Contents
SASIG 2014/15 Meeting Date
Regional News
Industry News
European News
Parliamentary News
Government News
House of Commons Written Questions
House of Lords Oral Question
Media News
SASIG 2014/15 Meeting Date
6 March 2014
Meetings are held at Local Government House, Smith Square, SW1P 3HZ, location map.
Regional News
15 November 2014 – Seventy six per cent of people who responded to a consultation over proposals to change flight paths around Stansted Airport have said they are against the idea.
15 November 2014 – A disagreement has developed between the developer of Middlesborough Football Club’s wind turbine and Durham Tees Valley Airport over alleged passenger safety issues. The 136 metre turbine was given permission to be built in the overflow car park at the Riverside Stadium by Middlesbrough Council in 2008. The approval came with a condition that, before operation, a scheme to alleviate the impact of the turbine on the airport radar must be submitted and approved by the local authority. The North Yorkshire developer, Empowering Wind, has now applied to remove the planning condition on the grounds that the turbine poses no problem. But airport representatives insist there is ‘a potential risk to aviation safety’ if the mitigation measures are not in place.
15 November 2014 – Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington John McDonnell attended the inaugural ‘Stop Heathrow Expansion’ meeting at St Mary’s Church, in High Street, Harmondsworth. Mr McDonnell called on political parties to ‘come clean’ about their positions regarding the airport’s expansion before the general election in 2015, and urged those affected by the proposals to ‘mobilise’ and demonstrate ‘people power’.
15 November 2014 – US business The Trump Organisation has announced a partnership with the Scottish Government to base its Scottish operations at Prestwick Airport. The Trump Organisation owned by US Businessman Donald Trump has chosen Prestwick Airport to service the nearby Trump Turnberry resort, in which the businessman plans to invest £250 million. The airport will be the Scottish base for all Trump Aviation Operations, including Mr Trump’s private Boeing 757 and Sikorsky 76B helicopter.
15 November 2014 – Member of Parliament for Wokingham John Redwood has written about the complaints he has received from constituents about aviation noise from Heathrow Airport.
16 November 2014 – Chief Executive of Manchester City Council Sir Howard Bernstein has announced plans for an expansion of the city region’s Airport City Enterprise Zone. In a report to the 10 local councils that make up the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Sir Howard says the expansion program has been submitted to the Government, and there high expectations it will be given permission in next month’s Autumn statement to Parliament by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. The new proposals will see an expansion of developments, creating around 95,000 square meters of business and commercial space in its 116-hectare enterprise zone.
17 November 2015 – The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s Aviation Forum have debated the deadline to comment on a planning inquiry against Hillingdon’s refusal of the application to do the works to end the ‘Cranford Agreement’. Heathrow Airport had lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate over the London Borough of Hillingdon’s refusal in March to grant permission for taxiway infrastructure on the northern runway. Representatives of the West Windsor Residents’ Association at the meeting indicated it would be submitting its own response.
17 November 2014 – Member of Parliament for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields Justine Greening chaired a public meeting on Gatwick Airport’s plans for expansion. The Chief Financial Officer Nick Dunn and Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at the airport Charles Kirwan-Taylor told around 200 people that if Gatwick expands the airport will support the case for a redevelopment of Clapham Junction Station. Wandsworth Council Leader Ravi Govindia also attended the meeting.
17 November 2014 – Member of Parliament for Mole Valley Sir Paul Beresford has criticised plans to build a new runway at Gatwick Airport.
18 November 2014 – Blackpool Airport will reopen for small aircraft and helicopters but will not serve commercial passengers. The company Squires Gate Airport Operations Limited was incorporated at site owner Balfour Beatty’s offices in London. The company is advertising for air traffic controllers and other staff to work at the airport from December 1. They will be part of a new operations team supporting independent operators and businesses at the site.
19 November 2014 – Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood Airport has completed the upgrade of a new hangar meaning that it can now accept B727 aircraft. It is anticipated that the aircraft will be used to support cargo operations from the airport, including chartered flights to relevant locations around the world under the Anglo World Cargo operations activity.
