Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue instructions to UK airports regarding separate immigration controls for flights arriving from ‘red list’ countries.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has issued clear guidance for both passengers and operators, with airports encouraged to introduce clear signage and one-way passenger flows where appropriate. Arrangements may vary depending on the airport and guidance is available to support operators to manage flows in a COVID-secure way.
We continue to improve processes which maintain the checks we need to carry out to keep the public safe, while minimising disruption, and passengers can support this process by ensuring they have completed the necessary requirements to enter the UK. The Government continues to engage with the aviation sector to ensure it is supported in implementing best practices.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of how the limited number of countries being given green light status during the covid-19 outbreak will affect the aviation, travel and tourism industries.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry and wider tourism sector because of Covid-19. Firms experiencing difficulties can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor.
We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review. Ongoing engagement with the sector is critical for the Government to be prepared and able to react in a timely manner.
In total, we estimate that the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) has benefited from around £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current support available for (1) the aviation sector, and (2) its supply chain.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry as a result of Covid-19 and businesses across the sector can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.
In total, we estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefited from around £7 billion of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The extension of Government-backed loans and furlough payments announced at the budget build on this and will help ensure this vital and vibrant part of the UK economy is ready to bounce back in the wake of the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent significant delays for returning travellers arriving at airports in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We are in a global health pandemic, and people should not be travelling unless absolutely necessary.
To protect the public and our vaccine rollout from new variants, Border Force checks every passenger has complied with current health measures when arriving at the border.
We are not going to abandon or compromise these vital public health measures and put the public at risk, and as long as these checks are necessary passengers should expect longer queues when arriving into the UK.
Queues and wait times will be longer if passengers have not completed the necessary requirements to enter the UK, and airlines are responsible for making sure that their passengers have completed all the necessary requirements.
We are, however, working hard to avoid extensive wait times, and every airport, has a responsibility to comply with social distancing and Covid measures on site
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing free state-funded covid-19 testing sites in all major UK airports.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Everyone who arrives into England from outside the Common Travel Area must receive a negative COVID-19 test result within three days of departure. They must also book two further tests on day two and day eight that must be taken during their mandatory 10-day quarantine period following their arrival. People should pay for these tests to ensure the protection of themselves and the public. For those facing significant financial hardship as a result of this charge, there will be an opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce person-to-person contact in airports to reduce the risk of covid-19 transmission.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The government has introduced a range of measures to help reduce the risk of transmission at airports as well as issuing clear guidance for both passengers and operators. Only essential travel that is permitted should be undertaken and passengers need to comply with all inbound and outbound passenger requirements.
When travelling, passengers should abide by current social distancing measures, wear masks and follow instructions where indicated, as per the Safer Transport guidance. Additionally, operators have been encouraged to introduce clear signage and one-way passenger flows where appropriate, to help passengers abide by the rules.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the financial support provided to airports during the COVID-19 pandemic was issued through (1) loans, and (2) grants.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.
This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.
We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.
The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much, in total, they have provided in (1) grants, and (2) loans, to the aviation sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.
This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.
We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.
The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the financial support provided to the aviation sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was allocated to (1) airports, (2) airlines, and (3) other companies in that sector.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.
This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.
We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.
The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) regional airports and (b) the Government's levelling up agenda.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by the aviation sector at this time. The Government is committed to maintaining critical connectivity and through policies like Public Service Obligations the Department for Transport subsidises routes into London.
We have also taken action to support airports through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS). This opened for applications on 29 January to provide support for eligible commercial airports and ground handlers in England. It will provide support up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities or COVID-19 losses – whichever is lower – in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m.
The Government is keen to find ways to work closely with the industry to ease restrictions on international travel gradually and sustainably. The Secretary of State for Transport will lead a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce to develop a framework that can facilitate greater travel when the time is right, while still managing the risk from imported cases and variants.