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17 Sept 2003 : Column 758W—continued
Targeting Fraud Website
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many hits the Targeting Fraud website has received; how many cases of suspected fraud have been reported to the website; how many of these suspected cases have been investigated; how many of them have led to a successful prosecution; and how many of them have led to a custodial sentence. [126563]
Mr. Pond: Information is not collated centrally on sentences imposed by the courts where successful prosecutions have resulted from the Targeting Fraud Website. The available information is in the table.
| Number of hits | Number of 'report a cheat' forms submitted | Number of cases accepted for investigation | Number of successful prosecutions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01(2) | 1,431,093 | 3,808 | 319 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 222,421 | 8,453 | 1,067 | 4 |
| 2002–03 | 123,575 | 8,309 | 1,201 | 20 |
(2) The 'report a cheat' online form was introduced in May 2000.
TRANSPORT
Counter-terrorism
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the purpose was of the counter-terrorism exercise held on 7 September. [R] [129631]
Mr. McNulty: The exercise held at Bank tube station on Sunday 7 September was designed to test the co-ordinated response of the emergency services to a chemical release on a train on the London Underground. The exercise involved rescue and decontamination both at the scene and at a hospital. It also tested the use of new equipment and procedures for the emergency services.
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of holding the simulated terrorist attack at the Bank underground station and its surrounds on 7 September; what lessons were learned
17 Sept 2003 : Column 759W
from the exercise; and whether the exercise dealt with the requirements of decontamination of the site of the simulated dirty radioactive bomb. [130292]
Mr. McNulty: As with other exercises designed to test the preparedness of the emergency services, the costs are being borne by the participating organisations, whose budgets naturally include general funding for training and exercising.
Our early view is that the elements we planned to test in this exercise worked well. A full assessment is currently being carried out. There will of course be lessons to learn for all those involved.
The exercise was based on a simulated release of a chemical agent on a train stuck in the London underground and was designed to test new equipment and procedures for rescuing and decontaminating people trapped on the train. The exercise was not designed to test site decontamination or the response to a dirty radioactive bomb.
Cyprus Turkish Airlines
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints (a) he and (b) the Civil Aviation Authority have received about cancellations and delays affecting flights operated by Cyprus Turkish Airlines; and if he will make a statement. [130357]
Mr. McNulty: No complaints have been made to the Department for Transport relating to the cancellation and delays affecting flights by Cyprus Turkish Airlines. The Air Transport Users Council, which was set up by the Civil Aviation Authority, has received four written complaints and two by telephone since April this year.
Devolution (Transport Services)
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 9 September 2003, ref 127778, which (a) Minister and (b) devolved Administration is responsible for (i) ferry services and (ii) air services between (A) England and Northern Ireland, (B) Wales and Northern Ireland, (C) Scotland and Northern Ireland and (D) Scotland and Wales. [130288]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 16 September 2003]: Ferry and air services between different parts of the UK are generally reserved matters, and the Secretary of State for Transport has policy responsibility. Explicit provision was made last year for the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland to take responsibility for financial support for a possible ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.
East Midlands Airport
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made with the decision on whether to open a second runway at East Midlands airport. [130947]
Mr. McNulty: We are currently considering the responses to the airports' consultation. These will inform our final conclusions on airport capacity which will be published in an Air Transport White Paper later this year.
17 Sept 2003 : Column 760W
Flight Cancellations
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory duty of care airlines have towards passengers whose flights have been cancelled. [130257]
Mr. McNulty: UK airlines currently have no statutory duty of care to passengers with regard to cancelled flights. However, all the significant "full-service" UK airlines (both scheduled and charter) have signed up to the Airline Voluntary Commitments on Air Passenger Rights, developed in 2001 under the guidance of the European Commission and the European Civil Aviation Conference. These commitments contain non-legally binding agreements to deliver defined standards of service to air travellers in a number of key areas, including the prompt notification of known delays, cancellations and diversions.
At the Transport Council in December 2002 the European Community reached political agreement on a proposal from the European Commission for a regulation establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to air passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delays of flights. We expect this regulation, which is currently under discussion between the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission to become law during 2004.
Green Transport
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which green transport initiatives the Government have supported in the Merseyside PTA area in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04. [130433]
Mr. McNulty: The Government expect local authorities to reflect the principles of sustainable development in their Local Transport Plans (LTPs). They are, for example, required to show how their LTPs will reduce CO2 emissions from transport sources, how they would contribute to tackling air quality problems, and how they would minimise noise impacts. The Government, through their funding of LTPs, aim to deliver better environmental outcomes across the whole range of Local Transport Plan schemes and initiatives. It would therefore be misleading to identify "green transport initiatives" separately—environmental issues are fully integrated into wider local transport policy.
The Merseyside local authorities have reported in detail on their delivery of schemes and initiatives in LTP Annual Progress Reports, covering 2001–02 and 2002–03.
Parliamentary Questions
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many questions directed to him remain unanswered. [130755]
Mr. McNulty: The effective handling of parliamentary questions is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance. At 15 September 2003, my Department had 43 unanswered parliamentary questions. Of these, eight were named day questions for answer on 16 September 2003 and 35
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were ordinary written questions which by convention are answered within one working week of appearing in the Order Book.
Sky Marshals
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) who will cover the employment costs of sky marshals; [129223]
- (2) how many sky marshals are available for duty on (a) UK airlines and (b) airlines flying into and out of the UK; [129224]
(3) how many sky marshals are being trained; and how long their training lasts; [129225]
(4) what the expected establishment of sky marshals will be; [129226]
(5) whether sky marshals are authorised to carry (a) firearms and (b) other weapons; [129227]
(6) whether (a) UK airlines and (b) foreign airlines are required (i) to opt in and (ii) to opt out of using sky marshals; and if he will list the airlines that have (A) opted in and (B) opted out. [129228]
Mr. McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made a written statement on 19 December last year on the capability which has been developed to place specially trained armed police officers aboard UK civil aircraft. Security reasons preclude making public operational details of that capability. Other countries, with an equivalent capability in respect of flights by their own airlines, have adopted a similar approach.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many special marshals he has appointed; and from which budget funding for special marshals will come; [130951]
- (2) what powers special marshals will have if a person refuses to hand over (a) alcohol and (b) cigarettes. [130952]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to the hon. Member for Carshalton & Wallington (Mr. Brake).
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