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14 Apr 2003 : Column 579W—continued
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the expected saving to public funds from the private finance initiative schemes due to become operational in 2003. [105728]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 10 April 2003, Official Report, column 400W.
Sport Funding
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the (a) Sport England and (b) UK Sport budget was spent on grant aid to national governing bodies in (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03; and what percentage is to be spent on grant aid to National Governing Bodies in 2003–04. [108294]
Mr. Caborn: The percentage of (a) Sport England's and (b) UK Sport's core grant in aid allocated to National Governing Bodies is set out in the following table.
| 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport England | 19.30 | 19.70 | 19.00 |
| UK Sport | 28.01 | 33.45 | 47.61 |
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the Exchequer funding allocation to Sport England and UK Sport is for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [108312]
Mr. Caborn: The information requested is set out in the following table.
| 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sport England | (55)53.275 | (56)60.775 |
| UK Sport | 19.6 | 19.6 |
(55) Including £15 million for the School Sport Co-ordinator programme.
(56) Including £20 million for Community Club Development Programme and £2.5 million for Sport England Modernisation.
A further £2.7 million is to be allocated in 2003–04 between Sport England and UK Sport to implement the recommendations of the Coaching Task Force.
Television Licences (Pensioners)
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent estimate is of the number of pensioners over 75 who are receiving a free television licence in the Selby constituency. [109011]
Dr. Howells: TV Licensing, who administer the concession as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 5,400 people aged 75 or over living in the Selby constituency.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 580W
TRANSPORT
Cleaner Vehicles
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many UK vehicles are registered to pay reduced road tax because they use LPG fuel. [108965]
Mr. Jamieson: The reduced rate of Vehicle Excise Duty for alternative fuels only applies to vehicles first registered after March 2001. According to DVLA (Driver and Vehicles Licensing Agency) statistics, at the end of September 2002 there were 3,112 cars registered for the reduced rate. DVLA statistics do not distinguish between liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas and hydrogen powered vehicles.
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review resources available to the Powershift programme for converting road vehicles to LPG. [108966]
Mr. Jamieson: Full resources have been allocated to the Powershift programme for 2003–04 to meet all expected demands—as they have been in previous years. Within each financial year my Department continually monitors demand for PowerShift grants to ensure, in the light of other pressures, appropriate resources are available to support the wider use of cleaner fuels such as LPG. As with other Government funded programmes, future resources for PowerShift will be considered in the 2004 Spending Review
Advertising Campaigns
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's total spending was on advertising and promotional campaigns between April 2002 and March 2003; and what the cost of each campaign was, broken down by costs relating to (a) television, (b) radio and (c) print media. [106432]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department for Transport ran five substantive campaigns between April 2002 and March 2003.
£13.5 million was spent to promote the Think! road safety campaign messages. TV advertising cost £5.6 million, radio advertising £2.6 million and print media advertising £205,000. Other costs included cinema advertising (£1.1 million) plus the costs of printing and distributing campaign materials, research, exhibition material and commissions.
The airports consultation campaign cost £2.9 million. The majority of expenditure covered publications. Radio advertising cost £25,000 and print media advertising £274,000.
The Traveline (public transport information line) campaign cost £45I,000 of which £274,000 was devoted to print media advertising.
The Walk to School campaign cost £155,000—this was PR based rather than using advertising.
The Vehicle Identity Checking campaign cost £130,000 of which print media advertising cost £122,000.
These figures are subject to final auditing to take account of any end of year adjustments.
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Departmental agencies and NDPBs also advertise and promote campaigns for the services they provide and for which they are directly responsible.
Air Transport
Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what preliminary assessment has been made of the risks of birds colliding with aircraft at the Midlands New Site proposed in "The Future of Air Transport in the UK Midlands", with particular reference to the gull roost at Draycote Water; [108886]
- (2) what research has been commissioned to assess the risks of birds colliding with aircraft at the Midlands New Site proposed in "The Future of Air Transport in the UK Midlands"; and what plans he has to commission further research. [108887]
Mr. Jamieson: In the background document "Midlands New Site: Option Appraisal Report, Volume One: Main Report" we identified the issue of birdstrike. We are considering this issue further through the analysis of the consultation responses and we will decide what further work, if any, is required in the light of these responses.
Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria were used to determine which potential airport development sites proposed in "The Future of Air Transport in the UK" were considered to have a level of risk of bird strike high enough to necessitate further research; and what plans he has to commission further research. [108888]
Mr. Jamieson: As a result of the large number of birds affected and their immediate location on, and immediately proximate to, the potential airport site at Cliffe, a preliminary assessment was carried out to assess the risk of birdstrike. The Department accepted the report's conclusion that further research would be needed to assess more fully both the risk and the most appropriate mitigating measures at this site. This further research was published on 7 April 2003.
Existing civil licensed airports are required to have an approved bird management programme in place and this is inspected annually in safety audits undertaken by the CAA Safety Regulation Group. The CAA is actively engaged in the consultation process.
We are considering the birdstrike issue through the analysis of the consultation responses and we will decide what further work, if any, is required in the light of these responses.
Airports
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the European Commission about the implications of an airport at Cliffe for sites designated under the (a) EU Birds Directive and (b) EU Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement. [108436]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 10 April 2003]: During the on-going airports consultation, the European Commission has written to officials in my Department setting out the requirements of Council Directives relating to Special Protection Areas, in relation to the option for a new airport at Cliffe.
14 Apr 2003 : Column 582W
The Government were already aware of these requirements and drew attention to them in chapter 11.17 of the south-east consultation document.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of assessing the liability, within the SERAS process, of options other than those at Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Cliffe. [109188]
Mr. Jamieson: The cost of developing SERAS options at locations other than those listed above is estimated at £250,000. Specific costs of appraising these options as part of the SERAS process are not available.
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses he has received concerning Alconbury Airfield following the commencement of the most recent public consultation entitled The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK (South-East). [109114]
Mr. Jamieson: The information requested is not available as we do not, as yet, have numbers broken down by consultation option.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the safety of a new airport in the Cliffe area of North Kent with reference to the Government commissioned report into bird hits in that area; and what action he intends to take as a result; [108469]
- (2) what his assessment is of the comparative risk from bird hits of the various new airport capacity options for the south-east; [108467]
(3) if he will withdraw the Cliffe New Hub airport option from consultation; and if he will make a statement on its study on the potential safety risks from birds at and around Cliffe Marshes. [108468]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Transport's written statement of 7 April 2003, Official Report, column 1WS, which announced publication of a further report into the risks of birds colliding with aircraft at the option for a new airport at Cliffe. Section five of that report assesses the overall risk and includes a comparison with other airports in the UK. Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of the House.
The Government will consider this report carefully, together with all consultation responses before final decisions are taken. These will be set out in a White Paper, which we aim to publish later this year.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public funds will be committed to the development of Finningley airport and related infrastructure, including (a) roads and (b) rail links. [108382]
Mr. Jamieson: We are not aware that any application for public funding in connection with the development of Finningley airport or related infrastructure has been made at the present time.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the (a) timescale and (b) process for decision-making on a third runway at Heathrow. [109119]
14 Apr 2003 : Column 583W
Mr. Jamieson: Consultation on "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom" ends on 30 June 2003. The Government plan to issue a White Paper by the end of the year, which will provide a strategic policy framework for future airport development, including any new runways.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which properties will be compulsorily purchased if the Government give permission for the third runway at Heathrow; and how these properties will be valued and compensation to owners determined. [109120]
Mr. Jamieson: If any option is supported in the White Paper, it would be for a promoter to work up the detailed design and project definition and seek statutory authorisation. Any compulsory purchase of property would be carried out in accordance with the prevailing statutory arrangements; the current position is summarised in chapter 19 of the consultation document, "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom—South East".
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