Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions they have imposed on flights arriving from ‘red list’ countries.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Direct flight bans apply to most countries on the ‘Red List’, and operators must only deliver passengers who have travelled indirectly from a ‘Red List’ country in the previous 10 days to a designated port.
Passengers who have been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days prior to their arrival will only be allowed to enter the UK if they are a British or Irish National, or have residence rights in the UK. Alongside the requirements to take a pre-departure test and complete the Passenger Locator Form, most people who are allowed to enter England from a country on the red list will be required to quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved managed quarantine hotel with Covid-19 tests on days 2 and 8.
Direct flight bans were not introduced for countries added to the ‘Red List’ on 9 and 23 April, which had regular scheduled services to England (Pakistan, Bangladesh and India), on a trial basis. Passengers on direct flights were still subject to measures such as quarantine in a government-approved managed quarantine hotel.
We continually assess the data to understand the efficacy of measures such as managed hotel quarantine, entry bans and testing to ensure public health is protected.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of holidaymakers taking an initial covid-19 lateral flow test before flying and only requiring a PCR test in the event that the first test returns a positive or inconclusive result.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Holidaymakers are able to use a lateral flow test for pre-departure testing before travel to England as long as it meets the minimum performance standards. Testing post-arrival remains an important tool in our wider measures to manage the risk of imported cases of Covid-19, as well as allowing us to identify variants of concern. We are exploring options to reduce the cost of testing, including cheaper tests being used when holidaymakers return home and whether the Government would be able to provide pre-departure tests.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the adequacy of covid-19 restrictions at airports designed to avoid the mixing of travellers from outbound and inbound air traffic from multiple destinations and (b) whether he plans to publish additional guidance to strengthen those restrictions as international air travel rules become segmented for different destinations.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The government has introduced a range of health measures such as the wearing of face coverings and social distancing to help reduce the risk of transmission at airports, as well as issuing clear guidance for both passengers and operators. Where social distancing is not possible, airlines are advised to carry out a risk assessment and implement appropriate risk controls. For example, wearing a face covering can play a role in helping us to protect other passengers, which is why it is mandatory to wear one at airports.
Additionally, operators are 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 they are 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: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has issued to airports and airlines on ensuring that social distancing measures are implemented while passengers (a) enter and exit aircraft and (b) wait in airport waiting rooms and lounges; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The government has introduced a range of measures such as social distancing and the wearing of face coverings to help reduce the risk of transmission on aircraft and at airports, as well as issuing clear guidance for both passengers and operators. Where social distancing is not possible, airlines are advised to carry out a risk assessment and implement appropriate risk controls. For example, wearing a face covering can play a role in helping us to protect other passengers, which is why it is mandatory to wear one on board aircraft.
Additionally, operators are encouraged to introduce clear signage and one-way passenger flows where appropriate. Arrangements may vary depending on the port or airport and the guidance is available to support port operators. The government continue to engage with the aviation sector to ensure they are supported in implementing best practices.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring airlines to check passengers' coronavirus paperwork and to ensure they have booked testing packages for their return to the UK.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
It is already a legal requirement for carriers to check these measures have been complied with, and there are financial penalties for operators and passengers for non-compliance.
We are working closely with airlines to ensure passengers are compliant with the requirements of passage to the United Kingdom. Airlines are in an excellent position to assist in ensuring compliance with the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) away from the border, facilitating a smoother arrivals process in UK ports. They are able to communicate with passengers at various stages of the journey, from booking passage to departure, ensuring passengers comply with their requirement to complete the PLF and that the relevant testing packages have been booked.
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: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to support jobs in the aviation sector in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government fully recognises the impact that COVID-19 is having on the aviation sector. The sector is important to the UK economy and can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, designed to ensure that companies of any size receive the help they need to get through this difficult time.
We have extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) until 30 September 2021. Furloughed employees will continue to receive 80% of their current salary until that date (up to £2,500). 52% of passenger air transport employees were furloughed using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) as of 31 January 2021. We estimate the wider air transport sector will have received around £1 billion in support through CJRS up to the end of April 2021.
Constituents in Newport West, including in the aviation sector, have similarly benefited from this support. By 15 March 2021, 13,100 workers in Newport West had been furloughed using the CJRS.
In addition, the Department for Transport launched the Aviation Skills Retention Platform in February to support skills retention in the sector. This allows aviation sector workers who are currently out of work to register their skills, so they can be matched with relevant jobs opportunities, advice and upskilling opportunities.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK aviation sector makes a strong recovery once the domestic economy opens up as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The report of the Global Travel Taskforce, published on 9 April, clearly sets out how, when the time is right, we will be able to restart international travel safely while managing the risk from imported cases and variants of concern. It has been created following extensive engagement with the international travel and tourism industries, and we are grateful for their valuable contributions to the development of the report’s recommendations.
The government is also currently developing a strategic framework for the recovery of the aviation sector, which will focus on how the sector can build back better to deliver a world leading aviation sector for the UK. We expect to publish this framework later this year.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) level of risk of catching covid-19 posed to passengers on aeroplane flights and (b) effect of leaving all middle seats vacant on the level of that risk; what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the additional steps that could be taken to reduce that risk; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government expects all airlines to manage the risks of COVID-19 transmission as far as possible and published guidance to provide safer services for passengers. The Safer Transport guidance for operators, which was developed with industry, is clear that robust social distancing, regular cleaning, and good hand and respiratory hygiene are the best ways of protecting against the transmission of coronavirus.
Where social distancing is not possible, airlines are advised to carry out a risk assessment and implement appropriate risk controls. For example, wearing a face covering can play a role in helping us to protect other passengers, which is why it is now mandatory to wear one on board aircraft.
It is also worth noting that passengers are seated facing forwards in the same direction on board aircraft, which avoids the increased transmission risk of being seated face to face.
In addition, air conditioning systems on modern aircraft filter cabin air every few minutes through High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. These filters are very effective at capturing airborne microbes in the filtered air and, when coupled with the drawn in fresh air, can help to mitigate the longer-range risk of transmission.
Officials continue to engage with the aviation sector to ensure they are supported in implementing best practices.