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21 Dec 2004 : Column 1656W—continued
Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken following the consultation on amendments to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations which took place in 2003. [206894]
Mr. Jamieson: My Department has:
undertaken additional formal consultation about further amendment of the regulations for abnormal load escort vehicles;
held meetings with associations representing recovery and breakdown operators, to discuss their request for distinctive lighting;
carried out research in conjunction with the Highways Agency (HA) to establish appropriate lighting for vehicles used by the new HA Traffic Officers; and
My intention is to proceed to make an amending Statutory Instrument, informed by the 2003 and 2004 formal and informal consultations and by the research results, in the new year.
Signage
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the siting of Tiredness Kills signs. [206103]
Mr. Jamieson: Current Department policy is for signs reading "Tiredness Can Kill—Take a Break" to be sited on the approaches to some motorway service areas, particularly in areas where there are few other opportunities to stop. They are generally located in advance of the signing for the service area, where drivers are able to stop in a secure place.
Space Technology
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial contribution his (a) Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies made to civil space technology in 2004–05; and what financial provision has been made for the period 2005–06 to 2009–10. [200542]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department plans to spend the following on civil space activities.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 7.0 |
| 2005–06 | 5.0 |
| 2006–07 | 4.4 |
| 2007–08 | 4.0 |
Financial provisions for 2008–09 and 2009–10 have not been settled. The Department is not aware of any other financial contributions by non-departmental public bodies or research councils.
21 Dec 2004 : Column 1657W
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004; [201421]
(2) if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [201446]
Charlotte Atkins: DfT's special advisers have not given any attributable interviews or written any attributable articles or contributions to newspapers, journals, books or other media between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.
All special advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [202249]
Charlotte Atkins: Departmental Special Advisers travelled on two occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.
All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997. [203459]
Charlotte Atkins: Special Advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints were made by departmental civil servants regarding the conduct of special advisers between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [203477]
Charlotte Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether departmental special advisers have been responsible for authorising instances of departmental spending since May 1997; [203921]
21 Dec 2004 : Column 1658W
(2) whether departmental special advisers have given instructions to permanent civil servants without the explicit authorisation of Ministers since May 1997. [203961]
Charlotte Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1258-59W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether departmental special advisers have written to external (a) bodies and (b) individuals in their official capacity since May 1997. [204297]
Charlotte Atkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office on Tuesday 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 1004W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether departmental special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary Select Committees in their official capacity since May 1997. [204317]
Charlotte Atkins: The Department was formed 29 May 2002. Since then, no departmental special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary Select Committees in their official capacity.
Strategic Rail Authority
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether a preference exercise will be run in (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and (b) DfT Rail prior to the transfer of work to enable staff to express a preference to take voluntary redundancy or to transfer to the new DfT Rail organisation. [206336]
Mr. McNulty: Staff in both organisations will be able to express their preferences for posts in the new rail structure within the Department for Transport and for any voluntary severance scheme which their employing organisation may run.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what methods posts in the new DfT Rail organisation within his Department will be filled; and what mechanisms he will put in place to ensure fairness in this process. [206337]
Mr. McNulty: The Department is consulting on a post-filling strategy with the trade unions. We will abide by the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice on Staff Transfers in the public sector (COSOP), which states that the principles of TUPE shall apply.
Our present intention is that in the first instance, where there is an exact match between existing and future jobs, in both activity and number, post holders will transfer. Where this is not the case, posts will be advertised within current DfT Rail and SRA staff on a level transfer basis. With some exception at senior level, we would not expect to look more widely until all internal options have been exhausted.
Selection processes will be checked to ensure that they are fair and consistent. Monitoring will continue throughout the exercise for any adverse impact upon different groups.
21 Dec 2004 : Column 1659W
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what mechanisms Strategic Rail Authority staff will be transferred to (a) his Department, (b) Network Rail and (c) the Office of Rail Regulation. [206338]
Mr. McNulty: The Government's policy as set out in the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice on Public Sector Transfers commits it to apply TUPE principles to these transfers even where TUPE may not apply as a matter of law.
The Railways Bill will make provision for transfers of staff from the Strategic Rail Authority to other public sector bodies, including the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Regulation, to be effected by means of transfer schemes. The Strategic Rail Authority and Network Rail are discussing arrangements for the transfer of staff to Network Rail.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where the organisation which replaces the Strategic Rail Authority will be located. [206237]
Mr. McNulty: The activities of the SRA that are transferring to the Department for Transport will be organised into a Rail Group within the Department, headed by a Director General. This post has been advertised with a location of London. The detail of exactly where the Group will be located is dependent on the development of an accommodation strategy, accounting for the impact on the wider Department.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how consultations with (a) staff and (b) unions are being carried out concerning the transfer of Strategic Rail Authority staff to (i) his Department, (ii) Network Rail and (iii) the Office of Rail Regulation. [206239]
Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport has begun a formal consultation with its Trade Union Side (TUS) on the staff issues raised by the implementation of the Rail Review. Staff are represented by an elected Staff Council with which Strategic Rail Authority management is consulting. This arrangement will continue throughout the implementation period and, where appropriate, involves both staff representative groups in joint meetings.
A rail cross-sector human resources group has been established to look at the issues associated with the transfer of SRA staff to successor bodies. Both Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation are members of this group. Proposals from this group are the subject of consultation with the TUS and Staff Council.
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