Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with industry on the number of flight instructors; and assessment she has made of the capacity of flight schools to train commercial airline pilots.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ministers and officials engage regularly with industry and trade bodies (including the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) on all aviation skills issues.
As the UK aviation sector operates predominantly in the private sector, it is for individual airlines to recruit and train pilots to meet today’s demand and the demand of the future.
A major training organisation has now been approved to deliver the first officer apprenticeship, which would provide training completely cost-free to young people. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England to encourage airlines to deliver this apprenticeship.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to update the Air Navigation Order 2016 to support the use of beyond-line-of-sight drones by police forces.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The are currently no plans to update the Air Navigation Order 2016 in relation to police drone operations because non-military state drone operations such as those undertaken by police forces and performed in the public interest are already exempt from the Basic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1139). They still must adhere to some key provisions of the ANO to maintain aviation safety for other air users and the public.
The Future of Flight programme prioritises the early adoption of drones for the delivery of public services such as the police, health, and fire and rescue.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason (a) the number of staff and (b) and staff costs have increased at the Civil Aviation Authority since April 2017.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2016, the CAA’s regulatory perimeter has expanded significantly. Following EU Exit, the CAA developed new rulemaking and regulatory oversight functions to replace those delivered by the European Aviation Safety Agency until 2020, including the creation of a UK state of design function. As a result of the Space Industry Act 2018, the CAA became the UK Space Regulator in 2021. At the same time, the CAA has grown to respond to the development of novel aviation technology (including drones, air taxis and future propulsion such as hydrogen), setting regulatory frameworks and standards to enable tomorrow’s aerospace to innovate and grow. The Future of Flight technologies have the potential to contribute up to £103 billion to the UK economy over the next 25 years.
Reflecting its strategic objectives and the government’s priorities, the CAA has created additional capacity in five areas; in economic regulation and consumer enforcement to manage increased ambition and expectations; to fulfil CAA’s expanded remit in relation to airspace modernisation; to deliver new cyber security oversight responsibilities for the aviation sector; and to deliver the CAA’s sustainability roles, including those it took on from the Independent Commission for Civil Aviation Noise; together with increases in back-office areas supporting these teams. All of this has been delivered with a focus on efficiency and efficacy, enabling increased investment in CAA services to its customers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the press release entitled £43 million boost for green aviation to drive growth, jobs and cleaner flights, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of global aviation emissions her Department estimates will be removed as a result of the funding for green aviation projects.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Through the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, published on 29 October, the Government detailed policies in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuels in aviation, and estimates of the emission reductions they would achieve. This package of funding will help to enable these emission reductions.
The nature of research and development activity creates challenges in assessing the exact expected CO2 benefits at the outset, as these depend on the extent to which the outputs of research and new technologies are adopted into commercial use, and the pace at which this happens. Government seed funding is integral in supporting early-stage research and development for technologies which are not yet commercially viable but could be scaled in future.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the press release entitled £43 million boost for green aviation to drive growth, jobs and cleaner flights, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of the UK's aviation emissions her Department estimates this investment will remove.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Through the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, published on 29 October, the Government detailed policies in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuels in aviation, and estimates of the emission reductions they would achieve. This package of funding will help to enable these emission reductions.
The nature of research and development activity creates challenges in assessing the exact expected CO2 benefits at the outset, as these depend on the extent to which the outputs of research and new technologies are adopted into commercial use, and the pace at which this happens. Government seed funding is integral in supporting early-stage research and development for technologies which are not yet commercially viable but could be scaled in future.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel; and what steps they are taking to strengthen life-saving provision.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
His Majesty's Government makes regular assessments of the adequacy of search and rescue capacity in the English Channel, in response to ever-changing operating patterns and the extremely high-risk appetite of the Organised Crime Networks that facilitate such crossings. In addition to the layered search and rescue response structure already in place, DfT, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and the Home Office Border Security Command are investigating options to increase the rescue capacity of Government-contracted surface assets in the Channel, while the MCA and Border Security Command are advancing plans to enhance the future provision of aviation search assets.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the economy in Northern Ireland of increasing air passenger duty.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to securing the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK and recognises the benefits of the connectivity it creates between the UK and the rest of the world.
Following previous increases to Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates to account for below inflation rates, the government will uprate APD rates in line with RPI from 1 April 2027 and rounded to the nearest penny. This constitutes a real terms freeze.
In 2012, the UK government devolved the power to set direct long-haul APD rates to the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Executive subsequently set these at zero. The UK government continues to set APD rates for short-haul international and domestic flights from Northern Ireland.
Reforms to APD took effect in April 2023, including the introduction of a new band for domestic flights, initially set at half the rate for short-haul international flights. The domestic rate applies to all flights between airports in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and is currently set at £7 for economy passengers until 31 March 2026.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Air Passenger Duty in the Autumn Budget 2025 on the competitiveness of the UK aviation sector compared to other European countries.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is committed to the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK and recognises the benefits of the connectivity it creates between the UK and the rest of the world. The government remains committed to maintaining a competitive and dynamic aviation sector that supports jobs, skills, and innovation across the UK.
Following previous increases to Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates to account for below inflation rates, the government will uprate APD rates in line with RPI from 1 April 2027 and rounded to the nearest penny. This constitutes a real terms freeze.
This will continue to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free, and aviation fuel incurs no duty.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve cross-government understanding of developments in drone technology, and what plans the has to improve inter-departmental collaboration on the regulation and deployment of drones.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is delivering the Future of Flight Programme which is a joint programme between the whole of government, the Civil Aviation Authority and industry. A key strategic objective of the Programme is to achieve routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights by 2027.
This year we spent over £21m to fund necessary regulatory changes and to support industry to commercialise the innovation that was made possible through the Future Flight Challenge. The Regulatory Innovation Office has identified drones as one of its first set of five priorities and, jointly with the previous Minister for Aviation, set the Civil Aviation Authority six key priorities to unlock growth in the sector.
As the Minister for Aviation, I chair the Future of Flight Industry Group which brings together key stakeholders across central and local government, the regulator and the industry to agree the strategic directions and ensure that the UK's ambition reflects the sector's needs.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in light of forthcoming elections in Myanmar, what steps is he taking to ensure that the UK takes the lead internationally on sanctions against Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 1 December to Question HL11962, which dealt with this question at length and is reproduced below for ease of reference:
We continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a peaceful, democratic future. Any meaningful election needs to be accompanied by an end to violence, a resumption of dialogue among all parties concerned, and must also address the urgent need to allow access for humanitarian assistance, to end human rights violations, and reverse the collapse of public services. We will continue to engage international partners, including ASEAN and at the UN Security Council, on the challenges facing people in Myanmar. On 19 November at the UN Third Committee meeting on Myanmar, the UK delivered a statement, reiterating concern for human rights violations and election plans: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-concerned-by-the-ongoing-violence-in-myanmar-including-escalating-human-rights-violations-and-increasing-reports-of-sexual-andgender-based
Since 2021, the UK Government has enacted 19 sanctions packages against the Myanmar regime, including 10 individual sanctions targeting the import of aviation fuel into Myanmar. In 2022 the UK updated our Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the military.
We have also sanctioned 25 individuals and 39 entities targeting the regime's access to finance, arms and equipment. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.