19 November 2014 – Councillor Mike George, Vice-Chairman of the Horley Town Council has said that it opposes expansion at Gatwick Airport. The decision was made at an Extraordinary Full Council Meeting to discuss a survey on the proposed second runway at the site. Councillor George said, ‘Horley Town Council has resolved to endorse the majority view of local residents who are against the proposal for a second runway at Gatwick Airport following results received from an extensive questionnaire. However, should the Government decide to select Gatwick as its preferred option for a second runway, then this council will strive to achieve the best possible outcome for local residents with particular regard to infrastructure’.
20 November 2014 – Members of the Welsh Assembly used Cardiff Airport five times out of a possible 80 for trade meetings between May 2011 and November 2014. Ministers still did not fly from Cardiff when they were going to destinations with direct routes from Wales’ state-owned airport.
20 November 2014 – London Borough of Redbridge Councillor Sheila Bain will be putting a motion before Members urging them to write to the Civil Aviation Authority, asking them to suspend the consultation being carried out by London City Airport. Cllr Bain has called the consultation ‘totally inadequate’.
22 November 2014 – Member of Parliament for Mole Valley in Surrey, Sir Paul Beresford is attending a meeting of the campaign group ‘Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign’ – arranged for those who oppose the airport’s potential expansion. It has been reported that two other local MP’s are aiming to attend.
23 November 2014 – The rail campaign group ‘The Braintree and Witham Rail Users Association’ is lobbying for a train route from Stansted Airport, through Dunmow, Braintree and on to Witham, then to the new Beaulieu Park station due to open in 2019, then to connect with Chelmsford. The group claims the £150m project could be paid for by funding from the European Union, central Government and Greater Anglia and Stansted Airport.
23 November 2014 – Residents in Bracknell have questioned representatives of Heathrow Airport after aviation noise has returned to the area after the completion of flight trials.
23 November 2014 – Heathrow Airport has approached chambers of commerce across the north west of England offering to fund events to promote their case for a third runway. Twenty five chambers have agreed but Manchester City Council have declined with their Leader Sir Richard Leese calling the approach ‘desperate’.
Industry News
15 November 2014 – The infrastructure services company Balfour Beatty are set to write off up to £19m following the liquidation of Blackpool Airport. A document from the liquidator has also revealed the Government is set to meet a redundancy bill of more than £4m.
16 November 2014 – The airline operator Virgin Atlantic is to lease out two pairs of take-off and landing slots at Heathrow Airport while it awaits a new fleet of aircraft. Virgin Atlantic said it does not currently have the aircraft to fill the slots, but plans to use them eventually as it expands. The slots have been freed up by the decision to end its Virgin Little Red domestic airline.
19 November 2014 – Chief Executive of Ryanair Michael O’Leary has said that he believes Stansted Airport is where a new runway for the south east of England should be built. At a meeting of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce in Bury St Edmunds, Mr O’Leary said that perceptions of Stansted were wrong, and that the airport would be the ‘main engine of growth in the region over the next five years’.
19 November 2014 – Cardiff Airport has been told it can borrow £3.5m of public money to try to attract new airlines. The Welsh Government has described it as the most significant step at the airport since buying it 18 months ago. It comes after First Minister Carwyn Jones said its future lies in long-haul flights, not competing with Bristol on closer destinations.
19 November 2014 – A new tool developed by NATS means that air traffic controllers are now able to analyse the environmental efficiency of flights in near real-time. The Flight Optimisation System, or ‘FLOSYS’, takes real radar data, updated every three minutes, and combines it with NATS’ 3Di airspace efficiency metric to produce a graphical representation of every flight in UK airspace. Controllers can then analyse the efficiency of an individual aircraft through every phase of flight and airspace sector, as well as compare it against other flights along the same route up to 12 months ago, including the average and best performing.
20 November 2014 – The airline operator Bmi Regional has announced it is adding 7,000 seats from Bristol Airport. The new capacity will be added on services to Frankfurt and Munich from February 2015.
20 November 2014 – American Airlines will offer a new daily service between Edinburgh and New York from May 2015. Welcoming the news, Scotland Office Minister David Mundell said, ‘this new direct route between Edinburgh and New York is good news for business and leisure travellers on both sides of the Atlantic’.
