Gavin Newlands Portrait

Gavin Newlands

Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North

First elected: 7th May 2015

Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport)

(since January 2020)

Seafarers' Wages Bill [HL]
11th Jan 2023 - 17th Jan 2023
High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill Select Committee (Commons)
13th Dec 2022 - 9th Jan 2023
Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill
19th Oct 2022 - 29th Nov 2022
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
1st Jul 2018 - 7th Jan 2020
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Wales)
1st Jul 2018 - 7th Jan 2020
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Sport)
7th Sep 2016 - 7th Jan 2020
Justice Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Backbench Business Committee
13th Jun 2016 - 3rd May 2017
Backbench Business Committee
20th Jul 2015 - 12th May 2016


Department Event
Thursday 14th December 2023
09:30
Department for Transport
Oral questions - Main Chamber
14 Dec 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Transport (including Topical Questions)
Save to Calendar
View calendar
Note: This event involves a Department with which this person is linked, and does not guarantee their actual attendance.
Division Votes
Wednesday 29th November 2023
Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
voted Aye - in line with the party majority
One of 33 Scottish National Party Aye votes vs 0 Scottish National Party No votes
Tally: Ayes - 194 Noes - 275
Speeches
Wednesday 29th November 2023
Oral Answers to Questions
Last year, Scotland exported 19 trillion Wh of electricity, worth £4 billion, to the UK grid, yet not only do …
Written Answers
Monday 4th December 2023
High Speed 2 Line: Scotland
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total Barnett consequentials due to …
Early Day Motions
Monday 26th June 2023
Death of Craig Brown CBE
That this House notes the sad passing of legendary Scotland Men’s Team Manager Craig Brown CBE who passed away at …
Bills
Monday 20th June 2022
Employment (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill 2022-23
A Bill to make provision for safeguards for workers against dismissal and re-engagement on inferior terms and conditions; and for …
MP Financial Interests
Monday 4th September 2023
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources
Name of donor: Tennis Scotland
Address of donor: Airthrey Castle, Hermitage Road, Stirling FK9 4LA
Amount of donation or nature …
EDM signed
Wednesday 29th November 2023
Myalgic encephalomyelitis research and treatment
This House commends current research being conducted by the Quadram Institute on the Norwich Research Park that builds on recent …
Supported Legislation
Tuesday 25th January 2022
Consumer Protection (Double Charging) Bill 2021-22
A Bill to make provision about protecting consumers from being charged twice for the same good or service; and for …

Division Voting information

During the current Parliamentary Session, Gavin Newlands has voted in 607 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Gavin Newlands Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Grant Shapps (Conservative)
Secretary of State for Defence
(49 debate interactions)
Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative)
(40 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(36 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Transport
(229 debate contributions)
Leader of the House
(46 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(41 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Gavin Newlands's debates

Paisley and Renfrewshire North Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petitions with highest Paisley and Renfrewshire North signature proportion
Petitions with most Paisley and Renfrewshire North signatures
Petition Debates Contributed

We ask Parliament to repeal the High Speed Rail Bills, 2016 and 2019, as MPs voted on misleading environmental, financial and timetable information provided by the Dept of Transport and HS2 Ltd. It fails to address the conditions of the Paris Accord and costs have risen from £56bn to over £100bn.


Latest EDMs signed by Gavin Newlands

9th November 2023
Gavin Newlands signed this EDM on Wednesday 29th November 2023

Myalgic encephalomyelitis research and treatment

Tabled by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
This House commends current research being conducted by the Quadram Institute on the Norwich Research Park that builds on recent evidence that conditions like myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and Long Covid, have a basis in the immune system; notes that ME (sometimes known as ME/CFS) is a severely debilitating condition thought …
20 signatures
(Most recent: 4 Dec 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 9
Plaid Cymru: 3
Liberal Democrat: 3
Independent: 2
Scottish National Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
22nd November 2023
Gavin Newlands signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Retirement of Stephen McLellan from Recovery Across Mental Health

Tabled by: Mhairi Black (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
That this House congratulates Stephen McLellan for his 33 years of service in the West of Scotland for Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH); notes that RAMH do vital work giving support to individuals and communities that experience mental ill health; recognises that Stephen’s efforts and contribution in supporting our communities …
8 signatures
(Most recent: 4 Dec 2023)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 7
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Gavin Newlands's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Gavin Newlands, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


1 Urgent Question tabled by Gavin Newlands

Tuesday 19th September 2023

1 Adjournment Debate led by Gavin Newlands

Wednesday 10th June 2020

5 Bills introduced by Gavin Newlands


A Bill to make provision for safeguards for workers against dismissal and re-engagement on inferior terms and conditions; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 20th June 2022

A Bill to amend the Scotland Act 1998 to grant legislative competence for employment matters to the Scottish Parliament.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 19th October 2021

A Bill to make provision about workers’ rights; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 21st June 2021

A Bill to prohibit employers dismissing employees and subsequently re-employing them for the purpose of diminishing the terms and conditions of employment; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 9th June 2020

A Bill to prohibit employers dismissing employees and subsequently re-employing them for the purpose of diminishing the terms and conditions of employment; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 4th November 2020
(Read Debate)

215 Written Questions in the current parliament

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1 Other Department Questions
25th Nov 2021
To ask the President of COP26, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to deliver COP26 outcomes during the remainder of the UK’s COP presidency.

Delivery of COP26 was a cross-government effort and we will continue collectively, in our Presidency year, to ensure commitments by countries are turned into action.

The UK is acknowledged around the world as a domestic leader on climate action and this work will continue across government.

Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
30th Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that there are minimal delays at the border due to non-tariff barriers to trade.

The Government has provided comprehensive guidance on the new arrangements for trade with the EU. We are working closely with the devolved administrations, operational partners, industry groups and transporters to minimise any potential disruption. The Border Operating Centre is operating around the clock to pull together all the necessary sources of information to track what is happening at the border.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the (a) total and (b) average credit balance that has been accrued to energy companies as a result of overpayment via direct debit by domestic customers in the period since 1 September 2022.

The Government does not hold this information.

Ofgem have rules designed to limit the accrual of excessive customer credit, and conducted a Market Compliance Review of these rules in summer 2022. Following their review, Ofgem report that almost a million customers had their direct debits assessed, and £117,580 of adjustments and repayments have been made by suppliers as of 2 February 2023.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/direct-debit-market-compliance-review-progress-update

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulatory arrangements for the price of wholesale electricity.

As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), the Government is assessing the current set of regulatory arrangements for the price of wholesale electricity (among other aspects of the market). The Government will publish the conclusions of this assessment in the second consultation in the Autumn.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make it her policy to support a no change position on spectrum allocation at this year’s World Radiocommunications Conference.

In preparing for the forthcoming ITU World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC), the government has worked extensively with Ofcom and with spectrum users to ensure the UK promotes the best interests of the UK. The WRC works on consensus, so compromise is expected in order to reach a conclusion all parties can sign up to. However, we will strongly resist any positions we believe undermine the UK’s objectives and will exercise our right to manage our domestic spectrum allocation where appropriate.

We will work with international partners, especially within the European regional group, to ensure protection for the continuation of the Digital Terrestrial Television (Freeview) platform and where the UK has the maximum flexibility to make long-term changes to domestic use of this spectrum band without needing to have regard to the spectrum priorities of neighbouring countries. We will only support changes to the Radio Regulations that are consistent with this.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
18th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with ACAS on bringing forward legislative proposals on employment rights.

I have monthly meetings with the ACAS Chair, Clare Chapman, and Chief Executive, Susan Clews, that cover both operational and policy matters. ACAS are an important partner for the Department, and provide important insight into workplace issues as we prepare for an Employment Bill.

18th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of employees who have been subject to dismissal and re-engagement proceedings in the last 12 months.

The Department engaged ACAS to gather evidence of how fire and rehire is being used and they have concluded their work. ACAS engaged with a range of groups, including employer bodies and trade unions, as well as professional bodies with advisory contact with employers, such as employment lawyers, accountants, and payroll services.

Officials are now giving ACAS’ due consideration, and the Government will respond in due course.

The Department does not collect quantitative evidence on dismissal and re-engagement.

Employers are however required to notify my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State if they are proposing making more than 20 people redundant. The Office for National Statistics produce detailed statistics on redundancies by industry and individual characteristics.

18th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the ACAS report on fire and rehire will be published.

The Department engaged ACAS to gather evidence of how fire and rehire is being used and they have concluded their work. ACAS engaged with a range of groups, including employer bodies and trade unions, as well as professional bodies with advisory contact with employers, such as employment lawyers, accountants, and payroll services.

Officials are now giving ACAS’ due consideration, and the Government will respond in due course.

The Department does not collect quantitative evidence on dismissal and re-engagement.

Employers are however required to notify my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State if they are proposing making more than 20 people redundant. The Office for National Statistics produce detailed statistics on redundancies by industry and individual characteristics.

18th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) employers’ representatives, (b) employee representatives; and(c) devolved Administrations on potential amendments to the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Ministers meet regularly with stakeholders, including representatives of employers and employees on various employment-related issues, including matters concerning the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Employment Law is a reserved area except in Northern Ireland where it is devolved. BEIS will continue to work with each devolved administration respecting their unique settlements to ensure we build a strong economy across the United Kingdom.

18th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer to oral Question 910650 of 13 January 2021, how many meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and ACAS on fire and rehire employment practices.

BEIS Ministers meet with Acas monthly. These meetings cover a variety of employment matters.

Acas is holding independent and impartial discussions with a range of stakeholders on the use of fire and rehire practices to change contractual terms and conditions. BEIS officials have met regularly with Acas to discuss insights from this work and the circumstances when fire and hire practices are used.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the role of the Green Deal Ombudsman is in handling complaints received by him in relation to the Green Deal.

For complaints about mis-selling, the Financial Ombudsman Service is responsible for initial reviews. For many, but not all, complaints about other Green Deal matters, such as installation quality, the Green Deal Ombudsman is contracted to complete initial reviews.

In all cases, decisions regarding whether a breach has occurred and, if so, whether a sanction should be imposed, are the responsibility of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Complainants do not receive direct correspondence from the Financial Ombudsman Service as part of the reviews of complaints submitted to the Secretary of State. In addition to the work it completes on complaints to the Secretary of State, the Financial Ombudsman Service more generally handles Green Deal complaints about financing issues as part of its statutory role under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Some such complaints may subsequently be referred to the Secretary of State for review and may be the subject of associated correspondence between the Financial Ombudsman Service and the complainant, but such correspondence stands outside of the formal review process.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether people who have sent complaints to his Department on the mis-selling of Green Deal loans by Helms receive direct correspondence from the Financial Ombudsman Service in relation to their case.

For complaints about mis-selling, the Financial Ombudsman Service is responsible for initial reviews. For many, but not all, complaints about other Green Deal matters, such as installation quality, the Green Deal Ombudsman is contracted to complete initial reviews.

In all cases, decisions regarding whether a breach has occurred and, if so, whether a sanction should be imposed, are the responsibility of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Complainants do not receive direct correspondence from the Financial Ombudsman Service as part of the reviews of complaints submitted to the Secretary of State. In addition to the work it completes on complaints to the Secretary of State, the Financial Ombudsman Service more generally handles Green Deal complaints about financing issues as part of its statutory role under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Some such complaints may subsequently be referred to the Secretary of State for review and may be the subject of associated correspondence between the Financial Ombudsman Service and the complainant, but such correspondence stands outside of the formal review process.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of correspondence acknowledging receipt of a complaint on Green Deal loan mis-selling has been sent by his Department within 15 days in line with departmental targets.

The Department does not record data on correspondence acknowledging receipt of a complaint on Green Deal loan mis-selling which has been sent by this Department. Complaints on Green Deal mis-selling can be received through a number of routes, including email, post, and official Department and Ministerial correspondence.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the role is of the Financial Ombudsman Service in handling complaints received by his Department in relation to the Green Deal.

For complaints about mis-selling, the Financial Ombudsman Service is responsible for initial reviews. For many, but not all, complaints about other Green Deal matters, such as installation quality, the Green Deal Ombudsman is contracted to complete initial reviews.

In all cases, decisions regarding whether a breach has occurred and, if so, whether a sanction should be imposed, are the responsibility of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Complainants do not receive direct correspondence from the Financial Ombudsman Service as part of the reviews of complaints submitted to the Secretary of State. In addition to the work it completes on complaints to the Secretary of State, the Financial Ombudsman Service more generally handles Green Deal complaints about financing issues as part of its statutory role under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Some such complaints may subsequently be referred to the Secretary of State for review and may be the subject of associated correspondence between the Financial Ombudsman Service and the complainant, but such correspondence stands outside of the formal review process.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what redress is available for people who have inherited a property associated with a Green Deal loan where there is concern that the person from whom they inherited the property was potentially mis-sold that loan.

Under the Green Deal Framework regulations, loans can be reduced or cancelled where there has been a breach of the relevant rules, and my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied that the consumer has suffered, or is likely to suffer, a substantive loss. This applies to any complaint which meets the eligibility requirements regardless of whether it concerns a Green Deal Plan that was in place at a property prior to a complainant inheriting that property.

4th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many complaints he has received in relation to Green Deal mis-selling by Helms where the complainant was not the person in whose name the original credit agreement was made.

The Department does not record data on the number of complaints about mis-selling of Green Deal Plans by Home Energy & Lifestyle Management Ltd (HELMS) received from complainants who did not enter the original credit agreement as the property “improver”. Complaints to my Rt, Hon. Friend the Secretary of State can be made under the Green Deal Framework regulations by original improvers or subsequent bill payers (other eligibility criteria must also met).

4th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK Government's single market proposals on the movement of agricultural goods.

The UK Internal Market Bill ensures the UK can operate as a coherent internal market, guaranteeing UK companies can trade unhindered in every part of the UK while maintaining world-leading standards for consumers, workers, food and the environment.

The UK has some of the highest standards in the world on goods and some of the most robust standards on foods, with world-leading food, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards.

8th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to prevent fraudulent claims being made by contractors and individuals to the Green Homes Grant scheme.

