Lord Soley

I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answer to question HL1125 of 4 July 2022.

The Government is supporting industry investment in the development and deployment of technologies for new aircraft, including technologies for new engines, aero structures and advanced systems, to reduce noise and other emissions from aviation.

This support is integral to the work between industry and Government through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), which published its Technology Strategy 2015 in July. To date, 100 ATI projects, worth around a total of £1bn, jointly funded by industry and government have been approved; and the majority of these are focused on technologies required to produce greener, more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft.

The Government is supporting industry investment in the development and deployment of technologies for new aircraft, including technologies for new engines, aero structures and advanced systems, to reduce noise and other emissions from aviation.

This support is integral to the work between industry and Government through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), which published its Technology Strategy 2015 in July. To date, 100 ATI projects, worth around a total of £1bn, jointly funded by industry and government have been approved; and the majority of these are focused on technologies required to produce greener, more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft.

The BBC Trust is planning a wide ranging programme of activity to engage the public. This will encompass a public consultation, separate and complementary to that launched by government. It will also include a seminar series that will be open to the public and programmes of research and online engagement. Information on these events will be included on the Charter Review area of the .gov.uk website.

The department does not collect data on children who are home educated. However, we are aware of rising numbers of home-educated children.

The department supports the right of parents to educate their children at home. Most do so with the best education of their child at the centre of their decision. There are concerns about the rising numbers of home educated children, and how this increase is driven by reasons other than a commitment to home education. For some parents, the child’s education is not the primary reason behind the decision to home educate, which can mean that some children are not being provided with a suitable education.

The government remains committed to a form of registration system for children not in school. Further details on this will be in the government response to the Children Not in School consultation, which will be published in the coming months.

The department remains committed to a form of local authority register for children not in school. We will set out further details on this in the government response to the ‘Children Not In School’ consultation, which we intend to publish before the end of the year.

Any educational provider which offers a full-time education to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age, or to 1 or more pupils of compulsory school age who are also looked after, or have an education, health and care plan, is required to register with the Department for Education. It is a criminal offence to conduct an independent school that is not registered. If convicted of this offence, a person could be subject to an unlimited fine, and/or imprisonment for up to 6 months.

Section 99 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 outlines that Ofsted must inspect all proposed new independent schools against the Independent Schools Standards, and make a report to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, on the extent to which these standards are likely to be met following registration. The Secretary of State for Education must then decide, taking that report and any other evidence he has on the proposed school into account, whether the standards are likely to be met if it is to be registered as an independent school. If he is satisfied that the standards are likely to be met, he must register the school.

In practice, it is nearly always the case that where an inspection report shows that the standards are not likely to be met, the registration application is rejected. However, there are rare exceptions: for example, if remedial building work has been arranged, but has not yet been undertaken at the time of the inspection. In such cases, if the school is subsequently able to show that the work has been carried out successfully, so as to address all of the issues identified in the report, it is possible to register the school without the need for a further inspection.

Full guidance on registering an independent school is available through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-school-registration.

The Department does not hold any data on the number of children who are the subject of abuse inquiries, whose parents or guardians have been convicted of abuse, or who are alleged to have suffered abuse. We are taking steps to ensure that the education system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people. It is unacceptable for any child of compulsory school age not to receive a suitable education. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that this does not happen.

The Department has taken robust steps to tackle unregistered schools. We are working closely with Ofsted who have agreed to take forward prosecutions for settings operating illegally as unregistered independent schools. We have also published proposals to introduce a new system to regulate out-of-school education settings which teach children intensively, and to intervene and impose sanctions where there are safety or welfare concerns. The call for evidence on out-of-school education settings closed on 11 January 2016 and responses are being analysed.

The Department does not hold any data on the number of children who are the subject of abuse inquiries, whose parents or guardians have been convicted of abuse, or who are alleged to have suffered abuse. We are taking steps to ensure that the education system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people. It is unacceptable for any child of compulsory school age not to receive a suitable education. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that this does not happen.

The Department has taken robust steps to tackle unregistered schools. We are working closely with Ofsted who have agreed to take forward prosecutions for settings operating illegally as unregistered independent schools. We have also published proposals to introduce a new system to regulate out-of-school education settings which teach children intensively, and to intervene and impose sanctions where there are safety or welfare concerns. The call for evidence on out-of-school education settings closed on 11 January 2016 and responses are being analysed.

The Government announced a £10 million funding package for England’s fishing and aquaculture sectors on 16 April. The fund will help businesses within the sector meet the fixed costs they face, including insurance, equipment hire and port costs, and will help secure the long-term future of the English fishing industry.

This includes a £1 million Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme, which will fund projects to help seafood businesses in England increase the supply of local seafood to domestic markets.

Further information and guidance is available on MMO’s website.

We are seeking to establish commercial air services using the southern approach to the runway where wind shear is not a significant issue. A number of aircraft types have been identified which should offer reasonable performance using a southern approach (the Airbus A318 and A319, Boeing 737-600 and 737-700). We are in discussions with airlines on how we can bring one of these into service.

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2012, airports report to the CAA punctuality of flights. This data is collated and published on the CAA’s website on a monthly basis.

In addition, airlines, airports and air traffic providers also input delays and the reason for delays into the EUROCONTROL system, as part of a well-established and accepted industry process.

Passengers’ rights are primary and when passengers are delayed or face cancellations, they deserve explanations and refunds.

Passengers have the ability to claim for delayed and cancelled flights through UK261. Through this process they are able to request an Air Traffic Control (ATC) statement, that will outline any ATC delays their flight experienced.

