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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 12 March 2003
WALES
Accountancy Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in 2002. [101563]
Peter Hain: The National Assembly for Wales's in-house staff provide accountancy services to the Wales Office. A notional charge is made for the services. In the financial year 2001–02, the amounts were £26,266 for financial services and £7,897 for the internal audit service.
Departmental Phone Directory
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the most recent internal phone directory for the Department was published; how often it is updated; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [101785]
Peter Hain: The Wales Office internal phone directory is maintained electronically and revised when a member of staff arrives or leaves.
It is an internal document, but key numbers are available publicly through publications such as the Civil Service Year Book or Vacher's Parliamentary Companion.
External Consultants
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002. [90510]
Peter Hain: In the 2002 calendar year my Department spent some £38,000 on external consultants. It also made use of property management consultants under a contract held by the National Assembly for Wales.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body spent on external consultancy in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [92246]
Peter Hain: The information is as follows:
(a) The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999. Spending on external consultancy since then has been:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000(1) | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 16,300 |
| 2001–02 | 31,100 |
| 2002–03 | 10,800 |
(1) Period covered is 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2000
It also made use of property management consultants under a contract held by the National Assembly for Wales.
(b) My Department has no agencies or non-departmental public bodies.
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Parish Councils
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many parish councillors have stood aside following the introduction of the Parish Council Code of Conduct. [102138]
Peter Hain: There are no Parish Councils in Wales. Community Councils are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
CABINET OFFICE
Departmental Staff
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people work in the Delivery Unit; what its purpose is; what its estimated cost is for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [99883]
Mr. Alexander: With the Treasury, the Delivery Unit aims to improve public services by working with Departments to help them meet their PSA targets, consistently with fiscal rules.
At 3 February 2003, the Delivery Unit had 34 full-time equivalent staff. Its estimated expenditure for 2002–03 is £3.3 million. The budget for 2003–04 has yet to be agreed.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) cost and (b) staffing were of the (i) Corporate Communication Team, (ii) Strategic Communication and Planning Team, (iii) Corporate Services Group, (iv) Government Information and Communication Service and (v) Media Monitoring Unit in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [99897]
Mr. Alexander: Corporate Communication team and Strategic Communication and Planning team are part of the Communication Group within the Cabinet Office. As at 3 February 2003, there were 16 staff working in the Corporate Communication team and four working in the Strategic Communication and Planning team. These figures are rounded to full time equivalents. For the Corporate Communication team the 2002–03 estimated expenditure is £0.6 million. The Strategic Communication and Planning team does not have its own budget and its costs cannot be easily identified from other parts of Communication Group.
As at 3 February 2003, there were 291 staff working in Corporate Services Group. The estimated expenditure for 2002–03 is £8 million. There are 23 staff, rounded to full time equivalents, working in the Government Information and Communication Service (excluding the Media and Monitoring Unit), with estimated expenditure costs of £4.1 million. This £4.1 million includes two budgets for this year only—the Golden Jubilee with a forecast expenditure of £1.4 million and the Coalition Information Centre
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budget of £0.3 million, which was transferred to purchase IT equipment. The Media Monitoring Unit is part of the Government Information and Communication Service and there are 14 staff working in that unit. The Media Monitoring Unit is funded by subscriptions to recover its costs.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people work in (a) the Regulatory Impact Unit, (b) the Office of Public Services Reform and (c) the Charter Mark and Beacon Unit; what the cost of each was in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [99979]
Mr. Alexander: There are 62 staff working within the Regulatory Impact Unit. The cost to run this unit during 2001–02 was £2.5 million and for 2002–03 the estimated expenditure is £2.9 million.
The Office of Public Services Reform and the Charter Mark and Beacon Unit merged on 1 September 2002. The following figures reflect the units before the merger.
There are 28 staff working in the Office of Public Services Reform. The cost to run this unit during 2001–02 was £1.9 million and for 2002–03 the estimated expenditure is £2.8 million.
There are 15 people working in the Charter Mark and Beacon Unit. Costs for 2001–02 totalled £3.1 million. For 2002–03 the estimated expenditure is £2.3 million.
All staffing figures are as at 3 February 2003 and rounded to full time equivalents. Budgets for 2003–04 have yet to be set.
TRANSPORT
Accountancy Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in 2002. [101559]
Mr. Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Administration Costs
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the central departmental administration costs of his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2005–06 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [101519]
Mr. Jamieson: Information on central administration costs between 1990–91 and 2003–04 is set out in the relevant running/administration costs tables of the annual departmental reports for the Department of Transport, the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, although not on a comparable basis across the entire period. Updated information for the Department for Transport, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.
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Advertising (Scotland)
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department spent on advertising in Scotland in each year since 1999 on (a) television, (b) newspapers, (c) radio, (d) magazines, (e) billboards and (f) sporting events. [102333]
Mr. Jamieson: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Blue Badge Scheme
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to amend regulations extending the issue of the Blue Badge to include children under the age of two where medical needs are paramount. [101835]
Mr. Jamieson: Following a review of the Blue Badge Scheme, I announced in the House on 18 December 2002 that the Government would be taking forward a number of recommendations, including one to extend the eligibility criteria to children under the age of two whose medical needs require the transport of bulky medical equipment.
This change, along with some of the other recommendations, will require amendment to the Scheme through secondary legislation. I will be taking steps to implement this and other recommendations at the earliest opportunity.
Climate Change
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment his Department has made of the reports on climate change published by (a) the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and (b) the UK Climate Impacts Programme on the transport sector; [102197]
- (2) what studies his Department has carried out into the effect of climate change on railway infrastructure; [102195]
(3) if he will make a statement on the likely impact of future climate change upon the transport sector; [102194]
(4) if he will place copies of reports published from research funded by his Department on the effects of climate change on (a) railways, (b) roads, (c) aviation and (d) other transport in the Library. [102196]
Mr. Jamieson: I welcome the report and joint research initiative, "Building Knowledge for a Changing Climate", launched this month by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the UK Climate Impacts Programme, and the active role of the Highways Agency in supporting the initiative. I shall be interested in the results.
My Department will be undertaking work this year, involving stakeholders, to advance our understanding of the potential implications of climate change for transport policy and operations. A report on this work and the results of any research in this area commissioned by the Department will be published.
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