Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Grayling and Virendra Sharma

Thursday 10th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

2. What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the viability of the aviation sector.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Grayling)]

The UK Government and European Commission have agreed in principle that the two sides should negotiate a comprehensive air transport agreement. The Department is working closely with the aviation sector to ensure its requirements are factored into negotiations. The Department’s aviation technical notices and the European Commission’s published plans for aviation contingency preparations, alongside proposed EU regulations published on 19 December, clearly demonstrate that, in a no-deal scenario, both sides are committed to maintaining aviation connectivity.

[Mr Sharma]

I thank the Secretary of State for his response to my question. What is the Department’s estimate of the effect of leaving the EU on the opportunities for the thousands currently employed in the aviation sector as apprentices?

[Chris Grayling]

I think that the aviation sector will continue to grow and develop as it has in recent years. We will continue to have connections across Europe, as we do at the moment, and, of course, with the plans for the expansion of Heathrow airport, there will be a real opportunity for apprenticeships in the sector and to open up new routes around the world, for example to emerging markets in Asia. I see the next 10 years as ones of great opportunity for the aviation sector.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

T4. What was the total cost of Operation Brock, and will the Minister relay the lessons learned?

[Chris Grayling]

I do not have the costs immediately to hand. However, the point about Operation Brock is that it is designed to replace Operation Stack and provide a solution well into the early 2020s in the case of disruption at the channel ports, which I do not want to see. To do the work on the M20 and the work that has happened on the M26, the cost is in the low tens of millions of pounds, but I will be able to give the hon. Gentleman an exact number. It is really important that we do not see a repeat of the disruption of 2015 in Kent.