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TRANSPORT

Liquified Petroleum Gas

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage continued use of liquified petroleum gas following removal of road fuel tax support for liquid petroleum gas. [157450]

Mr. Jamieson: Liquified petroleum gas (LPG), has and will continue to receive considerable support from Government, not only in the form of a duty incentive (worth £75 million in terms of duty forgone in 2002–03 alone), but also through grants for vehicle conversions (the Powershift scheme), and reduced rates of vehicle excise duty for gas-powered vehicles.

As the pre-Budget report made clear, the relative environmental benefits of LPG vehicles have become less significant in recent years as a result of progressively tighter emission standards for new conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. As a result the Chancellor announced in the pre-Budget report that he will begin to gradually increase the rate for LPG over the next three years, setting duty differentials on a path towards a level commensurate with the fuel's environmental benefits. Consistent with the Government's commitment to give three-year certainty on duty differentials for alternative fuels, future differentials for the next three years will be announced at Budget 2004.

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Correspondence

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Orpington of 2 October 2003, regarding the public safety zone surrounding Biggin Hill airport. [157148]

Mr. McNulty: I regret that the hon. Member's letter had not been answered. I have written to him today explaining that in the light of revised forecasts of numbers and types of aircraft movements we have decided to reduce the size of the public safety zones at Biggin Hill airport. The effect will be that the areas of highest risk will no longer include any residential properties and that the airport company will no longer be expected to purchase any properties in Oaklands Lane or Victoria Gardens.

Motor Insurance

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department is making on establishing a link between existing DVLA and motor insurance databases. [157530]

Mr. Jamieson: DVLA established a link with the Motor Insurance Database on 17 February 2004 which allows the agency to confirm that a vehicle is insured prior to relicensing without having to view the insurance documents.

The Motor Insurers Anti Fraud and Theft Register is also linked to DVLA and automatically updates the vehicle record when a vehicle is seriously damaged. This allows an identity check to be carried out when such a vehicle is returned to the road.

Overseas Hauliers (UK Roads)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many overseas hauliers paid to use UK roads in each of the last three years; and how much the Government received in each year. [157718]

Mr. Jamieson: There is currently no charging regime in the UK for overseas hauliers. The Government announced in 2002 their intention to introduce a scheme to charge all lorries using UK roads on the basis of distance travelled. The Government remain committed to introducing such a charge and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget report his intention to publish a farther progress report during this year.

Statutory Off Road Notifications

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the (a) procedures and (b) priorities followed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when issuing a reminder notice in the case of Statutory Off Road Notifications. [157805]

Mr. Jamieson: Reminder notices are issued on or around the 15th day of the month of expiry of both the Statutory Off Road Notification and the vehicle licence.

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CABINET OFFICE

Government Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list Whips to whom Government cars have been allocated, indicating in each case the (a) make and (b) engine size. [157852]

Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1569W.

Government Services

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government plans to spend in the next 12 months on delivering services via interactive television. [158135]

Mr. Alexander: Information on expenditure on delivering services via interactive television is not held centrally and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Government services projected to be delivered electronically in 2005 will be delivered through interactive television. [158136]

Mr. Alexander: Government Departments continue to work towards getting all Government services online by 2005, and seek to use Digital TV (DTV) wherever appropriate. Flagship services available now on DTV or planned by 2005 include Teacher TV, NHS Direct, Jobcentre Plus and the Pensions Service. In addition, UKonline Interactive is a world-first national one-stop-service for Government on DTV, bringing together access to all nationally available DTV services and progressively rolling out access to local government services on DTV.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government expects to save by providing all services through electronic means by 2005. [158137]

Mr. Alexander: The 2005 target aims to widen and facilitate access to Government services.

The Efficiency Review led by Sir Peter Gershon is encouraging Departments to review take-up of e-services to deliver savings.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Government expects to have all its services available online by 2005; and if he will make a statement. [158133]

Mr. Alexander: Departments continue to work towards the target of 100 per cent. availability by 2005.

The latest figures on progress towards the target of making Government services available electronically by 2005 show that 66 per cent. of Government services are e-enabled.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what

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percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. [157518]

Mr. Alexander: The detailed information is not held in the form requested. However, during the period 1 January 2003 to 31 January 2004 the Cabinet Office answered 84 Named Day Questions of which 80 per cent. were answered on time and 341 Ordinary Written Questions of which 43 per cent. were answered on time.

Websites

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government has spent on its websites in each of the past four years. [158134]

Mr. Alexander: Individual Government Departments are responsible for the management and expenditure of their websites and as such expenditure figures are not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Fraud Trials

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Solicitor-General (1) what steps she is taking following the most recent developments in the London City Bond and Operation Puma cases, in relation to (a) prosecution for perjury and (b) disclosure of documents by HM Customs and Excise to the Butterfield Inquiry into this matter; and if she will make a statement; [154656]

(2) what steps she is taking following the most recent developments in the London City Bond and Operation Puma cases; and if she will make a statement. [154655]

The Solicitor-General [holding answer 12 February 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1552W, regarding the investigation jointly known as the London City Bond cases, and the review by Mr. Justice Butterfield that followed them. I also refer you to the Attorney General's statement made on 4 December 2003, Official Report [Lords], column WA32, which announced the Government's intention to establish an Independent Prosecutions Office dealing with Customs and Excise prosecutions. The process will start soon to recruit a new Head to that office who will be directly accountable to the Attorney-General. As well as the developments outlined in that answer, I would draw the hon. Member's attention to some of the steps taken by Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office to improve the disclosure process in the large and complex cases prosecuted by them.

The Head of Prosecutions commissioned two reports on disclosure from CEPO's Quality Assurance team in order to assess and improve disclosure in CEPO cases. Recommendations from those reports are being taken forward.

A conference on disclosure was hosted by CEPO in December of last year attended by members of the Bar, the judiciary and defence practitioners which explored the difficulties involved in disclosure in large and complex cases, and encouraged the exchange of ideas and best practice which CEPO will take forward.

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There is a current Metropolitan police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the LCB cases. No file has been received by the CPS in relation to any prosecutions arising from that investigation.

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