Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the safety implications of failing to renew the UK’s current exemption from Standard European Rules of Air on vertical separation from cloud in Class D airspace for aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The current exemption was issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to allow a safe and orderly transition to the requirements of the SERA with effect from 12 September 2019. The CAA is taking the necessary measures to meet the aims of the exemption. The SERA requirement gives effect to the international standard set out in Annex 2 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and is already safely applied throughout most of the world.
We are aware that the airspace structure in the UK may give rise to some operational complications in respect of complying with the SERA requirement. The Department is working with the CAA to fully understand any safety implications arising from the application of the requirement in the UK, including whether any safeguarding measures are necessary.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department provides to aerodromes on the implementation of GPS approaches.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Global Navigation Satellite System approaches need to be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA will provide guidance to aerodromes that are considering the implementation of such approaches. In particular the CAA has produced a framework for the safety cases which need to be produced as part of the approval process.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the roll-out of GPS technology at aerodromes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has regular discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority concerning the progress of airspace modernisation, and these have included updates on airspace change proposals designed to implement Global Satellite Navigation System approaches at aerodromes.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to ensure that pilot training is being adapted to incorporate (a) GPS approaches and (b) other new technologies.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Global Navigation Satellite System approaches are one element of performance based navigation (PBN). An amendment to EU Regulation 1178/2011 (the Aircrew Regulation), which came into force in 2018, provides that pilots may only fly in accordance with PBN procedures if they hold an instrument rating with PBN privileges. The Aircrew Regulation establishes the training required to obtain PBN privileges. From 25 August 2020, all applicants for an instrument rating will be required to have undertaken PBN training.
Training requirements will be reviewed as and when the carriage and use of other new technologies are mandated. In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority is continuing to engage with the European Aviation Safety Agency to expand training on the use of satellite based technology to help reduce airspace infringements.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with GTR on the feasibility of 4 trains per hour stopping at every station along the Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City line.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Following my meeting with my Rt hon. Friend earlier this year, I wrote to Patrick Verwer, Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) Chief Executive, to raise this issue with him. We would support an increase in off-peak calls along the Welwyn Garden City to Moorgate line, if they can be implemented with no cost and with no detriment to the reliability and punctuality of service across the wider network. This change is dependent on the capabilities of the Class 717 rolling stock, which GTR will be able to assess once it has been fully established in regular service. Once this assessment is complete, GTR will reconsider whether the increase in calls can be implemented with no performance or financial cost.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of extending Oyster and contactless payments to bus services across Hertfordshire.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The bus market outside London is deregulated with the majority of services provided on a commercial basis by private sector bus operators. Smart ticketing is an important element of making buses more attractive and the bus industry has been rolling out smart ticketing and contactless payments on buses in many areas for a number of years. Currently over 60% of buses accept contactless payments. Contactless payment is just one part of the bus user’s experience, and we are taking forward measures to help make bus travel more attractive. I recently announced all operators of local bus services across England (with the exception of Section 19 and Section 22 permit holders) will be required to provide high quality, accurate and open data, including routes and timetables, fares and tickets and location data, from 7 January 2020.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons his Department allowed Govia Thameslink to pay £5 million to settle its obligations for two years up to September 2018; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of that decision on incentivising that train operator to improve its performance since that decision was made.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Secretary of State agreed a Remedial Plan with GTR setting out its interim performance regime to deliver improved performance for the two years up to September 2018. Those improvements in performance were being delivered up to the date of the May 2018 timetable change.
The Secretary of State has made clear that the level of service since the May 2018 timetable change is not acceptable and has commissioned a review which will assess whether GTR met its contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train services scheduled to stop at (a) Hatfield station and (b) Welwyn Garden City station have been cancelled since 20 May 2018.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Department does not collect cancellation information to this level of detail. I have asked Govia Thameslink Railway to provide my Rt Hon Friend with this information.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons Mobile Batching Concrete Plants are not entitled to operate outside of standard legal gross vehicle weight limits.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In the absence of explicit applicable provisions to the contrary, mobile concrete batching plant are subject to the standard legal weight limits for vehicles as defined in regulations. However, the Department has recently announced that it has put in place an arrangement to enable the legal operation of some of these vehicles above these limits for a temporary 10 year period. This is in recognition of the historic custom and practice of the operation of many of these vehicles.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to issue fines for motorists who park cars on pavements.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Local authorities already have powers to restrict pavement parking and issue penalty charges to offenders. However, the Department for Transport is currently gathering evidence on the issue of pavement parking, and will be considering the effectiveness of current legislation. We expect to draw conclusions later this year.