Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assess the feasibility of initiating direct flights between the United Kingdom and Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus may designate Ercan as an international airport and grant permission for flights. It has not done so. This means that no direct air services between the north of Cyprus and the UK can take place as it would be contrary to the UK’s obligations under the Chicago Convention.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the international aviation security standards at the new Ercan International Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and if not, whether they plan to do so.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus can designate Ercan as an international airport and allow flights to operate. As the Republic of Cyprus has not designated Ercan, the UK has not made a security assessment of the airport and has no plans to do so.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the Convention on International Civil Aviation with direct flights from London to Taipei, and in this respect why the UK does not permit flights to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The UK recognises only one Cypriot state – the Republic of Cyprus – and only one government as the sole legitimate government. Under the Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus may designate Ercan (in the north of Cyprus) as an international customs airport and grant permission for flights to operate from within its territory. Which it has not done so. This means that no direct air services between the north of Cyprus and the UK can take place.
With regards to direct flights being permitted between London and Taipei, the situation is different in that the Chinese authorities have designated a number of airports in Taiwan as international customs airports which therefore permit airlines to operate between the UK and Taiwan.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to use the provisions of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 to override a pilot's discretion to make the final decision as to whether the aircraft takes off as provided under international aviation regulations.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Any decisions by the pilot in command of an aircraft made in accordance with relevant aviation safety requirements, with regard to the safety of a particular flight, would not constitute industrial action. Such decisions are therefore outside of the scope of Part V of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the amendments being made to that Part by the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Greater Anglia Railways about planned ticket office closures at Cambridge railway station; and what opportunities there are for (1) the public, and (2) parliamentarians, to express their views on the proposals.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
To propose any changes to the opening hours, or the closure of ticket offices, train operating companies must follow the process set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.
Train operators must consult on any proposed changes, advertising them at the relevant stations and inviting members of the public who wish to comment on the proposal to write to the relevant passenger body (either Transport Focus or London TravelWatch) within a 21-day period. Greater Anglia Railways has set out its proposals on its website.
Parliamentarians are encouraged to raise any concerns with the relevant Passenger Bodies through the established consultation process. Further detail of how to do this can be found on station posters or on the Train Operating Company websites.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the closure of three flight schools this year, what further financial protection they intend to give trainee pilots from UK flight school failures.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Responsibility for regulating flying training in the UK rests with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA’s approval of a flying school or training establishment as an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) are designed to provide confidence that they are able to perform their operations safely. However, as the CAA does not regulate the ongoing financial viability of flying schools or clubs, approval to conduct flight training does not imply any certification of financial stability. I have asked my officials to engage with the CAA to consider this in more detail.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how, if at all, they intend to improve the financial regulation of UK flight schools.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Responsibility for regulating flying training in the UK rests with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA’s approval of a flying school or training establishment as an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) are designed to provide confidence that they are able to perform their operations safely. However, as the CAA does not regulate the ongoing financial viability of flying schools or clubs, approval to conduct flight training does not imply any certification of financial stability. I have asked my officials to engage with the CAA to consider this in more detail.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Balfe and Lord Callanan on 6 February (HL Deb cols 1062–83), whether the Minister is now in a position to write in response the points raised regarding aviation.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
As Lord Callanan stated, the Government are committed to maintaining comprehensive safety standards, including in aviation. Officials engage with industry regularly, including through the industry engagement forum, to ensure their views as to how best to use the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill to achieve this are taken into account. Moreover, officials will meet with BALPA to discuss the specific issues raised by Lord Balfe, in order to better understand concerns, and clarify the discussion had at that forum.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Callanan on 6 February (HL Deb col 1082), when the Department for Transport industry engagement forum will next meet to discuss the impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on that industry.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
This forum is next scheduled to meet on 14th March.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including a representative from the British Airline Pilots Association to their Jet Zero Council membership.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
When the Jet Zero Council was established in July 2020, we sought to ensure that all relevant parts of the industry were represented, from airlines, airports, and aerospace manufacturers, to NGOs, academics, and start-ups.
To ensure that the Council remains at the forefront of driving zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation, we are currently reviewing the Council’s membership to ensure it reflects the expertise required to deliver this challenge. Though there will always be practical limits to the size of the Council, and we are not able to accommodate all individual requests for membership.
To support the delivery of the Jet Zero Council and allow wider participation in its work, we have established Delivery Groups focussed on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Zero Emission Flight (ZEF), which we encourage organisations with relevant interests to engage with.