Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the proposed right-to-work verification system will enable the Government to monitor which employers have performed digital ID checks.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As with the current digital checking systems, it is expected that when illegal working is encountered and a civil penalty is being considered, the Home Office will be able to verify when a check was conducted and who conducted the check.
Digital Right to Work checks will simplify the process for businesses and will reduce the risk posed by physical documents.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress she has made towards the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme in 2027.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers will launch in October 2027 across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Earlier this year, the UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd were appointed to operate the schemes in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and they are continuing to progress at pace with delivery of the scheme.
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 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 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, 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 ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to respond to Question 74810 on Members: Correspondence, tabled on 3 September 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
A response has been issued here.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 16 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is committed to transparency and accountability, including through clear and timely responses to correspondence. I can confirm that your correspondence to the Minister for Women & Equalities dated 16 July has been passed to me, as the new Minister responsible for LGBT+ policy. The response was issued on the 14th October.