Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of installing a higher slot-use threshold on the aviation sector's recovery from the outbreak of covid-19.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on air passenger demand. Following a review of the latest available evidence and consultation with the aviation industry, Ministers have decided that further alleviation from slots rules is necessary to support the aviation industry’s financial position, protect connectivity and reduce the risk that airlines operate environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights.
The rules requiring airlines to use slots in order to retain them were fully suspended for the Summer 2020, Winter 2020/21 and Summer 2021 seasons. The UK’s exit from the EU means that it has been able to take a more tailored approach that reflect the UK’s specific circumstances.
As the pandemic has gone on, the Government is now also keen to encourage recovery. In the Winter 2021/22 Season which will last until 27 March 2022 we have set the usage requirement for slots at 50% and gave airlines the option of handing back slot series that they were not intending to use before the season started to allow other airlines to use them.
A draft Statutory Instrument setting out arrangements for Summer 2022 was published on 24 January 2022. To reduce the risk of airlines operating environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights, this legislation includes an enhanced justified non-utilisation provision, meaning that airlines will not be required to operate slots where markets are substantively closed to passenger traffic.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of a potential increase in empty or almost flights from UK airports.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on air passenger demand. Following a review of the latest available evidence and consultation with the aviation industry, Ministers have decided that further alleviation from slots rules is necessary to support the aviation industry’s financial position, protect connectivity and reduce the risk that airlines operate environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights.
The rules requiring airlines to use slots in order to retain them were fully suspended for the Summer 2020, Winter 2020/21 and Summer 2021 seasons. The UK’s exit from the EU means that it has been able to take a more tailored approach that reflect the UK’s specific circumstances.
As the pandemic has gone on, the Government is now also keen to encourage recovery. In the Winter 2021/22 Season which will last until 27 March 2022 we have set the usage requirement for slots at 50% and gave airlines the option of handing back slot series that they were not intending to use before the season started to allow other airlines to use them.
A draft Statutory Instrument setting out arrangements for Summer 2022 was published on 24 January 2022. To reduce the risk of airlines operating environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights, this legislation includes an enhanced justified non-utilisation provision, meaning that airlines will not be required to operate slots where markets are substantively closed to passenger traffic.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Plug-in Car Grant beyond March 2023 to support SMEs with their transition to net zero vehicles.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Since 2010, the plug-in car grant has provided over £1.3 billion to support the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles. The grant provides up to £1,500 for those making the switch to eligible electric cars. Both businesses and private customers are eligible to benefit from the grant discount as long as they are based in the UK. In 2021 industry statistics show that battery electric vehicles were 11.6 per cent of the new car market, up 76.3 per cent on 2020.
The increasing choice of new vehicles, growing demand from customers, and rapidly rising number of chargepoints means that while the level of funding remains as high as ever, we are re-focusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable zero emission vehicles – where most consumers will be looking and where taxpayers’ money will make more of a difference.
Building on the £1.9bn from Spending Review 2020, the Government has committed an additional £620m to support the transition to electric vehicles. The additional funding will support the rollout of charging infrastructure, with a particular focus on local on-street residential charging, and targeted plug in grants.
There are also incentives in the tax system to stimulate uptake of zero emission vehicles. The March 2020 Budget extended the favourable benefit in kind tax rates for zero emission vehicles to 2025: company car tax is 1 per cent in 2021/22 and 2 per cent in 2022/23 through to 2024-25. Further, all zero emission cars are exempt from vehicle excise duty (VED) and zero emissions vans pay a nil rate of tax on the van benefit charge.
We have been clear since 2018 that the plug-in grants will eventually end and that we keep all grants under review to ensure the best value for taxpayers’ money.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support decarbonisation of British ports.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
UK ports and the UK maritime sector that rely on our ports, are covered by the Net Zero 2050 target and our national carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act. As part of the implementation of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we are accelerating the development of zero emission technology and infrastructure in the UK via a £23m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
Building on the success of this programme, the Net Zero Strategy announced our intention to extend this to a multi-year programme, delivering real-world demonstrations and technology trials of clean maritime vessels and infrastructure to decarbonise the maritime sector. This is part of our commitment to a UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions.
We also support UK ports through other ways, including through the Freeports programme, which is already seeing green investments – for example, GE Renewables is locating its new offshore wind blade manufacturing plant in the Teesside Freeport, and Siemens Gamesa is investing £186m to expand its offshore wind manufacturing in the Humber Freeport.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in West London and neighbouring Heathrow airport on Southern rail access to Heathrow.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Government remains committed to the Southern Access to Heathrow scheme and is working towards the next step of market testing, which is dependent on the scheme being affordable to taxpayers. Ministers and officials have frequent discussions with local authorities and Heathrow Airport on a range of topics
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority and Heathrow Airport Ltd on mechanisms for funding transport improvement projects to and from Heathrow.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
My Department maintains regular dialogue with both Heathrow Airport Ltd and the Civil Aviation Authority on a range of issues, including mechanisms for funding transport improvement projects to and from Heathrow.
The Civil Aviation Authority sets the policy for cost recovery by Heathrow Airport Ltd on surface access costs and where appropriate will consult on the application of this policy to projects proposed by Heathrow Airport Limited.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the delivery of decarbonisation targets in aviation as part of the discharge of its economic regulation function.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
We are working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to achieve net zero aviation – or Jet Zero – by 2050. In July, we published the Jet Zero Consultation which focuses on the rapid development of technologies in a way that maintains the benefits of air travel and maximises the opportunities that decarbonisation can bring for the UK. We are currently assessing responses to this consultation, including on whether changes to our approach to landing charges and slots could support our decarbonisation objectives.
We are collaborating with the CAA to support the enabling of demonstration activity of zero- and low-emission aircraft in a safe way, and to ensure the UK remains the best location in which to develop and deploy these new aircraft. We are also working with the CAA as co-sponsors of the Airspace Modernisation Programme, the national programme of airspace change amongst major UK airports.
The CAA are active members of the Jet Zero Council, a key partnership between industry and government – co-chaired by DfT and BEIS Secretaries of State - to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on bringing forward an aviation sector deal to support the recovery of aviation related businesses; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry because of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties have been able to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor. In total, we estimate that by the end of September 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefited from around £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
The Department for Transport works closely with HM Treasury on matters related to aviation. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which projects the £3 million Government funding for zero emission flight infrastructure has been allocated to; how much of that funding has been allocated to each of those projects; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure competition, announced at the June meeting of the Jet Zero Council, has taken place over the summer and an announcement on the projects receiving funding will be made shortly.
The Government has in addition consulted over the summer to develop our Jet Zero Strategy to be published later this year.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review Heathrow Airport's licence arrangements as granted by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Economic regulation of Heathrow Airport is carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), independently of the Secretary of State for Transport, in accordance with the Civil Aviation Act 2012.
Heathrow Airport’s licence arrangements are subject to periodic review by the CAA. The current licence was granted in 2015 and is due to expire at the end of 2021 (having been extended and amended since its initial five-year period). The CAA is presently developing the regulatory framework for a new licence to commence in 2022. It most recently sought views on development of that framework in its April 2022 ‘Way Forward’ consultation, which closed for responses in June, and is now reviewing those consultation responses.
While the Department for Transport works with the CAA to understand its direction of travel in developing the licence arrangements, the CAA’s work is independent of Government and the Secretary of State has no statutory role in reviewing those arrangements.