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6 Jul 2004 : Column 632W—continued
Special Areas of Conservation
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria are for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) status; what scientific objections have been raised about the suitability of the peat bog areas at Bolton Fell Moss and Solway Moss as SACs; and when she expects a decision to be made about designating these peat bog areas as SACs. [182207]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 5 July 2004]: The criteria for SAC selection status is set out in Annex III of Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. Bolton Fell Moss and Solway Moss are being considered for SAC status for the presence of the habitat type "degraded raised bogs capable of natural regeneration". Scientific objections remain to be resolved concerning the areas of both sites that can be naturally restored. A decision will be made regarding designation once negotiations between English Nature and the objectors are complete.
TRANSPORT
A303
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to dual the A303. [182052]
Mr. Darling: There are a number of possible schemes to improve the A303, which are being considered at present. The scheme at Stonehenge is already part of the Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) and has recently been the subject of a Public Inquiry.
The Highways Agency is carrying out further work on four schemes, to the east of Ilminster. These are: Sparkford to Ilchester; Wylye to Stockton Wood; Chicklade Botton-Mere and the Ilminster bypass.
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To the west of Ilminster, two options are being considered for the section of the A303 between Ilminster and Exeter. Announcements will be made in due course about the outcome of this consideration and the addition of any further schemes to the TPI.
Civil Aviation Authority
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value was of (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the Civil Aviation Authority in each year since 2001. [180886]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested for the Civil Aviation Authority is as follows:
| Financial year ended 31 March | £ |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 3,614,410.14 |
| 2003 | 4,315,958.54 |
| 2004 | 3,808,328.95 |
(b) Technical consultants used on a call-off basis
I am informed that the Civil Aviation Authority does not hold call-off contracts for technical consultants.
| Financial year ended 31 March | £ |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 0.00 |
| 2003 | 46,675.00 |
| 2004 | 0.00 |
Departmental Expenditure
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's expenditure was for each financial year from 2000–01 on (a) public opinion research, (b) television advertising, (c) radio advertising, (d) newspaper advertising, (e) other advertising and (f) direct mail. [180837]
Mr. McNulty: Expenditure figures for the last two financial years are set out as follows, with the majority of advertising spend being devoted to the THINK! road safety campaign.
In the financial year 2003–04 the Department spent £6 million on TV advertising, £2.5 million on radio advertising, £538,000 on print advertising, £89,000 on direct mail and £1.3 million on other advertising, including cinema.
In the financial year 2002–03, £5.6 million was spent on TV advertising, £2.6 million on radio advertising, £205,000 on print media advertising, £246,000 on direct mail (primarily on the Airports Consultation Campaign), and £1.1 million was spent on other advertising including cinema. Advertising to support the Airports consultation campaign comprised radio advertising costing £25,000 and print media advertising at £274,000.
£274,000 was devoted to print media advertising to promote the Travelling (public transport information line) campaign and print media advertising for the Vehicle Identity Checking campaign cost £122,000.
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The figures for public opinion research have been given in the answer to PQ numbers 2322 03–04 and 2323 03–04 tabled separately by the hon. Member.
Breaking down the transport component of advertising for 2000–01 and 2001–02 could be done only at disproportionate cost as the Department for Transport was created in May 2002. In those previous two years, advertising expenditure supported the wider aims of the then Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
Heavy Goods Vehicle Drivers
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the number of new heavy goods vehicle drivers needed by the industry in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007; [182179]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on the supply of heavy goods vehicle drivers of the implementation in 2005 of the Working Hours Directive; and what discussions he has had with the haulage industry on this subject. [182180]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department has not made any detailed estimates by year of the industry's needs for new HGV drivers. But it is recognised that the key change in the need for HGV drivers will result from the introduction of EU working time legislation for road transport. In our regulatory impact assessment published last October we estimated that this will require around 12,000 extra drivers.
We have discussed the impact of the directive with representatives from the unions, the trade bodies and other key stakeholders in the road transport sector, and our plans for implementing the Directive were the subject of a full consultation exercise. Through the Road Haulage Forum we have been discussing with the industry the wider issues about recruitment and retention of HGV drivers, and the Government continues to fund projects to help the industry raise the profile of the profession and improve its image.
Railways
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many Rail Passenger Partnership scheme applications there were in each year from 2002–03 to date; and what the (a) status and (b) amount of (i) Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and (ii) non-SRA support is for each scheme that has been approved; [180750]
(2) if he will list the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme applications received by the Strategic Rail Authority in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05 classified as (i) medium and (ii) major applications which received pre-qualified status; and what the total funding requested was in each case. [180751]
Mr. McNulty:
The information is not readily available in precisely the form requested. Two tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The first table shows committed SRA funding for RPP schemes between 2002–03 and 2004–05, and the total value of funding committed for these schemes by other sponsors. SRA funding for some of these schemes will continue
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beyond 2004–05. 44 bids were deferred by the SRA due to the suspension of the RPP fund in January 2003. These were bids that were under consideration by the SRA but which had not yet been approved. The SRA has accepted no new bids for RPP funds since it suspended the scheme in January 2003. However, funding started for a number of schemes in 2003–04. These were schemes that had been approved by the SRA before January 2003 and which the SRA subsequently contractualised.
The second table shows all schemes to date that were abandoned after having been approved by the SRA. In addition, the SRA has rejected 45 bids where funding was sought between 2002–03 and 2004–5. In some case bids can be rejected before they pre-qualify.
Schemes might be abandoned or rejected for a number of reasons including withdrawal of the bid by the sponsor, failure to meet the SRA's value for money and affordability criteria or failure to secure adequate third party sponsorship.
Vehicle Certification Agency
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value was of (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the Vehicle Certification Agency in each year since 2001. [180896]
Mr. Jamieson: Since 2003–04 one of the Vehicle Certification Agency's Key Performance Indicators requires that a panel of two external technical experts evaluate the Agency's competency in type approval work. The technical experts are used on a call off basis and the total .value of work carried out in 2003–04 was £485.80. The Agency has no other technical contracts.
The Vehicle Certification Agency does not have any financial contracts, nor has it used any financial consultants since 2001.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations provided (a) legal, (b) financial and (c) auditing services valued at over £25,000 to the Vehicle Certification Agency in each year since 2001; and what the value of these services was in each case. [180901]
Mr. Jamieson: The Vehicle Certification Agency continues to use (and always has) the Department for Transport's legal and internal auditing services and these are soft charged between the Agency and the Department. The value of the legal service provided has not exceeded £25,000 since 2001. The value of internal auditing services has only exceeded £25,000 in 2002–03 and 2003–04 at £33,000 and £38,750 respectively.
External auditing is required to be carried out by the National Audit Office, the cost of which is soft charged, the value of which was £34,100 in 2000–01, £35,500 in 2001–02, £36,600 in 2002–03 and £43,830 in 2003–04.
The Vehicle Certification Agency provides it own financial services in-house.
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