Thursday Volume 690 11 March 2021 No. 188 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 11 March 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 979 11 MARCH 2021 980 lobbied the Chancellor prior to that decision? If so, will House of Commons he continue to push the Treasury to change its view and save jobs? Thursday 11 March 2021 Robert Courts: The hon. Member will understand The House met at half-past Nine o’clock that there had to be a change on that taxation regime at the end of the transition period. All taxation matters PRAYERS are a matter for the Treasury. They are kept under review by the Chancellor at all times, and I am sure he [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] has heard very carefully what she said. Virtual participation in proceedings continued (Order, 4 June and 30 December 2020). Mr Virendra Sharma [V]: The future of the aviation [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] sector needs greening, which will bring lower pollution and new high-quality jobs. Will the Minister commit to working with the Department for Business, Energy and Oral Answers to Questions Industrial Strategy to increase the Aerospace Technology Institute budget, so that we as a country can focus on TRANSPORT developing the technology that will support future zero emission aircraft? The Secretary of State was asked— Robert Courts: The hon. Member is quite right that aviation must play its part in the net zero challenge. It is Aviation Industry a challenge, but it is also an enormous opportunity. We Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab): What are already working with BEIS through the Jet Zero steps he is taking to help ensure the recovery of the UK Council and the working groups not only on new airframe aviation sector following the rollout of the covid-19 types and new technology for aircraft, but on things like vaccine. [913229] sustainable aviation fuel. Amy Callaghan (East Dunbartonshire) (SNP): What Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues (SNP) [V]: It is simply not good enough. The Office for on support for the aviation industry. [913253] National Statistics confirmed that aviation has been Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab): What hardest hit. This Government promised a sector deal steps he is taking to support jobs in the aviation sector. but then did not deliver, barring a last minute and [913260] somewhat diluted version of the uncapped business rates relief available in Scotland. Let us recap: ending The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport VAT-free shopping at airports and refusing to consider (Robert Courts): The Government have provided significant arrival duty free; the most indebted aviation sector in financial support to aviation workers and businesses. the world, now about a third smaller with thousands of The global travel taskforce will report in April on a jobs gone; and now EU cargo and chartered airlines return to safe and sustainable international travel. operating in the UK without reciprocal rights in many Andrew Gwynne [V]: Last week, the Chancellor set EU countries—this Government have utterly failed aviation out the support he is providing to businesses until they and its 1 million workers, have they not? can reopen their doors, but although the Office for National Statistics showed that aviation was the worst- Robert Courts: This is a Government who stand affected sector, it was not given a single mention. Does foursquare behind aviation, which is a real mark of the Minister agree that the support already provided to global Britain. As I said, we have seen approximately airports will not be enough to cover them losing many £7 billion-worth of support going to the aviation sector. times that amount each month? Is he not missing a trick Through the global travel taskforce we will be expanding here both to help the sector to survive and help it to horizons even further. Most recently, the consultation modernise to meet our climate change obligations? has been announced on air passenger duty, which I note has not happened in Scotland. Robert Courts: The Government have given the aviation sector approximately £7 billion of support over the Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East) (Lab): The course of the pandemic. The Budget we heard last week Minister is strong on rhetoric, but weak on delivery. from the Chancellor extended both the furlough scheme First, I thank the Secretary of State for writing to me to and the airport and ground operations support scheme correct the record after our previous exchange and for another six months. What we are doing to support confirming how few times the Jet Zero Council had and help the sector is the global travel taskforce. It is actually met. through getting people travelling sustainably and robustly On this global travel taskforce, the ONS says, as my that we will see brighter days ahead. hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Amy Callaghan [V]: Duty free arrival was not part of Gwynne) pointed out, that it will take three years for the Government’spost-Brexit consultations,despite industry the sector to recovery.The Airport Operators Association stakeholders asking for it to be introduced. The Tory is saying five years. What assurances are there that what Government decision to end VAT-free shopping schemes the workstreams produce—are there any going on at for travellers will cost hundreds of jobs across Scotland. the moment and is it meeting?—will be robustly Establishing arrival duty free outlets could offset some implemented? We have not seen that so far with other of that. Can the Minister tell the House whether he announcements by this Government. 981 Oral Answers 11 MARCH 2021 Oral Answers 982 Robert Courts: I simply have to disagree with the hon. 36 rapid charge points available per 100 miles, but we Member. The first global travel taskforce reported in obviously need to go further. We are working through November, as promised. We had the robust release of our rapid charging fund and we will make further the test to release scheme in December in time for the announcements very shortly on this topic. Christmas market. Now it is right that we take stock, look at the whole aviation sector, consult carefully and Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab) [V]: We know have a new GTT. We will, as we have said, report to the that the Government’s road-building expansion will Prime Minister and publish the reports on 12 April, and lead to an estimated 270,000 additional tonnes of carbon 17 May is the earliest date on which international travel entering the atmosphere by 2032. However, in an answer can resume. We are working with and meeting and to a recent question, the Minister told me that she was consulting the sector on a weekly and daily basis. It is a content that the Government’s road-building expansion major ongoing piece of work very much at pace. programme was compatible with the net zero target. Will she tell me how she reached that view when the Union Connectivity Review Secretary of State overruled his own civil servants on the need to conduct an environmental review of the Rob Roberts (Delyn) (Con): What discussions he has policy? And does she agree that if the Government are had with Cabinet colleagues on the Union connectivity serious about reaching net zero and setting an example review. [913230] before COP26, that review should be carried out now? The Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps): Rachel Maclean: I thank the hon. Lady for her question. Yesterday, I welcomed the Union connectivity review She will know that we are serious about decarbonising interim report. It marks an important moment in looking the entire transport sector. We will publish our transport at how transport can bring people together across our decarbonisation plan in spring this year, as we have United Kingdom. committed to do, which will set out how we will decarbonise the entire sector, including roads. I just say to her that, Rob Roberts: Transport infrastructure is one of the of course, we do need roads, but we want the vehicles most vital areas of development needed in my constituency. driving on them to be electric, and we are investing in I was delighted to see that improvements in connectivity electric vehicles—cars, vans, buses and lorries. to the north Wales coastline and the A55 featured strongly in yesterday’s interim report. Can my right Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) hon. Friend confirm when he expects the review to (SNP) [V]: Over a year has gone and we have seen publish its final report, and that there will be funding neither hide nor hair of this transport decarbonisation available to implement its recommendations, even though plan, or the national bus strategy, or the £3 billion on some cases were not mentioned specifically in the Budget? green buses. In contrast, Scotland is fast becoming a world leader in transport decarbonisation, with higher Grant Shapps: The interim report did, of course, take-up of electric cars, an impressive charging network, mention the A55, which my hon. Friend has campaigned actual investment in electric buses, on which everyone hard for. I have released £20 million to carry on further under the age of 22 is now able to travel free, and a work and studies on some of these routes and the final much praised rolling rail electrification scheme.