The Government has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud. A bespoke package of counter-fraud measures will be built into the scheme design, drawing on best practice and lessons learnt?from previous domestic and international?schemes.

8th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he made of the effectiveness of the Green Deal scheme as part of devising the Green Homes Grant scheme.

In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords of rented homes in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.

The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the eligibility for the scheme will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

8th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether households under an obligation under the Green Deal scheme will be eligible for the Green Homes Grant.

In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords of rented homes in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.

The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the eligibility for the scheme will be announced in the coming days, before the scheme’s full launch.

15th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and representatives of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from 1 March 2020 to 12 June 2020; (b) on what dates those meetings took place and (c) what topics were discussed at those meetings.

Ministers in the Department hold many meetings with companies, including Rolls-Royce, to discuss a wide range of business issues.

Details of meetings held by Ministers in the Department are recorded in our transparency data, which is published at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

12th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to maintain continuity of (a) petroleum and (b) diesel supply in the event of a public health emergency.

The Department continues to work closely with the fuel sector to ensure that plans are in place to maintain the supply of petroleum and diesel in the event of a public health emergency.

The sector is used to varying levels of demand, and disruptions to supply, for example during inclement weather, and is adept at directing resource to where it is most needed. In addition, the Government has a long-standing fuel supply contingency programme that can be deployed in support of industry to maintain fuel supplies as close to normal levels as possible.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Green Deal loan appeals in respect of Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd have been referred to her Department for (a) less than three months, (b) between three and six months, (c) between six and nine months, (d) between nine and twelve months and (e) more than twelve months without a final decision having been made in each (i) constituency, (ii) local authority area and (iii) NUTS first level region.

As of 3rd March 2020, there are 147 outstanding appeals, relating to the company Home Energy & Lifestyle Management Ltd (HELMS), which have been referred to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

The Regulations require that, before imposing any sanction, the Secretary of State gives notice to affected parties of his intention to impose a sanction and provides them with an opportunity to make representations before it is made final. To date, 83 Intention Notices have been issued in respect of the outstanding HELMS appeals.

The tables attached provide details of the age of the outstanding appeals, broken down by (i) constituency, (ii) local authority area and (iii) NUTS first level region.

18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on Scottish viewers of the expiry of digital terrestrial television licenses in 2034.

The Government remains committed to the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT), the technology which underpins Freeview. Millions of households across the UK, including in Scotland, rely on DTT. This is particularly true of rural communities and older people.

We also recognise the crucial role that DTT services play in the wider UK broadcasting system, in particular in helping ensure that public service content continues to be widely available and free-to-air to all audiences.

For these reasons, the Government has already legislated to secure the continuity of DTT until at least 2034.

As the sector evolves, it is right that we continue to evaluate the future distribution of television services. To that end, and as set out in the Broadcasting White Paper, the Government has asked Ofcom to continue to track changes in DTT viewing and to undertake an early review on market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025.

We have also recently launched a major research and engagement programme looking at how UK audiences will get their TV in the decades to come, including DTT, satellite, cable, and online.

Before any decisions about the future of terrestrial television are made, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the social value to (a) the elderly, (b) rural communities and (c) vulnerable people of free to air broadcast (i) TV and (ii) radio services.

The Government remains committed to the future of free to air TV and radio services. Millions of households across the UK rely on these services, particularly vulnerable people, the elderly and rural communities. We also recognise the crucial role that free-to-air television and radio services play in the wider UK broadcasting system, in particular in helping ensure that public service content continues to be widely available and free-to-air to all audiences.

More detailed data on the usage of free-to-air radio and TV is available from a variety of sources. For example, Ofcom produces its Media Nations report which reviews key trends in the media sector and sets out how audiences are served across the UK. The most recent report was published in August 2023 and can be found here. Ofcom also publishes the results of a number of annual surveys addressing these issues, as well as an interactive data set in the form of its annual Communications Market Report. Many of these publications include relevant analysis broken down by age group and/or geographic area.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport also commissions and publishes its own research on a range of topics, including in relation to radio and TV. For example, the Digital Radio and Audio Review (published October 2021) looked at the landscape for radio over the coming years, and noted that traditional radio, including FM services, was valued by many listeners – particularly those who were older or vulnerable.

We have also recently launched a major research and engagement programme looking at how UK audiences will get their TV in the decades to come, including digital terrestrial television (DTT), satellite, cable, and online.

Before any decisions about the future of terrestrial television are made, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an estimate of the potential impact on the cost of living of digital terrestrial television ending in 2034.

The Government remains committed to the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT), the technology which underpins Freeview. Millions of households across the UK, including in Scotland, rely on DTT. This is particularly true of rural communities and older people.

We also recognise the crucial role that DTT services play in the wider UK broadcasting system, in particular in helping ensure that public service content continues to be widely available and free-to-air to all audiences.

For these reasons, the Government has already legislated to secure the continuity of DTT until at least 2034.

As the sector evolves, it is right that we continue to evaluate the future distribution of television services. To that end, and as set out in the Broadcasting White Paper, the Government has asked Ofcom to continue to track changes in DTT viewing and to undertake an early review on market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025.

We have also recently launched a major research and engagement programme looking at how UK audiences will get their TV in the decades to come, including DTT, satellite, cable, and online.

Before any decisions about the future of terrestrial television are made, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring the digital terrestrial broadcast of international sporting events; and if she will make it her policy to continue digital terrestrial television beyond 2034.

The Government remains committed to the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT), the technology which underpins Freeview. Millions of households across the UK, including in Scotland, rely on DTT. This is particularly true of rural communities and older people.

We also recognise the crucial role that DTT services play in the wider UK broadcasting system, in particular in helping ensure that public service content continues to be widely available and free-to-air to all audiences.

For these reasons, the Government has already legislated to secure the continuity of DTT until at least 2034.

As the sector evolves, it is right that we continue to evaluate the future distribution of television services. To that end, and as set out in the Broadcasting White Paper, the Government has asked Ofcom to continue to track changes in DTT viewing and to undertake an early review on market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025.

We have also recently launched a major research and engagement programme looking at how UK audiences will get their TV in the decades to come, including DTT, satellite, cable, and online.

Before any decisions about the future of terrestrial television are made, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
27th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the comparability factors to be applied to the summer phase of the UK Government’s Sport Recovery Package.

For the summer phase of the Sport Survival Package, as with all government interventions, the Green Book guidance was applied. The Green Book is issued by HM Treasury, providing guidance on how to appraise policies, programmes and projects.The Treasury’s five case model is the means of developing proposals in a holistic way that optimises the social / public value produced by the use of public resources. Therefore, the Sport Survival Package has been assessed using a cost benefit analysis, ensuring value for money.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect on participation rates by young people of media coverage of sporting events listed under Group A under the terms outlined in Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996; and if he will make statement.

Britain is a sporting superpower; our shared victories in London and Rio demonstrated not only our sporting prowess but also the pride and passion for sport that is central to our national identity. That is why the Broadcasting Act 1996 ensures that events of special national significance such as the Olympics and Paralympics can be seen as widely as possible. While DCMS has not conducted a study into the impact of viewing the specific events listed in 'Group A' on children's activity levels, we know that they have the power to unite the nation, and to inspire us all to get active.

The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey shows that 3.3m (46.8%) of children and young people (aged 5-16) in England met the Chief Medical Officers’ guidance on physical activity in 2018-19. This is an increase of 279,000 since the previous year. However this means that over half do not do enough exercise to benefit their health. The School Sport and Activity Action Plan, published last July, set out government’s commitment to tackling this important issue, and ensuring that all children and young people have access to at least 60 minutes of high quality sport and PE every day.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Rugby Union, (b) Irish Rugby Football Union, (c) Welsh Rugby Union and (d) Rugby Football Union on increasing participation rates in rugby union.

The Secretary of State and I meet with sports national governing bodies on a regular basis to ensure they are supporting grassroots participation in line with the objectives of the government's Sporting Future strategy. Ministers continue to work with national governing bodies of sport to ensure that the Sporting Future strategy is implemented effectively, and that grassroots participation is supported.

Sport is a devolved matter and therefore support for grassroots sport and physical activity in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the respective Home Nations Sports Councils and devolved governments.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is in regular contact with Sport England, which is the organisation directly responsible for investing in and supporting grassroots sport in England. Through Sport England, government is investing £12.6m in the RFU over 2017-21 for its work on participation and supporting talented young athletes. Since 2016, England has invested a further £12.61m in multi-sport projects where rugby union is identified as one of the sports benefitting.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions officials in her Department have had with their counterparts in the Home Office on the effect of Tier 4 visa regulations on amateur sports.

DCMS and Home Office officials are in regular contact on matters relating to visas for sport. The Home Office also routinely engages with sports governing bodies, organisations within the sport sector and other government departments on visa issues.

Home Office definitions of amateur and professional sports persons contained in the immigration rules were established following full consultation with all recognised sports governing bodies. The full definitions can be found in the document attached. The rules surrounding entering the UK on a Tier 4 (General) student visa can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa.

Tier 4 visas have restrictions imposed regarding what work can be undertaken during the period agreed. For example, one of the conditions of holding a Tier 4 visa is that foreign students must not work in certain jobs, for example professional sportsperson or sports coach.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Six Nations Rugby Limited and their representatives on their tournaments’ listing under the terms outlined in Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996.

I have had no such discussions with Six Nations Rugby Ltd or their representatives. The Government is clear that the existing list works well, and strikes the right balance between retaining free-to-air sports events for the public, and allowing rights holders to negotiate agreements in the best interests of their sport. The Government has no current plans of undertaking a review of the list, or of moving the Six Nations from the category B list to the category A list. As a Group B event, live coverage of the Six Nations Rugby tournament may be broadcast by a subscription television service provided that secondary coverage is offered to the eligible free-to-air broadcasters.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Rugby Union, (b) the Irish Rugby Football Union, (c) the Welsh Rugby Union and (d) the Rugby Football Union on the broadcasting of rugby union on free-to-air television.

I have had no such discussions with the Scottish Rugby Union, the Irish Rugby Football Union, the Welsh Rugby Union or the Rugby Football Union. The Government is clear that the existing list works well, and strikes the right balance between retaining free-to-air sports events for the public, and allowing rights holders to negotiate agreements in the best interests of their sport. The Government has no current plans of undertaking a review of the list, or of moving the Six Nations from the category B list to the category A list. As a Group B event, live coverage of the Six Nations Rugby tournament may be broadcast by a subscription television service provided that secondary coverage is offered to the eligible free-to-air broadcasters.

John Whittingdale
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
3rd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import of cats that have been declawed.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was re-introduced to the House of Commons in May and will progress to Report stage as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill introduces measures relating to the low welfare movements of pets into the United Kingdom and includes powers to introduce further restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

In August 2021, HM Government launched a consultation on how these powers should be used. The consultation sought views on whether maintaining the existing requirements in relation to cats and kittens was the right approach. We are currently analysing the replies to this consultation and will publish our response in due course.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to increase the minimum age for importing cats from 15 weeks to six months.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was re-introduced to the House of Commons in May and will progress to Report stage as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill introduces measures relating to the low welfare movements of pets into the United Kingdom and includes powers to introduce further restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

In August 2021, HM Government launched a consultation on how these powers should be used. The consultation sought views on whether maintaining the existing requirements in relation to cats and kittens was the right approach. We are currently analysing the replies to this consultation and will publish our response in due course.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will bring forward legislative proposals on cat breeding that are equivalent to regulations in Scotland.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) introduced licencing requirements in England for specified activities involving animals: selling animals as pets, providing for or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats and dogs, hiring out horses, dog breeding and keeping or training animals for exhibition.

The 2018 Regulations are due to be reviewed in 2023. This will be an appropriate time to re-examine the scope of the Regulations and consider whether there is evidence to explore potential licencing of additional activities. As part of this review, we are proactively working with partners, including local authorities to collate data that can provide a picture of licensed and unlicensed activities involving animals in England. A wide range of stakeholders including key trade associations and the Canine and Feline Sector Group will be integral to coordinating input from this diverse sector to inform Defra’s review.

Whilst animal welfare is a devolved matter, Defra officials liaise closely with their counterparts across the whole of the UK.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Jan 2020
What plans the Government has to seek the consent of the Scottish Parliament to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.

The UK Government remains committed to the Sewel convention and the principle of legislative consent. The Secretary of State wrote to the Scottish Government on 18 December to seek their recommendation of consent for the Bill and has discussed this directly with Mike Russell.

I am disappointed that the Scottish Parliament voted against granting consent last week. We will continue to discuss the Bill with the Scottish Government.

9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will affect the proposed establishment of a Maritime Capability Campaign Office.

I refer the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North to the answer given to my hon. Friend for Harrow East on the 8th of November, UIN: 68231.

Mike Freer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support his Department is providing to companies in the rail industry to export their goods to the EU.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) provides a wide range of support to companies in the rail industry exporting to the EU. Great.gov.uk provides comprehensive export guidance to businesses, including how to access export finance and insurance. DIT’s Infrastructure sector team engages with the rail supply chain to match UK capability to high value export opportunities, including through an infrastructure campaign for Europe. The department’s network of international trade advisers also help UK businesses participate in export activities.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department made of the Barnett consequentials for Scotland of expenditure on High Speed 2 as of 3 October 2023.

The Barnett consequentials will continue to apply in the usual way for all three devolved administrations as set out in the published Statement of Funding Policy document. All decisions on Barnett consequentials beyond the Spending Round 2021 period will be taken at the next Spending Round.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the Barnett consequential funding for Scotland following completion of Phase 1 of High Speed 2.

The Barnett consequentials will continue to apply in the usual way for all three devolved administrations as set out in the published Statement of Funding Policy document. All decisions on Barnett consequentials beyond the Spending Round 2021 period will be taken at the next Spending Round.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
27th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total Barnett consequentials due to Scotland with the completion of Phases 1, 2a, 2b, and 3 of High Speed 2.

The Barnett consequentials will continue to apply in the usual way for all three devolved administrations as set out in the published Statement of Funding Policy document. All decisions on Barnett consequentials beyond the Spending Round 2021 period will be taken at the next Spending Round.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had his Italian counterpart on First Trenitalia's operation and part-ownership of the West Coast Partnership rail franchise.

