Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of compensation and assistance available to passengers affected by recent disruptions to flights operating from London airports.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Passengers facing disruption are protected under UK law, and the government expects airlines to look after them. For cancellations, passengers are entitled to a choice between a refund or to be re-routed. Those waiting at the airport are entitled to care and assistance, such as food, and where necessary overnight accommodation. The Civil Aviation Authority monitors and enforces airline compliance with these obligations and can take enforcement action where they are not.
More widely, our Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill, which is currently in the Commons, will strengthen the rights of passengers across the sector.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the economic cost of the recent flight disruptions affecting London airports to tourism, business travel and freight movements.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
I am under no illusion that the economic cost of the recent incident is significant. Therefore, we need to learn the lessons from what has happened to ensure that we can minimise the chance of disruption of this kind happening again.
The Secretary of State asked NATS to provide a report by 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response, which has now been received. The Government has also asked the CAA to conduct an independent review and will provide an update within 6 months. This will provide an important opportunity to review existing arrangements, ensure lessons are learned, and identify any further measures required to enhance resilience.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on passengers of the flight disruption at London and other UK airports on 8 and 9 September.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government apologises to passengers across the United Kingdom who faced significant disruption as a result of the issues that impacted NATS’ operation on 8 September, resulting in delays and cancellations for a large number of passengers, as well as the disruption that it has caused for industry. Let us be clear that disruption of this kind is absolutely unacceptable.
The Civil Aviation Authority has reminded airlines of their responsibilities to passengers including providing refunds or re-routing for cancelled flights. The Department for Transport officials worked closely with NATS, airports and airlines throughout the incident and recovery period to monitor impacts on passengers and provide support where necessary.
The Secretary of State asked NATS to provide a report by Wednesday 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response. She has also asked the CAA to conduct an independent review into this matter immediately to ensure appropriate steps are taken to minimise the risk of similar disruption occurring for passengers in the future.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the long-term resilience of the flight data processing systems in NATS Holdings.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Safety must always be the primary consideration for NATS when making operational decisions about the air traffic services it provides within UK airspace. NATS is responsible for ensuring that its systems are safe and resilient, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the independent regulator, providing regulatory oversight of NATS and the services it provides.
Following the technical incident on 8 September, NATS agreed to undertake a rapid review, reporting by 16 September. This will establish the cause of the incident, examine the actions taken by NATS in response and identify any immediate lessons or actions required.
The Transport Secretary has also asked the CAA to undertake a separate independent review of the incident, which will report within six months. This will provide independent scrutiny of the incident and its wider implications, including any lessons for the longer-term resilience of NATS’ systems.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the issue of increased operating costs for hauliers, including those related to (1) fluctuating fuel prices, and (2) administrative requirements relating to the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Government has continued its support for haulage companies by freezing HGV Vehicle Excise Duty and the HGV Levy for 2024-25, as announced at Autumn Statement 2023. This has resulted in a tax saving for one of the most popular HGVs (a 38-44 tonne articulated lorry with 3 axles, EURO VI) of £47 per annum. These measures form a package of support for hauliers, alongside the freezing of Fuel Duty as announced at Spring Budget 2024.
More broadly, at Autumn Statement 2023, the Chancellor announced that full expensing would be made permanent, meaning companies can claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments, so that for every pound invested its taxes is cut by up to 25p. Following representations from industry – including the haulage sector – at Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor confirmed that draft legislation on extending full expensing to assets for leasing will soon be published for a period of technical consultation. The extension will remain under consideration for a future fiscal event.
Additionally, the Windsor Framework will ensure the smooth flow of goods within the UK internal market. Under the new UK internal market system, which will come into force later this year, there will be no checks save those conducted by UK authorities as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease. The requirements in the old Protocol for both international customs paperwork and supplementary declarations will also be scrapped.
The Department for Transport does not hold a formal assessment of the specific impacts of fuel prices on businesses, nor on haulage and transport industries. However, the department is in regular contact with haulage and other transport sectors where discussions include the impact of fuel prices among other economic factors.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes weekly fuel prices and the Office for National Statistics conducts a regular survey of business sectors on concerns such as energy prices.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of UK ratings now employed in the cruise industry who were previously in the Royal Navy.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has developed a pathway for those leaving the Royal Navy, with the relevant skills and experience, to obtain a UK Merchant Navy Rating or Able Seafarer qualification.
These qualifications lead to an internationally recognised certificate, which is a requirement for those who wish to apply for roles as a rating on vessels such as cruise ships.
The MCA continues to work with its stakeholders, to develop flexible pathways to provide skilled UK seafarers to the maritime sector.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many successful prosecutions have resulted from the activities of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency enforcement officers in (1) 2019, and (2) 2020 to date.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The following table shows the total number of successful prosecutions resulting from enforcement activity by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) officers.
2019 (January to December) | 160,623 |
2020 (January to November) | 53,390 |
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK (1) shipping, and (2) ports, with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department has been working closely with the maritime sector, including shipping and ports, as they have continued to operate throughout the pandemic and provide vital freight and passenger services.
As the economy continues its safe re-opening, the Department will continue to engage widely across the maritime sector to understand any challenges they face, including the ongoing financial health of maritime companies, shipping and our ports.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government in what discussions, if any, they are currently involved to explore ways of reducing airport job losses in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The aviation sector can draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures we have put in place during this time. These measures include: HMRC’s Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, including VAT deferrals; the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; HMT and the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility; and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme for large and small businesses.
If airlines or airports find themselves in trouble as a result of coronavirus, even following the Government’s cross-economy wage and financial interventions, the Transport Secretary and Chancellor have confirmed that we are prepared to enter discussions with individual companies seeking bespoke support as a last resort, having exhausted all other options. Any intervention would need to represent value for money for taxpayers.
The recent announcements about proposed redundancies will be very distressing news for employees and their families. Government recognises the challenges facing the aviation industry and remains committed to an open dialogue with the sector and unions, to minimise the damage to industry and retain jobs. We encourage airports and unions to engage constructively with each other, striving to provide employees with as much certainty as possible during this challenging time.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure flights between Northern Ireland and Great Britain continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
In May the Government announced a £5.7 million funding package of measures,?supporting?two airlinks,?from Belfast and Londonderry to London,?and associated airport services at City of Derry Airport and Belfast City Airport.
The funding package has ensured that lifeline connectivity services continue to both Belfast and Londonderry during the COVID-19 pandemic. These routes provide critical connectivity for key workers, repatriation, and access to healthcare services.
This approach was taken to ensure in the immediate term the continuity of service for passengers and specifically places an obligation on the operators to ensure the services continue at a minimum appropriate level.
The support provided is a temporary arrangement for up to 3 months. We are continuing to monitor Northern Ireland to Great Britain connectivity as part of the Department’s work on restart and recovery of the sector and are pleased to see commercial services resuming between London and Belfast as well as in other parts of the UK.