20 November 2014 – Advice on restoring, or rebuilding, historic and ex-military aircraft has been released by the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s General Aviation Unit. The guidance has been compiled from a number of existing CAA sources to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ webpage containing everything a vintage aircraft owner needs to know when starting a restoration project. The information, which only covers aircraft on Permits to Fly, suggests arranging an early inspection by a CAA airworthiness surveyor to establish if the aircraft is an original or a replica. The CAA pointed out that if owners do not contact the regulator until the project is well underway it could result in the aircraft having to be dismantled to allow an inspection of work already undertaken. Advice is also given on using newly manufactured replacements parts, where original parts are unavailable, as well as how to establish an aircraft’s original identity.The CAA said it will check that a restoration has not previously been approved for the same identity.
European News
21 November 2014 – Following a report it published last year detailing the potential impacts of temperature increase, sea-level rise and other changes in climate on the European air transport network, Eurocontrol has joined with airport trade body ACI Europe and other organisations to produce a collaborative factsheet, ‘Adapting Aviation to a Changing Climate’. Unveiled at the recent ACI Airport Exchange event in Paris, the factsheet outlines the potential risks and also provides a checklist of questions and case studies to help the sector initiate their climate risk assessments.
Parliamentary News
18 November 2014 – The Energy and Climate Change Committee have announced a call for evidence for the inquiry entitled ‘Fuelling the debate: ECC Committee successes and future challenges’. This inquiry looks back at the Committee’s work over the course of the Parliament. It will also look forward and ask what the energy system in 2030 might look like and what are the immediate challenges which need to be overcome in the next parliament that will enable Government to achieve their aims. The Committee invites responses addressing some or all of the following issues:
- What are the greatest challenges in UK energy and climate change policy over the next Parliament (2015-2020)?
- What would a UK energy system, that successfully tackles the energy trilemma, look like by 2030 and beyond?
The deadline for the submission of written evidence is 15 December 2014
19 November 2014 – The Culture, Media and Sport Committee will hold an oral evidence session with industry representatives and campaigners on tourism in the UK on 25 November, with a particular focus on VAT and Air Passenger Duty. Witnesses will be: Chairman and Director of the ‘Cut Tourism VAT Campaign’, Graham Wason and David Bridgford; Chief Executive, British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, Paul Kelly; Chief Executive, British Air Transport Association, Nathan Stower; General Manager of Government and External Relations, Virgin Atlantic, Sian Foster; and the Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, Darren Caplan.
Government News
House of Commons Written Questions
Abbott, D – Assessment of public health risks from air pollution in London
17 November 2014
Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of public health risks from air pollution in London; and if she will make a statement.
Dan Rogerson (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water, Forestry, Resource Management and Rural Affairs, North Cornwall, Liberal Democrat): The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) advises the Government on all matters concerning the health effects of air pollutants. COMEAP has previously assessed the effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on mortality. It has also assessed mortality effects from particulate matter specifically, which included an assessment for London. The reports are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/comeap-reports. Mortality attributable to particulate air pollution is included in the Public Health Outcomes Framework, used to assess progress by local authorities in addressing this health issue.
Marsden, G – Private flights entering UK airspace with the intention of landing in the UK
17 November 2014
Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South, Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many private flights have entered UK airspace with the intention of landing in the UK in each year since 2010.
Robert Goodwill (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Scarborough and Whitby, Conservative): The Department for Transport does not collect information on such flights. All General Aviation flights are required to submit advance information, in the form of a General Aviation Report (GAR) prior to arriving in the UK. This information – including passenger details, flight details and aircraft details – is checked against Home Office IT systems. All flights must also submit a flight plan before arriving in the UK to NATS (formally known as the National Air Traffic System). Border Force routinely cross references this data with GARs received. Border Force risk assess all flights which are notified and seek to attend to all high priority flights.
Marsden, G – Private flights submitting general aviation reports upon arrival in the UK
17 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many private flights have submitted general aviation reports upon arrival rather than in advance in each year since 2010.
James Brokenshire (Minister of State for Security and Immigration, Old Bexley and Sidcup, Conservative): The Home Office does not hold data on the number of private flights which have submitted general aviation reports on arrival rather than in advance. Border Force has the capability to identify flights which have not submitted Advance Passenger Information (API), which informs part of the risk assessment process. Where a flight does not submit API it will automatically be classified asHigh Priority, and will likely be met by a Border Force Officer. The other requested data is not held centrally.