No such discussions have taken place.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 4 March 2021 to Question 158968 on High Speed 2 Line: Euston Station, how many and what proportion of land and property acquisitions by HS2 Ltd in connection with the development of London Euston station were secured by (a) legal agreement with the owners of that land and property and (b) compulsory purchase order.

High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd acquired 73 property interests in connection with the development of London Euston station. Of these 10 were acquired by agreement (13.7%) and 63 were acquired by compulsory purchase (86.3%).

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date his Department informed (a) Network Rail Ltd, (b) First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd, (c) Manchester Airport Holdings Ltd and (d) Birmingham Airport Ltd of its decision to cancel HS2 Phase (i) 2a and (ii) 2b routes.

On 4 October, the Prime Minister announced Network North – this Government’s transport investment vision to drive better connectivity across the North, the Midlands, and the country – and confirmed that the Government would not proceed with the construction of HS2 Phase 2a, Phase 2b Western Leg and HS2 East.

Ministers and officials of the Department for Transport have engaged with relevant stakeholders to discuss the announcement and its implications.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of administration fees charged by providers of services operated under the Cycle to Work scheme on independent cycle shops.

The Department for Transport has not made any such assessment.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of civil servants on temporary contracts in the Department for Transport are women.

51% of workers on temporary contracts engaged by the core Department for Transport are female.

13th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of FTE civil servants in her Department at pay band SCS2 are women.

There are 15.1 full time equivalent female civil servants at SCS pay band 2 in DfT, which is 37.2% of all FTE at SCS pay band 2.

13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 187277 on Buses: Carbon Emissions, what discussions Ministers from his Department held with their counterparts in the Scottish Government between 12 February and 31 December 2020 on the rollout of zero-emission buses.

We can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 187276 on Buses: Carbon Emissions, what discussions Ministers from his Department had with Ministers from the Scottish Government on the rollout of zero emission buses between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019.

We can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 187276 on Buses: Carbon Emissions, what discussions Ministers from his Department had with Ministers from the Scottish Government on the rollout of zero emission buses between 1 January 2019 and 11 February 2020.

We can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 187276 on Buses: Carbon Emissions, what discussions Ministers from his Department had with Ministers from the Welsh Government on the rollout of zero emission buses between 1 January 2019 and 11 February 2020.

We can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the time allowed for road users to pay the Dart Charge for using the Dartford Crossing.

Users of the Dartford Crossing can pay the Dart Charge up to a year in advance and by midnight the day after travel. They can also set up a pay as you go account where their card will be automatically charged when they cross, or a pre-pay account which also offers a discounted rate. The vast majority of journeys at the Dartford Crossing are paid for correctly and on time (94.7% in the period May 2022 to April 2023 inclusive).

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings between his Department and devolved administrations took place at which policy on zero-emission buses was discussed between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020.

We can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department held with devolved administrations on the rollout of zero-emission buses before 11 February 2020.

We can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of his Department's combined resource and capital expenditure was spent on active travel projects in the 2022-23 financial year.

Around £3 billion is projected to be invested in active travel in the 5 years up to 2025, despite the need for efficiency savings across Government due to global financial pressures. This includes £273m spent on ringfenced active travel projects and programmes in the financial year of 2022-23. This represents 1% of the department’s total expenditure in 2022-23. In addition to this, funding was spent on active travel projects from wider sources such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and the Levelling Up Fund.

2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to acquire premises for Great British Railways in Derby.

The Great British Railways Transition Team are working with local partners in Derby to prepare for the Great British Railways headquarters.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of his Department's combined resource and capital expenditure is forecast to be spent on active travel projects in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26.

Around £3 billion is projected to be invested in active travel in the 5 years up to 2025, despite the need for efficiency savings across Government due to global financial pressures. This sum includes at least £250 million of ringfenced revenue and capital funding for active travel infrastructure over the two-year period of 2023-24 to 2024-25. The £3 billion also includes funding from wider sources such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and the Levelling Up Fund.

Planned expenditure on ringfenced active travel funding (£250m across 2023-24 and 2024-25), represents around 0.4% and 0.5% of the Department’s total planned expenditure for the period of 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The budget for the 2025-26 financial year has not yet been agreed and will be set as part of the next Spending Review.

2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the cost to the public purse of the (a) set-up and (b) operation of (i) Great British Railways and (ii) the Great British Railways Transition Team in the (A) 2021-22 and (B) 2022-23 financial years.

The cost to the public purse of the set-up and operation of the Great British Railways Transition Team was £12.2m in 2021-22 and £52.1m 2022-23. Great British Railways has not yet been established. The cost of establishment and ongoing operations of Great British Railways will be confirmed in the final business case.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings his Department has held with representatives of Derby City Council on (a) Great British Railways and (b) the Great British Railways Transition Team since 21 March 2023.

The Department for Transport works very closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), with daily contact. The Department has asked GBRTT to work with Derby City Council to establish the GBR headquarters.

Huw Merriman
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of zero-emission buses expected to be licensed for use as public transport vehicles by (a) 31 December 2023, (b) 30 June 2024 and (c) 31 December 2024.

Across the UK, an estimated 3,400 zero emission buses have been funded since February 2020.

The Department does not routinely produce estimates for the number and proportion of zero emission buses expected to be licenced for use as public transport vehicles for dates in the future.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
3rd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the European Commission on the operation of the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme.

A review of the Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme, which runs until 31 March 2025, will commence soon. This review will consider all aspects of the scheme, including zonal boundaries.

The current scheme operates under the EU State Aid regime, so any amendments have to be made in line with this legal framework.

However, the revised scheme would be governed by the UK’s independent state aid regime, enabling greater flexibility with the design of the scheme.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
3rd May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the zonal boundaries and eligibility for grant support for intra-zonal freight movements within the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme.

A review of the Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme, which runs until 31 March 2025, will commence soon. This review will consider all aspects of the scheme, including zonal boundaries.

The current scheme operates under the EU State Aid regime, so any amendments have to be made in line with this legal framework.

However, the revised scheme would be governed by the UK’s independent state aid regime, enabling greater flexibility with the design of the scheme.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that airlines operating in the UK meet their obligations in response to county court judgements, in the context of outstanding and unpaid county court claims.

The civil courts in England and Wales offer a number of different methods by which a creditor can enforce a judgment in their favour. These processes are designed to address different financial circumstances, and collectively they aim to make it as difficult as possible for the debtor to avoid their responsibilities. The choice of enforcement method lies entirely with the judgment creditor and it would not be appropriate for the Government to intervene in or comment on individual cases.

The UK has a regulatory framework in place to protect consumers whilst travelling by air, including seeking redress through Alternative Dispute Resolution and if necessary through the courts. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the UK’s specialist aviation regulator, is responsible for enforcing consumer laws for the collective interest of consumers and will take further action if required. The Government has been clear with industry on expectations to put consumers first and meet their legal obligations to their passengers.

30th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has made of the adequacy of the consumer protection powers available to aviation regulatory bodies.

As part of the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation in 2022, we consulted on whether the CAA should be given additional administrative powers to enforce consumer protections laws. The Department is considering the responses across all the proposals and will set out next steps in due course.

The Department is also currently reviewing the CAA as part of the programme of reviews of sponsored bodies, including looking at the CAA’s effectiveness at enforcing consumer rights with its current powers. The report will be published in the Spring following the review.

14th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many UK flagged ships were registered with the UK Ship Register in each calendar year since 2003.

The Department for Transport publishes UK Ship Register statistics as part of its annual Shipping fleet statistics publication in table FLE0100 and the number of UK flagged vessels of 100 gross tons and over registered in each year from 2003 to 2021 are as follows:

Year

Number of vessels

2003

1,419

2004

1,404

2005

1,438

2006

1,456

2007

1,481

2008

1,550

2009

1,553

2010

1,503

2011

1,469

2012

1,401

2013

1,360

2014

1,327

2015

1,330

2016

1,328

2017

1,317

2018

1,306

2019

1,177

2020

1,134

2021

1,091

The 2022 annual Shipping fleet statistics will be published on 29 March 2023.

The UK Ship Register is provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and generally includes all known sea-going ships (and a few non-seagoing vessels) of 100 gross tons and above.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department's funding for active travel projects will meet or exceed the Scottish Government's equivalent spending on a per capita basis.

Local transport policy and funding, including funding for active travel, is a devolved matter for the Scottish Government. In England outside London, the Government is projecting investment of around £3bn in active travel over the current Parliament. Amounts per capita in future years will vary significantly from one part of the country to another depending not only on local investment decisions but also on final decisions on capital and revenue budgets for active travel for the next two financial years, which have not yet been taken.

9th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help increase participation in the cycle to work scheme.

The Department regularly promotes the cycle to work scheme, and in 2019 revised the scheme’s guidance so as to make it simpler for employers to offer it to their employees.

The Department previously commissioned Business in the Community and Sustrans to publish best practice guidance for employers and local authorities, highlighting how employers can enable more of their staff to cycle to work using the scheme.

Officials from this Department and HM Revenue & Customs are in regular contact on the scheme, and the Department regularly meets with the Cycle to Work Alliance in order to identify further opportunities to increase take-up of the scheme.

9th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that per capita spending by Active Travel England is distributed equitably between regions in England.

Active Travel England provides funding to local authorities in England, outside London, based on several criteria. These include local authorities’ technical capability to deliver active travel projects, the quality of bids received and population levels.

9th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the monies allocated under City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements are directed toward projects exclusively or mainly concerned with active travel improvements.

Through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme the Government has agreed five-year local transport funding settlements for seven eligible city regions from April 2022. CRSTS funding is supporting improvements across a range of transport modes, but based on the plans put forward by mayors, the Government expects at least £700m to be allocated to active travel infrastructure over the period of 2022-25.

9th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the level of funding that will be required by Active Travel England to meet the target to increase the proportion of short journeys in towns and cities that are walked or cycled to 50 per cent by 2030.

The Department’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Active Travel Investment model estimates that a minimum of £5.5 billion is likely to be required to meet this objective.

The actual amount will depend on a wide variety of factors including the highly uncertain long-term impact of the pandemic on walking and cycling stages.

8th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2022 to Question 99878 on Buses: Exhaust Emissions, what recent estimate he has made of the total amount of funding allocated to local transport authorities under the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme where the procurement process has not yet been completed.

£270 million funding was awarded from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme to 17 local transport authorities.

In March 2023 the Department announced an additional £25.3m funding to four local areas for an additional 117 zero emission buses.

Once funding has been awarded the procurement of buses will be undertaken by either local transport authorities or bus operators.

Please see below Table 1 which presents information on how much funding each local transport authority received from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme and whether buses have been ordered. The numbers in Table 1 are not official statistics: they are based on the latest publicly available information and are therefore subject to change.

Local Transport Authority 

Funding awarded

Number of ZEBs 

ZEB Status  

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority

£4,200,000

30

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Kent County Council

£9,500,000

33

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Leicester City Council

£19,000,000

96

90 ordered  6 on the road

6 buses on the road supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong 90 buses ordered from Wrightbus

Milton Keynes City Council

£16,600,000

56

Funded

Following the operator's withdrawal of support, the Department is working closely with Milton Keynes City Council to determine next steps.

Warrington Borough Council

£21,400,000

105

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

South Yorkshire Combined Authority

£8,400,000

27

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Norfolk County Council

£14,800,000

70

70 Ordered

Wrightbus

North Yorkshire County Council

£7,800,000

39

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council

£12,800,000

62

62 Ordered

Wrightbus

Blackpool Council

£19,600,000

115

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Nottingham City Council

£15,200,000

78

12 ordered  66 funded

12 buses supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong. Bus manufacturer for 66 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

£35,700,000

170

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Hertfordshire County Council

£5,600,000

27

Funded

Following the operator's withdrawal of support, the Department is working closely with Hertfordshire County Council Council to determine next steps.

West Midlands Combined Authority

£30,400,000

124

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

City of York Council

£10,300,000

53

53 Ordered

Wrightbus

West Yorkshire Combined Authority

£30,300,000

136

57 ordered

57 buses ordered from Wrightbus Bus manufacturer for 79 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Oxfordshire County Council

£32,800,000

159

159 Ordered

104 buses ordered from Wrightbus. 55 buses ordered from Alexander Dennis Limited.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total amount of funding allocated to local transport authorities under the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme where the procurement process has not yet been completed.

We have committed to funding 4,000 zero emission buses (ZEBs) this Parliament. Since February 2020 we have provided funding support for nearly 2,400 zero emission buses in England. Across the UK an estimated 3,250 ZEBs have been funded so far.

As part of the Government’s commitment to ZEBs, the Government awarded £270 million through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (Scheme) to 17 local transport authorities which will support up to 1,278 zero emission buses.

Table 1 below presents information on whether zero emission buses have been ordered from funding from the ZEBRA scheme. The numbers in Table 1 are not official statistics: they are based on the latest publicly available information and are therefore subject to change.

Local transport authority

Funding

No. Buses

Status

Bus manufacturer

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority

£4,200,000

30

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Kent County Council

£9,500,000

33

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Leicester City Council

£19,000,000

96

6 buses on the road 90 buses ordered

6 buses on the road supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong 90 buses ordered from Wrightbus

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC)

£16,600,000

56

Funded – on hold

Following the operator's withdrawal of support, the Department is working closely with MKCC to determine next steps.

Warrington Borough Council

£21,400,000

120

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

South Yorkshire Combined Authority

£8,400,000

27

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Norfolk County Council

£3,300,000

15

Ordered

Wrightbus

North Yorkshire County Council

£7,800,000

39

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council

£6,600,000

34

Ordered

Wrightbus

Blackpool Council

£19,600,000

115

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Nottingham City Council

£15,200,000

78

12 ordered. 66 funded.

12 buses supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong. Bus manufacturer for 66 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

£35,700,000

170

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Hertfordshire County Council

£5,600,000

27

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

West Midlands Combined Authority

£30,400,000

124

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

City of York Council

£8,400,000

44

Ordered

Wrightbus

West Yorkshire Combined Authority

£24,600,000

111

32 buses ordered 79 buses funded.

