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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 29 April 2004

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members' Salaries

Mr. Burnett: To ask the Leader of the House how much was paid in salaries and allowances to hon. Members (a) including and (b) excluding payments to Ministers in each year since 1996–97. [169457]

Mr. Woolas: The cost of salaries and allowances, excluding ministerial payments are as follows:
£000

	MP salaries and related costs(1)	Allowances(2)
Cash basis
1996–97	28,883	45,894
1997–98	39,060	49,368
1998–99	32,436	47,237
1999–2000	34,167	47,647
2000–01	35,117	49,066
Resource basis
2001–02	40,856	66,745
2002–03	39,801	75,412

⁽¹⁾ This includes: Members' salaries; salaries of the Chairman of Ways and Means and deputies; social security costs; and the London supplement.
⁽²⁾ Allowances include: office costs allowance; incidental expenses provision; Members' staffing budget; additional costs allowance; travel (including to EU institutions); winding-up allowance.

Information is not yet available for 2003–04. Following the introduction of resource accounting, figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are not directly comparable with those for 2000–01 and earlier years.

Ministerial salaries are paid directly by their respective Government Department. Records of ministerial pay are not held centrally and do not distinguish between Lords and Commons Ministers. The information requested could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

TRANSPORT

A43

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will close the A43 between Brackley and Towcester on Friday 9 July. [169643]

Mr. Jamieson: We are examining carefully the arguments that have been made both for and against closure of the A43 trunk road on the pre-race day of Friday 9 July to facilitate access in and out of the Silverstone circuit.
 
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The Inter Agency Working Group that is looking at all the issues involved is due to meet again on the 4 May and the Chairman of that group has been asked to give specific attention to the traffic management, travel and cost implications of a Friday closure.

A decision will be announced once I have received the report of that meeting and am in a position to make a decision.

Mobile Phone Use

Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the level of compliance of motor vehicle drivers with the legislation forbidding the use of a mobile telephone when driving; and what further steps he will take to improve compliance. [168867]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department has been undertaking regular surveys of the use of mobile phones while driving. The last survey carried out in October 2003 before the new offence was introduced showed that 1.9 per cent. of drivers were using a hand-held phone, and 0.5 per cent. a hands-free phone. The results from the most recent survey this month are not yet available.

The Department will continue to publicise the dangers of using mobile phones when driving. Radio advertising is planned for May, July, August and November and cinema advertising in September and January 2005. The message will be reinforced through the Department's sports sponsorship programme. The police are responsible for enforcing the law.

Road Deaths/Injuries (Manchester)

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries on the roads of Manchester, Gorton has been since 1997. [167306]

Mr. Darling: The available information relates to local authority areas. For the Manchester metropolitan district (which includes the constituency of Manchester, Gorton) the number of deaths in road accidents fell by 53 per cent. from 32 in 1997 to 15 in 2002, the latest year for which information is available. The number of serious injuries rose by 3 per cent., from 244 in 1997 to 252 in 2002. Estimates on the basis of parliamentary constituencies will become available in the summer and I shall write to my right hon. Friend with figures for Manchester, Gorton and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Road Schemes (South-West)

Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money has been committed to date by the Government Office for the south west for the Bristol/Bath to South Coast Roads Study. [168829]

Mr. Jamieson: Up to 5 April 2004, the amount committed on the Bristol/Bath to South Coast Study was £247,682.77.
 
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Transport Infrastructure (Manchester)

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the effect of investment in railway improvements over the next 10 years upon residents of Manchester, Gorton. [167309]

Mr. Darling: Residents of Manchester will benefit from the new TransPennine Express franchise, which commenced in February. The franchise secures investment of around £260 million which will include the introduction of a new fleet of 100 mph diesel trains leading to increased capacity, improved service quality and performance across the region. A new northern franchise, which will include local and regional services through Manchester, is out for tender. Work continues on the west coast main line upgrade, which will see a   reduction in journey times on services to/from Manchester and an increase in service frequency.

US Air Travel

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold urgent talks with the US Administration on the exchange of private details, with particular reference to credit card numbers, for British passengers travelling to the USA by air. [168258]

Mr. Darling: The European Commission is leading the negotiations on the processing and transfer of airline Passenger Name Record data. We are in close discussions with our EU partners to consider how to proceed following referral of the proposed EU-US agreement to the European Court of Justice. I have also raised this with the US Secretary for Transportation at a meeting with him in March.

TREASURY

Administration Costs

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in lowering administration costs as a proportion of total spending since the 2004 Budget Statement. [168600]

Mr. Boateng: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 April 2004 in answer to his question 165021 showing that administration costs are to fall to a planned 3.7 per cent. of total spending by 2008.

Central Lobby Consultants

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the work he has commissioned from Central Lobby Consultants since 1 June 2001. [163973]

Ruth Kelly: There is no payment to Central Lobby Consultants in HM Treasury records for this period.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the (a) World Bank, (b) IMF and (c) Paris Club creditors on increasing the debt cancellation available to the world's poorest countries, with particular reference to Iraq, through the heavily indebted poor countries process. [168609]

 
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John Healey: The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were held on 24–25 April 2004. All Paris Club creditors were represented at the meetings.

At the meetings, the UK stressed the importance of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in helping to provide a robust exit from unsustainable debt for the world's poorest countries. As part of this, the UK called for full topping up to be provided when countries face exogenous shocks, in order to bring their debt ratios back to the agreed HIPC thresholds. The UK also supported consideration of extension of the Initiative so that countries yet to enter the Initiative are able to benefit from HIPC debt relief. A number of countries—many of which are in the process of trying to exit conflict—have yet to reach Decision Point and benefit from HIPC relief. This could deliver an extra $30 billion in debt relief. Iraq is not eligible for the HIPC Initiative, and so will have relief for its external debt considered under the auspices of the Paris Club's Evian Approach. However, the Government's view is that Iraq's debt position is unsustainable and that a substantial reduction will be needed to restore them to sustainability. That is likely to require writing off the vast majority of Iraq's debts.

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