Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. member for Newton Abbot case ref MW08073 submitted on 26 September 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A response was sent on 12 November 2025.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to introduce a discounted ticketing scheme for schools who want to take the train for school trips.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All Department for Transport contracted operators offer some form of group discount, with some offering substantial savings for groups of 10 or more people. Additionally, many train operators participate in the GroupSave offer, for groups of three to nine people travelling together. As more train operators are taken into public ownership through the Department for Transport Operator and into the establishment of Great British Railways, it will have the opportunity to provide a more consistent passenger offer across the network.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 20 October to Questions 82468 and 82466 on Unmanned Air Systems: Delivery Services, whether the Department’s review will consider (a) standardised template Airspace Change Proposals for Beyond Visual Line of Sight corridors, (b) reusable safety cases, and (c) predefined temporary segregated airspace models for (i) humanitarian and (ii) medical logistics use cases.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.
The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
On 25th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems; whether the proposed reforms to Civil Air Publication 1616 will include (a) fast-track pathways, (b) service standards and (c) key performance indicators for decision times on airspace change proposals that support (i) NHS medical logistics and (ii) other public-interest use cases.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.
The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
On 25th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems; whether her Department will publish an impact assessment setting out the expected effect of proposed reforms to Civil Air Publication 1616 on approval times for Special Use Airspace for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.
The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
On 25th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant the Answer of 20 October to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems, when her Department plans to publish its consultation on streamlining Civil Air Publication 1616 for uncrewed air systems operations and trials; and what the planned (a) start and (b) end date of that consultation are.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.
The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
On 25th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems, whether her Department will publish an impact assessment on the proposed reforms to Civil Air Publication 1616 on approval times for Special Use Airspace for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.
The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
On 25th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 82468 on Unmanned Air Systems, if her Department will publish the (a) terms of reference, (b) milestones and (c) project plan for her Department’s review of the regulatory framework for airspace change referenced.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The review to the regulatory framework which I referred to in my response to questions 82466 and 82468, relates to amending the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance. These are the Department for Transport statutory documents issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to instruct and guide them on how to carry out their air navigation functions. We intend to launch a public consultation on these changes by the end of the year. The consultation will be followed by an impact assessment prior to any changes coming into effect.
The consultation will include potential measures to provide the CAA with greater flexibility and discretion to expedite and support trials of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
On 25th September 2025 the CAA launched its consultation on proposed changes to their airspace change process (CAP1616). This consultation will run until 18th December 2025. As the UK’s independent regulator for civil aviation, the CAA owns this process, as such I am not able to comment on any questions relating to this consultation.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to introduce a Network South West railcard similar to the Network railcard available for people in London and the South East.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to Great British Railways, however Great British Railways will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards.
Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy will require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.
Additionally, there are many local concessionary passes that are valid on National Rail, this includes the Devon and Cornwall Railcard, which have been introduced by local authorities and train operators.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will introduce a national railcard for all ages.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to Great British Railways, however Great British Railways will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards.
Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy will require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.
Additionally, there are many local concessionary passes that are valid on National Rail, this includes the Devon and Cornwall Railcard, which have been introduced by local authorities and train operators.