32 buses ordered from Wrightbus Bus manufacturer for 79 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Oxfordshire County Council

£32,800,000

159

Funded

Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
13th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department will consult the general public on regulations for private e-scooter use on UK roads concurrently with the introduction of the Transport Bill to Parliament.

Government plans to take forward legislation that will create a new Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category when parliamentary time allows. The legislation would enable subsequent regulations to be made in respect of e-scooters. We are working to ensure any future regulations are effective and proportionate, however no decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooter users or the manufacturers of private e-scooters. The Department will consult, including through a public consultation which we plan to publish, before any new arrangements come into force.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
13th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to publish a public consultation on regulations for the (a) users and (b) manufacturers of private e-scooters.

Government plans to take forward legislation that will create a new Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category when parliamentary time allows. The legislation would enable subsequent regulations to be made in respect of e-scooters. We are working to ensure any future regulations are effective and proportionate, however no decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooter users or the manufacturers of private e-scooters. The Department will consult, including through a public consultation which we plan to publish, before any new arrangements come into force.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
13th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has taken recent steps to prepare regulations for the (a) users and (b) manufacturers of private e-scooters.

Government plans to take forward legislation that will create a new Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category when parliamentary time allows. The legislation would enable subsequent regulations to be made in respect of e-scooters. We are working to ensure any future regulations are effective and proportionate, however no decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooter users or the manufacturers of private e-scooters. The Department will consult, including through a public consultation which we plan to publish, before any new arrangements come into force.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
13th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of air quality standards in piloted aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Maintaining the safety record of UK aviation is something we take very seriously. That is why concerns raised about cabin air have been investigated at length in the UK and internationally over a number of years. These scientific research projects have not been able to confirm a link between perceived cabin air quality and illness, and show that the cabin/cockpit air quality is similar or better than what is observed in normal indoor environments.

The Government continues to support steps to further develop understanding of the air quality on board aircraft. The Aviation Health Unit within the Medical Department of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will continue to monitor issues around cabin air as part of their wider role as specialist adviser to the Government on aviation health issues.

13th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with representatives of (a) trade unions and staff, (b) the aviation industry and (c) the Health and Safety Executive on standards of air filtration on piloted aircraft since 1 January 2020.

During the pandemic, air filtration onboard aircraft was of particular interest in relation to transmission of the COVID-19 virus. My officials have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the pandemic on a variety of issues, including aircraft filtrations systems and standards.

11th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been levied in fixed track access charges for (a) all train operators and (b) each train operator for each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

The below table shows the amount levied in fixed track access charges for (a) all train operators and (b) each train operator for each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

£m, cash prices

Franchised operator

16/17

17/18

18/19

19/20

20/21

21/22 (1)

Arriva Trains Wales

15.3

18.6

24.0

Transport for Wales

4.5

32.9

Keolis Amey Wales

15.0

33.6

24.8

c2c

4.1

4.9

9.8

15.5

16.7

16.0

Chiltern

22.1

22.0

37.6

33.2

33.5

35.1

Cross Country

16.5

22.4

46.2

49.7

45.9

45.5

Virgin East Coast

22.4

27.2

18.1

London North Eastern Railway

40.6

50.4

45.7

55.6

East Midlands

12.2

15.0

33.5

18.2

East Midlands Railway

29.1

42.5

39.7

Govia Thameslink Railway

31.9

39.2

85.4

149.0

155.0

136.7

First Great Western

24.7

31.7

67.0

83.2

78.3

77.6

Greater Anglia

9.8

Abelio East Anglia

8.4

22.2

47.2

45.3

55.8

52.2

London Midland

14.2

10.9

West Midlands Trains

4.9

33.6

46.9

46.6

52.8

London Overground

2.6

Arriva Rail London

1.6

5.2

11.0

19.6

21.7

22.3

Merseyrail

2.6

3.1

6.6

17.7

16.2

17.6

MTR Crossrail

2.0

2.4

31.1

69.9

79.9

79.6

Arriva Rail North

20.2

25.8

56.1

73.8

Northern Trains

13.4

83.2

85.1

Scotrail

89.2

149.7

243.5

263.1

276.2

287.7

Serco Sleeper

4.2

7.0

11.0

4.0

4.2

4.5

London & South Eastern Railway

19.1

23.7

49.1

69.4

41.3

Southeastern

35.4

70.5

South West Trains

20.9

9.4

South Western Railway

15.5

53.9

72.3

78.6

84.4

Transpennine

10.4

12.7

27.4

35.5

32.1

29.1

Virgin West Coast

35.8

43.0

91.1

42.1

Avanti West Coast

18.7

61.1

68.0

Total

390.2

516.5

1,038.8

1,253.6

1,279.3

1,293.0

Accounting adjustments (2)

1.8

2.5

(0.8)

0.4

(0.3)

(0.0)

Total disclosed in Regulatory Financial Statements

392.0

519.0

1,038.0

1,254.0

1,279.0

1,293.0

Notes

(1) 21/22 figures have yet to be published and are subject to year end assurance and audit

(2) Accounting adjustments relate to some centrally managed items not attributable to an individual operator

Changes in franchises

During 2018/19 responsibility for the London North East rail franchise transferred from Virgin East Coast to London North Eastern Railway.

During 2018/19, London North Eastern Railway was created to operate the London North East rail franchise whilst the government assessed franchising options for this route. Therefore, income is recognised for the first time against this operator in that year

Abelio East Anglia replaced Greater Anglia as the franchise operator during 2016/17 which accounts for the movements between 2015/16 and 2016/17 for these two operators.

In 2016/17, Arriva Rail London assumed responsibility for the London overground concession previously run by London Overground Rail Operations. Therefore, there is a significant decrease in the revenue reported from London Overground in 2016/17 compared to 2015/16 with a corresponding increase in Arriva Rail London

In 2017/18, West Midlands Trains replaced London Midland as the franchise operator on the London North West route. This also resulted in a decrease in London Midland income in 2017/18 compared to the previous year.

In 2017/18, South Western Railway replaced South West Trains as the principle operator in the Wessex route. Consequently, the income earned by the latter was shown for the first time in 2017/18, whilst the former has a noticeable year-on-year decrease in their turnover in the above table in those years

Arriva Trains Wales – this franchise ended in October 2018. Responsibility for operations in this area moved to Keolis Amey Wales, which means that Arriva Trains Wales has a reduction in income in 2018/19 compared to 2017/18

Keolis Amey Wales – this franchise commenced in October 2018, so reported income for the first time in 2018/19

During 2019/20 Avanti West Coast replaced Virgin West Coast as the franchisee for the West Coast Main Line. As a result, Virgin West Coast income decreases in 2019/20 and Avanti West Coast reports income for the first time

During 2019/20 East Midlands Railway replaced East Midlands as the franchisee for the east midlands line. As a result, East Midlands income decreases in 2019/20 and East Midlands Railway reports income for the first time

During 2020/21 Transport for Wales replaced Keolis Amey Wales as the franchisee for Wales. As a result, Keolis Amey Wales income decreases in 2020/21 and Transport for Wales reports income for the first time

During 2019/2020 Northern Trains replaced Arriva Rail North as the franchisee for Northern. As a result, Arriva Rail North income decreases in 2019/20 and Northern Trains reports income for the first time

During 2020/21 Southeastern replaced London & South East Railway as the franchisee for South East. As a result, London & South East Railways income decreases in 2020/21 and Southeastern reports income for the first time

11th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of overall revenue received through fixed track access charges derives from payments relating to rail infrastructure solely in Scotland for (a) each rail operator and (b) all rail operators.

The below table shows the total Network Rail revenue over the period 2016/17 to 2021/22 and how much of that total revenue comes from fixed track access charges and how much comes from fixed track access charges attributable to Scotland in both £m and % terms.

£m, cash prices

16/17

17/18

18/19

19/20

20/21

21/22 (1)

Ref

Overall Network Rail revenue (2)

6,763

7,132

8,837

8,981

9,601

9,980

A

Total fixed track access charges

392

519

1,038

1,254

1,279

1,293

B

Fixed track access charges attributable to Scotland

93

157

255

267

281

292

C

Total fixed track access charges % of overall Network Rail revenue

6%

7%

12%

14%

13%

13%

D = B / C

Fixed track access charges attributable to Scotland % of overall Network Rail revenue

1%

2%

3%

3%

3%

3%

E = C / A

Breakdown of Scotland FTAC

Scotrail

89

150

244

263

276

288

Serco Sleeper

4

7

11

4

4

5

Accounting adjustments (3)

(0)

0

1

(0)

1

(0)

Total

93

157

255

267

281

292

C

Notes

(1) 21/22 figures have yet to be published and are subject to year end assurance and audit

(2) This is the revenue definition used by ORR and included in Network Rail's published Regulatory Financial Statements

(3) Accounting adjustments relate to some centrally managed items not attributable to an individual operator

24th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has held with representatives of DP World on the operations of P&O Ferries between 1 November 2021 and 15 March 2022.

As part of our response to the Transport Select Committee, the Secretary of State has sent a note of the meeting with DP world in November. This is the only meeting held in the time period.

24th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what topics were discussed at his meeting with representatives of DP World at the Dubai Expo on 22 November 2021.

As part of our response to the Transport Select Committee, the Secretary of State has sent a note of the meeting with DP world in November. This is the only meeting held in the time period.

24th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish all documentation held by his Department relating to his meeting with representatives of DP World at the Dubai Expo on 22 November 2021.

As part of our response to the Transport Select Committee, the Secretary of State has sent a note of the meeting with DP world in November. This is the only meeting held in the time period.

24th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his departmental diary for 20 November 2021.

The Department does not publish full Ministerial diaries. Details of meetings with external organisations are routinely published on GOV.UK The next round of data is due to be published shortly.

15th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to amend regulations in respect of privately owned electric powered scooters.

The Department for Transport is running trials of rental e-scooters to assess their safety and wider impacts and has in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme. A full set of findings on rental e-scooters from this evaluation will be included in the final report due in late spring 2022.

The evidence gathered during the trials will inform whether e-scooters should be legalised in the future, and how we can ensure their use is as safe as possible.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
15th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on bringing forward legislative proposals to amend regulations in respect of privately owned electric vehicles.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with Cabinet and government colleagues to discuss the transition to electric vehicles. The government will publish a response to the consultation on improving the consumer experience at public chargepoints soon. Further legislative measures were consulted on as part of the Future of transport regulatory review: zero emission vehicles, which closed in November 2021. The government will publish its response in due course.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
14th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2022 to Question 136581, if he will publish the number of buses which have received funding under the Zero Emissions Bus Regional Areas scheme and have been registered as Public Service Vehicles for each calendar month since March 2021.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 14 March 2022 to Question UIN 136581.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many buses have been ordered through the Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme in each month since the scheme’s introduction.

In March 2021 the Transport Secretary launched the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme which was open to local transport authorities who were able to bid for funding to introduce zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them in their areas.

The Government announced the first areas to be awarded funding under the fast track process of the scheme in October 2021. Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Leicester, Warrington, Kent and Milton Keynes have been awarded £70.8m funding for zero emission buses and associated infrastructure. This will support the introduction of up to 335 electric buses and associated infrastructure. We expect first orders for these buses to be placed this year.

A second group of local transport authorities have submitted business cases to secure funding through the standard process. The Department is currently assessing these business cases. Funding will be awarded to successful areas later in 2022.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of ammonia-powered ships.

In March 2021, we launched the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK. The competition supports the design and development of zero emission shipping technologies, which includes hydrogen, ammonia and battery. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.

18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of battery-powered ships.

In March 2021, we launched the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK. The competition supports the design and development of zero emission shipping technologies, which includes hydrogen, ammonia and battery. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.

18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of hydrogen-powered ships.

In March 2021, we launched the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK. The competition supports the design and development of zero emission shipping technologies, which includes hydrogen, ammonia and battery. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.

18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of ships fuelled by biofuel.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) currently provides support for biofuels used in inland waterway vessels.

Following a consultation in 2021 on whether and how the RTFO could support a greater uptake of low carbon fuels in maritime, the Government decided not to provide support to biofuels used in shipping. This is because biomass availability across the UK economy is limited, and these finite resources might be more effectively used in those sectors of our economy that have fewer decarbonisation options compared to maritime. This position does not preclude vessels purchasing and using biofuel in a commercial fashion.

Since January 2022, the RTFO provides support to renewable fuels of non-biological origin when used across the maritime sector, including ships operating at sea. This applies to fuels including renewable ammonia, hydrogen and methanol, where R&D support is needed to help these fuels come to market.

18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of ships fuelled by LNG.

Natural gas in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) offers the potential for large reductions in all air pollutant emissions but limited GHG savings when compared to incumbent fuels (heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil).

Our Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, launched in March 2021, allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK, including projects exploring internal combustion engine technology that is capable of using zero emission fuels like hydrogen, methanol and ammonia. The competition also supports projects on green shipbuilding, placing the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vessels.

As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.

30th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what costs have been incurred by the Government through the (a) Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme, (b) Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme and (c) All-Electric Bus Town or City scheme in providing funding for buses that are used on registered local bus services by licensed Public Service Vehicle operators in England.

The Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) scheme was open to any English or Welsh local authority, combined authority or bus operator. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding. Funding from the scheme was provided over three years: 2018-19; 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Currently, over 50 zero emission buses (ZEB) supported by the ULEB scheme are used on registered local bus services by licensed public service vehicle operators in England. These buses were supported by over £14 million in Government funding. In addition, over 60 buses, supported by almost £7 million from the scheme, are also operating in London.

Over 30 further ZEBs, supported by the scheme in England, have been ordered, including 20 hydrogen buses, supported by over £7 million, they are expected on the road in due course.

The All Electric Bus Town or City scheme was open to English local transport authorities outside London. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding.

In March 2021 £50 million funding was awarded to the West Midlands Combined Authority to introduce electric buses and charging infrastructure to convert all buses used on registered local bus services to electric buses. This funding will support the introduction of up to 300 electric buses in Coventry.

The Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme was open to English local transport authorities outside London. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding.

