Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the level of the proposed penalty to be imposed on Heathrow airport in the event that it does not increase the number of passengers using public transport to access the airport by the time a third runway is operational.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Airports National Policy Statement is clear that any application for development consent must include details of how the applicant will achieve a wide range of mitigations, including public transport mode share targets.
Mitigations included in a Development Consent Order or recommended as a result of examination will become requirements that are enforceable under the Planning Act 2008. The detail of these requirements, including any penalties, will flow from the planning process, but could include financial provision for remedial measures or operating restrictions. A breach of any requirement without reasonable excuse would be a criminal offence, and there are wide-ranging powers for the relevant planning authority to investigate and intervene should there be any breach, including by injunctions.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) Public Health England on the effect on health of aircraft noise.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Officials from the Department have regular discussions with Public Health England to discuss a range of matters, including issues relating to the effect of aircraft noise on health. Recent discussions include engagement in the development of the Government’s Aviation Strategy and PHE officials sit on the Department’s Airspace and Noise Engagement Group.
Ministers and officials have not had any recent discussions with the Health and Safety Executive.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) dates on and (b) reports of all recorded (i) safety breaches and (ii) safety incidents involving (A) the Thames Clipper fleet and (B) other passenger boats on the River Thames since 2010.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Operators are required to report certain incidents to the MCA and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). The MCA will liaise with the operator directly and no formal reports are published.
Between the beginning of 2010 and the end of 2018, the MAIB received reports of 44 accidents and incidents on the River Thames in the Greater London area that involved vessels in the Thames Clipper fleet and 190 accidents and incidents involving other passenger vessels on the Thames (excluding large sea-going vessels e.g. cruise ships). Investigations are carried out where the MAIB believes there are lessons for the industry to learn and then publishes reports on its investigations online.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the price for which the Saint Helena Government sold commercial fishing licences to the Argos Fishing Company in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The sale of commercial fishing licenses is the responsibility of the St Helena Government.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the (a) permitted geographic catch locations and (b) permitted species and catch volumes under licenses sold by the Saint Helena Government to the Argos Fishing Company in (i) 2016, (ii) 2017 and (iii) 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The sale of commercial fishing licenses, and conditions within the licenses such as location and target species, are the responsibility of the St Helena Government.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the income from fishing vessel registration fees paid to the Saint Helena Government by the Argos Fishing Company in the years (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Any commercial agreements between Argos Fishing company and the St Helena Government are a matter for the St Helena Government.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the level of subsidy paid to the Saint Helena Fisheries Corporation from the UK public purse in the years (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Any financial support to the St Helena Fishery Corporation is determined by the St Helena Government.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the terms and conditions are under which fishing licenses are sold by the Saint Helena Government; how conditions on those licences are enforced by the Saint Helena Government; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The St Helena Government are responsible for selling and administering commercial fishing licences.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport on the effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals on older UK passenger boats on businesses and skilled maritime jobs.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and BEIS ministers have not had any direct discussions with the Department for Transport (DfT) on the effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals on older UK passenger boats on businesses and skilled maritime jobs. BEIS officials have reached out to the MCA and industry to further understand the issue raised. They also remain closely engaged with DfT on the delivery of the recently published Maritime 2050 strategy and to support growth ambitions across the maritime sector.
Should my hon. friend wish to discuss this issue, I would be happy to arrange a meeting.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last met the (a) Royal Botanic Gardens and (b) Historic Royal Palaces to discuss the potential effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals for older UK passenger boats on tourism and visitor numbers at (i) Kew Gardens and (ii) Kew Palace.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) consulted upon an Impact Assessment (IA) during a public consultation which ran from 6 November 2018 to 29 January 2019. Consultees were invited to comment on the validity of the analysis in the IA and encouraged to provide information that would help to strengthen this. The IA is now being updated to reflect the range of further information provided through consultee feedback.
This process is ongoing and policy officials in the MCA are happy to discuss impacts with any interested parties and take onboard relevant evidence for the assessment.