Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 16
Fifth Report - UK aviation: reform for take-off
Published 25 Apr 2022
Paragraph 78
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Airlines and airports: supporting recovery in the UK aviation sector All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Implementing more flexible rules on the provision of Public Service Obligation routes can improve connectivity between the four nations of the UK. To improve domestic air connectivity, we agree with the Union Connectivity Review’s recommendation that the Government must revise subsidy rules to allow: a) multiple airlines to operate individual PSO routes, fostering a competitive market for regional services; and b) central Government to fund PSO routes between and within the UK’s four nations. UK aviation: reform for take-off 49 We also recommend that central Government agree which routes should be funded and how much funding should be allocated to those routes in consultation with the devolved Administrations.
From: Transport Committee, Fifth Report - UK aviation: reform for take-off (HC 683), paragraph 78, 25 April 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 11 July 2022 (deadline 25 June 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government's response notes most of the Committee's recommendations, agrees with a small number, partially agrees with others, and points to its new strategic framework, Flightpath to the Future, published on 26 May.
- On future pandemic planning, the Government "agrees with this recommendation", and says it "will only consider implementing new public health measures at the border in extreme circumstances".
- On an Airline Insolvency Bill, it "partially accepts" the recommendation: "If a Bill is required, we will work to introduce it as soon as practicable."
- On CAA financial penalties, it has "noted" the recommendation and will set out next steps "in due course" after reviewing responses to its consultation on additional CAA powers.
- It does "not agree" that the CMA needs to review the antigen travel test market, nor that the consultation should be expanded to cover the private travel testing market, saying that market has been dealt with separately.