Up to £270 million funding is available under the ZEBRA scheme in 2021-22. £70.8 million of this funding has been awarded so far to five local transport authorities: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Leicester City Council, Kent County Council, Milton Keynes Council and Warrington Borough Council. This will support the introduction of up to 335 electric buses and associated infrastructure. A further 17 local transport authorities are working to produce business cases under the standard process of the scheme. The Department will award funding to successful business cases under the standard process in Spring 2022.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many zero emission buses funded through the (a) Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme, (b) Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme and (c) All-Electric Bus Town or City scheme are used on registered local bus services by licensed Public Service Vehicle operators in England.

The Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) scheme was open to any English or Welsh local authority, combined authority or bus operator. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding. Funding from the scheme was provided over three years: 2018-19; 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Currently, over 50 zero emission buses (ZEB) supported by the ULEB scheme are used on registered local bus services by licensed public service vehicle operators in England. These buses were supported by over £14 million in Government funding. In addition, over 60 buses, supported by almost £7 million from the scheme, are also operating in London.

Over 30 further ZEBs, supported by the scheme in England, have been ordered, including 20 hydrogen buses, supported by over £7 million, they are expected on the road in due course.

The All Electric Bus Town or City scheme was open to English local transport authorities outside London. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding.

In March 2021 £50 million funding was awarded to the West Midlands Combined Authority to introduce electric buses and charging infrastructure to convert all buses used on registered local bus services to electric buses. This funding will support the introduction of up to 300 electric buses in Coventry.

The Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme was open to English local transport authorities outside London. Only buses used on registered local bus services were eligible for funding.

Up to £270 million funding is available under the ZEBRA scheme in 2021-22. £70.8 million of this funding has been awarded so far to five local transport authorities: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Leicester City Council, Kent County Council, Milton Keynes Council and Warrington Borough Council. This will support the introduction of up to 335 electric buses and associated infrastructure. A further 17 local transport authorities are working to produce business cases under the standard process of the scheme. The Department will award funding to successful business cases under the standard process in Spring 2022.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the £300 million investment identified in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 for the extension of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition and HGV technology trials will be made available specifically to the maritime sector.

DfT received £300m for R&D initiatives to help commercialise low and zero emission technologies. The Department will shortly commence a prioritisation process to allocate this funding across different programmes, including maritime. The outcome will be shared in due course.

14th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what expenditure his Department has incurred on preparatory work related to a fixed-link crossing between Scotland and Northern Ireland since 24 July 2019.

The Fixed Link Feasibility Study forms part of the Union Connectivity Review, independently chaired by Sir Peter Hendy CBE. Sir Peter’s review has not yet concluded, so the final figure is not yet available.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
14th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what expenditure the Government has incurred on preparatory work related to a fixed-link crossing between Scotland and Northern Ireland since 24 July 2019.

The Fixed Link Feasibility Study forms part of the Union Connectivity Review, independently chaired by Sir Peter Hendy CBE. Sir Peter’s review has not yet concluded, so the final figure is not yet available.

Trudy Harrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) regional airports and (b) the Government's levelling up agenda.

The Government recognises the challenges faced by the aviation sector at this time. The Government is committed to maintaining critical connectivity and through policies like Public Service Obligations the Department for Transport subsidises routes into London.

We have also taken action to support airports through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS). This opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.

The Government is keen to find ways to work closely with the industry to ease restrictions on international travel gradually and sustainably. The Secretary of State for Transport will lead a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce to develop a framework that can facilitate greater travel when the time is right, while still managing the risk from imported cases and variants.

25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many land and property transactions have been conducted as part of phase 1 of High Speed 2; and how many of those transactions are subject to Non-Disclosure Agreements on behalf of either party to the transaction.

In Phase One there have been 1,491 compensation payments made. Please note that an acquisitions case typically can have multiple payments associated with it.

HS2 Ltd does not as a matter of course ask for NDAs as default for its land and property acquisitions. For the programme as a whole, HS2 Ltd has over 400 specific confidentiality agreements but does not record/label the agreements as to whether they relate to land and property transactions or not.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2021 to Question 153281, on High Speed 2 Railway Line, what the most costly (a) land and (b) property acquisition in Phase 1 of HS2 was, by cost.

The most costly land and property acquisition was the three buildings outside Euston station, being One Euston Square, One Eversholt Street -The Podium and One Eversholt Street - The Tower.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many court actions there have been in respect of Compulsory Purchase Orders against High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd in relation to Phase 1 of HS2; and what expenditure High Speed 2 (HS2) Ltd has incurred in (a) solicitors and (b) other legal costs in connection with those court actions.

There has been one determined High Court and Court of Appeal case arising out of a compulsory purchase notice served by HS2 Ltd. on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport for Phase One of the HS2 Project. The court ruled in the Secretary of State’s favour.

There have been ten cases in which a reference has been made to the Upper Tribunal in respect of compensation entitlement as a result of compulsory purchase notices served by HS2 Ltd for Phase One of HS2.

There has been one case where HS2 Ltd. made a reference to the Upper Tribunal in respect of disputed compensation. All compensation cases have settled save for two, which are still ongoing.

There have been twelve Upper Tribunal references made by HS2 Ltd as a result of material detriment counter notices served on HS2 Ltd. requesting the Secretary of State acquires more land than the land referred to in the compulsory purchase notice. Only one has been heard in the Tribunal, with the rest all settling.

There have been seven Upper Tribunal references made in respect of blight notices rejected by the Secretary of State. Two of the references reached a full hearing in the Upper Tribunal (the other references being withdrawn).

Certificates of Appropriate Alternative Developments, Section 18 valuations and connected court cases have not been included in the above.

The information provided in this response has been identified from the information that is currently available to the Department.

Legal costs:

12 x Counter Notice References (a) £236,842 and (b) £51,754 (disbursements including Counsel fees)

10 x Compensation References (a) £1,258,393 and (b) £756, 968 (disbursements including Counsel fees)

2 x blight notices (a) £4,795.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total costs incurred by High Speed Two of procuring professional advice for the estimates of costs to acquire property in connection with HS2 Phase 1 since 2009; if he will publish a list of the companies involved in that work.

Phase One Acquisition spend from Financial Year 2014/15 to 2020/21 is £41.5m; no earlier spend reported. Companies involved are: CBRE, Lambert Smith Hampton, Carter Jonas, Valuation Office Agency, Montagu Evans and Deloitte. These companies also rely on sub-contractors for various technical matters.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of the purchase of land and property in respect of the development of London Euston station has been to date in connection with High Speed Two, Phase 1.

£946,379,547.59 (including VAT where relevant) for compulsory purchase and £19,498,000 for statutory blight and discretionary schemes.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the total number of land and property acquisitions by High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd in connection with the development of London Euston station which were secured by (a) legal agreement with owners and (b) Compulsory Purchase Orders.

(a) Nine interests have been or are currently being acquired by legal agreement with owners.

(b) Ninety-five interests have been or are currently being acquired by Compulsory Purchase Orders.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he has had with representatives of the aviation industry to discuss the planned aviation recovery package.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Department for Transport has engaged very regularly with the industry, including through both Ministerial meetings and official led sessions.

As announced on 22nd February as part of the roadmap for the phased lifting of restrictions in England, the Secretary of State for Transport will also now lead a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce to develop a framework that can facilitate greater international travel when the time is right, while still managing the risk from imported cases and variants.

The government is also developing a forward looking strategic framework on the recovery of the sector, which we engage with the industry on and will publish later this year.

19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to mitigate the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on regional airports.

The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time.

Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firms can continue to draw upon the package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and VAT deferrals.

In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.

Through the Global Travel Taskforce, the Government will work closely with the industry to find ways to safely and gradually ease restrictions on international travel. We will set out more detail on this soon.

19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the loss of air routes in Europe on the UK’s ability to trade with Europe.

The new UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) does not place any restriction on air services between points in the UK and points in the EU, ensuring that UK-EU trade can continue to travel freely by air. Furthermore, the TCA recognises that, at their discretion, EU Member states may permit UK airlines to operate non-scheduled air services within and beyond the EU. The TCA also allows the UK and individual EU Member States to negotiate and agree a bilateral exchange of additional “5th Freedom” all-cargo rights. My officials are engaging closely with EU Member States and with industry on these matters.

19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his forecasts are for recovery and growth in the air transport and travel sector.

DfT has not produced economic forecasts of recovery and growth in the air transport or travel sectors. DfT maintain a capability to produce a range of passenger demand scenarios, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the potential shape of recovery, for internal use.

The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.

Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England.

19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to support the aviation sector to increase connectivity to pre-covid-19 pandemic levels.

The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.

In addition, through the Global Travel Taskforce, the Government will work closely with the industry to find ways to safely and gradually ease restrictions on international travel. We will set out more detail on this soon.

19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to introduce an economic stimulus package to incentivise new air travel routes to be established after covid-19 travel restrictions are eased.

The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.

Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firms can continue to draw upon the package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and VAT deferrals.

In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.

19th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the severe downturn in the aviation industry due to the covid-19 outbreak on the wider economy.

Before Covid-19, aviation directly contributed at least £22 billion to GDP to the UK economy and supported around half a million jobs. This included the air transport and aerospace sectors, as well as the wider supply chain. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the aviation sector has been one of the worst affected sectors in the UK. Passenger numbers at UK airports fell by 99% at the height of the pandemic. Overall volumes of flight traffic in the UK is currently around 80% below equivalent 2019 levels. The air transport sector’s contribution to the UK economy dropped by 74% in 2020 compared to 2019 and tens of thousands of redundancy notifications have been made. In addition to the direct impact to the UK air transport sector, the wider supply-chain and economy has also been adversely impacted by the severe reduction in air passenger demand, jobs and air connectivity, with impacts on consumer spending and investment across the rest of the economy.

The Department recognises the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on travel, and work continues to understand how best the industry can be supported at this time. The Government is working on a strategic framework for the recovery of the sector. It will explore the return to growth of the aviation sector, and will include consideration of workforce and skills, regional connectivity, noise, innovation and regulation, and consumer issues.

Aviation businesses have access to the unprecedented economic support package that the Chancellor has put in place to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to this, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England.

In addition, through the Global Travel Taskforce, the Government will work closely with the industry to find ways to safely and gradually ease restrictions on international travel. We will set out more detail on this soon.

11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Compulsory Purchase Notices have been issued in relation to Phase 1 of High Speed Two; and what estimate he has made of the number that are still required for completion of Phase 1.

As of 31 January 2021, the Secretary of State for Transport has executed General Vesting Declarations (GVD) for permanent acquisition of 362 pieces of land or properties, by serving 4,060 notices on the interests in that land or those properties.

HS2 Ltd has 66.5 square kilometres (plus 2.2 square kilometres of subsoil) within act limits; reviewing and forecasting land requirements is an on-going process whilst design and construction plans continue.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the (a) total costs incurred to date and (b) total expenditure required for land and property acquisition in relation to Phase 1 of High Speed Two.

a) The costs incurred to date for land and property acquisition is £2,345 million. Within this £1,202 million is for Compulsory Purchase, £287 million for Schemes, £624 million through Private Agreement, and £232 million for Statutory Blight.

b) The final amount of compensation payable will be dependent on a number of factors including the take-up of discretionary schemes. HS2 Ltd is currently tracking to deliver its programme of acquisitions within the funding envelope agreed with the Department.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many claimants have been compensated by HS2 Ltd in relation to land and property interests affected by the route of Phase 1 of High Speed Two; and how many claimants' cases are estimated to be outstanding.

  • For Blight claims, 222 claimants have been compensated.

  • For Phase One non-statutory Schemes, 345 parties have been paid (Need to sell/ Exceptional Hardship/ Rural Support Zone)

  • For Phase 1 Access Licences, 1,552 claimants have received compensation

  • For Phase One Compulsory Purchase Order Claims, 1,002 claimants have received compensation, from 2,742 total separate payments.

Until the final number of notices have been served, and the claims received, the final number is not possible to forecast.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what area of land has been acquired to date by HS2 Ltd for purposes connected to Phase 1 of High Speed Two; and what estimate has been made of the area of land that remains required to be acquired by HS2 Ltd for the same purpose.

The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 identifies an area of 66.5 square kilometres plus 2.2 square kilometres of subsoil which may be acquired or possessed for the purposes of building the railway from London to Birmingham. As at the end of January 2021, 26.45 square kilometres have been acquired under permanent acquisition powers, and 26.76 square kilometres are currently being occupied under temporary possession powers. Reviewing and forecasting land requirements is an on-going process whilst design and construction planning continues.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the transportation of equipment for (a) music, (b) entertainment and (c) sport into the EU under the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

Market access arrangements for hauliers transporting equipment for cultural events was discussed regularly during negotiations between the UK and the EU, and they are subject to the provisions in the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA). During UK-EU negotiations, the UK put forward proposals for an exemption for specialist hauliers carrying out tours for cultural events, but the EU did not agree to our ask.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of the nine freedoms of the air the UK aviation sector enjoyed as an EU member the UK will retain after the end of the transition period.

Following the end of the Transition Period, all existing UK airlines are able to continue flying between the UK and the EU, including overflights and technical stops – the first four freedoms of the air.

The UK and individual EU Member States may also negotiate additional so-called fifth freedom rights for all-cargo carriers and may permit additional flexibilities for non-scheduled services.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's guidance, Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the EU drivers' hours rules: delivery of essential items to retailers, published on 10 December 2020 to be applicable for the period between 10 December and 30 December 2020, how many notification of relaxation forms his Department received; and whether he plans to extend the period of relaxed enforcement of those rules.

The Department has received 90 notifications from operators indicating that they would be using the temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the EU drivers’ hours rules. The Department has not yet received the final notifications from all these operators about whether or not the relaxation was actually used. The relaxation ended on 30 December 2020 and there are no plans to extend this further given the current situation.

However, two separate and different relaxations of the enforcement of the EU drivers’ hours rules were granted (which both began on 23 December 2020 and will end on 22 January 2021). One is for the general haulage of goods in Great Britain and the other is for the international carriage of goods by road, related to substantial delays to border crossings. Details can be found on the gov.uk website.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to review the driver welfare provisions of Operations (a) Stack and (b) Brock; and if he will make a statement.

