Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 173935 on driving: licensing, what estimate he has made of the number of staff that will need to be recruited in order to meet increased demand for International Driving Permits in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Grayling
From 1 February 2019, International Driving Permits will be issued by 2,500 Post Office branches using existing Post Office staff. While staffing levels are a matter for Post Office Ltd, we do not believe there will be a need to recruit further staff to offer the enhanced service.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018 to Question 173935 on Driving: Licensing, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of International Driving Permits which will need to be issued in 2019-20, (b) individual cost of securing an International Driving Permit and (c) administrative cost of processing each application for an International Driving Permit in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Grayling
a) The government is confident of securing a comprehensive deal to ensure the continued recognition of our driving licences in the EU. Work that has been done estimating the likely impact, indicates that up to 0.5m International Driving Permits (IDPs) may need to be issued in most outcome scenarios.
b) Each IDP will cost £5.50, a fee which has not increased since 2004. For complete coverage in the EU after exit day a motorist will need 2 IDPs (One in the 1949 Convention format, and one in the 1968 Convention format) at a total cost of £11.00. However, the 1968 IDP which will be valid in 23 EU Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland is valid for 3-years reducing the annual cost to around £1.85 per year.
c) The administrative cost of acquiring an IDP is a matter for the Post Office.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 March 2018 on Spring Statement, HCWS540, how much of that funding he has allocated to (a) programmes, (b) administration and (c) staffing in his Department.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
For parts (a) and (b)
HM Treasury has allocated over £2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This breaks down as:
£412m of additional funding over the spending review period for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Department for International Trade and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office at Autumn Statement 2016.
£286m of additional funding for 17/18 (a full breakdown of which can be found in Supplementary Estimates 17/18).
Over £1.5bn of additional funding for 18/19. A full breakdown of which can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on the 13th March (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/)
The Department for Transport was allocated £75.8m for costs arising as the UK leave the EU in the Spring Statement 2018. The final breakdown between programme and administration spend will be confirmed in the Supplementary Estimates.
For part (c)
The Department for Transport has allocated £9.5m to administration spending, which comprises of staffing and legal costs.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Article 2 of Directive 2006/126/EC10, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on EU recognition of UK driving licences of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
While the UK is still a member of the EU, the same rules apply and UK licences continue to be recognised by all Member States.
We will be seeking to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with the EU to cover the continued recognition and exchange of UK licences after exit so that UK licence holders are not required to carry additional documentation. In the absence of this we will be seeking bilateral agreements with individual member states.
If there is no deal with the EU, the contingency is that both private and professional drivers may need an International Driving Permit (IDP), as well as their UK driving licence to drive in the EU following exit. IDPs would be issued under either the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which is already in force for the UK or the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic which will come into force for the UK on 28th March 2019.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Article 2 of Directive 2006/126/EC10, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on EU recognition of UK driving licences of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
While the UK is still a member of the EU, the same rules apply and UK licences continue to be recognised by all Member States.
We will be seeking to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with the EU to cover the continued recognition and exchange of UK licences after exit so that UK licence holders are not required to carry additional documentation. In the absence of this we will be seeking bilateral agreements with individual member states.
If there is no deal with the EU, the contingency is that both private and professional drivers may need an International Driving Permit (IDP), as well as their UK driving licence to drive in the EU following exit. IDPs would be issued under either the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which is already in force for the UK or the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic which will come into force for the UK on 28th March 2019.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2018 to Question 163494, what assessment he has made of the (a) timeframe and (b) cost to the public purse for the Civil Aviation Authority to take over the responsibilities of the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The UK is seeking a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement with the EU which maintains liberal aviation access between the UK and EU, as well as continued participation within the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). We are confident of securing this.
We do not want or expect a no deal scenario but we have a duty to responsibly prepare for it. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is therefore implementing plans to take over the responsibilities of EASA if a deal is not reached with the EU. This includes ensuring that they have the correct resources and level of staffing in place.
In line with the user charges principle, the majority of the CAA’s costs are, and will continue to be, funded by industry.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of leaving the EU in accordance with (a) the proposals set out in the Government’s White Paper and (b) a no-deal scenario.
Answered by Chris Grayling
At Autumn Budget 2017, the Chancellor also set aside £1.5 billion of additional funding for EU Exit preparations in 2019/20. Departments will be invited to bid for 2019/20 EU Exit preparation funding later in the year. Details of timings and process will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to the public purse for his Department’s work preparing for the UK to leave the EU has been since 23 June 2016.
Answered by Chris Grayling
HM Treasury has allocated over £2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This breaks down as:
- £412m of additional funding over the spending review period for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Department for International Trade and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office at Autumn Statement 2016.
- £286m of additional funding for 17/18 (a full breakdown of which can be found in Supplementary Estimates 17/18).
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679738/PU2137_Supplementary_estimates_web.pdf.
- Over £1.5bn of additional funding for 18/19. A full breakdown of which can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on the 13th March (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/).
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is the Government's policy seek to maintain membership of the EU's Open Skies system.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The Government is seeking a comprehensive air transport agreement which maintains liberalised aviation access between and within the territory of the UK and the EU.
The EU (Withdrawal) Act will retain EU law, as it stands at the moment of exit, in UK law. This means that the provisions established by EU regulation 261/2004 will continue to apply to flights from UK airports to both countries in and outside of the EU.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to EU Regulation 261/2004 that entitles passengers to compensation for delayed flights, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that a similar compensation scheme applies to flights from the UK to an airport located outside of the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Grayling
The Government is seeking a comprehensive air transport agreement which maintains liberalised aviation access between and within the territory of the UK and the EU.
The EU (Withdrawal) Act will retain EU law, as it stands at the moment of exit, in UK law. This means that the provisions established by EU regulation 261/2004 will continue to apply to flights from UK airports to both countries in and outside of the EU.