<\/p>
The Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London \u2013 first announced in the 2013 Spending Round last June \u2013 will increase from £10million to £20million per year. The Chancellor also announced that support from this funding will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports. European Union aviation State aid guidelines allow for start-up aid to be provided under certain conditions to facilitate the development of new routes from airports which handle fewer than five million passengers per year. This currently includes Newcastle Airport. <\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union State aid guidelines, and explain how the funding process will operate.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-26T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 2.42 of Budget 2014, whether the Regional Air Connectivity Fund will only be available to new domestic routes; which regional airports will be eligible; when funding is likely to become available; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4125", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine McKinnell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine McKinnell"} ], "uin" : "193243"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44514", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44514/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mary Creagh), on 24 March 2014, Official Report<\/em>, column 6W [UINs 192776, 192920] .<\/p> <\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the £183.5 million funding commitment to help repair local roads damaged by severe weather announced by him on 20 March 2014 is the same allocation as the £140 million of spending for pothole repair announced by him on 9 March 2014.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Richard Burden"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44539", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44539/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> <\/p> The information the Hon. Member has requested is not readily available. I have asked officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to collate the required information and I will write to the Hon. Member when it is available. I will place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.<\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 139W on driver: licensing, how many cases handled by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that required medical decisions were returned within the 90 working days target in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Richard Burden"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42916", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42916/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Ministry of Defence operates Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) globally for operational surveillance, precision attack and for training purposes. Reaper RPAS is the only armed system. It operates only in Afghanistan, and professional, qualified pilots follow the exact same Rules of Engagement as pilots of other aircraft types.<\/p> <\/p> Whilst the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not used any RPAS, its Centre for Environment Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Food & Environment Research Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England and Royal Botanic Gardens have used small RPAS to support work on flood defence and coastal erosion, and the monitoring of crops, plants and nature reserves. All flights were carried out within the UK except for an aerial plant survey in Peru carried out by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.<\/p> <\/p> The Home Office does not itself operate RPAS and the only police force operationally using a system (albeit very occasionally) is Staffordshire. This system is mostly used for patrol sweeps of car park and camping areas at V Festival, security sweeps for VIP events at the National Arboretum, they have also carried out some missing person, search and rescue, and counter-poaching tasks.<\/p> <\/p> Sussex Police have completed formal training and are now in the process of gathering experience with their own RPAS system \u2013 although if an important operational task came up RPAS would be deployed. The formal start date for the trial is in the near future.<\/p> <\/p> Kent Police, as part of the 2 Seas project, have hosted some RPAS trial flights to assess the performance of the system. They are planning to host an event about the project in July.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government in what areas they operate drones; and for what use.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/200", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Tonge"}
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