The provision of driver welfare in Operations Stack and Brock is the responsibility of the Kent Resilience Forum. In the event of significant disruption on the M20, the Kent Resilience Forum may take the decision to activate their Driver Welfare Plan, which includes the proportionate distribution of welfare at the roadside. Both the Department and the KRF monitor the situation closely and have the capability to increase the provision of welfare depending on the scale of demand, as demonstrated by the response to the extreme traffic disruption that occurred over the Christmas period as a result of France closing the border.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of delay at the border to hauliers exporting to the EU under the terms of the new trade deal with the EU compared to customs union membership.

Now the that transition period has ended EU authorities require additional paperwork and checks when goods are moved from the UK to the EU. Border readiness checks are undertaken both in the EU and within the UK (to ensure that freight can enter the EU after it has left the UK). These additional checks take time and there will inevitably be a certain proportion that are not border ready (i.e. have the correct documentation), which may result in some disruption. DfT analysis has focused on a Reasonable Worst Case Scenario for planning purposes, which can be found here. Note that this is not an estimate but a scenario used for contingency planning purposes. As yet it is too early to use observed data to provide an estimate, as freight volumes have been low, as they usually are in early January.

20th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has made for the UK's continued participation in the European Conference of Ministers of Transport's haulage permit scheme after the end of the transition period.

The UK Government will remain a member of the European Conference of Ministers for Transport (ECMT) regime after the transition period as it is a multilateral agreement independent of the European Union.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the EU Aviation Safety Agency on the establishment and operation of mutual travel without quarantine as a result of covid-19 between the UK and agency member states.

Since leaving the EU on 31st of January 2020, the UK no longer participates in EASA meetings. The Department for Transport has not discussed with any member state the possibility of mutual travel without the requirement for quarantine.

8th Jun 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the draft criteria formulated as a result of his Departments discussions on mutual travel between the UK and European Union Aviation Safety Agency member states that do not require quarantine as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

Since leaving the EU on 31st of January 2020, the UK no longer participates in EASA meetings. The Department for Transport has not discussed with any member state the possibility of mutual travel without the requirement for quarantine.

13th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring the financial viability of the UK transport industry during the covid-19 outbreak.

DfT has been engaging with a range of transport industry sectors to understand and monitor the impact of Covid-19. The Chancellor has set out an unprecedented range of support measures for businesses across the economy that the transport industry can access. This includes schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for employees.

We have discussed and agreed with HMT appropriate support to ensure continuation of key services. This includes services to support key workers and essential freight capacity. We have suspended normal rail franchise agreements and transferred all revenue and cost risk to the government for a limited period to safeguard minimum rail services. On Maritime Freight Capacity, support for operators on key routes across the Irish Sea (up to 5 routes) and GB-mainland Europe (up to 26 routes, incl. Eurotunnel). We have committed to funding worth almost £400 million to protect bus services for people who need to make essential journeys.

Any business that continues to experience financial distress after taking advantage of the cross-economy schemes and implementing all possible self-help measure can apply for bespoke support. This additional bespoke support is treated as the last resort.

We are continuing to discuss the support that may be required as we enter the restart and recovery phase of the Covid outbreak.

13th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the tourism industry on consumer protection and industry obligations to refund journeys cancelled as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the challenges consumers and businesses are experiencing regarding refunds for cancelled holidays and flights. In particular, we appreciate the frustration consumers may be experiencing. The government’s position is clear - if a customer asks for a refund, that refund needs to be paid. The Department for Transport is in regular conversation with UK airlines and is working with the wider sector, the regulator and consumer groups to help ensure airlines deliver on their commitments.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Ernst & Young in their role as administrators of Flybe Limited on arrangements to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Where a company, such as Flybe, is being taken under the management of an administrator, it would be a matter for the administrator if employees are able to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. However, we would expect an administrator would only access the scheme if there is a reasonable likelihood of rehiring the workers.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Confederation for Passenger Transport on the UK coach industry and the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on coach operators.

Ministers and officials have had regular meetings with the Confederation for Passenger Transport in recent weeks to discuss a wide range of matters. The Government has launched an unprecedented set of support measures to ensure that businesses, such as coach operators, have access to the funds they need to pay essential bills at this difficult time. This includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been extended until the end of October. Officials are engaging with both MHCLG and HMT to understand what the ongoing risks and issues are for the coach sector, and how these could be addressed.

11th May 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the road haulage industry on (a) the operation of road haulage during the covid-19 pandemic and (b) the financial position of that industry.

Ministers and officials at the Department are in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry, including the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association, to understand the issues the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19, including operational and financial matters. The Department is working with the industry to ensure that the appropriate measures are in place to allow for the continued operation of the road freight sector during the pandemic, and to identify barriers to accessing the available Government support measures.

12th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Freight Transport Association, (b) Road Haulage Association and (c) British Pipeline Agency on maintaining continuity of (i) petroleum and (ii) diesel supplies in the event of a public health emergency.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth on 18th March 2020 to Question 28666.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives from the EU, on the maintenance of the Trans-European Transport Network after the transition period.

There have been no recent discussions with EU representatives on the maintenance of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) after the transition period.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on CO² emissions of making permanent the longer semi-trailer trial that is scheduled to end in 2027.

As set out in the summary report of the longer semi-trailer trial for the year 2018, published on 2 March 2020, the net emissions reduction from the trial to date is around 37,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

The extent to which these savings would be achieved outside of the current trial setting would depend on the commercial appetite for using longer semi-trailers and the regulatory regime put in place.

The future of the longer semi-trailer trial is currently under consideration.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to support the installation of liquid (a) petroleum gas and (b) natural gas refuelling stations on the road network.

The Department currently has no plans to support the installation of liquid petroleum gas and natural gas refuelling stations on the road network.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) has a well-established refuelling network across the UK; it is reported at https://www.filllpg.co.uk/ that there are 1,937 confirmed stations.

There is an established refuelling network for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) within the UK for HGVs, which are the only road vehicles currently utilising LNG as an alternative fuel in the UK. Industry have advised that they have plans in support of the creation of new refuelling points across the strategic road network, should demand for LNG increase.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the third year (a) interim and (b) final reports on the evaluation of the national HGV speed limit increase in England and Wales.

The final report of the evaluation of the national HGV speed limit increase in England and Wales (which will include Year three findings) will be published shortly. The interim reports have been published.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the weight limits for HGVs engaged in freight movements to and from multimodal rail terminals to 48 tonnes.

The Department is assessing industry proposals to increase the maximum authorised weights of HGVs involved in multi-modal journeys to 48 tonnes and hence make rail movements more competitive. There are significant environmental and economic benefits to a trial of such a proposal, but there are cost and feasibility issues related to infrastructure strengthening and road wear.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of (a) the National Police Chiefs’ Council, (b) Police Scotland, (c) the Home Office, (d) the Scottish Government and (e) the Trades Union Congress on the regulation of unlicensed contractor delivery drivers.

All drivers are required to hold a valid licence for the type of vehicle they operate. For drivers who operate vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, an additional 35 hours of periodic training is required every 5 years to maintain their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Drivers must have the full Driver CPC if they drive a lorry, bus or coach as the main part of their employment

There is no additional licencing scheme for delivery drivers beyond the driving licence. No discussions on such a scheme have taken place.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of the (a) Scottish Trades Unions Congress, (b) Trades Union Congress and (c) Health and Safety Executive on the health and safety of contractor drivers operating light goods vehicles.

There have been no recent discussions about this specific topic. The Department does hold regular working level discussions with the Health & Safety Executive.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on (a) employment status and (b) contract obligations of light goods vehicle drivers who are employed as contractors.

There have been no recent discussions about these specific topics.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require operators of commercial light goods vehicles to display livery identifying the (a) driver, (b) operating contractor and (c) place of business on those vehicles.

We have no plans to mandate that light goods vehicles are liveried to identify the driver, contractor or place of business. This would impose costs on small businesses and the light vehicle rental sector. It would also not be suitable for many commercial light goods vehicles, such as those used for more than one contract, driven by multiple drivers or on short term leases.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on extending the apprenticeship levy to the road haulage industry.

All employers with an annual pay bill over £3 million pay the apprenticeship levy. This includes road haulage operators.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the operation of the apprenticeship levy.

The Secretary of State has discussed with the Secretary of State for Education issues raised by the transport sector regarding the training that attracts levy funding, the creation of apprenticeship standards, the funding levels attached to them and the availability of training providers and end point assessors.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Association of British Insurers on insurance cover provided to contractor drivers.

There have been no recent discussions with the Association of British Insurers on insurance cover provided to contractor drivers.

28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the transport sector as a career to young women.

Improving gender balance in the sector is vital if we are to address skills challenges and support businesses to benefit from building a broader pool of talent. Building skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths is a fundamental part of this, as many jobs in the sector require these skills.

The Department for Transport is leading efforts to promote the exciting training and career opportunities in the transport sector to under-represented groups. These include:

  • The Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy 2016 set stretching ambitions for apprentice starts and increasing diversity within the sector including for women to represent 20% of technology and engineering apprenticeship starts. The most recent Annual Report ‘Three Years of Progress’ published on 11th July 2019 set out that:

  • 15.4% of technical and engineering roles are female, making good progress to STAT’s ambition of 20% and up from 3% in 2015.

  • We are seeing a higher proportion of women at higher levels of training. 27% of all degree level apprenticeship starts were female in 2018/19.

  • 23.6% of women undertake apprenticeships in the sector.

  • An aviation programme ‘Reach for the Sky’ launched in October 2019, with the aim of making the aviation industry diverse, inclusive and accessible to all, with a focus on encouraging the next generation into the sector. The Department has appointed eleven ‘Aviation Ambassadors’, a group of outstanding aviation industry role models, who will work to inspire the next generation to take up aviation careers, champion diversity and social mobility within the industry, and develop initiatives to tackle barriers to aviation careers.

  • The maritime sector has improved gender balance through the creation of a Women in Maritime Taskforce, committing maritime companies to act upon a Pledge and Charter.

  • In 2017, DfT’s Rail Strategic Vision set out a commitment to use franchise competitions to support a range of measures to improve diversity of the workforce including how the franchisee will attract young people into rail and address underrepresentation of women across all levels and grades. The Rail Sector Deal set out plans to improve the diversity of the sector.

  • The Department for Transport led a cross-government campaign to promote engineering to young people, including under-represented groups, through 2018’s successful Year of Engineering campaign. The Department now works in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Education (DfE) to support the Engineering: Take a Closer Look legacy campaign, aimed at 13-16 year olds. This includes promoting engineering in transport, working with schools and the Girl Guides through design challenges and production of a booklet acknowledging aspirational female engineers from the transport sector.

  • The Department’s Ministerial team and Permanent Secretary hosted a Women in Transport event to bring senior leaders from across industry together to tackle gender diversity issues on Monday 2nd March and drive a co-ordinated sector response to International Women’s Day on 8th March 2020.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
28th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers he has to (a) suspend and (b) amend transport services in the event of a public health emergency.

The Secretary of State may make Regulations under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, to take measures to prevent the spread of disease or threats to public health arising from the arrival or departure of any “vessel, aircraft, train or other conveyance”. This regulation making power is sufficiently broad so as to suspend or amend transport services in the event that they pose a sufficient threat to public health or the spread of disease. Any powers relating to international travel would need to be exercised in accordance with the United Kingdom’s international obligations. The powers apply to England and Wales and the Secretary of State may make regulations which apply to England. Welsh Government Ministers may choose to make regulations applicable to Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legislative provisions.

16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the (a) Scottish and (b) Welsh Governments on section 17 of the Bus Services Act 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Section 17 of the Bus Services Act 2017 provides powers for the secretary of state to require the provision of audible and visible information on board local bus services throughout Great Britain. In exercising their powers the Secretary of State must consult with both Scottish and Welsh Ministers.

Officials engaged with their Scottish and Welsh counterparts during the development of the policy proposals put to consultation in summer 2018, and both devolved administrations were invited to respond formally. We will continue to engage with the devolved administrations in finalising the policy and bringing forward Regulations.

16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made in drafting the regulations to be laid before the House under section 17 of the Bus Services Act 2017.

In Summer 2018 the Government published a public consultation on proposals to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We are currently finalizing our response to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.

16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answers of 23 May 2019 to Questions 256382 and 256383 on Bus Services: Disability, what progress he has made in the provision of audio-visual announcements on bus services under section 17 of the Bus Services Act 2017.

In Summer 2018 the Government published a public consultation on proposals to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We are currently finalizing our response to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.

16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to ensure that the proposals on rail industry data collection and sharing in the Williams Rail Review’s evidence paper, entitled Rail in the future transport system, are introduced to improve access to information on accessibility across the rail network; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will publish a White Paper on the recommendations of the Williams Review early this year, including those relating to data. The White Paper will include proposals to improve access for disabled passengers to the network.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Office of Rail and Road on the provision of data on accessibility at facilities covered by that Office's supervisory and regulatory functions.

The Department for Transport engages with the Office of Rail and Road on issues regarding the accessibility of the rail network including the importance of reliable and up-to-date accessibility information. The Williams Rail Review will shortly come forward with proposals to improve access for disabled passengers to the network.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on the provision of data on accessibility at railway stations operated by RDG member organisations under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

The Department for Transport regularly engages with the Rail Delivery Group on how we can work together to make the rail network more accessible for disabled people and those with additional needs, including the provision of up to date information of accessible facilities on trains and at stations. However, this is not done under the terms of the Open Government License.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the introduction of E10 petrol to the UK market.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) has been successful in promoting a market for sustainable renewable fuels. Building on that success, the Government nearly doubled targets for supply from 2018 to 2020 and set further targets out to 2032, providing investment certainty. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from low carbon fuels supplied in transport under the RTFO are important in the delivery of savings required to meet UK carbon budgets. The trade of low carbon fuels and feedstocks is global and we will continue to engage with counterparts internationally, including with our colleagues in the EU.

