Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide guidance to local authorities considering planning applications for cruise terminals on the comparative merits of berthed cruise ships receiving energy supplies from onshore sources and generating their own energy from diesel fuel.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The National Policy Statement (NPS) for Ports (www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-policy-statement-for-ports), designated in 2012, includes guidance about onshore electricity supply at paragraphs 5.7.12ff. Although the NPS primarily addresses nationally significant infrastructure projects as defined under the Planning Act 2008, for which it has legal force, it also stands as potentially relevant guidance for the Marine Management Organisation and for local authorities when dealing with smaller ports projects.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how his Department monitors and enforces International Maritime Organisation regulation on air quality in cities.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for enforcing the UK legislation regulating pollutant emissions from ships, which implements Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (commonly known as the MARPOL Convention) that has been adopted by the International Maritime Organization. The Agency is not however, responsible for monitoring or enforcing air quality standards in our cities.
Ship emissions are estimated as part of the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI). The inventory provides estimates of annual emissions from shipping from a range of sources, including domestic coastal shipping, inland waterways, UK fishing (both in UK waters and waters outside the UK), naval shipping, journeys between the UK and overseas territories.
A detailed description of the methodology used to produce estimates of UK shipping emissions can be found in the UK Informative Inventory Report (1990 to 2013), p.138 (http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat07/1508131403_GB_IIR_2015_Final_v20.1_resubmission.pdf).
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the implications for his Department's policies of the increase in the number of privately owned drones and its effects on safety for civil aviation.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government recognises that this emerging technology has great opportunities for the UK. However the Government is aware that there have been a few incidents that have caused some concerns to other commercial air traffic.
The Civil Aviation Authority has recently launched a publicity campaign called "You have control. Be safe! Be legal!’’ which is aimed at raising awareness of the general public, at the point of purchase, about their responsibilities as the unmanned aircraft operator.
In addition to this a cross-government working group is currently engaged in a piece of work that is looking at the risks posed by drones to commercial civil aviation. The results of this work will inform our understanding of the scale of the problem and what steps need to be taken to mitigate these risks.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reason is for the time taken to allocate funding under the Regional Air Connectivity Fund; and when an announcement of the launch of the new air links under the Fund will be made.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government announced last year financial support for two public service obligation routes, Dundee – London City and Newquay Cornwall – London Gatwick from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
In addition to this the Government undertook earlier this year an initial application stage for airlines to bid for start-up aid funding. The Government will announce after the July Budget how we will take this forward.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution to (a) jobs and (b) GDP of sustainable fuels in the period up to 2030.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department employed Ecofys UK Ltd. to produce an overview of the UK biofuel sector. The report was published in April 2014 at:
The analysis suggests that the UK’s total biofuel production capacity is over 1,500 million litres per year and that around 562 people are directly employed at the main UK biofuel plants. Additionally jobs in, for example, farming, transport and distribution will be supported by the UK’s sustainable biofuel industry. The report also estimates that several thousand in addition are supported by the Used Cooking Oil (UCO) collection industry.
In March the Transport Energy Task Force reported on how the EU 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction and renewable transport fuel targets should be reflected in UK policy, and how sustainable low carbon fuels can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from UK transport in the period to 2030 and beyond. This report was published at:
http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/projects/transport-energy-task-force.htm
The Department is now considering the task force report carefully and will consult on any changes necessary to UK legislation. As part of that exercise we will also seek views on the wider potential economic benefits of biofuel production in the UK and the economic analysis underpinning our proposals.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportional contribution of transport to air pollution in London in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (published at http://naei.defra.gov.uk/data/data-selector ), funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, estimates national emissions of greenhouse gases and air quality pollutants across all sources, including transport. These emissions estimates are updated annually.
Local authorities are responsible for reviewing and assessing air quality under the Local Air Quality Management system. As part of this assessment London Borough Councils undertake additional monitoring. Information can be found on their individual websites.
The Greater London Authority maintain the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory. The latest version was produced in 2010; estimates of pollutants are included for the base year 2010 and projected forward to 2012, 2015, and 2020. This can be found here: http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory-2010.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to provide economic support for the development and the roll-out of sustainable fuel production for the aviation sector.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership established a Transport Energy Task Force in September 2014 to examine options to meet our renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets, including through the wider deployment of sustainable biofuel. The Transport Energy Task Force’s report and recommendations were published earlier in March 2015.
http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/projects/transport-energy-task-force.htm
We are currently considering the recommendations from the task force and our options to deliver greenhouse gas emissions reductions, including possible policy mechanisms to support sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation. We will consult further on changes as necessary, and as part of that formal public consultation process we will set out the proposed timing and next steps for any future changes.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion contribution does (a) road traffic, (b) aviation and (c) shipping make to air pollutant emissions levels in London.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Air quality emission levels by mode are only compiled at National level by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory published at http://naei.defra.gov.uk/data/data-selector, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. This estimates national emissions of Greenhouse Gases and air quality pollutants across all sources, including road traffic, aviation and shipping.
Local authorities are responsible for reviewing and assessing air quality under the Local Air Quality Management system. As part of this assessment London councils undertake additional monitoring. Information can be found on their individual websites. Greater London Authority hold the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, which can be found here: http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory-2010 .
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of air pollutant emissions from (a) road traffic, (b) aviation and (c) shipping on the air quality of London.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Air quality emission levels by mode are only compiled at National level by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory published at http://naei.defra.gov.uk/data/data-selector, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. This estimates national emissions of Greenhouse Gases and air quality pollutants across all sources, including road traffic, aviation and shipping.
Local authorities are responsible for reviewing and assessing air quality under the Local Air Quality Management system. As part of this assessment London councils undertake additional monitoring. Information can be found on their individual websites. Greater London Authority hold the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, which can be found here: http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory-2010 .
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment has been made of the effect of level of use of the River Thames for transport on air pollution in London.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Air quality emission levels by mode are only compiled at National level by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory published at http://naei.defra.gov.uk/data/data-selector, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. This estimates national emissions of Greenhouse Gases and air quality pollutants across all sources, including road traffic, aviation and shipping.
Local authorities are responsible for reviewing and assessing air quality under the Local Air Quality Management system. As part of this assessment London councils undertake additional monitoring. Information can be found on their individual websites. Greater London Authority hold the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, which can be found here: http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory-2010 .