Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Future of Flight Action Plan, published on 18 March, what regulations are being considered to ensure that ‘temporary reserved areas’ do not impact citizens regarding (1) safety, (2) noise, (3) privacy, and (4) environmental impacts; and when they will provide the necessary regulatory frameworks.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The regulatory framework exists and Temporary Reserved Areas (TRAs) are applied for through the Airspace Change Process and are assessed by the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, which under Section 70 of the Transport Act 2000, has a duty to take a number of factors into account. This includes assessing that a high standard of safety is maintained in the provision of air traffic services; specific guidance on environment objectives contained within the Air Navigation Guidance 2017; and the process allows for consultation with potentially impacted stakeholders to raise concerns such as privacy.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which airlines are banned from entering United Kingdom airspace.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The safety of aviation and the travelling public is a priority for the UK government.
The UK Air Safety List, which came into force in January 2021, comprises of known states and air carriers that have failed to demonstrate that they meet relevant, internationally agreed safety standards. They are therefore banned from operating into, out of or within the UK.
The Air Safety List is published online on a gov.uk website and is available for the public to view. It ensures that UK citizens continue to be protected and informed wherever they are in the world, as well as acts as a deterrent to poor safety performance of air carriers and States.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to (a) request data from operators of helicopter transport services in the offshore oil and gas sector on their annual flying hours between 2018 and 4 March 2024 and (b) place copies of that information in the Library.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that North Sea helicopter flying is as safe as possible. In 2014, the CAA published a comprehensive review of the safety of offshore helicopter operations. The Review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and to increase the chances of passengers and crew surviving an accident.
As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) continues to monitor all aspects of the operations of offshore helicopter companies and any risks to safe operation through its ongoing programme of safety oversight - which includes implementation of the review findings and monitoring data from operators.
It is the role of the CAA as the independent regulator to collect safety data, it is not for the Department to do so.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the (a) resilience and (b) safety of helicopter transport operations in the North Sea.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that North Sea helicopter flying is as safe as possible. In 2014, the CAA published a comprehensive review of the safety of offshore helicopter operations. The Review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and to increase the chances of passengers and crew surviving an accident.
As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) continues to monitor all aspects of the operations of offshore helicopter companies and any risks to safe operation through its ongoing programme of safety oversight - which includes implementation of the review findings and monitoring data from operators.
It is the role of the CAA as the independent regulator to collect safety data, it is not for the Department to do so.
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help increase safety at regional airports.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Most airport operators are either in the commercial private sector or are public/private partnerships which operate commercially. As such, it is for airports to ensure they adhere to regulations and standards relating to safety and security.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issues either an aerodrome licence or aerodrome certificate to regional aerodromes on the basis that the aerodrome, and its operation, meets the licencing/certification criteria. The CAA establishes an oversight programme for each licensed/certificated aerodrome in which the continued compliance with the regulatory requirements is verified. Additionally, the aerodrome operator is required to have a safety management system, the effectiveness of which falls within the scope of the CAA oversight Programme. These UK regulations are developed and implemented to adhere to and go beyond the minimum international safety Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The responsibility for safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain lies with the Civil Aviation Authority. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on this matter.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks of the NHS using drone delivery supplies in the context of ever busier airspace and a lack of collision avoidance technology.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulate the use of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (drones) to ensure the increased use of drones remains safe and secure for all airspace users. The CAA will approve any drone operations for NHS deliveries based on a safety case, in line with their Operational Risk Assessment.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will have discussions with (a) ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport, (b) operators, (c) the offshore oil and gas industry and (d) trade unions on the safety of offshore helicopter transport operations.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State meets regularly with her ministerial colleagues and other stakeholders, including the offshore oil and gas trade association, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), to discuss a wide range of subjects.
Officials also meet regularly with OEUK, who are working closely on offshore safety issues with helicopter operators, oil and gas operators and contractors, offshore trade unions, the pilots’ union BALPA, the relevant regulators (Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority) and trade associations.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Transport on the regulation of helicopter transport services for offshore oil and gas workers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The regulation of helicopter transport services for offshore oil and gas workers is a matter for other bodies, such as the Civil Aviation Authority. Officials are in regular contact with Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), which engages directly on this issue on behalf of the offshore oil and gas sector with relevant bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, the Civil Aviation Authority, helicopter operators, oil and gas operators and contractors, offshore trade unions, and the pilots’ union BALPA
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the People's Republic of China, including in discussions between the Foreign Secretary and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, regarding that country's behaviour towards Taiwan, including its adjustment of flight routes in the Taiwan Strait.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' and Leaders' communiques.
The UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion.
The UK has regular discussions within International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.