Marsden, G – Private flight operators fined by the UK for inadequate documentation
17 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions private flight operators have been fined for having inadequately documented people on board in each year since 2010.
James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of private flights which have submitted general aviation reports on arrival rather than in advance. Border Force has the capability to identify flights which have not submitted Advance Passenger Information (API), which informs part of the risk assessment process. Where a flight does not submit API it will automatically be classified asHigh Priority, and will likely be met by a Border Force Officer.
Marsden, G – Private flights submitting flight plans to NATS UK
17 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many private flights have submitted flight plans to National Air Traffic Services in the last four years.
Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport does not collect information on such flights. All General Aviation flights are required to submit advance information, in the form of a General Aviation Report (GAR) prior to arriving in the UK. This information – including passenger details, flight details and aircraft details – is checked against Home Office IT systems. All flights must also submit a flight plan before arriving in the UK to NATS (formally known as the National Air Traffic System). Border Force routinely cross references this data with GARs received. Border Force risk assess all flights which are notified and seek to attend to all high priority flights.
Marsden, G – Non-scheduled departures from the UK by private aircraft
17 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many non-scheduled departures from the UK there have been by private aircraft since 2010.
Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport does not collect information on such flights. All General Aviation flights are required to submit advance information, in the form of a General Aviation Report (GAR) prior to arriving in the UK. This information – including passenger details, flight details and aircraft details – is checked against Home Office IT systems. All flights must also submit a flight plan before arriving in the UK to NATS (formally known as the National Air Traffic System). Border Force routinely cross references this data with GARs received. Border Force risk assess all flights which are notified and seek to attend to all high priority flights.
Hanson, D – Private flights landing in the UK checked against semaphore system
17 November 2014
David Hanson (Delyn, Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many private flights landing in the UK have been checked against the semaphore system in each year since 2010.
James Brokenshire: The information requested in this question is not available for release on the grounds of operational security. Border Force carries out checks against all General Aviation flights notified.
17 November 2014
David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many general aviation pre-flight passenger notifications were not submitted in the timescales specified in the Commissioners’ Directions in each month since they were introduced in 2013.
James Brokenshire: The requested data is not held centrally. The Home Office does not hold data on how many private flights did not submit advance notification within timescales specified in the Commissioners’ Directions. Border Force has the capability to identify flights which have not submitted advance data; this then informs part of the risk assessment process. Where a flight does not submit advance data it will automatically be classified as High Priority.
Hanson, D – Private flights landing in the UK (1)
19 November 2014
David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many private flights landing in the UK her Department has (a) been notified of and (b) checked each year since 2010.
James Brokenshire : Border Force does not have the requested data prior to 2012/13. The number of General Aviation flights Border Force were notified of since 2012/13 is shown in the table below. Border Force carries out checks on all General Aviation flights notified – 2013/14, 53,434; 2012/13, 43,556. We do not comment on flight prioritisation on the grounds of operational security. Border Force carries out checks on all GA flights notified.
Hanson, D – Private flights landing in the UK (2)
19 November 2014
David Hanson (Delyn): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many private flights landing in the UK of which her Department had been notified were (a) classified as high priority and (b) checked in each year since 2010.
James Brokenshire: Border Force does not have the requested data prior to 2012/13. The number of General Aviation flights Border Force were notified of since 2012/13 is shown in the table below. Border Force carries out checks on all General Aviation flights notified – 2013/14, 53,434; 2012/13, 43,556. We do not comment on flight prioritisation on the grounds of operational security. Border Force carries out checks on all GA flights notified.
Marsden, G – Surface access improvements to Stansted Airport
20 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of Stansted Airport on the surface access improvements to Stansted Airport recommended in the Airports Commission’s Interim Report, published in December 2013.
Robert Goodwill: The Airports Commission Interim Report recommended “work on developing proposals to improve the rail link between London and Stansted”. To that end, we have challenged Network Rail to develop such proposals within the context of its Anglia Route Study, a draft of which is currently subject to public consultation. Minsters and officials in the Department regularly discuss this and other issues with Manchester Airport Group, the owners and operators of Stansted Airport.
Marsden, G – CP6 funding and surface access improvements to Stansted Airport
20 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the possibility of using CP6 funding to deliver the surface access improvements to Stansted Airport recommended in the Airports Commission Interim Report, published in December 2013.
Robert Goodwill: The Airports Commission’s Interim Report recommended “work on developing proposals to improve the rail link between London and Stansted”. To that end, we have challenged Network Rail to develop such proposals within the context of its Anglia Route Study, a draft of which is currently subject to public consultation. This integrated approach recognises that Stansted services share finite rail infrastructure with local, regional and long distance services. The ultimate findings of the Anglia Route Study will influence the Government’s priorities for funding in Control Period 6.
Marsden, G – Increasing economic activity in the aviation and maritime sectors
20 November 2014
Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what priority his Department gives to increasing economic activity in the aviation and maritime sectors in the allocation of his Department’s capital funding to improve rail and road connectivity.
Claire Perry (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Devizes, Conservative): In August 2013, the Department published Transport – An Engine for Growth, which established the six principles for making the most of the clear commitment to rising long-term investment made at the 2013 Spending Round. Those principles included maximising the economic benefits to the UK and in particular supporting exports by improving international links. It also included a commitment to work with the private sector, acknowledging that most of our important ports and airports are in the private sector. These priorities feed into the five case transport business case model, showing that options to invest in capital schemes for access to ports and airports are supported by a robust case for change that fits with wider public policy objectives – the ‘strategic case’ demonstrate value for money – the ‘economic case’, are commercially viable – the ‘commercial case’ are financially affordable – the ‘financial case’; and are achievable – the ‘management case’. Further information and guidance on the Transport Business Case is available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-business-case.
20 November 2014
Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton, Labour): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of public sector investment in transport infrastructure needed for each of the three options being considered by the Davies Commission on runway capacity in the South East.
Robert Goodwill: To ensure our long term connectivity needs can be met, this Government established the independent Airports Commission to identify and recommend to Government options for maintaining this country’s status as an international hub for aviation. In its consultation the Airports Commission is seeking views on its initial assessment of, among other things, the level of public sector investment in transport infrastructure associated with the shortlisted options. The Airports Commission’s consultation can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/increasing-the-uks-long-term-aviation-capacity, The Airports Commission will report to government in the summer of 2015. It will be for the Government of the day to consider any future requirement for public sector investment.
House of Lords Oral Question
Lee – Assessment of the impact of tourism on the UK economy
20 November 2014
Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat peer): To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of tourism on the United Kingdom economy.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Government spokesperson in the House of Lords for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Conservative peer): My Lords, tourism is a major part of the UK economy. Deloitte estimates that it will contribute £61.1 billion directly to the economy this year, supporting nearly 1.8 million jobs. This rises to £133.6 billion and 3.15 million jobs when indirect impacts on the wider economy are included. Tourism is central to our plans for growth and we are working with the sector to achieve this.
Lord Lee: My Lords, national tourism policy is to boost tourism in and to the regions. However, the way that air passenger duty is imposed runs counter to this. It is a flat tax, the only differential being between different classes of travel. Thus, if flying a national carrier, business class, London to Moscow return, air passenger duty represents only 2% of the total cost of the fare plus APD, whereas flying a budget carrier, London to Glasgow return, finds APD equating to 87% of the total cost. Is not this a nonsense, and will my noble friend urge his Treasury colleagues to look at the way in which APD is levied if we really want to encourage and boost regional tourism?
Lord Gardiner: My Lords, obviously the first thing I must say is that matters of taxation are for the Chancellor; the Treasury continually reviews all taxation matters. I understand my noble friend’s point about percentages, but the band A rate is £13 and is going to remain that for four years. I do not think it is a considerable sum but it does, in total, contribute nearly £3 billion to the Treasury.
Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru peer): My Lords, does the Minister accept that tourism is particularly important in Wales and that overseas tourism brings a disproportionately greater amount of revenue to the Welsh economy? If so, will he take up the matter with VisitBritain and encourage it to turn every stone to ensure that visitors do not just come to London but reach other parts of the UK?