Moreover, if passengers feel they have not received adequate details from their airline, they are able to raise this with either the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaint’s Team (PACT) or with the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme approved by the CAA.

On 17 July, the Secretary of State announced the new Aviation Passenger Charter which helps passengers understand their rights and responsibilities, including when there is disruption.

We continue to be clear that any delays and cancellations should be avoided by the aviation sector but when these happen, and passengers are affected they should be in a position to rightly claim refunds or compensation.

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2012, airports report to the CAA punctuality of flights. This data is collated and published on the CAA’s website on a monthly basis.

In addition, airlines, airports and air traffic providers also input delays and the reason for delays into the EUROCONTROL system, as part of a well-established and accepted industry process.

Passengers’ rights are primary and when passengers are delayed or face cancellations, they deserve explanations and refunds.

Passengers have the ability to claim for delayed and cancelled flights through UK261. Through this process they are able to request an Air Traffic Control (ATC) statement, that will outline any ATC delays their flight experienced.

Moreover, if passengers feel they have not received adequate details from their airline, they are able to raise this with either the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaint’s Team (PACT) or with the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme approved by the CAA.

On 17 July, the Secretary of State announced the new Aviation Passenger Charter which helps passengers understand their rights and responsibilities, including when there is disruption.

We continue to be clear that any delays and cancellations should be avoided by the aviation sector but when these happen, and passengers are affected they should be in a position to rightly claim refunds or compensation.

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2012, airports report to the CAA punctuality of flights. This data is collated and published on the CAA’s website on a monthly basis.

In addition, airlines, airports and air traffic providers also input delays and the reason for delays into the EUROCONTROL system, as part of a well-established and accepted industry process.

Passengers’ rights are primary and when passengers are delayed or face cancellations, they deserve explanations and refunds.

Passengers have the ability to claim for delayed and cancelled flights through UK261. Through this process they are able to request an Air Traffic Control (ATC) statement, that will outline any ATC delays their flight experienced.

Moreover, if passengers feel they have not received adequate details from their airline, they are able to raise this with either the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaint’s Team (PACT) or with the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme approved by the CAA.

On 17 July, the Secretary of State announced the new Aviation Passenger Charter which helps passengers understand their rights and responsibilities, including when there is disruption.

We continue to be clear that any delays and cancellations should be avoided by the aviation sector but when these happen, and passengers are affected they should be in a position to rightly claim refunds or compensation.

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2012, airports report to the CAA punctuality of flights. This data is collated and published on the CAA’s website on a monthly basis.

In addition, airlines, airports and air traffic providers also input delays and the reason for delays into the EUROCONTROL system, as part of a well-established and accepted industry process.

Passengers’ rights are primary and when passengers are delayed or face cancellations, they deserve explanations and refunds.

Passengers have the ability to claim for delayed and cancelled flights through UK261. Through this process they are able to request an Air Traffic Control (ATC) statement, that will outline any ATC delays their flight experienced.

Moreover, if passengers feel they have not received adequate details from their airline, they are able to raise this with either the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaint’s Team (PACT) or with the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme approved by the CAA.

On 17 July, the Secretary of State announced the new Aviation Passenger Charter which helps passengers understand their rights and responsibilities, including when there is disruption.

We continue to be clear that any delays and cancellations should be avoided by the aviation sector but when these happen, and passengers are affected they should be in a position to rightly claim refunds or compensation.

We are aware that over the periods specified, there were some limited times when flow restrictions where in place at Gatwick. These restrictions are managed locally and operational decisions are taken, depending upon a variety of factors, including weather, flow rates in European airspace, delays on the ground and operational safety.

The safety of our skies is paramount, any decisions that air traffic controllers take will always prioritise safety.

Neurotechnology is regulated under general provisions for medical research, medical devices and the Data Protection Act 2018. Funders additionally have a responsibility to ensure that research funding is used for specific purposes. To improve the regulatory framework and ensure patient safety, in September 2021 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency launched a public consultation on the future of medical device regulation. Future regulatory requirements will apply to all medical devices where applicable, including those which fall under the category of neurotechnology. The United Kingdom additionally supports the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology and its associated principles. The UK will work with other OECD partners to help establish practical tools and guidance.

We have so far announced £7.4 billion of additional funding to the devolved administrations to support people, business and public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means £3.8 billion for the Scottish Government, £2.3 billion for the Welsh Government and £1.3 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive.

This is equivalent to £700 per head of the Scottish population, £730 per head of the Welsh population and £680 per head of the Northern Ireland population. The differences in these per head figures are partly due to the differing extent of devolved responsibilities and partly due to the nation-specific elements of the Barnett formula.

Royal Navy assets deployed in support of NATO's activity in the Aegean Sea will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance of illegal crossings. Migrant boats identified will, in the first instance, be reported to the Turkish and Greek coastguards and the EU Frontex mission for interdiction. However, if a migrant vessel was in distress, the Royal Navy ship would provide assistance, in accordance with international obligations.

NATO and Frontex are finalising joint working and information sharing arrangements, which might include the deployment of Frontex Liaison Officers on board NATO ships. NATO is coordinating at the tactical level with the Turkish and Greek coastguards, and the NATO command ship already has Turkish and Greek military liaison officers on board.

I am not prepared to comment on intelligence matters or to disclose the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Probate timeliness data up to March 2020 are due for publication on 25th June 2020.

The standard scale of fines set down in the Criminal Justice Act 1982 for criminal offences in England and Wales was increased by primary legislation in the Criminal Justice Act 1991, and the Level 5 maximum was increased to an unlimited fine in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The standard scale has not been amended by Order in the period specified. Regulations may be made under the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 provide alternative maximum penalties for some offences.