The Government has made significant progress in relation to policy on E10 and we will publish our response to the call for evidence on E10, as well as next steps, as soon as possible. The Department has been in regular consultation with officials from the Scottish Government in developing this policy, which could benefit the whole of the United Kingdom.

16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 May 2019 to Question 292315 on Biofuels, what progress his Department has made in publishing its response to the consultation, entitled E10 petrol, consumer protection and fuel pump labelling, on the introduction of E10 fuels to the UK market.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) has been successful in promoting a market for sustainable renewable fuels. Building on that success, the Government nearly doubled targets for supply from 2018 to 2020 and set further targets out to 2032, providing investment certainty. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from low carbon fuels supplied in transport under the RTFO are important in the delivery of savings required to meet UK carbon budgets. The trade of low carbon fuels and feedstocks is global and we will continue to engage with counterparts internationally, including with our colleagues in the EU.

The Government has made significant progress in relation to policy on E10 and we will publish our response to the call for evidence on E10, as well as next steps, as soon as possible. The Department has been in regular consultation with officials from the Scottish Government in developing this policy, which could benefit the whole of the United Kingdom.

16th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the EU on the continued implementation of the provisions of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation Order 2007 as amended after the UK leaves the EU.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) has been successful in promoting a market for sustainable renewable fuels. Building on that success, the Government nearly doubled targets for supply from 2018 to 2020 and set further targets out to 2032, providing investment certainty. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from low carbon fuels supplied in transport under the RTFO are important in the delivery of savings required to meet UK carbon budgets. The trade of low carbon fuels and feedstocks is global and we will continue to engage with counterparts internationally, including with our colleagues in the EU.

The Government has made significant progress in relation to policy on E10 and we will publish our response to the call for evidence on E10, as well as next steps, as soon as possible. The Department has been in regular consultation with officials from the Scottish Government in developing this policy, which could benefit the whole of the United Kingdom.

11th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the leaflets referred to in paragraph 133 of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's publication entitled Women's State Pension age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions' communication of changes, HC 444, were printed and distributed in financial years (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.

It is not possible to reply to this question with precision.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
18th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the last submission of evidence to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into the communication of changes to women's State Pension age was made by her Department.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has not completed their 3-stage investigation. It would not be appropriate to comment whilst the investigation is ongoing; and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is provided on home working to staff in her Department resident in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

The Department has a long-standing policy on the circumstances in which an employee might request and be allowed to work from home.

This policy was supplemented in July 2021 with publication of new guidance for those employees that are designated ‘hybrid workers’. This new guide covers a wider range of topics, such as effective performance management and caring whilst working from home.

Both the long-standing home working policy and new hybrid working guidance apply consistently across England, Scotland and Wales.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of staff in her Department are currently working from home on a full-time or part-time basis whose residence is in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

The information requested is only available at a Great Britain level.

The proportion of DWP staff who are contractual home workers is 0.03%.

35.55% of staff work in customer facing front line roles which predominantly require staff to work in the office.

The remaining 64.42% of roles in the department can be performed on a hybrid basis, meaning they split their time between working in a workplace and at home. Employees in these roles have been returning to the office in a safe and considered way over the last few months. As part of this, every staff member is having a one-to-one conversation with their manager to discuss their return to the workplace.

DWP maintained its services throughout the pandemic; Jobcentres have remained open throughout the pandemic for anyone who needed face-to-face support and could not be helped in any other way, with DWP employees available on site to support the most vulnerable claimants. On 12 April 2021, Jobcentres in England and Wales returned to normal opening hours from 9am to 5pm, with Jobcentres in Scotland restarting the same face to face service from 26 April 2021.

Across all DWP offices, safety measures remain in place as per the relevant Government and devolved administration health and safety guidance, and whilst these measures are in place it is not possible to return to full office capacity.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
28th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2020 to Question 29272, what progress she has made in her discussions with the Isle of Man Government on the Flybe pension scheme.

It would not be appropriate for a UK Minister to comment on cases that are a matter for the Isle of Man Government, the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority or the independent Pensions Regulator. Members wishing to receive updates should contact the Scheme Administrator or the Isle of Man Government.

Guy Opperman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
11th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints have been made to the managed quarantine service on refunds for unused days of quarantine since 1 January 2021.

The information is not held in the format requested.

11th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of refunds issued for early release from the managed quarantine service as a result of policy changes made on 15 December 2021.

The total refunds granted to passengers relating to early release on 15 December was £1,987,483.

11th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is for calculating refunds to individuals subject to the managed quarantine service who were granted early exemption from quarantine on and before 14 December 2021.

In England, guests who were released early from the managed quarantine service were entitled to a refund based upon the unused part of their quarantine package. All refund requests were considered on a case-by-case basis.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of refunds relating to early release from the managed quarantine service as a result of policy changes made on 15 December 2021.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints have been made to the managed quarantine service regarding refunds for unused days of quarantine since 1 January 2021.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

11th May 2022
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of his fiscal policies on the cost of living.

The government understands how the rising cost of living is making life harder for people. These are global challenges however, as set out in the Spring Statement, the government is providing support worth over £22 billion in 2022-23 to help families with these pressures.

For example, a typical family with 2 children where one adult is on the average employee salary and the other works 16 hours at the NLW will be around than £3,000 a year better off as a result of recent government action, notably the NICs primary threshold change, UC taper rate and work allowance changes, and increase in the National Living Wage, even taking account the introduction of the Health and Social Care Levy.

John Glen
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
14th Apr 2022
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the Exchequer of exempting defibrillators from VAT liability.

The Government provides support to aid the purchase of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) through VAT refunds on purchases made by local authorities and VAT reliefs for purchases made through voluntary contributions, where the AED is donated to eligible charities or the NHS. Otherwise, they attract the standard rate of VAT.

Introducing any new VAT reliefs would come at a cost to the Exchequer and the Government has received over £50 billion worth of requests for relief from VAT since the EU referendum. Given this, there are no plans to change the current VAT treatment on defibrillators. However, the Government keeps all taxes under constant review.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the business rate cut for retail, leisure and hospitality sectors set out in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will apply to the leisure marine industry.

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure wholesalers have access to the forthcoming Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund.

Funding for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions, the Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill, has passed and Local Authorities (LAs) have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that LAs should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including wholesalers in the forthcoming Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund guidance for the wellbeing of that sector.

Funding for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions, the Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill, has passed and Local Authorities (LAs) have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that LAs should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis.

Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
19th Feb 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings he has had with representatives of the aviation industry to discuss the planned aviation recovery package.

The Chancellor speaks to industry representatives on a regular basis about a range of matters.

The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry as a result of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including schemes to raise capital and flexibilities with tax bills. In addition to economy-wide measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with almost £11 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and grants for research and development. This includes £8bn of guarantees provided by UK Export Finance.

In addition, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme launched on 29 January 2021 will provide support for eligible businesses, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. This will help companies with their fixed costs and could unlock shareholder and lender support.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
19th Feb 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing an aviation recovery package.

The Chancellor regularly discusses a wide range of matters related to economic recovery with Cabinet colleagues.

The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry as a result of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including schemes to raise capital and flexibilities with tax bills. In addition to economy-wide measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with almost £11 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and grants for research and development. This includes £8bn of guarantees provided by UK Export Finance.

In addition, the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme launched on 29 January 2021 will provide support for eligible businesses, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. This will help companies with their fixed costs and could unlock shareholder and lender support.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
20th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employees of HMRC were exclusively employed on facilitating the collection of customs duties on (a) 30 September 2020, (b) 31 October 2020, (c) 30 November 2020 and (d) 31 December 2020.

The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

20th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with professional accountancy bodies on the health implications for accountants and other allied professions in meeting HMRC deadlines for tax returns.

The Government understands the considerable pressures that the accountancy and other allied professions have been under in the past year, and that they have helped deliver the economic response to the pandemic, while at the same time suffering the effects of the pandemic on their own firms. The Government is very grateful to them for their valuable work.

HMRC have had constructive engagement with the professional bodies representing tax agents, and Jim Harra, HMRC’s First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, has personally written to them in response to their letters drawing his attention to the pressures their members are under.

HMRC are encouraging as many people as possible to file on time, even if they cannot pay their tax in full straight away, but they have also announced on 25 January that Self-Assessment taxpayers who file online by 28 February will not receive a late filing penalty.

Not charging late filing penalties for late filed Self-Assessment returns submitted online in February will give both taxpayers and accountants breathing space to complete and file their returns without the added worry of receiving a penalty.

20th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing the £100 default penalty for late tax returns during periods of covid-19 restrictions on working practices.

The Government and HMRC recognise the considerable pressure that many taxpayers and their accountants are facing at present, and that some of those taxpayers will not be able to file their return by 31 January.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) announced on Monday 25 January that Self-Assessment (SA) taxpayers will not receive a penalty for filing their SA return late provided they file it online by 28 February 2021.

This is not an extension of the deadline and taxpayers’ other SA obligations remain the same, including the obligation to pay their SA liability by 31 January.

18th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of scale rate expenses for accommodation and subsistence paid to cabin crew and other employees who travel outside of the UK.

The Overseas Scale Rates (OSR) guidance was last updated in February 2019 and applied from 6 April 2019.

The published rates are designed to reflect the average cost of subsistence, including local taxes and gratuities, when staying overseas. This will, of course, vary from case to case as well as city to city.

Employers can pay or reimburse employees’ allowable travel expenses free of tax and National Insurance contributions in two ways. They can pay the actual expenses or use the scale rates HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) set. If they pay the actual expenses, they must check the employee’s receipts, but do not have to do this if they use the scale rates.

If an employee spends more than the amount their employer pays, they can claim tax relief on the difference. Guidance on how to do this can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-income-tax-relief-for-your-employment-expenses-p87.

18th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of scale rate expenses for accommodation and subsistence paid to airline cabin crew and other employees who travel outside of the UK.

The Overseas Scale Rates (OSR) guidance was last updated in February 2019 and applied from 6 April 2019.

The published rates are designed to reflect the average cost of subsistence, including local taxes and gratuities, when staying overseas. This will, of course, vary from case to case as well as city to city.

Employers can pay or reimburse employees’ allowable travel expenses free of tax and National Insurance contributions in two ways. They can pay the actual expenses or use the scale rates HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) set. If they pay the actual expenses, they must check the employee’s receipts, but do not have to do this if they use the scale rates.

If an employee spends more than the amount their employer pays, they can claim tax relief on the difference. Guidance on how to do this can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-income-tax-relief-for-your-employment-expenses-p87.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many customs officials were employed by HMRC on (a) 30 September 2020, (b) 31 October 2020, (c) 30 November 2020 and (d) 31 December 2020.

HMRC are unable to provide the information requested as HMRC do not categorise employees as “customs officials”.

30th Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses that are prepared for the completion of customs paperwork for export to the EU.

The Government has been working for over a year to help businesses to understand and prepare for their new obligations, including customs paperwork for export to the EU.

The Government undertook significant readiness activity prior to 1 January, identifying key customer groups and delivering a high volume of targeted communications and engagement, including sending over 11 million letters and emails and hosting 50 webinars with over 30,000 attendees to date, preparing businesses for the new rules.

Through the cross-Government campaign since August the Government has reached 41m adults (15+) and 16m business decision makers through radio, and 18m adults (15+) and 3.5m business decision makers through print and digital articles, promoting key readiness messaging for importers and exporters.

The Government will continue to assess carefully how traders are adapting to the new customs arrangements over the next few weeks and months.

3rd Nov 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the funding and financing package agreed between his Department and Transport for London announced on 1 November 2020, what assessment he has made of the effect of comparability factors on the allocation of funding to (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

To?give the devolved administrations the upfront certainty to plan and deliver their coronavirus response,?we have guaranteed they will receive at least £16bn in additional resource funding this year on top of their Spring Budget?funding.

Any additional funding provided to the Department for Transport to support Transport for London will result in Barnett consequentials for the devolved administrations and these will contribute towards the guaranteed funding.

Where additional funding is being provided to departments in-year, the devolved administrations generally receive consequential funding using programme comparability rather than overall departmental comparability. Given local transport is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, a comparability factor of 100% will be applied as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

The Treasury is currently working with the devolved administrations to update and publish comparability factors in a revised Statement of Funding Policy alongside the upcoming Spending Review.

Steve Barclay
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
2nd Nov 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the Government has had with (a) the Scottish Government, (b) the Welsh Government and (c) the Northern Ireland Executive on the disbursement of Barnett consequentials resulting from the extraordinary funding and financing package for Transport for London announced on 1 November 2020.

Any additional funding provided to the Department for Transport to support Transport for London will result in Barnett consequentials for the devolved administrations.

As is the normal process,?changes to departmental and devolved administrations’ funding will be confirmed at Supplementary Estimates.

Therefore, to?give the devolved administrations the upfront certainty to plan and deliver their coronavirus response,?we have guaranteed they will receive at least £14bn in additional funding this year on top of their Spring Budget?funding. This means a total increase this year of at least £7.2bn for the Scottish Government, £4.4 billion for the Welsh Government, and £2.4 bn for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Steve Barclay
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department had with representatives of the aviation industry regarding tax-free sales at UK airports to non-EU nationals after the closure of his Department's consultation that matter.

Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage to or from Great Britain. The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:

- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.

- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the United Kingdom, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.

- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales of non-excise goods and the VAT Retail Export Scheme will not be extended to passengers travelling to the EU, and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government has also continued to meet and discuss with key stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.

The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales currently affects airports that fly to non-EU destinations. The extension of duty-free sales to EU bound passengers will be a significant boost to all airports in England, Scotland and Wales, including Glasgow Airport and smaller regional airports which have not been able to offer duty-free before.

The final costing will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

The Government also recognises the challenges the aviation sector is facing as it recovers from the impacts of Covid-19 and has supported the sector throughout the pandemic, and continues to do so, including schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for employees.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on employment levels of the proposed ending in January 2021 of tax-free sales in airports to travellers to non-EU countries.

Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage to or from Great Britain. The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:

- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.

- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the United Kingdom, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.

- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales of non-excise goods and the VAT Retail Export Scheme will not be extended to passengers travelling to the EU, and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government has also continued to meet and discuss with key stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.

