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Press Office
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many press officers there are in his Department. [47042]
Dr. Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 220W.
Since then one press officer has rejoined the DTLR press office on return from maternity leave.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total cost of running the Department's press office was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [46806]
Dr. Whitehead: Due to changes in the functions and responsibilities of the Department it is not possible to answer the question in the form requested.
PFI/PPPs
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the difference was between the price offered in reaching preferred bidder stage and the final contract price for the five largest PFI contracts let by his Department in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement; [45593]
- (2) what the difference was between the price offered in reaching preferred bidder stage and the final contract price for PPP contracts let by his Department in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement. [45608]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 25 March 2002]: My Department has let six public private partnership (including PFI) contracts in the last four years: National Air Traffic Services PPP, Vehicle Inspectorate MOT Computerisation, Highways Agency A13 Thames Gateway (which has transferred to Transport for London), Highways Agency Traffic Control Centre, Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust and Waltham Forest Housing Action Trust.
Information about bid prices and contract values in respect of the first four of these contracts cannot be provided for reasons of commercial confidentiality. It is not possible to provide the information for the Housing Action Trust PPPs because of their contract structure.
Non-Governmental Organisations
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many members of staff were employed by his Department on secondment from non-Governmental organisations in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [45230]
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Dr. Whitehead: Secondments are defined as being a continuous interchange activity of three months or more, and are recorded on a financial year basis.
There were the following numbers of inward secondees in the years in question:
- 1999–2000: 50
2000–01: 62
2001–02: 104.
Unpaid Advisers
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the names of the unpaid advisers appointed by him and his predecessor since June 1997, stating in each case (a) the date of their appointment, (b) the duration of their appointment and (c) the project or projects on which they have been engaged. [43380]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 25 March 2002]: I have not appointed any unpaid advisers under paragraph 51 of the Ministerial Code.
For details of unpaid appointments made by this Department to task forces, review groups and other ad hoc advisory groups, I would refer the right hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 16 November 2001, Official Report, columns 895W-96W.
Access to Information
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the administrative manuals and internal guidance which his Department has made public as required by Part 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and which of these were first made available after May 1997. [45394]
Dr. Whitehead: No administrative manuals or internal guidance are currently published though certain material is available on request. Details of the Department's policy for handling public inquiries and the complaints procedure are published on the DTLR website.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) whether the Permanent Secretary of his Department had received (a) oral and (b) written prior permission from Martin Sixsmith to refer to information which would ordinarily be exempt from disclosure under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in his statement of Monday 25 February; [40955]
- (2) which aspects of the public statement made by the Permanent Secretary of his Department on Monday 25 February would ordinarily be exempt from disclosure under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; [40950]
10 Apr 2002 : Column 86W
(3) which aspects of his statement to the House on 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 563, would ordinarily be exempt from disclosure under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; [41266]
(4) whether he received (a) oral and (b) written prior permission from Martin Sixsmith to refer to information which would ordinarily be exempt from disclosure under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in his oral statement to the House of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 563. [41265]
Mr. Byers: The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information does not require such permission to be obtained.
Each decision on the release of information is considered on its individual merits.
Criminal Damage
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost has been of criminal damage to his Department's buildings in each of the last four years. [44844]
Dr. Whitehead: The Department does not maintain a separate record of the cost of rectifying incidents of criminal damage.
Engineers
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many chartered engineers there are in his Department; and what grades they hold. [43586]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 19 March 2002]: Very few posts within DTLR(C) require Chartered Engineer status. Where this is the case, individuals are recruited on a job specific basis and the information is not collated centrally. There may be individuals with Chartered Engineer status employed in generalist jobs within DTLR(C).
Information on the number of Chartered Engineers employed by the Executive Agencies of my Department and in Government Offices is given as follows.
There are currently 17 chartered engineers at Special, Professional and Technical Grades (SPTO) in the Government Offices for the English Regions.
The Highways Agency employs 541 engineers at the grades shown in the table. They may not all have chartered status as some may be graduates who are working towards it. For engineers who have achieved chartered status, the Agency does not pay professional fees and therefore has no record of whether the status has been retained.
10 Apr 2002 : Column 87W
The number of chartered engineers employed by PINS, by grade, is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Principal Housing and Planning Inspector | 5 |
| Senior Housing and Planning Inspector | 10 |
| Housing and Planning Inspector | 7 |
| Flexible Housing and Planning Inspector | 1 |
| 23 |
Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
The Vehicle Certification Agency has 15 Chartered Engineers in the following grades:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 1 |
| Grade 6 | 1 |
| Grade 7 | 4 |
| Grade S | 6 |
| Grade H | 3 |
Vehicle Inspectorate (VI)
The Vehicle Inspectorate has six chartered engineers among its staff as follows:
- G6: 1
G7: 4
SPTO: 1.
VI has this year launched a graduate mechanical engineer programme in line with the Institution of Mechanical Engineer's Monitored Professional Development Programme which takes new graduates through four years structured training and leaves them qualified for Chartered Status, should they wish to apply. VI will be taking on two this year following a recruitment campaign for which there were 90 applicants. 16 candidates will attend assessment centres in mid-April and successful candidates will take up post in September.
The QE11 has two Chartered Engineers, they do not have grades but the job titles are:
- Operations Director
Systems and Engineering Manager.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and The Fire Service College
Both these agencies have no Chartered Engineers.
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