MACS response the effectiveness and efficiency of the CAA

The effectiveness and efficiency of the CAA

Personal details

Q1. Your (used for contact purposes only):

Name - Hilary Stubbs
Email - macs@gov.scot

Q2. Are you responding:

On behalf of an organisation?

Organisation details

Q7. Your organisation name is?

Transport Scotland Mobility and Access Committee

Q8. Your organisation is:

Another type of organisation?
Non departmental Government advisory body for Scotland

Q9. Your organisation is based in:

The UK?

Q10. Is your organisation regulated by the CAA?

CAA’s strategic priorities

Q12. Are you aware of the CAA strategy?

CAA strategy

Q13. Overall do you support the CAA’s strategy?

Please explain your answer

The strategy has given the CAA the framework to respond to emergencies such as the pandemic and to robustly look ahead.

CAA’s strategic priorities

Q14. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA is successful in:

Leading risk-based oversight and regulatory stewardship - Agree
Enabling recovery, innovation and growth - Agree
Developing relationships to support ongoing global improvement in aviation and aerospace - Strongly agree
Improving environmental performance - Strongly agree
Enhancing organisational diversity and capability for the future - Neither agree nor disagree

Please explain your answer -

We believe that the organisational diversity should have a stronger position statement as enhancing hasn't much strength to it.
A more diverse workforce can better reflect on its work and enable the duties of CAA to be more diverse.

Q15. Overall to what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA achieves its areas of focus effectively?

Agree

Please explain your answer -

Diversity and inclusion should have a higher priority

CAA performance, skills and capacity in delivering regulatory functions

Q16. Have you had direct experience of the CAA?

Q17. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA has the right capacity to fulfil its focus areas:

Now - Agree
In the future - Agree

Please explain your answer -

During COVID staff were pivoted to deal with new priorities, and the CAA were empowered to allow some areas of work to slip out of priority to allow for new priorities to be focused on.

Q18. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA has the right capability to fulfil its focus areas:

Now - Agree
In the future - Agree

Please explain your answer -

The CAA has done a sound job but there is a changing world and it needs to be more robust and prescriptive in its actions.

Q19. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA has the appropriate technical capability to make sound regulatory decisions?

Don't know

Please explain your answer -

Not our area of knowledge

Q20. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA makes regulatory decisions in an:

Efficient manner - Agree
Effective manner - Agree

Please explain your answer -

The introduction of the grading of airport assistance for disabled passengers was introduced and managed effectively and efficiently. This has led to regulatory and softer improvements for disabled travellers.

Q21. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA makes appeals decisions in an:

Efficient manner - Agree
Effective manner - Agree

Please explain your answer -

Not our area of knowledge

Q22. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA is appropriately:

Structured to fulfil its functions - Agree
Organised to fulfil its functions - Agree

Please explain your answer -

From our limited work with CAA we have found the resources to be appropriate

Q23. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA is able to:

Anticipate future regulatory requirements for the sector - Neither agree nor disagree
Prepare new regulatory frameworks in a timely fashion - Neither agree nor disagree

Please explain your answer -

There are still matters relating to Brexit which are unresolved such as the requirements for assistance dogs to travel freely. This is a long over due decision. Also, the regulations relating to the carriage and damage to wheelchairs is still weak and needs addressing.

Promoting economic growth and innovation

Q24. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA supports economic growth of the aviation sector through its regulatory decisions?

Don't know

Q25. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA effectively supports the aviation sector outside of its core regulatory functions?

Don't know

Engagement

Q29. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA engages effectively with its:

Stakeholders - Agree
Public - Disagree
Air passengers - Disagree
Air operators Neither agree nor disagree
Those it regulates today and those it may regulate in the future - Neither agree nor disagree
Government departments and other aviation regulators - Agree

Please explain your answer -

From our experience getting involved with the CAA took effort on our behalf, we are not aware of the CAA out reaching to the public or passengers

Q30. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA seeks feedback to improve its:

Performance - Agree
Customer experience (including but not limited to air passengers and customers who pay fees directly to the CAA) - Agree

Please explain your answer -

Like above, we have had to take the lead in providing feedback to the CAA

Q31. In your view how does the CAA’s charging structure compare to other aviation regulators?

Don't know

Q32. Have you ever provided feedback to the CAA to improve its performance?

CAA charges

Q34. Do you pay charges to the CAA?

Funding model

Q38. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA’s current funding model is the right model for the future?

Please explain your answer -

Q39. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA’s current funding model enables the creation of future:

Regulatory frameworks -
Innovation -

Please explain your answer -

Q40. Do you think the funding model could be improved?

Don't know

Annual consultation

Q42. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA’s annual consultation on its scheme of charges is effective?

Don't know

Please explain your answer -

CAA customer service comparison

Q43. In your view how does the CAA’s customer service compare to other aviation regulators (for example Federal Aviation Administration [FAA])?

Don't know

Please explain your answer -

From the contact we have had in relation to specific issues as outlined above we feel the CAA could improve its support on these issues.
The CAA inspection and grading of airports' assistance services was well received and we feel it had a positive impact on service delivery for disabled travellers and we look forward to the 2023 report.

Regulation and licensing

Q44. To what extent do you agree or disagree that you are able to engage with CAA subject matter experts to gain timely advice on specific regulatory topics?

Agree

Please explain your answer -

We have previously met with CAA staff to discuss our joint concerns fro disabled passengers

Q45. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA effectively carries out its licensing duties for:

Airlines -
Aircraft -
Commercial pilots -
Recreational/non-commercial pilots -
Air traffic controllers -
Air maintenance engineers -
Commercial Remotely Piloted Aircraft System operators -
Air travel organisers -
Commercial airports -
General aviation airfields -
Airspace -

How, if at all, do you think the CAA could improve its licensing function or functions?

Enforcement of consumer protection

Q52. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA effectively enforces consumer rights with its current powers?

Agree

Please explain your answer -

The annual report on airport performance for passengers requiring assistance has been fundamental in improving the services for PRM

CAA’s international role

Q53. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA is seen as a globally influential regulator with:

Its partner national aviation authorities - Neither agree nor disagree
International organisations - Neither agree nor disagree

Please explain your answer -

We would like to see the CAA being more proactive with matters relating to disabled people, eg safe wheelchair carriage, assistance dogs.

Q54. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the CAA acts to support the UK:

Aviation sector -
Travelling public - Strongly agree
Economy -

Please explain your answer -

Disabled passengers are well supported and the occasional media coverage on situations where someone is not given the correct service catch the headlines, but these cases are miimal

Final comments

Q55. Any other comments?

CAA has been proactive in its requirements for PRM passengers and we commend them on their work and hope that they continue to strive to assist all passengers to travel appropriately.