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Armed Forces (Health Services)
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces. [30149]
16 May 1996 : Column: 518
The Prime Minister: The Armed Forces pay review body has made recommendations on the pay of medial and dental officers in the armed forces in a supplementary report being published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House.
The review body recommends that the daily rate of basic pay should be increased by an average of 3.8 per cent. from 1 April. Further it recommends that, along with other military personnel, the x-factor, which compensates for the balance of disadvantage of service life, should be increased by 0.5 per cent. to 12 per cent. The review body has also recommended increases in consultant pay, which are designed to improve retention in this area.
The Government have decided to accept the review body's recommendations but to stage their introduction in the same way as the earlier recommendations of the Armed Forces pay review body, and the recommendations of most of the other review bodies. The full award less 1 per cent. will be back-dated to 1 April, and the remainder will be paid from 1 December.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department and all associated agencies in the financial year 1995-96. [28579]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 9 May 1996]: My office spent £60,000 on official hospitality in 1995-96. This reflected twice as many receptions as in the previous year, primarily held to promote issues of importance. The details are set out below.
Receptions in 1995-96
Two General Receptions
South African Sports Initiative
Lord Lieutenants
Motability
Praemium Imperiale
Chartermark Winners
National Sports Initiative
World War Two Commemorations
Armed Forces
Eve of Session
Police
Education
London Fashion Week
UK Science, Engineering and Technology.
TRANSPORT
Buses (Roadworthiness Checks)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional resources are being allocated to roadworthiness enforcement in 1996-97 to allow more roadworthiness checks to be made on buses. [29535]
Mr. Norris: The level of roadworthiness enforcement on public service vehicles--PSVs--by the Vehicle Inspectorate in 1996-97 is forecast to increase by 16 per cent. compared with the budgeted level for 1995-96. This is equivalent to an increase of about two vehicle examiner man years.
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Joint Enforcement Database Initiative
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official Report, column 387, when he expects a decision to be made on the investment required for the joint enforcement database. [29571]
Mr. Norris: I have nothing to add to my earlier answer.
Health Visitors (Parking)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include health visitors in the categories of exemptions from parking restrictions for medical personnel. [29547]
Mr. Norris: There are no general exemptions from parking restrictions for medical personnel. I understand that local agreements exist in London, and in some other parts of England and Wales, whereby the police, traffic wardens and parking attendants exercise discretion where doctors, nurses and midwives park illegally in the course of their work. These have no formal status in law, and their scope is a matter for local consideration.
Bus Operator Licences
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the bus working group to report on the need for applications for operators' licences to provide financial projections to traffic commissioners. [29536]
Mr. Norris: I expect to receive the recommendations of the bus working group on this issue later this year.
Central Transport Group (Pay)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the estimated outturn of the Civil and Public Services Association grades base pay bill in the central transport group for the end of the current financial year. [29557]
Mr. Norris: The estimated outturn for the CPSA grades base pay bill in the central transport group for the current financial year is not yet known as pay negotiations for the 1996-97 CPSA pay settlement are still in progress. The estimated outturn excluding the pay settlement is £9.4 million.
Driving Examiners
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many delegated driving examiners are authorised by (a) his Department and (b) the Driving Standards Agency; [29538]
- (2) if he will list the pass and fail rates for delegated driving examiners together with those for examiners employed by the Driving Standards Agency. [29539]
Mr. Norris: The Driving Standards Agency has appointed, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, 62 driving examiners to conduct driving tests for staff working in their organisations. There are 59 persons authoritised to conduct bus driving tests and three authoritised to conduct car driving tests.
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The number of tests conducted and pass rates in 1995 were:
| Total | Pass rate (per cent.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger Carrying Vehicle tests | ||
| DSA | 15,060 | 50 |
| Other examiners | 6,926 | 63 |
| Car tests | ||
| DSA | 1,493,642 | 47 |
| Other examiners | 301 | 72 |
The armed forces, police and fire brigades are also authorised to conduct driving tests for their staff. Statistics about the pass rates for those organisations are not collected by this Department.
Heavy Vehicle Driving Standards
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the theory test questions for the large goods vehicle and passenger carrying vehicle driving test will be published; and if they will contain questions relating to drivers' hours rules. [29540]
Mr. Norris: The question bank for LGV and PCV tests will be published on 8 November. The question bank does contain questions on the rules relating to drivers' hours
Driving Theory Test Centre
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what criteria were used in the decision not to locate a driving theory test centre in Crewe; [29534]
- (2) what criteria were used when deciding the location of the proposed driving theory test centre. [29533]
Mr. Norris: The criteria for locating theory test centres across Great Britain were decided in order to give a balance between costs, the travelling distances to centres for candidates and the frequency with which test sessions would be available. They are that tests will be available: within five miles in districts--usually towns or cities--with population density of greater than or equal to 1,250 persons per sq km; within 40 miles in sparsely populated districts with a population density of fewer than 100 persons per km; within 20 miles in other districts where population density lies between these limits.
On this basis, it was decided not to locate a theory test centre in Crewe.
Channel Tunnel Safety Authority
Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority to publish its annual report for the year 1994-95. [29737]
Mr. Watts: The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority has now published its seventh annual report, covering the period from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995. I have today arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.
16 May 1996 : Column: 521
Stansted Airport
Sir Alan Haselhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decision he has reached on options to increase the limit on aircraft movements at Stansted airport. [29876]
Mr. Norris: Following consultation with interested parties, I am today laying before the House a draft order for an increase in the aircraft movement limit from 78,000 per annum to 120,000 per annum. Based on the latest information about the average number of passengers per aircraft, a revised limit of 120,000 movements per year will allow a throughput of 8 million passengers per annum. This throughput is expected to be reached in around 2000-01.
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