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Navigational Aids Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment was made of the merits of concentrating navigational aids services at the existing Swansea depot as an alternative to constructing a new facility at Dun Laoghaire in the Irish Republic. [37224]

Dr. Ladyman: The Commissioners of Irish Lights new single base operation at Dun Laoghaire is needed to ensure it can play its part more effectively in the integrated aids to navigation service for the British Isles. The General Lighthouse Authorities will continue to share use of ship and buoy yard facilities where it is economically cost effective to do so.
 
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Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reason the Irish Government gave for refusing to agree to a reform of the Irish subsidy component of the light dues system for funding navigational aids in Irish Republic territorial waters. [37256]

Dr. Ladyman: The Irish Government have agreed to renegotiate the 1985 Agreement that sets out the funding arrangements for the Commissioners of Irish Lights. We have a statutory responsibility to fund Irish Lights and cannot withdraw from the arrangements in place. Options are being considered that include a more equitable split in cost sharing between the UK and Ireland. We will continue to press the Irish Government to meet the full costs of provision of their aids to navigation.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the final decision to go ahead with the Dun Laoghaire depot has been made; and if he will make a statement. [37289]

Dr. Ladyman: In April 2005, approval was given for the redevelopment of the Commissioners of Irish Lights' (CIL) Dun Laoghaire depot. The existing HQ offices in the centre of Dublin will be sold and depot and offices co-located in a new complex to be built on the existing depot site. Co-location to a modern building will streamline the organisation and bring major efficiency gains to CIL's operations, resulting in annual cost savings of £1.4m. Construction work is expected to commence in January 2006.

Parking Offences

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers parking attendants have to issue penalty charge notices to disabled person badge holders who have parked in loading bays. [37874]

Ms Buck [holding answer 15 December 2005]: Parking attendants have powers under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to issue a penalty charge notice where they believe a vehicle has contravened parking regulations. If a Traffic Regulation Order excludes disabled persons' badge holders from parking in loading bays, it would be an offence for which a penalty charge notice may be issued.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has issued to local authorities regarding disabled person badge holders parking in loading bays. [37875]

Ms Buck [holding answer 15 December 2005]: General advice in the form of Departmental Circulars has been issued to local authorities on the Blue Badge Scheme. Specific advice on the parking concessions provided under the Scheme is contained in an explanatory leaflet which is made available to local authorities and badge holders themselves. This includes advice that badge holders are not permitted to park in places reserved for specific users, including loading bays.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list local authorities that have continued to issue penalty charge notices after notification that notices issued for similar offences were invalid. [37976]

 
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Ms Buck [holding answer 15 December 2005]: This information is not collected centrally. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that penalty charge notices conform to statutory requirements.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what checks are made by (a) the Department and (b) the National Parking Adjudication Service on the technical aspects of applications by local authorities for decriminalised parking powers. [37980]

Ms Buck [holding answer 15 December 2005]: To take on decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) powers a local authority has to affirm in its application to the Secretary of State that it will comply with the requirements of Local Authority Circular 1/95—Guidance on Decriminalised Parking Enforcement outside London" as amended. A copy of the circular has been placed in the House Library. The requirements cover a wide range of procedural, operational and other aspects of enforcement, including the need to show that NPAS is content with the relevant local authority's application.

Pedicabs

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 568W, on pedicabs, what the outcome was of his discussions with representatives of Transport for London on 4 October on the regulation of pedicabs. [37026]

Ms Buck: Following the meeting with them on 4 October TfL officials are taking forward proposals for the introduction of a licensing system for pedicabs in London.

Penalty Charge Notices

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many penalty charge notices have been issued using incorrectly-worded pre-printed forms since decriminalisation of parking enforcement began; by which local authorities they were issued; and if he will make a statement. [37526]

Ms Buck [holding answer 13 December 2005]: This information is not collected centrally. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that penalty charge notices conform to statutory requirements.

Pier and Harbour Order

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the requests (a) sought from and (b) granted by his Department for ministerial permission and approvals under the Pier and Harbour Order (Bembridge Harbour) Confirmation Act 1963 in each year since 1997. [38160]

Dr. Ladyman: Responsibility for navigational consents under local legislation has rested with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since October 2004. Prior to that date and since 1997 the Department has no record of any permissions sought or approvals given under the 1963 Act.
 
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Predictive Diallers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres. [28166]

Ms Buck: The Department for Transport does not use predictive diallers when making calls to members of the public.

Private Members' Bill

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those Private Members' Billsintroduced under (a) Standing Order No. 14(6), (b) Standing Order No. 23 and (c) Standing Order No.57 which were (i) supported and (ii) opposed by his Department in each Session since 1997–98. [36250]

Ms Buck: The Department was formed on 29 May 2002.

The Department supported the Aviation (Offences) Act 2003 and the Marine Safety Act 2003 both of which were introduced under Standing Order No. 14(6).

Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment. [36691]

Ms Buck: Information about the political activity of appointees is recorded and publicised in accordance with the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice. This shows that no former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have since been appointed to public bodies sponsored by the Department.

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