The Government remains open to considering all feasible measures to ensure that the aviation sector contributes fairly to UK emissions reductions, and is committed to meeting its emissions reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.

There are a range of measures available to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, including biofuels, airspace reform and improvements in technology.

As mentioned in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government will set out its strategic approach to the aviation sector in a series of consultations leading to the publication of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK.

The Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy measures are to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.

The Government remains open to considering all feasible measures to ensure that the aviation sector contributes fairly to UK emissions reductions, and is committed to meeting its emissions reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.

There are a range of measures available to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, including biofuels, airspace reform and improvements in technology.

As mentioned in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government will set out its strategic approach to the aviation sector in a series of consultations leading to the publication of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK.

The Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy measures are to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.

The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be delivered without impacting on the UK’s compliance with air quality limit values, given the measures set out in the Government’s air quality plan, and with a suitable package of mitigation measures taken forward by the promoter.

Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.

In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.

Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.

The precise package of mitigation measures would be subject to consultation with local communities to ensure that the most effective measures are taken forward.

Furthermore, in order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.

Following consultation, in October 2017, the Government implemented a new five-year night flight regime at Heathrow, which will end in October 2022. This regime limits the number of scheduled movements to an average of sixteen per night for a six and a half hour night period.

The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) sets out the Government’s expectation for a six and a half hour ban on scheduled night flights at an expanded Heathrow. Should the revised draft Airports NPS be designated, consideration of any ban, including timings, would be subject to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Balanced Approach to noise management, including consultation with local communities and other interested parties.

The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) makes clear that any noise envelope at an expanded Heathrow should be tailored to local priorities and include clear noise performance targets. If the revised draft Airports NPS is designated, the design of any noise envelope would be defined in consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.

Following its recent Airspace Policy consultation, the Department implemented changes to its policy on compensation for communities affected by noise as a result of airspace change. The Government will undertake additional consideration of this issue through the new aviation strategy it is currently developing.

There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and Heathrow Airport on potential changes to Heathrow’s Quieter Homes scheme.

Whilst the Government sets the guidelines on when it expect airport operators to provide compensation to local communities, decision on how to apply the guidance are for the airport itself.

The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be delivered without impacting on the UK’s compliance with air quality limit values, given the measures set out in the Government’s air quality plan, and with a suitable package of mitigation measures taken forward by the promoter.

Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.

In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.

The Department provides advice to operators of UK registered aircraft on the risks of using a country’s airspace or Flight Information Region (FIR) in areas where an elevated level of risk is assessed due to activities on the ground. This advice is issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in the form of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The level of advice is determined based on the threat posed to aircraft in that airspace and a risk assessment is completed, based on the best available information, before any advice is issued. In certain cases the advice is supplemented by a Direction not to operate.

The reasons for the current NOTAMs in the areas mentioned are:

a) Potential risk to aviation overflying Libya from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.

b) Potential risk to aviation overflying Syria from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.

c) Potential risk to aviation overflying Yemen from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.

d) Potential risk to aviation overflying Iraq from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.

e) Potential risk to aviation overflying Somalia at less than 25,000ft above ground level from dedicated anti-aircraft weaponry

f) Potential risk to aviation overflying eastern Ukraine from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry and the potential for confusion over air traffic control service provision in the Simferopol (UKFV) FIR

g) Potential risk to aviation overflying Egyptian airspace in Northern Sinai Governate at less than 25,000 ft above ground level from dedicated anti-aircraft weaponry.

Additionally, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh following the downing of a Metrojet flight in October 2015.

Advice is kept under regular review.

Uber has always been regulated as a private hire vehicle operator in England and Wales, therefore no additional or revised regulation is required as a consequence of the European Court of Justice ruling.

I announced in a Westminster Hall debate that I would be setting up a working group to consider current issues concerning taxi and PHV licensing. That group has now been formed and will report its findings to me early this year.

The Government remains open to considering all feasible measures to ensure that the aviation sector contributes fairly to UK emissions reductions, and is committed to meeting its emissions reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.

There are a range of measures available to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, including biofuels, airspace reform and improvements in technology.

As mentioned in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government will set out its strategic approach to the aviation sector in a series of consultations leading to the publication of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK.

The Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy measures are to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) officials have routinely attended all meetings at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) (the two United Nations Agencies that consider maritime matters) since May 2010 where seafarer (a) training, (b) safety and (c) welfare standards have been on the agenda.

The IMO has a regular programme of meetings that discuss these matters, averaging around 15 per year. In addition, several working groups will also have these matters on their agenda.

The details of the key topics of discussion can be found on the IMO’s website. The next scheduled committee meeting of the IMO that is predominantly focused on seafarer (a) training, (b) safety and (c) welfare standards is on 16^th May 2018.

At the ILO, MCA officials have attended the following official meetings since May 2010:

The next scheduled committee meeting of the ILO to discuss seafarer welfare is 23^rd April 2018. There are no further ILO meetings scheduled on seafarer training and safety.

