Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many accidents involving private leisure craft were caused by the consumption of alcohol in the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
There is no obligation for leisure craft owners to report accidents directly to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) so the data provided to answer this question cannot be considered complete.
Further, unless the accident was fully investigated, it is only possible to state that alcohol was a factor in the accident, not that it was causal.
In the last three years, the MAIB have been notified of eight accidents where alcohol was a factor, none of these accidents required a full investigation.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fatalities there were in each of the last three years on (1) motorways, (2) dual carriageways, and (3) single carriageways.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The number of fatal casualties in reported accidents on motorways, dual carriageways, and single carriageways in Great Britain for each year since 2017 can be found in the table below.
Fatal casualties in reported road accidents by road type, GB: 2017-2020 | |||||
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 1 | |
Motorway2 | 99 | 107 | 105 | 83 | |
Dual carriageway3 | 268 | 282 | 252 | * | |
Single carriageway3 | 1366 | 1332 | 1330 | * | |
Source: DfT, STATS19 | |||||
1 The number of fatalities on motorways in 2020 is provisional. Data for 2020 fatalities on dual carriageways and single carriageways is due to be published in September 2021. | |||||
2 Includes motorways and A(M) roads. | |||||
3 Excluding motorways and A(M) roads. | |||||
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current support available for (1) the aviation sector, and (2) its supply chain.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry as a result of Covid-19 and businesses across the sector can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.
In total, we estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefited from around £7 billion of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The extension of Government-backed loans and furlough payments announced at the budget build on this and will help ensure this vital and vibrant part of the UK economy is ready to bounce back in the wake of the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they have made available to support Belfast International Airport during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The aviation sector is vital to our future as a global trading nation, playing a critical role in local economies, including in Northern Ireland. The national measures taken in response to COVID-19 have been unprecedented, enabling airlines, airports and ground handlers to benefit from a very significant amount of taxpayer support. This includes, but is not limited to, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and financing facilities. The Government is also working on a strategic framework for the medium and long-term recovery of the aviation sector in the form of a recovery plan.
Airport policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE). NIE has provided business rates relief to airports in Northern Ireland worth £2.2 million. NIE are continuing to consider appropriate support for airports in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the lockdown restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic on the airline industry over the Christmas period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is in regular contact with the aviation sector to understand their passenger forecasts and financial projections, including regarding the impact of COVID-19 over the Christmas period. Airlines are putting in appropriate operations to meet any increase in demand over Christmas, during which the Government have has agreed to lift travel restrictions from 23 – 27 December.
Firms can also continue to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including schemes to raise capital, tax deferrals, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
The Government announced on 5 November that the CJRS will be extended until March 2021 and furloughed employees will continue to receive 80% of their current salary. This will continue to protect jobs across in the UK in the difficult winter months.
The national restrictions as a result of the pandemic have not changed the way we engage regularly with the sector. We continue an open dialogue as we work towards our shared ambition of getting aviation up and running again in a safe and secure way.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage business travel (1) to help the airline industry, (2) to increase tourism, and (3) to support airport workers back into full-time employment.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The recent Global Travel Taskforce report set out a range measures to support a safe and sustainable return to international travel.
To support demand, we are implementing a ‘Test to Release for International Travel’ scheme in England, allowing arrivals from countries not on the travel corridors list to pay for a privately provided COVID-19 test and reduce their period of self-isolation if the test is negative. The Government is also exploring the feasibility of a short-stay business travel exemption and planning public health and communications campaigns to boost consumer confidence. Further measures from the Global Travel Taskforce report are being worked on at pace.
In addition to these measures, the travel and tourism industry has been helped by the Government’s substantial business and employment support packages including business rates relief, government backed loans and one-off grants for eligible businesses, and the reduction of VAT for tourism and hospitality to 5% until the end of March.
We are also working with industry partners to support talent and skills retention, through measures that include the Department for Work and Pensions’ Flexible Support Fund and Rapid Response Service, to support aviation workers at risk of redundancy to stay in employment or move between sectors.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to protect jobs in the UK maritime sector.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since the beginning of this crisis the Department has engaged heavily with the maritime trade unions, representative bodies and industry to understand the scale of the issue, urging them to take steps to protect the maritime workforce and offering support where appropriate.
This has been alongside Government’s Job Retention Scheme and will continue when the replacement Job Support Scheme comes into effect next month.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operation of the MOT process during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government introduced legislation to exclude light vehicles (cars, vans, motor cycles, etc.) that were due to be examined between 30th March 2020 and 29th March 2021 from the requirement to hold a test certificate for a one-off period of six months. This was later amended to end the exemption on 30 July 2020, in order to minimise disruption to the testing regime.
At the peak of restrictions, in April, there was a 78.86% reduction in the number of vehicles being tested. However, as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted garages reopened, and testing resumed. July saw a decrease in testing volume of 5.72% when compared with 2019. Once mandatory testing was reintroduced from 1st August, testing volumes increased relative to 2019 levels by 9.88 per cent in August and by 16.28 per cent in September. Volumes are increasing as vehicles which were granted the exclusion become due for test, and both DVSA and the Department continue to monitor the situation.
Roadworthiness and vehicle testing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and they have taken their own approach to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the suspension of driving tests during the COVID-19 pandemic, what plans they have to extend the validity period of driving test theory certificates.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The two-year validity period of the theory test certificate is set in legislation and the Government has taken the decision not to lay further legislation to extend it. The primary reason is that the two-year validity is in place to ensure that a candidate’s theoretical knowledge remains current. Extending the validity would provide less reassurance that this is the case, particularly over a period when a candidate was also unlikely to be having driving lessons. It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date as learners prepare to take their practical test.