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 - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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 - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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 Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they have taken (1) to identify the source of boats used for people smuggling to the UK, and (2) to stop the supply of boats used for such smuggling from being obtained by the smugglers.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office works closely with international partners and with manufacturers to tackle the supply of the small boats used in these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossings.
However, it would not be in the interests of operational security to detail the specific activities being undertaken.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 30 May (HL7826), whether there is any way in which boats "disposed of by Border Force's approved contractors" could be reused by people smugglers.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
All vessels that have been subject to seizure are held by Border Force until completion of any criminal investigation activities.
The majority of boats are not fit for re-sale and unseaworthy, as they arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process.
The boats are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled. There are no plans to revisit these arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to return to a system of imperial measurement; and, if so, what assessment they have made of (1) levels of understanding among younger people, and (2) any impact upon the UK’s competitiveness in world trade.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government is reviewing the current law on units of measurement and has gathered information from the consultation ‘Choice on units of measurement: markings and sales’. A government response will be published in due course.
The Government recognises that metric units remain essential for international trade. Any legislative changes would require an impact assessment, including an equality impact assessment.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to dispose of boats used to bring illegal migrants across the English Channel; and whether they plan to revisit these arrangements.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
All vessels that have been subject to seizure are held by Border Force until completion of any criminal investigation activities. The majority of boats are not fit for re-sale or to ever go to sea again, as they arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process. The boats are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled. There are no plans to revisit these arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of Norway taking over the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council on 11 May 2023, what plans they have to build a stronger relationship with the Council during the two years of Norwegian Chairmanship.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK has been a State Observer to the Arctic Council since its first meeting and we participate actively in the Council's work. The UK welcomed Norway taking on the Chairship of the Arctic Council on 11 May 2023. We look forward to engaging with the new Norwegian Chair over the coming two years, including to look for further opportunities to enhance the UK's contribution to the work of the Council in areas of mutual interest and global importance, such as climate change and marine pollution.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 March (HL6104), when the next meeting of the UK–EU Joint Committee will take place; when and where the details and costs of the new arrangements will be set out; and whether a fuller answer to HL6104 in the first instance would have avoided the additional cost of answering this supplementary question.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Joint Committee met on Friday 24 March. We will set out details of the next Joint Committee meeting to Parliament in the usual way. Following the 24 March meeting at which the Windsor Framework was adopted, the Government will continue work to give it effect in domestic law as required. We will set out further details of those arrangements and their costs in due course as that work continues.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of implementing the Windsor Framework; and what proportion of that cost will be paid by (1) the UK, and (2) the EU.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have set out the instruments that make up this package overall. These will be approved at the next meeting of the UK-EU Joint Committee. After that, the UK and EU will respectively take forward legislative measures to translate the solutions into law in both legal orders, providing the basis for these new arrangements to enter into force. As that happens, we will set out the details of those new arrangements and their costs in the usual way.
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 - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.