The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales currently affects airports that fly to non-EU destinations. The extension of duty-free sales to EU bound passengers will be a significant boost to all airports in England, Scotland and Wales, including Glasgow Airport and smaller regional airports which have not been able to offer duty-free before.

The final costing will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

The Government also recognises the challenges the aviation sector is facing as it recovers from the impacts of Covid-19 and has supported the sector throughout the pandemic, and continues to do so, including schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for employees.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the change in tax revenues as a result of the proposed ending of tax-free sales at airports to travellers to non-EU destinations.

Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage to or from Great Britain. The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:

- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.

- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the United Kingdom, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.

- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales of non-excise goods and the VAT Retail Export Scheme will not be extended to passengers travelling to the EU, and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government has also continued to meet and discuss with key stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.

The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales currently affects airports that fly to non-EU destinations. The extension of duty-free sales to EU bound passengers will be a significant boost to all airports in England, Scotland and Wales, including Glasgow Airport and smaller regional airports which have not been able to offer duty-free before.

The final costing will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

The Government also recognises the challenges the aviation sector is facing as it recovers from the impacts of Covid-19 and has supported the sector throughout the pandemic, and continues to do so, including schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for employees.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the change in tax revenues originating from aviation and aerospace-related activities in (a) 2020-21 and (b) the next three financial years.

Forecasts of future receipts are produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on a regular basis as part of their Economic and Fiscal Outlook series. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked the OBR to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast to be published in November.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) is the UK’s principal tax on the aviation sector. The OBR’s Fiscal Sustainability Report, published in July, has estimated APD receipts over the next five financial years under various scenarios. Under the central scenario, the OBR estimated that APD would raise: £1.3bn in 2020-21; £3.7bn in 2021-22; £3.8bn in 2022-23; £3.9bn in 2023-24 and; £4.1bn on 2024-25. The report acknowledges that these figures are “hugely uncertain”.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
15th Jun 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions have taken place between Ministers in his Department and representatives of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd and Virgin Atlantic International Ltd on the operation and employment practices of Virgin Atlantic and any potential financial support available to that airline.

Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders across sectors as part of ongoing policy development and implementation.

Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport are in regular contact with airlines, airports and unions to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector and its workers.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
18th May 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the Barnett consequentials as a result of grant funding and loans provided by his Department to Transport for London during the covid-19 outbreak.

The UK government has agreed a £1.6 billion funding and financing package for Transport for London to protect key services. This is comprised of £1.095 billion of grant funding from the Department for Transport and a £505 million PWLB loan.

As a result of this package, the devolved administrations will receive over £200 million of additional funding: over £100 million for the Scottish Government, £65 million for the Welsh Government, and over £35 million for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Steve Barclay
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
23rd Mar 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether workers who had their hours of work cut in response to the covid-19 outbreak prior to the announcement of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be eligible for support at the rate of pay commensurate with the original number of hours worked.

The Government seeks, as far as possible, to protect people’s jobs and incomes. This is an unprecedented jobs retention scheme and the Government has been working hard to set out further details on the scheme. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is open to any individual who was on an employer’s PAYE payroll on 19 March 2020. Full details can be found in the guidance available at www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme and www.gov.uk/guidance/work-out-80-of-your-employees-wages-to-claim-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme, which provides answers to these questions.

23rd Mar 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there is a minimum number of hours worked per calendar week for an employee to be considered a furloughed worker for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The Government seeks, as far as possible, to protect people’s jobs and incomes. This is an unprecedented jobs retention scheme and the Government has been working hard to set out further details on the scheme. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is open to any individual who was on an employer’s PAYE payroll on 19 March 2020. Full details can be found in the guidance available at www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme and www.gov.uk/guidance/work-out-80-of-your-employees-wages-to-claim-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme, which provides answers to these questions.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by her Department to assist with the processing and issuance of passports on the 1st April of (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2019, (d) 2020 and (e) 2022.

The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent staff working within Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s passport production-related roles on 1 April* for each year requested.

Number (FTE)

2022

4,092

2020

3,609

2019

2,962

2015

3,594

2010*

3,978

*Data extracted for 2010 has been taken from August as the data for April is not available

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for British passports were awaiting issuance more than (a) 10 weeks, (b) 14 weeks, (c) 18 weeks, (d) 26 weeks and (e) 39 weeks after the application as of 1 April 2022.

The information requested is not currently held in a reportable format and could therefore only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current (a) median and (b) mean lengths of times are between a passport renewal application being received by her Department and its issuance to the applicant.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

14th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current (a) median and (b) mean lengths of time are between an application for a new passport being received by her Department and its issuance to the applicant.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

12th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2020 to Question 25141, on Sports Competitors: Visas, if she will publish the list of recognised sports governing bodies.

The list of Sports Governing Bodies is already available online at Appendix M of the Immigration Rules: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions officials in her Department have had with (a) the Scottish Football Association, (b) Scottish Women's Football and (c) the Scottish Women's Premier League on (i) the definition of sportsperson in the Tier 4 visa regulations and (ii) the effect of those regulations on participation in football in Scotland.

Tier 4 visas have restrictions imposed regarding what work can be undertaken during the period leave. One of the conditions of holding a Tier 4 visa is that students must not engage in Professional sport.

The definitions of amateur and professional sports persons contained in the immigration rules were established following full consultation with all our Sports Governing Bodies, including the Scottish Football Association, the representative body for football in Scotland. The Home Office routinely engages with our Sports Governing Bodies and other governmental departments regarding the immigration requirements for professional sport.

The immigration system makes specific provision for professional sportspersons to come to the UK. These provisions seek to strike a balance between enabling UK sports teams to access top class international talent and protecting development opportunities for home grown sportspersons. The minimum standards for each sport are set by our Sports Governing Bodies, in agreement with the Home Office. It is right professional sportspersons below this standard should not be able to pursue such a career in the UK using our employment or study visa routes – including Tier 4.

Genuinely amateur players are already completely free to play sport on a purely amateur basis, whilst they are in the UK.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of amendments to Tier 4 visa regulations in respect of the definition of sportsperson on the number of (a) players and (b) clubs within the (i) Scottish Football Association, (ii) Football Association of Wales, (iii) Football Association of England and (iv) Irish Football Association.

Tier 4 visas have restrictions imposed regarding what work can be undertaken during the period leave. One of the conditions of holding a Tier 4 visa is that students must not engage in Professional sport.

The definitions of amateur and professional sports persons contained in the immigration rules were established following full consultation with all our Sports Governing Bodies, including the Scottish Football Association, the representative body for football in Scotland. The Home Office routinely engages with our Sports Governing Bodies and other governmental departments regarding the immigration requirements for professional sport.

The immigration system makes specific provision for professional sportspersons to come to the UK. These provisions seek to strike a balance between enabling UK sports teams to access top class international talent and protecting development opportunities for home grown sportspersons. The minimum standards for each sport are set by our Sports Governing Bodies, in agreement with the Home Office. It is right professional sportspersons below this standard should not be able to pursue such a career in the UK using our employment or study visa routes – including Tier 4.

Genuinely amateur players are already completely free to play sport on a purely amateur basis, whilst they are in the UK.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Scottish Government, (b) the Welsh Government, (c) the Northern Ireland Executive on the effect of Tier 4 visa regulations on participation rates in sport.

Tier 4 visas have restrictions imposed regarding what work can be undertaken during the period leave. One of the conditions of holding a Tier 4 visa is that students must not engage in Professional sport.

The definitions of amateur and professional sports persons contained in the immigration rules were established following full consultation with all our Sports Governing Bodies, including the Scottish Football Association, the representative body for football in Scotland. The Home Office routinely engages with our Sports Governing Bodies and other governmental departments regarding the immigration requirements for professional sport.

The immigration system makes specific provision for professional sportspersons to come to the UK. These provisions seek to strike a balance between enabling UK sports teams to access top class international talent and protecting development opportunities for home grown sportspersons. The minimum standards for each sport are set by our Sports Governing Bodies, in agreement with the Home Office. It is right professional sportspersons below this standard should not be able to pursue such a career in the UK using our employment or study visa routes – including Tier 4.

Genuinely amateur players are already completely free to play sport on a purely amateur basis, whilst they are in the UK.

4th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the applicability of Tier 4 visa regulations to amateur sports.

Tier 4 visas have restrictions imposed regarding what work can be undertaken during the period leave. One of the conditions of holding a Tier 4 visa is that students must not engage in Professional sport.

The definitions of amateur and professional sports persons contained in the immigration rules were established following full consultation with all our Sports Governing Bodies, including the Scottish Football Association, the representative body for football in Scotland. The Home Office routinely engages with our Sports Governing Bodies and other governmental departments regarding the immigration requirements for professional sport.

The immigration system makes specific provision for professional sportspersons to come to the UK. These provisions seek to strike a balance between enabling UK sports teams to access top class international talent and protecting development opportunities for home grown sportspersons. The minimum standards for each sport are set by our Sports Governing Bodies, in agreement with the Home Office. It is right professional sportspersons below this standard should not be able to pursue such a career in the UK using our employment or study visa routes – including Tier 4.

Genuinely amateur players are already completely free to play sport on a purely amateur basis, whilst they are in the UK.

13th Mar 2023
What steps his Department is taking to help increase the contribution of the defence industry to societal resilience.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to safeguarding national resilience across the Defence enterprise, including the Armed Forces and industry. The past few years have seen Defence play a key role in supporting and enhancing societal resilience through the Military Aid to Civilian Authorities process. This activity expanded during the Covid-19 pandemic and was recently engaged in response to widespread industrial action.

James Heappey
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
5th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to prevent incidents of military sexual trauma within the armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not recognise the term 'military sexual trauma', nor the associated term 'military sexual assault'. I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to UIN 15331 on 17 June 2022 to the Hon. Member for Barnsley East (Ms Peacock): https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-06-09/15331

For Serving Personnel, the MOD has made it absolutely clear there is no place for unacceptable behaviour in the Armed Forces. On 30 March 2022 the MOD published a Zero-Tolerance to Sexual Offending policy, which is one of a range of measures intended to tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour in the Armed Forces. It is intended to improve the career experiences of serving personnel, providing clearer, tri-Service, direction to those in a position to prevent and address instances of sexual offending. It also introduced mandatory discharge from the Armed Forces for anyone convicted of a sexual offence, this includes anyone subject to notification requirements as set out in Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act (SOA) 2003 (more widely recognised as the Sex Offenders Register): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-publishes-its-zero-tolerance-approach-to-sexual-offences

For veterans, their healthcare, including mental healthcare, is the responsibility of the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations.

Leo Docherty
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
5th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of his Department's capacity to support veteran survivors of military sexual trauma.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not recognise the term 'military sexual trauma', nor the associated term 'military sexual assault'. I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to UIN 15331 on 17 June 2022 to the Hon. Member for Barnsley East (Ms Peacock): https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-06-09/15331

For Serving Personnel, the MOD has made it absolutely clear there is no place for unacceptable behaviour in the Armed Forces. On 30 March 2022 the MOD published a Zero-Tolerance to Sexual Offending policy, which is one of a range of measures intended to tackle unacceptable sexual behaviour in the Armed Forces. It is intended to improve the career experiences of serving personnel, providing clearer, tri-Service, direction to those in a position to prevent and address instances of sexual offending. It also introduced mandatory discharge from the Armed Forces for anyone convicted of a sexual offence, this includes anyone subject to notification requirements as set out in Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act (SOA) 2003 (more widely recognised as the Sex Offenders Register): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-publishes-its-zero-tolerance-approach-to-sexual-offences

For veterans, their healthcare, including mental healthcare, is the responsibility of the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations.

Leo Docherty
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will effect the publication timeline for the National Shipbuilding Strategy refresh.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November to Question 68408 to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Emma Hardy).

12th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel hold a Large Goods Vehicle licence permitting the transport of hazardous materials on public roads and highways.

The Department maintians sufficient trained drivers to meet its routine operational outputs.

The precise information sought goes beyond current operational requirements and will require further time to respond. I will write to him shortly.

23rd Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred by local authorities which made successful bids through the first round of Levelling-Up Funding in preparing and submitting bids under the second round of that Fund.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 129836 on 26 January 2023.

23rd Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department informed local authorities of the information detailed in Section 4.4 of his Department's guidance entitled Levelling Up Fund Round 2: explanatory note on the assessment and decision-making process, published on 19 January 2023.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 129836 on 26 January 2023.

9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure wholesalers have access to the forthcoming Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund.

My Department will publish guidance for the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund to help local authorities set up their local schemes, once the legislation relating to MCC provisions has passed. This will set out the relevant eligibility criteria alongside funding allocations. Business rates are devolved so the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive an additional £285 million through the Barnett formula and will be able to determine the parameters of their own schemes.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of specifically referencing the wholesale sector in the forthcoming guidance for the £1.5 billion business rates relief fund announced for businesses outside of the retail, hospitality and leisure sector on 25 March 2021.

My Department will publish guidance for the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund to help local authorities set up their local schemes, once the legislation relating to MCC provisions has passed. This will set out the relevant eligibility criteria alongside funding allocations. Business rates are devolved so the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive an additional £285 million through the Barnett formula and will be able to determine the parameters of their own schemes.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
9th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including wholesalers in the forthcoming Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund guidance for the wellbeing of that sector.

My Department will publish guidance for the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund to help local authorities set up their local schemes, once the legislation relating to MCC provisions has passed. This will set out the relevant eligibility criteria alongside funding allocations. Business rates are devolved so the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive an additional £285 million through the Barnett formula and will be able to determine the parameters of their own schemes.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
2nd Feb 2021
What assessment he has made of the effect of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on his Department’s responsibilities.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) fully delivers on what the British public voted for in the referendum and in last year’s General Election. It takes back control of our laws, borders, money and fisheries, and ends any role for the European Court. Our deal is based on friendly cooperation between sovereign equals, centred on free trade and inspired by our shared history and values.

We have successfully negotiated unprecedented provisions for legal services that go beyond what the EU has included in any other FTA. The agreement will improve the clarity and certainty of market access for UK lawyers after the transition period.

Alex Chalk
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice