Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support British citizens who live in North of Cyprus, in the context of the prohibition of direct flights between the UK and the North of Cyprus.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government recognises the inconvenience caused to passengers, including British citizens, by the situation regarding air travel between the north of Cyprus and the UK. Under the Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus may designate Ercan (in the north of Cyprus) as an international customs airport and grant permission for flights to operate from within its territory. The Republic of Cyprus has not designated Ercan.
This means that no direct air services between the north of Cyprus and the UK can take place. Ultimately, a just and lasting settlement on the island is the best chance of resolving these complex issues. The UK’s commitment to helping all parties to achieve this remains unwavering.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on authorising direct flights to North Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government has no plans to authorise direct flights between the UK and the north of Cyprus. In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state. The United Kingdom recognises the Republic of Cyprus as the sovereign authority for the island of Cyprus. As a result, the UK Government cannot negotiate an Air Services Agreement with the administration in the north of Cyprus.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) mitigate the costs to (i) local councils and (ii) landowners of internal drainage boards and (b) ensure (A) Bassetlaw and (B) surrounding areas are protected from flooding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is investing a record £5.2 billion between 2021 to 2027, in around 2,000 flood defences to better protect communities across England. Within the Bassetlaw area, from 2021/22 to the end of 2022/23 the Environment Agency will have spent over £2m of Government Grant in Aid. The Environment Agency works with internal drainage boards (IDBs), including the IDB facing the Bassetlaw District, to help ensure the Environment Agency spends both its flood asset maintenance funding allocation and the precept (raised from IDBs) in areas that provide the greatest flood risk benefit.
IDBs are independent locally funded and operated, statutory public bodies. They are mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work receiving drainage rates from farmers/landowners and special levies from local authorities.
The Government recognises the ongoing pressure the public sector is experiencing due to high energy prices and has extended energy support for a further 12 months through the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) which will succeed the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) on 1st April and for which IDBs and all other public bodies are eligible.
The Government has also written to Ofgem regarding unfair practice in the energy sector, including increases in standing charges, and Ofgem will continue to monitor this situation.
Defra will continue to work with the Environment Agency, IDBs and across Government to identify how collectively we can minimise the risks and continue to provide protection and resilience to our communities through this period.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Georgian counterpart on the reported attempted assassination of an Israeli-Georgian businessman by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran abides by international laws and norms and is held to account for its destabilising activity. We have been clear about our concerns over the malign activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is sanctioned in its entirety. We regularly discuss our approach to Iran with regional and international partners.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of instituting snapback sanctions on Iran in accordance with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal.
Answered by David Rutley
We have always been clear: Iran's nuclear escalation is unacceptable. It is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
A viable deal was put on the table in March which would have returned Iran to full compliance with its JCPoA commitments and returned the US to the deal.
Iran refused to seize a critical diplomatic opportunity to conclude the deal with continued demands beyond the scope of the JCPoA.
We are considering next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average annual remuneration of train drivers on East Midlands Rail in 2020-21.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information relating to train drivers’ salary is managed and set by the individual Train Operating Companies in line with their annual budgets.
The Office for National Statistics report that median gross annual pay for train and tram drivers in the UK was approximately £59,000 in 2021.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average annual remuneration of train drivers on Hull Trains in 2020-21.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information relating to train drivers’ salary is managed and set by the individual Train Operating Companies in line with their annual budgets.
The Office for National Statistics report that median gross annual pay for train and tram drivers in the UK was approximately £59,000 in 2021.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average annual remuneration of train drivers on Northern in 2020-21.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information relating to train drivers’ salary is managed and set by the individual Train Operating Companies in line with their annual budgets.
The Office for National Statistics report that median gross annual pay for train and tram drivers in the UK was approximately £59,000 in 2021.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average annual remuneration of train drivers on LNER in 2020-21.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information relating to train drivers’ salary is managed and set by the individual Train Operating Companies in line with their annual budgets.
The Office for National Statistics report that median gross annual pay for train and tram drivers in the UK was approximately £59,000 in 2021.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average annual remuneration of train drivers on Thameslink in 2020-21.
Answered by Wendy Morton - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information relating to train drivers’ salary is managed and set by the individual Train Operating Companies in line with their annual budgets.
The Office for National Statistics report that median gross annual pay for all train and tram drivers in the UK was approximately £59,000 in 2021.