Our inland waterways are important for the natural environment by providing green corridors along which biodiversity can flourish. They also directly contribute to the growth of local economies, through domestic tourism and facilitating active transport links. They have a wider positive benefit for our economy and culture through providing many public benefits, including health and wellbeing, leisure and recreation uses, and industrial heritage attractions.

Defra officials meet regularly with the Trust to discuss a range of issues. The Trust publishes its annual Impact Report on its contribution to the economy, environment, and wildlife. The Environment Agency has not undertaken specific quantitative assessments of the contribution its waterways make to the economy, environment, and wildlife; however, its previous navigation plans acknowledge the benefits they bring.

We do not have any plans to conduct an analysis of the impact of home working in isolation. However, we will monitor the impact of the flexible working reforms which came into force in April 2024, and further changes planned though the Employment Rights Bill.

Whilst the decision by Loganair to withdraw from Teesside Airport is disappointing, it is ultimately a commercial decision by the airline.

The Government recognises the importance of regional airports to our aviation sector and to the communities they serve. We continue to support regional airports through various policy measures such as our introduction next year of a 50% cut in Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights.

The Department is working closely with Transport for London (TfL) to ensure that London’s transport network is able to support the restart and economic recovery of the city. The Government’s commitment to supporting London’s transport network is ongoing, and we have provided close to £5 billion of support throughout the pandemic. However, transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and TfL.

Public service pensions are a crucial part of the total remuneration package for public sector workers, this includes the current OBR estimate of a £1.9 bn Exchequer top-up payment for 2020-21 and £1.89 tn in liabilities. The Government pays close attention to the cost of public service pensions to the taxpayer, forecasts of which are regularly published by the OBR on a cashflow basis in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook^[1] and Fiscal Sustainability Report^[2]. Information on long-term public service pension liabilities can be found in the Whole of Government Accounts^[3].

[1] https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2021/

[2] https://obr.uk/fsr/fiscal-sustainability-report-july-2018/

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whole-of-government-accounts-2018-2019

The full East West Rail (EWR) scheme (Oxford to Cambridge) is planned to be delivered, and operational for passenger and freight services, by the end of the decade. We are currently working hard with the East West Railway Company and Network Rail to develop the right future service patterns for the scheme. This will help ensure that EWR objectives are achieved and provide the best possible connectivity for the communities and customers.

Plans, including costs, for the whole scheme are still in development. We will release further details in due course.

Environmental implications and ensuring economic sustainability have been important parts of the decision-making process for the EWR scheme.

• A strategic objective of EWR is to provide a sustainable and value for money transport solution to support economic growth in the area. This is to be achieved by improving transport connections within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, and ensuring the line supports new housing development in the area.
• The EWR scheme aims to become a net-zero carbon railway. It is committed to protecting the environment by finding approaches to delivery that avoid, minimise or mitigate negative environmental impacts. As part of this, for example, the East West Railway Company has committed to delivering biodiversity net gain in the area.

The Government has funded research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in a number of areas. This includes investment by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in the Centre for Nature-Based Engineering (CNIE). Launched in 2013, as one of five EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centres, the CNIE draws lessons from nature to engineer innovative solutions to our grand challenges in energy, water, materials, health, and living space. In 2017, the Centre was awarded an EPSRC Progression Grant, to enable the Centre to continue to explore novel, transformative, multi-disciplinary solutions to key engineering challenges, where mechanisms found in nature systems can deliver superior performance over traditional approaches. In addition, the Centre accelerates translation of its findings into practice, through a wide range of industrial collaborations and entrepreneurship. The Frontier Engineering Progression Grant extends underpinning EPSRC investment in the CNIE until at least the end of 2021.

Biomimicry is also one of the potential features of the National Engineering Biology Programme being developed by UKRI partners and the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory. As part of the proposed programme, Engineering Biology aims to draw upon discovery-inspired advanced research themes in Bioinspired Design (e.g. biomimicry, biocomputing), Bioengineered Cells & Systems (e.g. artificial life, protocells, genome engineering) and Novel Materials (e.g. smart materials, new chemistry).

We recognise that every region and community, including the Isles of Scilly, will be feeling the impacts of this crisis and we are working to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on local communities across the United Kingdom.

The Government has provided an unprecedented national package of support; supporting businesses, protecting jobs, and providing our public services with the resources they need to cope with the current economic emergency. These measures are helping the most vulnerable people and business across all parts of the country.

We are working closely with local areas to make sure that individuals and businesses in all regions are directed to the right support during this difficult period.

Tunisia’s security, economy and education sector are priority areas of co-operation for the UK. The Tunisian economy is growing, although this growth remains fragile and the country needs further support to ensure economic benefits reach all Tunisians. Levels of educational attainment have increased over recent years, but there remains a mismatch between skills and the needs of the private sector which the UK is working to help address. Security in Tunisia has markedly improved since the terrorist attacks of 2015: in particular, the ability of Tunisian authorities to mitigate the threat from terrorism, and to better protect foreign visitors has improved.

We are working directly and through development partners to help Tunisia deal with security threats and to address long-term challenges like youth unemployment. Bilateral spend is mainly channelled through the North Africa Good Governance Fund, with up to £14m allocated for Tunisia in 2019/20 to support economic development, education, and marginalised regions. In 2017, the last year for which figures are available, the UK’s share of multilateral organisations’ total spend in Tunisia was over £30m. The Prosperity Fund does not currently have any projects in Tunisia.

The Secretary of State for Transport has made no recent assessment of the impact of the stretches of single line track on the Waterloo – Exeter mainline on the economy of South-Western England. Network Rail’s Wessex Route Study concluded that the forecast levels of growth between Salisbury and Exeter did not justify the need for additional sections of double track.

By the end of the Connecting Devon and Somerset Phase 1 project (December 2016) over 277,000 additional homes and businesses will have access to superfast broadband. As of 30 June 2015, 121,343 premises had gained access to superfast broadband due to this public investment.

Connecting Devon and Somerset have signed a contract with Airband under their Phase 2 contract to extend superfast coverage to an additional 4,794 premises across Exmoor and Dartmoor. Roll-out to these premises will start in February 2016 and is to be completed by November 2016. Assuming completion of the announced commercial coverage, a further 106,725 premises in Devon and Somerset would remain without superfast coverage.

The economic impact of superfast broadband coverage is assessed in the study published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in November 2013 at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-broadband-impact-study--2