The UK was proactive in the development and adoption of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) energy efficiency regime in 2013 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. Under this regime, consideration has been given to the training of seafarers and the need for crews to be appropriately supported and empowered to take steps on vessels to improve operational energy efficiency. The IMO has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact on seafarer employment, but the Department is not aware that any concerns have been reported to date by Member States, industry or Seafarer representatives.

As part of the development and implementation of the IMO GHG reduction strategy, the UK expects that the impacts of any measures agreed will be considered and addressed as appropriate.

The UK has been an active participant in negotiations on the development of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The initial IMO strategy is due to be adopted in April 2018 and revised in 2023. UK priorities are that the strategy sets a level of ambition for the sector consistent with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. It should contain a range of short, mid- and long-term measures, some of which will be mandatory. The UK will continue to push for a credible and ambitious outcome in discussions at the IMO.

Exit arrangements from Major IT Contracts is limited across the Department as IT services are predominantly delivered through in-house IT teams and supplemented by a small number of services through commercial partners. The DVLA exit from the PACT contract is well documented within the guidance and is an example of best practice for exiting large IT contracts. The experience gained from PACT exit is being shared across the Department and the recently implemented IT Category approach provides forum network for IT commercial professionals to share best.

Further work is being undertaken to collaborate across HMG with representation at the Digital Commercial forum and numerous CCS led initiatives.

The exception within the Department is DVSA, as there are current programmes of work to disaggregate the two existing large IT contracts. The work being carried out is covered explicitly below;

(a) using market engagement,

DVSA is well acquainted with the guiding principles within the GCF paper ‘Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments’ and routinely proactively engages with GDS and CO Commercial on exit from current major IT contracts which are with Atos and Capita. Exit from these contracts formed a core objective of 2015 DVSA Digital Services & Technology strategy. Individual projects and procurements have already been launched for replacement services with market sounding as a routine step in the procurement process e.g. the new End User Computing contract. Digital Partners have been selected through the G Cloud framework for development of replacement services with significant market interest shown when the procurement exercise was launched 12 months ago. DVSA ensures it understands User Needs through a Discovery phase e.g. in developing new digital MOT service which fully replaced the old MOT PFI contract. In addition, DVSA makes use of technology analysists to understand developments in the market.

(b) setting up disaggregation work,

Projects for replacement services to exit from the two existing major IT contracts are launched and have governance processes that requires scrutiny and approval of full business cases and have a SRO identified.

Agile methodology is used within these projects with MVP and service backlogs identified and routinely tracked through burn down charts for each sprint. Project benefits are tracked through internal governance and include enabling benefits the exit of existing contracts. E.g., the Commercial Vehicle Services (CVS) project will enable the exit of a majority of the DVSA IS2003 contract with Atos during its remaining term. All other activities to enable contract exit are managed on a Common Technology Service backlog.

(c) risk assessment,

DVSA has identified non exit within the remaining term of their two major IT contracts as a corporate risk and this is monitored by the DVSA Directing Board. Each project that facilitates contract exit is subject to normal project governance including monthly risk assessments. All contract end dates are routinely monitored through the DVSA Investment and Change Committee (ICC).

(d) developing a programme plan through the transition,

Planning for contract exit and introduction of replacement services are managed through project plans and transition is part of the deliverable for the projects. For exit of the two major IT contracts, an internal DVSA Oversight Board has been established to monitor risks to exit timescales. This updates the DVSA Investment and Change Committee which is chaired by a Director.

(e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and

The need for futures skills and capabilities was recognised in the 2015 DVSA Digital Services & Technology strategy. DVSA has already successfully run an apprentice programme and a graduate programme for developing digital capability. In addition, recruitment campaigns are being run to fill permanent posts in the organisation consistent with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) professional requirements. DVSA Digital Services and Technology Directorate has measured itself against Government Commercial Function operating standards.

(f) any other work related to that guidance.

Incumbent suppliers are being proactively managed by DVSA to secure their cooperation for exit and transition. Formal partnership meetings are held with senior executives and a collaborative approach has been established. This is reinforced through DVSA engagement with the relevant Crown Representatives and Strategic Relationship Mangers at Cabinet Office.

The Government has allocated more than £61bn in transport capital investment over the five years to 2020/21. This is record investment to make the network more reliable and better connected, in recognition of the fact that families and businesses rely on that network every day.

While we take forward a number of policies that play a role in strengthening family life, including our £1.2bn cycling and walking investment plan, extension of the young person’s railcard and introduction of more flexible rail season tickets, it is rare for specific transport legislation to have a significant impact at the level of the family. As such the Department is not aware of instances when the specific Family Test has been applied to transport legislation since 2014, over and above the usual impact assessment process which considers a wide range of impacts.

We are undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU.

The Government is examining all areas of the UK economy and seeking input from a wide range of businesses and industry bodies in order to inform our negotiations with the EU.

Our department works closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure that they are informed of our understanding of these issues.

The Civil Service does not routinely collect information on the nationality of Civil Servants.

This response relates to both the central Department and its agencies which includes specifically the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).

In 2015-16, 14 data incidents were centrally recorded, with two reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). In 2016-17, six were centrally reported, with none reported to the ICO.