Written questions by Olney.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of the UK Climate Change Committee's report entitled the Sixth Carbon budget, published in December 2020.

As the UK’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, transport has an important role in the UK economy meeting the Sixth Carbon Budget. Transport emissions reduced by 10% between 2019 and 2023, but must fall faster to achieve our legal targets. The Government is committed to achieving this through turbocharging the rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, overhauling public transport services to make sustainable choices more convenient for more users, making the UK a world-leader in the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels, and delivering our Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. The Government will produce an updated delivery plan for meeting legislated carbon budgets later this year, with policy detail for all sectors provided up to the end of the Sixth Carbon Budget.

Whether her Department has had discussions with Heathrow Airport on flights being held in a holding pattern over residents' houses between 5:30 and 6:00am.

NATS is responsible for providing air traffic services at Heathrow Airport. There are defined flight routes and procedures for aircraft landing at Heathrow but for operational and safety reasons aircraft may be held in a holding pattern prior to landing. These reasons can include the need to ensure safe separation between aircraft as well as weather conditions.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the bus fare cap on (a) small businesses and (b) workers in rural areas.

The government recognises the importance of affordable public transport in keeping people connected and ensuring they can access their local towns.On 1 January, the government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London until 31 December 2025. As part of the Spending Review, the government announced further funding to extend the £3 cap to March 2027. This will ensure millions of people, including those in rural areas, can continue to access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.If the government had not taken action, the bus fare cap would have ended and fares would have jumped back up to their previous levels on 1 January which could have meant fares soaring above £10 on the most expensive routes.The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap was published on 12 February. An evaluation of the £3 fare cap is due to be commissioned shortly.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of night flights on the health of people living underneath airport flight paths.

My Department seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health, in the context of other government priorities. My officials are in regular contact on this issue with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of Health and Social Care sponsored UK Health Security Agency.

What recent discussions she has had with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the fatigue life of components of Hammersmith Bridge.

My officials are in regular contact with their counterparts at both the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London regarding the condition of Hammersmith Bridge and options for repair.

What steps she is taking to help tackle the delay in TfL issuing Public Carriage Office licences to people (a) with health conditions who are ineligible for the temporary license and (b) who have faced personal costs of (i) loss of earnings, (ii) loss of assets to cover bills, (iii) homelessness, (iv) health impacts, (v) loss of customers and (vi) small business failures.

The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades but ultimately the licensing process is left at the discretion of local authorities. We work closely with TfL on a range of issues but the operation of private hire driver licensing is a matter solely for them.

If the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport will meet the hon. Member for Richmond Park to discuss the future of Hammersmith Bridge.

My officials are working with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London to progress viable options for the future of Hammersmith Bridge. I would be pleased to discuss these with the hon. Member for Richmond Park in due course.

Whether her Department plans to include an updated assessment of the potential impact of noise from a third runway at Heathrow on public health in a future version of the guidance entitled Transport analysis guidance, published on 29 October 2013.

The government supports airport expansion and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. It expects any proposals to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations. TAG, or Transport Analysis Guidance, provides information on the role of transport modelling and appraisal. It is a set of guidance for senior responsible owners, project managers and technical practitioners and focuses on guidance for all modes and any scheme, rather than a specific scheme such as Heathrow Expansion.

What recent discussions has she had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of living under a flight path on people's (a) health and (b) wellbeing.

My Department seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health and wellbeing, in the context of other government priorities. My officials are in regular contact on this issue with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of Health and Social Care sponsored UK Health Security Agency.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of First Generation Sustainable Aviation Fuels on the environment.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the key measures required to decarbonise aviation. The SAF Mandate could deliver up to 6.3 million tonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040. The SAF Mandate encourages a diverse range of feedstocks and technologies. It also has strict sustainability criteria that SAF must meet to be eligible. SAF must be made from sustainable wastes or residues (such as used cooking oil or forestry residues), recycled carbon fuels (such as unrecyclable plastics), or power to liquid fuels made using low carbon (renewable or nuclear) electricity. This prevents negative environmental consequences such as the loss of biodiversity, deforestation and the clearance of land with high carbon stock (e.g. peatland) that could be associated with the cultivation of raw materials used in SAF production.

Whether it her policy that the proposed UKADS will assess the (a) environmental and (b) health impacts of new flight paths.

The proposed UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) will be focused on delivering holistic and modernised airspace design for the UK. As is currently the case, the UKADS would still be required to follow the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA’s) CAP1616 Airspace...

What steps she is taking to help tackle the practice of reselling driving test slots.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests. DVSA deploys enhanced bot protection on its public faci...

With reference to her Department's consultation entitled, Creating a UK Airspace Design Service, published on 22 October 2024, whether the service will be staffed from existing Departmental staff.

The consultation published on 22 October outlines our proposals to set up a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), initially undertaken by NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) through a change to its air traffic services licence. NERL is independent and not resourced ...

With reference to the consultation entitled Creating a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), published on 22 October 2024, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her proposal to establish t

The Government’s plans for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) have been developed to strengthen delivery in implementing the airspace modernisation programme. They aim to improve delivery confidence of the Future Airspace Integration Strategy (FASI) p...

With reference to the consultation entitled Creating a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), published on 22 October 2024, what steps she plans to take to allow communities to provide comments to the proposed UKA

As a public consultation, any interested party is welcome to provide feedback on our proposals to set up a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS). The CAA’s Airspace Change Process (CAP1616) sets out how airspace change proposals should be developed and deliv...

If she will publish the memorandum of understanding between (a) her Department, (b) Transport for London and (c) the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the cost of the Hammersmith Bridge repairs.

A Memorandum of Understanding on the split of responsibilities for the repair of Hammersmith Bridge was drafted but not agreed in 2021. However, the Department has continued to work productively with both LBHF and TfL and has contributed almost £13m towar...

Whether her Department plans to fund one third of the cost of the Hammersmith Bridge strengthening works.

The Department will be exploring funding options for a suite of transport related projects at the Spring Spending Review, including the Hammersmith Bridge strengthening works.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of replacing Hammersmith Bridge with a new structure.

Hammersmith Bridge is protected by Historic England. It is a Grade II Listed heritage asset, as it is a 'particularly important' national structure of 'more than special interest'. The Department has not made any estimates of the cost of replacing the str...

What the status is of the Aviation Night Noise Effects (ANNE) study, funded by her Department.

The Aviation Night Noise Effects (ANNE) study is a current study examining the relationship of aviation noise on sleep disturbance and annoyance, and how this varies by different times of night. The study is funded by the Department for Transport and is a...

Whether she plans to review the Airports National Policy Statement.

As required by the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State will review a National Policy Statement when she considers it appropriate to do so.