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Mr. Luff: To ask the Attorney-General if the Director of Public Prosecutions proposes to issue further guidance on charging standards relating to public order offences and assaults. [31053]
The Attorney-General: The Director of Public Prosecutions has agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers guidance to assist police and prosecutors select the right charge for people alleged to have
22 May 1996 : Column: 230
committed public order offences. The charging standard will be implemented with effect from Monday 3 June 1996.
The main offences covered by the standard are those contained in part I and part III of the Public Order Act 1986. Those provisions penalise individuals or groups who use violence and/or intimidating behaviour. Special guidance is given in dealing with racially motivated conduct. Violent and/or intimidating behaviour which is directed at particular individuals or groups of individuals as the result of racial motive is liable to be dealt with under part I of the Act or other provisions of the general law with the motive being drawn to the attention of the court as an aggravating feature. On the other hand, conduct intended or likely to incite racial hatred is liable to be dealt with under part III of the Act.
The previous charging standard relating to offences against the person has been revised and will also be implemented with effect from Monday 3 June 1996. The revised standard contains guidance on the handling of cases of assault where the allegation is made by a person who was, at the material time, himself engaged in criminal activity, such as a burglar alleged to have been assaulted by the occupier of the premises concerned. Police and prosecutors must examine such cases by reference to all the surrounding circumstances including the suspect's state of mind and the common law and statutory provisions which permit the use of reasonable force in self-defence, the defence of another, the defence of property, the prevention of crime and the effecting of a lawful arrest. The difficulties facing someone confronted by an intruder or defending himself against attack must always be taken carefully into account but excessive force may not be used.
Copies of the charging standard relating to public order offences and the revised charging standard relating to offences against the person have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 19 March, Official Report, column 103, what are the time scale and programme for the BAA investigation into less environmentally damaging options for runway development. [29569]
Mr. Norris:
The study of options for a close parallel runway at Gatwick, initiated by BAA in April 1995, is expected to take two to three years to complete. The study is being conducted in three phases, examining in turn the technical feasibility of a close parallel runway, the supporting airport infrastructure that would be required, and finally the impacts of any options which have survived the first two stages.
22 May 1996 : Column: 231
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 March, Official Report, column 594, on whom the responsibility falls to collate statistics on information concerning aircraft taking off or landing without an allocated runway slot. [30006]
Mr. Norris:
The co-ordinator for the major UK airports, Airport Co-ordination Ltd., is required under the EC legislation to monitor the use of slots at the airports for which it is responsible. The ACL therefore maintains records of aircraft landing or taking off without a slot, by comparing slots it has allocated with data supplied by the airport operator on actual aircraft movements operated.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, for each of the last five years, the amount paid by British Rail's Sapphire accounts system in respect of political donations, under its G/L code 686200.[30044]
Mr. Watts:
Sapphire is a proprietary accountancy system used by all the British Railways Board-owned train operating companies, together with those in the private sector. The G/L code 686200 is a specific accounting code relating to donations to political parties. It was part of the original package bought from the manufacturer.
As a nationalised industry, British Rail is prevented by statute from making donations to political parties.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, for each of his Department's agencies, what market testing has been carried out into the services they provide and what were the results.[30130]
Mr. Norris:
Between October 1992 and January 1996, the following services of the Department's agencies have been market tested, with the following results:
Results | |
---|---|
The Coastguard Agency | |
Property Management | Contracted out |
Messengers | Contracted out |
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency | |
Personnel | Restructured |
Accommodation | Restructured |
Training | Restructured |
Micrographics | Restructured |
VED refunds | Restructured |
Legal services | Restructured |
Procurement | Restructured |
Security | In house win |
Stores and Waste Management | In house win |
Messengers | In house win |
Reproduction | In house win |
Despatch | In house win |
Telesales | Contracted out |
Forms despatch | Contracted out |
Internal Audit | Contracted out |
Waste Collection | Contracted out |
The Driving Standards Agency | |
Driver test booking (subsequent restructuring) | In house win |
Regional Property Management | Contracted out |
Property Maintenance | Contracted out |
The Highways Agency | |
Graphics | Restructured |
Winter maintenance operations | Restructured |
Valuation Office Agency | In house win (trial area only) |
Government Property Lawyers | In house win/contracted out |
The Vehicle Certification Agency | |
Microfilming | Contracted out |
The Vehicle Inspectorate | |
Training Finance and Management IS | Restructured |
Roller brake maintenance | Contracted out |
Weighbridge maintenance | Contracted out |
Workshop | Contracted out |
Building and Estate Management | Contracted out |
IT Strategy | Contracted out |
Library | Contracted out |
Operational legal and casework | In house win |
22 May 1996 : Column: 232
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the trans-European networks feasibility funding application for the Bristol-Plymouth-Penzance line; and if he will make a statement. [30400]
Mr. Watts: A bid for TENs funding support for a study into options for enhancing the main lines from Paddington to the west country was included in the UK's bid for 1996 TENs funding. The European Commission is currently considering the bids made by the UK and other member states, to draw up a proposed allocation for member states' consideration at the next meeting of the TENs financial committee, currently planned for 10 July.
