Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Government advice against all but essential international travel, whether the Government has plans to support the outbound travel sector.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Aviation is an important sector for the UK’s economy and businesses across the industry will be able to draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures we have put in place during this time. This includes a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, two business interruption loan guarantee schemes for different sizes of business, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals.
If businesses across the sector find themselves in severe and urgent financial difficulties as a result of coronavirus, even following the government’s cross-economy wage and financial interventions, then we remain open to discussions about bespoke financial support but only as a last resort. Any such support must represent value to the tax payer.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2020 to Question 9065, on Aviation: Disability, if he will take steps to ensure that the aviation industry receives the (a) resources and (b) funding it needs to support equal access to air travel.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is working closely with industry partners and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure the focus on accessibility continues to deliver on the ambition of equal access to aviation for all. In particular, the accessibility performance framework, introduced by the CAA, has been key to incentivising airports to improve accessibility through targeted investment.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the experience of wheelchair users on flights from UK airports.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government wants to ensure equal access to air travel for all. As part of Aviation 2050 green paper the government consulted on delivering a long-term aim, which will enable disabled passengers to travel in their own wheelchair in the cabin. The Government is working closely with key industry groups like The Safe Transportation of Wheelchairs (STOW) Group, Flying Disabled and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to deliver on this ambition.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve enforcement of the Blue Badge scheme to protect legitimate Blue Badge-holders.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport has taken a number of steps, including: making it easier to withdraw a badge for reasons of misuse; providing local authorities with powers to seize badges on-street; introducing fraud resistant badges; and establishing a single national database of all badges that can be accessed by on-street enforcement officers to identify genuine badge holders.
The Department is also working with local authorities to share examples of best practice enforcement measures.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all airports reach at least a good standard of accessibility as measured by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government recognizes the importance of airports addressing the needs of all passengers, especially disabled passengers or those with reduced mobility. Addressing their needs better is an important part of the new Aviation Strategy, currently under development. The Government is also considering what more can be done to ensure that disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility have equal access to air travel and that their needs are met. The Government will consult on policy options to improve accessibility in a Green Paper, due to be published by the end of the year.
These proposals will build on the work of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to improve transparency on this issue. The CAA publishes annual reports on airports’ performance on accessibility, based on a regulatory framework it introduced to the sector in 2014. This is used by the CAA to hold airports to account and to work closely with those that have not reached a good standard, so that necessary improvements are made.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to replicate the accessibility standards contained in the EU's European Accessibility Bill after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
After the UK leaves the EU, the Government will ensure that the UK’s own legislative framework continues to promote and protect the rights of disabled people. The precise extent to which the UK accepts the specific provisions set out in the European Accessibility Act will be subject to negotiations on the UK’s Future Economic Partnership with the European Union.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will review the statutory obligation to compensate small businesses for loss of revenue due to works by utility companies.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is a long established principle that traders have no right to any particular level of passing trade and there are no legal grounds for them to claim for loss of such trade as a result of street works or road works. Works do need to take place from time to time and many businesses will benefit from the resulting improvements. Authorities and utilities should endeavour to ensure that works are undertaken as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to keep disruption to a minimum.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking in response to the Civil Aviation Authority's 2018 report that London Gatwick, London Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester airports are not sufficiently accessible to disabled passengers.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department is looking at measures to improve accessibility at airports and on aircraft through our Aviation Strategy which is due to be published in 2019. This will build on the work of the CAA, which has already stepped up its compliance activity and efforts to support airports which are falling below standards, and which is working to put in place improvement plans, where necessary, so that all airports are fully accessible for disabled passengers.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on the installation of disabled toilets on trains.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where toilets are provided on a train, an accessible toilet which meets the requirements of modern accessibility standards needs to be provided. All new trains with toilets are built with accessible toilets as standard, and this has been a requirement since 1999. Trains built before 1999 have until 2020 to comply and the Department is monitoring progress towards this target. Currently 75% of mainline trains are either built or refurbished to modern accessibility standards. This includes the provision of an accessible toilet, where toilets are provided.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to ensure that drivers living south of the Scottish Border are aware of the different drink driving limit in Scotland.
Answered by Andrew Jones
A reduced drink driving limit came into effect in Scotland in December 2014, at which point rule 95 of the Highway Code was amended to reflect the change. It is essential that all road users in England, Scotland and Wales are aware of the Code.
At the time of its introduction, the Scottish Government advertised the lower limit on both sides of the border.