement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As would be the case for any major Government policy, the proposed Airports National Policy Statement, including the content on air quality, has been subject to a number of legal reviews.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of new slots at an expanded Heathrow airport were forecast to comprise public service obligation flights in the calculation of the economic case for the Airports National Policy Statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Secretary of State has set out a clear ambition that about 15% of slots made available from a new runway should be used for domestic routes.
The Department’s modelling, which informed the economic case for the proposed Airports National Policy Statement, is primarily intended to inform long-term strategic decision-making. It does not account for specific airport business plans or potential interventions such as Public Service Obligations (PSOs) to protect and enhance domestic connectivity. This is also clearly set out in the Appraisal Report.
Under expansion, this modelling shows an initial increase of domestic flights followed by a steady decline as routes are squeezed out by the same market forces that are squeezing out marginal routes and flights today.
This is why the Government has committed to use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect slots for domestic routes at Heathrow. The Government will consider domestic connectivity and how PSOs can be used as part of the Green Paper on the Aviation Strategy which is due to be published towards the end of this year.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Heathrow Airport Limited-funded Route Development Fund, whether he has secured a legal agreement on (a) how long the fund is continued by Heathrow Airport Limited (b) how much money is invested by (i) his Department and (i) Heathrow Airport Limited in the fund and (c) the conditions associated with the fund’s operation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government welcomes Heathrow Airport Limited’s (HAL’s) pledge to introduce a £10 million Route Development Fund. HAL’s commitment to this fund will provide start-up support for airlines seeking to introduce new domestic routes from an expanded Heathrow Airport. Importantly, this fund will be entirely privately funded with no contribution from the taxpayer.
Government does not have any legal agreements in place with Heathrow on the fund. The proposed Airports National Policy Statement requires HAL to work constructively with its airline customers to protect and strengthen existing routes and it sets a clear expectation that expansion should deliver at least six new routes. This will be assessed as part of any Development Consent Order application.