Funds cannot be disbursed, however, until guidelines for the development of transport TENs have been adopted by the Council and the European Parliament. The draft guidelines are presently at the conciliation stage and an agreed text is expected to be available in mid-June and will then require separate approval by the Council and Parliament.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make an announcement on the proposed closure of traffic area offices; and if he will make a statement. [30464]
Mr. Norris: I expect to make an announcement shortly on the future structure of the traffic area network.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the redundancy costs involved in closing the traffic area office in (a) Leeds, (b) Manchester, (c) Birmingham and (d) Cardiff. [30466]
Mr. Norris: It is not possible to give reliable estimates, as it would depend on how many and which staff were located.
22 May 1996 : Column: 233
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those organisations or individuals who have made representations following the publication of the Curtis review, indicating those that were in favour of closing one or more traffic area offices. [30488]
Mr. Norris: Representations were received from those listed in the following table, following the publication of the Curtis efficiency scrutiny of the traffic area network. Of those who commented on proposals to restructure the traffic area network, no organisation specifically supported the closure of one or more offices. However, some supported moves towards a more centralised administrative system.
Representations received from | |
---|---|
Association of Chief Police Officers | Passenger Transport Executive Group |
Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) | Road Haulage Association |
Association of District Councils | Mr. Peter Snape MP |
Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers | Trade Union Side |
Association of Transport COs (Scotland) | Transport 2000 |
BRAKE | Transport Tribunal |
Cabinet Office | Traffic Commissioners |
Confederation of Passenger Transport UK | Welsh Office |
Council on Tribunals | |
Freight Transport Association | |
Lancashire County Council | |
Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards |
22 May 1996 : Column: 234
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of his Department's overall budget is allocated to the traffic area office network. [30491]
Mr. Norris: Some 3.98 per cent. of the Central Transport Group's running cost budget net of VAT receipts.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by traffic area office (a) the current number of staff in post, (b) the total running costs, (c) the accommodation costs, (d) the unit costs, (e) the service standard achievements, (f) the expiry date for the building lease and (g) the number of goods and public service vehicle operator licences held in that area. [30465]
Mr. Norris: The figures requested, for the financial year 1995-96, are in the tables:
22 May 1996 : Column: 233
TAO | Staff | Total running costs | Accommodation costs | Lease expiry date(8) | Goods licences | PSV licences |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
£ | £ | |||||
North Eastern | 49.5 | 1,165,387 | 230,401 | December 2006 | 18,600 | 1,260 |
North Western | 57 | 1,353,055 | 302,371 | June 1999 | 20,000 | 1,180 |
West Midland | 36.5 | 1,053,446 | 306,980 | September 2004 | 13,100 | 720 |
Eastern | 43.8 | 1,282,071 | 341,054 | June 1997 | 19,250 | 990 |
South Wales | 24 | 609,025 | 191,280 | 2020 | 5,900 | 470 |
Western | 49.3 | 1,185,500 | 269,897 | 2015 | 16,050 | 1,170 |
South Eastern and Metropolitan | 46 | 1,154,923 | 218,794 | March 1998 | 14,500 | 940 |
Scottish | 45 | 1,115,746 | 267,802 | 2012 | 10,100 | 990 |
(8) In some cases there is provision to terminate the lease earlier.
22 May 1996 : Column: 233
TAO | Unit cost goods vehicle operator licensing £ | Unit cost public service vehicle operator licensing £ | Unit cost bus registration £ |
---|---|---|---|
North Eastern | 10.79 | 12.97 | 5.45 |
North Western | 11.19 | 24.66 | 6.27 |
West Midland | 13.26 | 26.27 | 6.81 |
Eastern | 10.31 | 12.60 | 4.86 |
South Wales | 14.64 | 26.69 | 6.25 |
Western | 13.12 | 24.66 | 6.16 |
South Eastern and Metropolitan | 11.70 | 21.74 | 5.07 |
Scottish | 17.15 | 21.54 | 7.27 |
22 May 1996 : Column: 234
22 May 1996 : Column: 233
Service standards | North eastern | North western | West midland | Eastern | South Wales | Western | South Eastern and Metropolitan | Scottish |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goods vehicle operator licensing | ||||||||
New, replacement and major variation without Public Inquiry within deadline | 96 | 91 | 87 | 84 | 98 | 91 | 82 | 97 |
New, replacement and major variation with Public Inquiry within deadline | 89 | 78 | 72 | 37 | 70 | 58 | 59 | 87 |
Non-publishable variations within deadline | 98 | 95 | 95 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 61 | 96 |
Refunds issued within deadline | 100 | 90 | 97 | 85 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 99 |
Public service vehicle operator licensing | ||||||||
New and Continuous applications without Public Inquiry within deadline | 100 | 99 | 99 | 98 | 97 | 98 | 93 | 100 |
Variations without PI within deadline | 100 | 99 | 98 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 82 | 100 |
New and Continuous applications with Public Inquiry within deadline | 100 | 100 | 100 | 77 | 100 | 100 | 96 | n/a |
Variations to licences with Public Inquiry within deadline | 100 | n/a | 100 | n/a | 100 | n/a | 100 | n/a |
Refunds issued within deadline | 100 | 99 | 84 | 99 | 98 | 99 | 96 | 100 |
Bus registration | ||||||||
Registrations processed within deadline | 100 | 96 | 76 | 95 | 100 | 96 | 91 | 92 |
22 May 1996 : Column: 235
22 May 1996 : Column: 235
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