Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the funding required to maintain aviation safety in the UK following their decision to leave the European Union Aviation Safety Agency; and what will be the source of that funding.

The Prime Minister has been clear that our future relationship with the EU must not entail any application of EU law in the UK or CJEU jurisdiction.

Continued UK participation in the EASA system would have been inconsistent with this approach.

This was set out in the UK’s approach to the negotiations published on 27 February. The EU also made it clear in its public mandate (25 February) that it is willing to negotiate regulatory cooperation on aviation safety but its mandate does not provide for UK participation in EASA.

The Government regularly engages with industry and will continue to do so as the negotiations progress. This includes extensive engagement with the aerospace manufacturing sector during EU Exit preparations.

We want to agree a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) with the EU to minimise regulatory burdens for industry. This will facilitate the recognition of aviation safety standards, maintain high safety outcomes and enable continued regulatory cooperation between the UK and EU.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority currently oversees most aspects of civil aviation safety in the UK. After the transition period the CAA will take on some additional functions from EASA and will continue to ensure that the UK has world-leading safety standards.

The CAA has been preparing for the possibility of leaving the EASA system since the EU referendum in 2016, the CAA will continue to refine these plans over the coming months, and may require additional resources. Progress will be closely monitored.