Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what specific directions her Department has issued to the Civil Aviation Authority since the publication of the Regulation Action Plan to prevent the introduction of new regulatory or administrative burdens on industry and to reduce existing ones.

The Department for Transport issues an annual priorities letter to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The most recent letter outlined the Department’s expectations for the CAA for the financial year 2026/27 and has been published. The letter referenced the 2025 Regulatory Action Plan and the CAA’s role in contributing to the Government’s target of reducing administrative costs to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament.

One of three themes of the Government’s Regulation Action Plan is tackling the complexity and burden of regulation. The CAA is committed to the Plan and have given specific undertakings in relation to it. The Department holds the CAA to account through regular performance reviews which are a key component of the Plan. Whenever regulatory powers for the CAA are created or amended an impact assessment is completed and published to show the consequences for the aviation industry. This is how the Department ensures that all new CAA regulation is proportionate, and better enables the sector to grow safely, securely and fairly.