Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether car hire companies are legally permitted to refuse a car rental to a full licence holder on the basis of age.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answer to question HL1125 of 4 July 2022.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how a passenger whose flight has been delayed or cancelled can ascertain whether that cancellation or delay has been caused by air traffic control problems.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how a (1) passenger, or (2) other member of the public, can identify whether (a) an airline, or (b) air traffic control, are responsible for the delay or cancellation of a flight.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how disputes between airlines and air traffic control systems over the reasons for delays and cancellations are recorded.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether either the (1) Civil Aviation Authority, or (2) individual airport air traffic control systems, have responsibility for recording details of flight delays and cancellations.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the reason for the air traffic control problems that led to flight cancellations on (1) 26 May, (2) 27 May, (3) 28 May, (4) 29 May, and (5) 30 May.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many flights in and out of Gatwick Airport were cancelled as a result of air traffic control problems on (1) 29 May, (2) 30 May, (3) 31 May, and (4) 1 June.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many flights (1) in, and (2) out, of Gatwick Airport were cancelled due to air traffic control problems (a) in total between 20 and 29 May, and (b) each day during that period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 29 October (HL3408), what assessment they have made of the number of children being home educated.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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.
Asked by: Lord Soley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to establish a regulatory framework authority to promote and provide safeguards for the development of neurotechnology.
Answered by Lord Kamall
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.