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30 Mar 2004 : Column 1324W—continued
Motorways
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many designated parking areas there are
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for police patrol vehicles alongside motorway hard shoulders; what the total cost of constructing such areas has been; and how many further such areas are planned. [164274]
Dr. Howells: There are 358 designated parking areas for police patrol vehicles alongside motorway hard shoulders on England's motorway network. Many of the designated parking areas were constructed as part of motorway building schemes and it is not possible to provide the total cost of constructing them.
Currently, one further designated parking area is planned for construction on the M56 in Lancashire. The requirement for additional areas is kept under review through regular liaison meetings with the relevant police authorities.
Network Rail
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter of comfort given to Network Rail on its refinancing programme through bonds. [163126]
Mr. McNulty: A draft of the comfort letter was attached to the Secretary of State's minute to the House of 4 February 2004 about new non-statutory contingent liabilities in support of Network Rail's Medium Term Note borrowing programme.
Rail Services (Kent)
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the number of passengers travelling from the Medway Towns to Cannon Street; what assessment he has made of the likely impact on commuter services from the Medway Towns to Cannon Street of the Strategic Rail Authority's Integrated Kent Franchise proposals; and if he will make a statement; [162505]
- (2) what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the current fast Medway Towns to Victoria service in the context of the Strategic Rail Authority's proposed Integrated Kent Franchise. [162508]
Mr. McNulty: Proposals for the detailed train service specification for the Integrated Kent Franchise are currently being consulted upon by the Strategic Rail Authority. Recommended service patterns and its impacts on existing services will be considered following the completion of the consultation.
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Strategic Rail Authority has to improve rail infrastructure in north Kent; and if he will make a statement. [162507]
Mr. McNulty: There is considerable work under way in north Kent, as part of the power supply upgrade (Southern Region New Trains Programme). This will enable operation in north Kent of Class 375 and 376 trains. The train maintenance depot at Slade Green is being refurbished. Security enhancements are being made where trains are stabled.
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many seats (a) are available to commuters from the Medway Towns to London and
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(b) are estimated will be available under the Strategic Rail Authority's proposed Integrated Kent Franchise at peak times as defined by the Strategic Rail Authority in their Integrated Kent Franchise proposals. [162509]
Mr. McNulty: There are over 20,000 seats available on services from the Medway Towns to London in the morning peak and over 21,000 from London to the Medway Towns in the evening peak.
The number of seats available under the proposed Integrated Kent Franchise will depend on the type of rolling stock ordered for channel tunnel rail link domestic services.
WALES
Civil Servants
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants were employed in the Welsh Office in each year between 1979 and 1999. [160931]
Mr. Touhig: The Welsh Office ceased to exist on 1 July 1999. The number of civil servants employed in the Welsh Office between 1979 and 1998 are shown in the table:
| Total employed | |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 2,600 |
| 1980 | 2,363 |
| 1981 | 2,279 |
| 1982 | 2,201 |
| 1983 | 2,176 |
| 1984 | 2,206 |
| 1985 | 2,283 |
| 1986 | 2,250 |
| 1987 | 2,208 |
| 1988 | 2,185 |
| 1989 | 2,220 |
| 1990 | 2,352 |
| 1991 | 2,400 |
| 1992 | 2,407 |
| 1993 | 2,408 |
| 1994 | 2,334 |
| 1995 | 2,194 |
| 1996 | 2,133 |
| 1997 | 2,178 |
| 1998 | 2,269 |
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants for whom his Department is responsible there were in each year since 1997; and what the cost of salary payments was in each year. [161196]
Mr. Touhig: Staff numbers for the Wales Office, since its establishment on 1 July 1999, are shown in table 5.7 of the Wales Departmental Report 2003 (CM 5928), a copy of which can be obtained from the Library of the House. Paybill data are contained within Annex 3 of the same publication.
Computer Misuse
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of computer misuse there were in (a) the predecessor to his Department in each year
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between 1997 and 1999 and (b) his Department in 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163251]
Mr. Touhig: There are no records of any computer misuse occurring at the Welsh Office between the years 1997 and 1999.
There was one incident of possible misuse in 2003 involving prohibited sites. The person involved left the Wales Office before the investigation was completed so no disciplinary action resulted.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Conferences
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many conferences he and his Ministers attended in the UK and abroad in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of attending was, broken down by (a) travel costs, (b) food and drink, (c) accommodation and (d) miscellaneous costs. [160706]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 12 March 2004]: The Cabinet Office publishes an annual publication that provides details of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers and expenditure incurred. Copies of the publication are available in the Libraries of the House. The annual publication covering 2003–04 will be published in due course. All DFID ministerial travel is undertaken in line with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
As Secretary of State for International Development I attended one conference in the UK in February. The previous Secretary of State also attended a conference in June as did I when I was Minister of State. Both of these were in London and did not incur any cost.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has attended three conferences in the UK in the year to 29 February. Only one of these incurred an additional cost to the Department of £37 for a train fare. The other two were held in Central London.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) non-ministerial staff and (b) special advisers in his Department attended conferences in the UK and abroad in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of attending was, broken down by (i) travel costs, (ii) food and drink, (iii) accommodation and (iv) miscellaneous costs. [160708]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 12 March 2004]: It is not possible to provide information on non-ministerial staff attendance at conferences either in the UK or abroad without incurring disproportionate cost, apart from the following information:
A special adviser has attended one conference in the UK. The total cost of attending this was £895. This cost included accommodation and food. Travel cost approximately £20.
Employment Agencies
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the employment agencies which his Department has used to
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supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163810]
Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has used the following employment agencies to supply temporary administrative staff for all of the financial years from 1996–97 to 2003–04:
- Josephine Sammons, 46 Fish Street Hill, EC3R 6ER
- Office Angels, 71–75 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W OQU
- Adecco, 133 Victoria Street, SW1V 6RD
- Manpower, Kingsgate Parade, 66–74 Victoria Street, SW1E 6SH
- Reed Employment Services, Fairgate House, 78 New Oxford Street, WC1A 1HB
- Kelly Services, 1st Floor, Princes Mall, G74 1LB
- Margaret Hodge Recruitment (formerly Joyce Young Recruitment), Floor 10, Plaza Tower, G741LW
- Select Appointments, 300–310 Vauxhall Bridge Road, SW1V 1AA, from 2000–01 to 2003–04.
Human Rights and Democracy Projects
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on (a) inter-communal youth centres in Georgia, (b) access to justice for ethnic minorities in Russia and (c) educating indigenous people in Siberia; and what assessment he has made of each project; [163875]
- (2) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project on improving indigenous multiculturalism through education in (a) Russia, (b) Ukraine, (c) Georgia, (d) Armenia, (e) Croatia, (f) Serbia, (g) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (h) Kosovo, (i) Bulgaria and (j) Poland; and what assessment he has made of the results of each project; [163913]
(3) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on the prevention of torture in (a) Russia, (b) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (c) Serbia, (d) Bulgaria, (e) Hungary, (f) Poland, (g) Latvia, (h) Lithuania and (i) Estonia; and what assessment he has made of each project. [163935]
Mr. Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and by local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project to (a) reinforce
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diversity in Russia and (b) deliver an information campaign on the fight against racism and xenophobia in Russia; and what assessment he has made of each project; [163877]
- (2) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy's project on reinforcing federalism, democracy and mechanisms of protection of human rights in Russia; and what assessment he has made of the project. [163998]
Mr. Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU. The British embassy in Moscow keeps in close touch with the local Commission delegation.
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