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Consultation Documents
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many consultation documents published in 2001 in (a) electronic and (b) printed form his Department has monitored and evaluated in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations; [70963]
- (2) which consultation documents published by his Department in 2001 were not made available as paper copies; [70965]
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(3) whether his Department has a designated consultation co-ordinator in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations; [70966]
(4) how many complaints his Department has received about its 2001 consultations in electronic or printed form; [70964]
(5) how long her Department allowed for consultation on each consultation document it published in 2001 in (a) electronic and (b) printed form;. [70960]
(6) in what format his Department has published the results of its 2001 written consultations; [70962]
(7) whether consultation documents published by his Department in 2001 carried the consultation criteria as recommended in the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations; [70961]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department has issued internal guidance to ensure consultation documents comply with the requirements of the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultation. The Department has also appointed a consultation co-ordinator in accordance with criterion 7 of the Code.
A list of the public consultations undertaken by the Department or its predecessors in 2001 has been placed in the Library, including the dates for which the period for responses opened and closed. The list is based on central records and reflects the public consultations undertaken within the areas for which the Department is currently responsible. More specific details concerning the handling of individual consultation exercises are not held centrally.
Home Zones
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which home zones have been introduced in each of the last three years. [71332]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: Information is not held centrally on the home zones introduced in each of the last three years. Figures for the number of home zones proposed by English authorities outside London within their August 2001 Local Transport Plan Annual Progress Reports were given in my answer to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 8 July 2002, Official Report, column 663–64W.
Direct Electronic Access
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the transport-related services offered by Government via direct electronic access. [71322]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: Publicly available policy statements, reports, guidance, statistics and press notices are made available through the Department for Transport's website: http://www.dft.gov.uk. The Department's consultations are available on the website and facilities are available for response by e-mail.
The Department already offers a large number of transport-related services via electronic direct access. For example, the portal http://www.motoring.gov.uk brings together the range of Government services for the motorist. Further initiatives are also under way for the future electronic provision of transport-related services.
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Galileo Satellite System
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates his Department has made of the economic and transport-related benefits to the United Kingdom and the European Union from the proposed Galileo satellite navigation system. [70697]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon on 12 December 2001, Official Report, column 884W.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations have been made by his Department into the possible use of the Galileo satellite system for monitoring the movements of motorists. [70696]
Mr. Jamieson: None. Satellite-based positioning systems do not of themselves permit the movement of vehicles to be monitored. However, many commercial "intelligent transport systems" such as those used for fleet management purposes by operators of commercial vehicles, do make use of satellite-based navigation technology, in conjunction with communication systems. Galileo could improve the performance of such intelligent transport systems.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates have been made by his Department of the extent to which the proposed Galileo satellite navigation system will duplicate services available under the Global Positioning System. [70708]
Mr. Jamieson: At present the civil community makes use of an open access signal provided by the US Global Positioning System (GPS) but this is subject to US national security interests, is not guaranteed and is not adequate for some safety critical uses such as in air traffic management. GPS is managed and operated by the US Government and funded by the US Department of Defense (DOD). It was developed primarily as a military system with the main purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of US military forces. Through co-operation agreements, the US has made available the GPS military signals to NATO and individual States such as the UK. GPS will continue to be used by NATO and the UK for military applications.
Galileo has the potential to provide Europe with its own purpose built civil navigation and positioning system which could generate strategic and economic benefits to the UK, Europe and globally. For example, in transport it could help in the development of traffic management and intelligent transport systems across all modes of transport to help control congestion, reduce pollution and contribute to improved safety. Additionally, as it is intended that it should complement and be interoperable with the civil signal (and future planned signals) provided by GPS, users should obtain improved availability and reliability particularly in urban areas. The two systems could provide the integrity of service required for greater use of the technology in safety critical applications such as air traffic management.
The Government intends to work to ensure that there is co-operation with the US, so that Galileo is interoperable with GPS civil signals and is developed in such a way as to give value for money to UK and European taxpayers and users.
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Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total estimated cost is of the Galileo Satellite Navigation System; how much the United Kindgom is contributing; and if he will make a statement on the need for the Galileo system. [71032]
Mr. Jamieson: A study carried out last year by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) on behalf of the Commission has put the capital cost of Galileo at euro 3.4 billion, with annual operating costs of euro 224 million over a 20-year concession period. PWC considered that the programme would require some continued public funding for deployment of the system and payments during operation. Total public sector funding was estimated at some euro 3.8 billion, depending on the private sector assessment of revenues and risks, and subject to the outcome of a competitive tendering process for a public-private partnership (PPP) for the deployment and operational phases.
The UK is helping to fund Galileo through contributions to the European Space Agency (ESA), which is jointly funding and carrying out the programme with the European Union. For the definition phase (1999–2000) and some early development work (2001) the Government contributed about £10.4 million. For the development and validation phase (2002–05) which was approved in March by the EU Transport Council, negotiations within ESA over member states' contributions are still progressing. Funds for the development and validation phase are also being provided from the budget of the European Communities to which the UK contributes.
Galileo has been discussed at a number of European Councils including the Laeken Council in December last year, which reaffirmed the strategic importance of the project to Europe. The UK has always supported the Council's conclusions on Galileo as it recognises
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the potential benefits that it could bring to the UK and Europe in transport and other economic and industrial areas.
Former Ministers (Compensation)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid by his Department in compensation to Ministers from the former Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, who left Government in June; and if he will make a statement. [70705]
Mr. Jamieson: Under the terms of section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, all Ministers (except the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor) are entitled to a severance payment equal to one quarter of their final ministerial salary on leaving office, provided that the individual has not attained the age of 65 or been appointed to another paid office within a period of three weeks. The salaries of Ministers who left the Government in June are already in the public domain.
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