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Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Registration
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to enable Ukrainian refugees to more easily register personal vehicles with the DVLA for tax and insurance purposes.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department continues to explore options for how Ukrainian communities can be supported in the UK. To support the registration of Ukrainian vehicles, officials within the DfT are working across Whitehall to identify any other potential actions within existing legislative frameworks and will look to utilise these as appropriate.


Written Question
Darlington Station
Friday 16th September 2022

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposed station renewal for Darlington will be completed by the time of the bi-centennial celebrations of the Darlington and Stockton Railway in 2025.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Following close work between the Department, Network Rail and Tees Valley Combined Authority, a Full Business Case for a package of interventions at Darlington Station has recently been submitted for consideration. This is currently being reviewed as part of the process for determining if delivery funding will be awarded for the scheme.


Written Question
Aviation: Non-domestic Rates
Wednesday 10th March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce business rates for those businesses in the aviation sector affected by the COVID-19 travel ban.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has renewed the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS), which provides support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England, for an additional 6 months from 1 April 2021. It will cover the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – for the first 6 months of the 2021/22 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £4m.


Written Question
Air Routes: Europe
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent of the loss of air routes in Europe since the UK left the EU.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The new UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) does not place any restriction on air services between points in the UK and points in the EU, ensuring that UK-EU trade can continue to travel freely by air.

Furthermore, the TCA recognises that, at their discretion, EU Member states may permit UK airlines to operate non-scheduled air services within and beyond the EU. The TCA also allows the UK and individual EU Member States to negotiate and agree a bilateral exchange of additional “5th Freedom” all-cargo rights. My officials are engaging closely with EU Member States and with industry on these matters.


Written Question
Aviation: Coronavirus
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings they have had with representatives of the aviation industry to discuss the aviation COVID-19 recovery package.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Department for Transport has engaged very regularly with the industry, including through both Ministerial meetings and official led sessions.

As announced on 22 February as part of the roadmap for the phased lifting of restrictions in England, the Secretary of State for Transport will also now lead a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce to develop a framework that can facilitate greater international travel when the time is right, while still managing the risk from imported cases and variants.

The Government is also developing a forward looking strategic framework on the recovery of the sector, which we engage with the industry on and will publish later this year.


Written Question
Travel: Coronavirus
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of forecast (1) recovery, and (2) growth, in (a) air transport, and (b) the travel sector.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has not produced economic forecasts of recovery and growth in the air transport or travel sectors. The Department maintains a capability to produce a range of passenger demand scenarios, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the potential shape of recovery, for internal use.

The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.

Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England.

Through the Global Travel Taskforce, the Government will work closely with the industry to find ways to safely and gradually ease restrictions on international travel. We will set out more detail on this soon.


Written Question
Aviation
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s regional aviation network.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government remains committed to supporting regional connectivity across all transport modes, including the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in UK to deliver connectivity.

We welcome the engagement and evidence provided by the industry over the past several months through the Expert Steering Group and bi-lateral discussions and will build on this engagement and collaboration to develop measures to support regional air connectivity, particularly in the context of sector recovery.

In addition, the Union Connectivity Review will make recommendations on how the UK Government can level up transport infrastructure and improve connectivity between the four nations, looking at road, rail, air and sea links.


Written Question
British Transport Police: Coronavirus
Monday 18th January 2021

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include British Transport Police officers in the first round of those receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that Phase 1 of the vaccination programme should target individuals in order of age and risk. The vaccination programme will build up in the weeks and months ahead and extend to more and more people.

It is likely a number of transport workers and British Transport Police will be vaccinated in Phase 1 due to their age or underlying health conditions. The JCVI have recommended that vaccination of those at increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 due to their occupation should be a priority in the next phase, including British Transport Police and Transport workers.


Written Question
Aircraft: Standards
Tuesday 10th November 2020

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reach an agreement with the EU on aircraft certification standards.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK has now entered a period of intensive negotiations with the EU. We approach this intensified process with a determination to get a deal, which respects our status as an independent sovereign state and allows us to control our own laws.

We are seeking to agree arrangements on aviation safety with the EU. This will facilitate the recognition of aviation safety standards, maintain high safety outcomes and enable continued regulatory cooperation between the UK and EU.


Written Question
British Transport Police: Scotland
Wednesday 14th December 2016

Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings and discussions they have had with Police Scotland regarding the transition of British Transport Police officers in Scotland to Police Scotland; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of any written reports supplied to Police Scotland about this matter.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

No meetings or discussions have taken place with Police Scotland. The Government is however working closely with the Scottish Government and with the two police authorities - the British Transport Police Authority and the Scottish Police Authority - on the arrangements required to enable the smooth transfer of the British Transport Police’s railway policing functions in Scotland to Police Scotland. No written reports have been supplied to Police Scotland on this matter.