Lord Gardiner: My Lords, I entirely agree with the noble Lord. This is why I am very pleased that there is a new £1.5 million Visit Wales campaign, for example, to bring more German visitors to Wales. It is a great experience for them as well as for visitors from America and Ireland. Visit Wales is working with VisitBritain and all the other tourism organisations to ensure that the experiences of all Britain and Great Britain are enjoyed.
Lord Geddes (Conservative peer): My Lords, did my noble friend read the recent article in the papers suggesting that the so-called mansion tax would be a threat to and might lead to the closure of many of the stately homes of this country, which attract an enormous number of tourists? In that context, I hasten to add that I have no interest to declare.
Lord Gardiner: My Lords, the first thing to say is that rural Britain, country houses and heritage sites are an enormous draw to people visiting. The Chinese, for instance, say that one of the principal reasons that they want to come to this country is because of our countryside. I think the truth is that, if the mansion tax were implemented, very few mansions would be clobbered but a lot of smaller houses would.
Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour peer): My Lords, would the noble Lord agree that the growth of the working poor is a matter of great concern? Will he join me in calling on all employers in the tourism industry to commit as soon as possible to paying all employees the living wage?
Lord Gardiner: My Lords, the Government are clear that, where the living wage is affordable for a company, we encourage it to pay it.
Lord Spicer (Conservative peer): My Lords, how can you have a successful tourist industry if your major airports are full up?
Lord Gardiner: That is why we are very keen to hear the reports as to how we can address the matter.
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara (Labour peer): My Lords, the good news about the tourism industry is that there are many flexible jobs in areas of relatively high unemployment, more jobs for women and a higher number of SMEs. This is to be welcomed but the bad news, as we have just heard, is that these are generally low-paid jobs with limited opportunities for training. They offer little, if any, chance for apprenticeships and there is increasing use of zero-hour contracts. As a result there is a rising tide of job insecurity in the sector. Does the Minister have a plan, and what precisely will it achieve?
Lord Gardiner: There is very much a plan. That is precisely why the Prime Minister announced that the next phase of trail-blazers would be attributed to the tourism and hospitality sector. That is very much ongoing. The British Hospitality Association has pledged to create 300,000 jobs by 2020. Many reputable companies are running apprenticeship schemes. There is masses going on in the Government’s apprenticeship scheme and in other companies.
Lord Shipley (Liberal Democrat peer): My Lords, language barriers can exist for individual tourists travelling outside London to the nations and to the regions of England, and there are barriers to doing things such as purchasing rail tickets cheaply. We need to ensure that people have access to appropriate foreign languages when they visit historic homes, and so on. Do the Government have any plans to look at ways in which foreign tourists who are trying to travel outside London can be assisted both in our transport systems and their destinations when their English is not at the highest level?
Lord Gardiner: My Lords, it is clearly very important, through VisitBritain, VisitEngland and the other organisations, that the welcome given to visitors who do not speak English is as accommodated as possible. That is precisely why, for instance, in the China Welcome campaign many more museums are ensuring that Mandarin is part of the repertoire. I hope that will be the case throughout the country. I will discuss that point with officials.
Media News
17 November 2014 – The trade association for UK freight forwarders and logistics service providers has welcomed the opportunity to participate in the further consultation announced by the Airports Commission on 11 November. Director General of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), Robert Keen said, ‘the Airports Commission announced a major consultation exercise on the future of air transport and airport capacity in the UK following the publication of its initial assessment of proposals for additional runway capacity at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. As part of that consultation, BIFA will continue to submit our thoughts to the Commission relative to the constraints imposed by capacity limitations, UK global connectivity, the importance of air freight and the key facilitative role played by the freight forwarder. It is our view that an expanded Heathrow airport will enable airlines to provide wider access to developing markets and hence increase UK trade. Any further delay in providing the UK with a world class hub airport can only damage the UK economy. We can only hope that after the general election in May 2015, the welter of evidence as presented will be such that there will be cross-party consensus and politicians will give the green light and adopt the Airports Commission’s recommendations in full and finally get things started on a much overdue expansion of UK aviation hub capacity’.
SASIG ParliamentaryNews Bulletin 15 November – 23 November
SASIG Regional&IndustryNews Bulletin 15 November – 23 November
The Parliamentary information in this Bulletin is sourced from De Havilland Information Services plc .