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24 Nov 2005 : Column 2213W—continued
PRIME MINISTER
Departmental Salaries
Mike Penning: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the 10 highest-paid employees in his Office, broken down by (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case. [27427]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (JimMurphy) on 14 November 2005, Official Report, columns 963–64W.
TREASURY
Betting Duty
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department received from gross betting duty from off-course bookmakers in Northern Ireland in the most recent year for which figures are available. [31489]
John Healey: For the year ending 31 March 2005 off-course bookmakers based in Northern Ireland paid £10.5 million in general betting duty.
Identity Cards
Lynne Jones: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) total and (b) net cost of (i) integrating the proposed identity card scheme into his Department's IT systems and (ii) the ongoing operation of the scheme within his Department. [31117]
John Healey: It is estimated that no additional costs will be incurred in integrating the proposed identity card scheme into HM Treasury's IT systems or to the on-going operation of the scheme within HM Treasury.
Self-invested Personal Pensions
Tim Farron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made on the likely impact on demand for second homes of the new self-invested personal pension scheme. [31579]
Mr. Des Browne:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 10November 2005, Official Report, column 456.
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Tax Credits
Mr. Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases where a tax credit has been processed there was a delay in the computer system generating an award of child or working tax credit in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05; and how many such cases there have been in 2005–06. [31543]
Mr. Des Browne: The information requested is not available.
TRANSPORT
Airport Security
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) prosecutions and (b) dismissals of staff there have been in the last two years as a result of incidents related to security breaches airside at (i) Heathrow, (ii) Gatwick and (iii) other airports serving London. [26759]
Ms Buck: The Department is not involved in action against individual members of staff which is a matter for their employers or the police. Any reported breaches of security are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken with the Directed party concerned.
Buses
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent of compliance with public service requirements of buses planned to serve Olympic and Paralympic venues outside London in 2012. [30986]
Ms Buck: There has been no specific estimate of the extent of compliance with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility (PSVA) Regulations for buses serving the Olympic and Paralympic venues in 2012.
However, all full-size single-deck and double-deck buses must be compliant with the PSVA Regulations by 2016–17. This allows operators to achieve the full economic life from the fleet which existed before the regulations come into effect. To ensure the industry is well placed to meet these end dates, we have negotiated a voluntary agreement with the industry that 50 per cent. of the full-size bus fleet should be low-floor and accessible by 2010.
EU Co-financing
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which transport schemes in England have been promoted to EU co-financing since 2000. [31583]
Ms Buck: Under the current round of Objective 1 and Objective 2 structural funds programmes within England and which run from 2000–2006, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has to date contributed approximately 118m towards transport related initiatives in England.
The following transport schemes in England have been co-financed by the Trans-European Network fund since 2000:
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Reading Station—study into design of an additional crossing of the Great Western mainline railway at Reading and development of design work for the main Reading Station concourse
Gatwick Express
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce conclusions on the future of the Gatwick Express. [30697]
Derek Twigg: Proposals for future services on the Brighton Main Line, including Gatwick Express, were published in the draft Route Utilisation Strategy produced by the SRA. The options for this line are being considered and an announcement will be made in due course once a decision has been reached.
Merseytram
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when and where Ministers of his Department held meetings on Merseytram Line 1 with (a) hon. Members and (b) local authorities; and what was discussed at such meetings. [25646]
Derek Twigg: Ministers in this Department have had a number of meetings with hon. members and local authorities where aspects of Merseytram Line 1 were discussed. Most recently I met a delegation of hon. Members, local authority representatives and members of the Merseyside PTA on 14 November 2005, at the Department for Transport.
At that meeting I underlined that the Government position on Merseytram has not changed: The Department's contribution to Merseytram was capped at £170 million. All costs above this level would have to be met from local sources, and that appropriate assurances would be needed from the authorities contributing to the costs of the scheme.
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice Ministers have received on whether it would be ultra vires or imprudent for Knowsley council and Liverpool city council to underwrite contingencies on the Mersey Tram Line; and what the sources of the (a) formal and (b) informal advice were. [26206]
Derek Twigg:
It would not be in the public interest to divulge the Department's legal advice. It is important that the Department can receive confidential legal advice as and when necessary to inform its decisions.
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Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last discussed the future of Merseytram Line 1 with (a) Liverpool city council and (b) Merseytravel; and what issues were discussed. [26246]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 8 November 2005]: I met a delegation of hon. Members, local authority representatives and members of the Merseyside PTA on Monday 14 November 2005. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given today to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth).
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