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  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was paid in (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses to officials of his Department in each of the last three years.

    Mike Penning

    Details of the cost of a) year end and b) in year performance related payments that have been paid to officials of the department from 2011/2012 and 2013/2014 can be found at:

    2011/2012: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-consolidated-performance-related-payments-ncprps

    2013/2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-non-consolidated-performance-related-pay-2013-to-2014

    Data on payments made during 2014/2015 will be published in March 2016.

    “

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) funding his Department is undertaking and (b) projects his Department has planned as part of the Government’s Digital Inclusion Strategy.

    Mike Penning

    My department adheres by the Digital Inclusion Strategy when building public facing digital services.

    We continually search for opportunities to improve digital inclusion across the justice system. An example of this is a joint project by the department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the National Offender Management Service, which created a virtual campus to help prisoners develop the skills they need to become more employable upon release. This has been used across government as an example of digital inclusion in action.

  • Neil Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Neil Carmichael – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Carmichael on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Highways Agency has made on noise mitigation measures on the M5 at Upton St. Leonards.

    Andrew Jones

    The main measures to mitigate noise are new road surfacing and noise barriers. Highways England has three resurfacing schemes in their forward programme for this area. The resurfacing will be done after essential repairs to bridge structures have been completed to avoid disruption to users of the M5.

    Later this month works to inspect the condition of the noise fence from junction 11A to Gloucester Painswick bridge which covers the Upton St Leonards section of the M5 motorway will start and opportunities for a temporary noise barrier looked at.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the safety of civilian flights at RAF Northolt; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    All commercial air transport operators are required to satisfy themselves that the aerodromes they use are adequate. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates compliance with this requirement through its oversight of such operators.

    The CAA is reviewing certain aspects of the safety of operations at RAF Northolt. This review will conclude shortly and, if necessary, appropriate action could be taken in respect of civil operations.

    The CAA and the Ministry of Defence are also working on a memorandum of understanding which will allow the CAA to discharge its functions in respect of military aerodromes open to civil use. In particular, this will ensure that operators continue to have access to all necessary information to make an assessment of adequacy of a military aerodrome for the proposed flight.

    My officials have discussed RAF Northolt with the CAA on a number of occasions. I am satisfied that the CAA is taking appropriate steps to discharge its functions in respect of the safety of commercial air transport operations at the aerodrome.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had on safety at RAF Northolt; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    All commercial air transport operators are required to satisfy themselves that the aerodromes they use are adequate. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates compliance with this requirement through its oversight of such operators.

    The CAA is reviewing certain aspects of the safety of operations at RAF Northolt. This review will conclude shortly and, if necessary, appropriate action could be taken in respect of civil operations.

    The CAA and the Ministry of Defence are also working on a memorandum of understanding which will allow the CAA to discharge its functions in respect of military aerodromes open to civil use. In particular, this will ensure that operators continue to have access to all necessary information to make an assessment of adequacy of a military aerodrome for the proposed flight.

    My officials have discussed RAF Northolt with the CAA on a number of occasions. I am satisfied that the CAA is taking appropriate steps to discharge its functions in respect of the safety of commercial air transport operations at the aerodrome.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Civil Aviation Authority is exercising its duty to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft at RAF Northolt; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    All commercial air transport operators are required to satisfy themselves that the aerodromes they use are adequate. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates compliance with this requirement through its oversight of such operators.

    The CAA is reviewing certain aspects of the safety of operations at RAF Northolt. This review will conclude shortly and, if necessary, appropriate action could be taken in respect of civil operations.

    The CAA and the Ministry of Defence are also working on a memorandum of understanding which will allow the CAA to discharge its functions in respect of military aerodromes open to civil use. In particular, this will ensure that operators continue to have access to all necessary information to make an assessment of adequacy of a military aerodrome for the proposed flight.

    My officials have discussed RAF Northolt with the CAA on a number of occasions. I am satisfied that the CAA is taking appropriate steps to discharge its functions in respect of the safety of commercial air transport operations at the aerodrome.

  • Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including producers of aviation fuel in the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport ran an Advanced Fuels Call for Evidence in 2013/14 to examine the potential of advanced fuels in aviation and other transport sectors that cannot be easily decarbonised without low-carbon fuels. A summary of the evidence received was published with the Department’s response to the consultation on the post-implementation review of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in April 2014. Amendments to the RTFO earlier this year increased rewards for gaseous fuels, such as biomethane used in freight, to better reflect their energy content.

    The Department also commissioned an independent feasibility study to examine the economic benefits and potential of advanced biofuels in the UK, published in February 2014, the study informed the design of the Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Plant Competition for £25m of matched grant funding. Winning projects were announced on 7th September 2015.

    The Department for Transport and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership established a Transport Energy Task Force in September 2014 to examine options to meet our renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets, including through the wider deployment of sustainable biofuel. The Task Force included input from representatives of the Sustainable Aviation group.

    The Task Force’s report was published in March 2015 by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. The Task Force acknowledged that sustainable biofuels have a valuable role in reducing carbon emissions from transport, particularly in sectors where there are limited alternatives such as aviation and I met with Task Force representatives, including Sustainable Aviation, in July to discuss that report.

    Following the report of the Transport Energy Task Force, we are assessing the benefits of making aviation biofuels eligible for certificates under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and support under that scheme for synthetic fuels from renewable electricity. We aim to include proposals in a public consultation next year on potential amendments to the RTFO scheme.

  • Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to promote the development of sustainable aviation fuels in the UK.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport ran an Advanced Fuels Call for Evidence in 2013/14 to examine the potential of advanced fuels in aviation and other transport sectors that cannot be easily decarbonised without low-carbon fuels. A summary of the evidence received was published with the Department’s response to the consultation on the post-implementation review of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in April 2014. Amendments to the RTFO earlier this year increased rewards for gaseous fuels, such as biomethane used in freight, to better reflect their energy content.

    The Department also commissioned an independent feasibility study to examine the economic benefits and potential of advanced biofuels in the UK, published in February 2014, the study informed the design of the Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Plant Competition for £25m of matched grant funding. Winning projects were announced on 7th September 2015.

    The Department for Transport and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership established a Transport Energy Task Force in September 2014 to examine options to meet our renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets, including through the wider deployment of sustainable biofuel. The Task Force included input from representatives of the Sustainable Aviation group.

    The Task Force’s report was published in March 2015 by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. The Task Force acknowledged that sustainable biofuels have a valuable role in reducing carbon emissions from transport, particularly in sectors where there are limited alternatives such as aviation and I met with Task Force representatives, including Sustainable Aviation, in July to discuss that report.

    Following the report of the Transport Energy Task Force, we are assessing the benefits of making aviation biofuels eligible for certificates under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and support under that scheme for synthetic fuels from renewable electricity. We aim to include proposals in a public consultation next year on potential amendments to the RTFO scheme.

  • Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to support research into new aircraft and engine technologies to reduce noise emissions from aviation.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government is supporting industry investment in the development and deployment of technologies for new aircraft, including technologies for new engines, aero structures and advanced systems, to reduce noise and other emissions from aviation.

    This support is integral to the work between industry and Government through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), which published its Technology Strategy 2015 in July. To date, 100 ATI projects, worth around a total of £1bn, jointly funded by industry and government have been approved; and the majority of these are focused on technologies required to produce greener, more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft.

  • Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Tami – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2015-10-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has conducted or commissioned on (a) how noise emissions from aviation affect local communities and (b) the effectiveness of different noise mitigation approaches in reducing the number of people affected by aircraft noise.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In 2012 a National Noise Attitude Survey was carried out on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which included attitudes to noise from transport sources including aircraft.

    In 2014/15, Ipsos/MORI conducted on behalf of the Department for Transport a survey on noise attitudes which focused on noise from civil aviation, near to major airports in England. The results of the survey are currently being analysed with a view to publishing a report next year.