Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 24 April of an emergency fund to support transport links to the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly, how much of the £10.5 million has been allocated to (1) passenger ferries to and from the Isle of Wight, (2) passenger ferries to and from the Isles of Scilly, (3) fixed wing air services, (4) helicopter services, (5) St Mary’s Airport, (6) inter-island passenger ferries, and (7) freight transport links.

On Friday 24 April the Government announced up to £10.5 million for lifeline ferry and freight services to the Isle of Wight and the Scilly Isles as part of a multimillion support package for essential freight services. This fund will help ensure these communities continue to have access to vital medical services on the mainland while protecting the flow of supplies to these regions.

Grants will be provided over a period of three months. Two grants of £1.5m each have already been provided to operators in the Isles of Wight and the Isles of Scilly for the month of April. Subsequent monthly grants are subject to joint approval from my Department and HM Treasury. The allocation of funding between operators, which remain confidential for commercial reasons, is based on each service provider’s needs so that they can continue operating minimum service levels connecting the Isles to the UK mainland.