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TRANSPORT

Air Transport Users Council

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the (a) independence and (b) efficiency of the Air Transport Users Council. [56476]

Ms Buck [holding answer 6 March 2006]: The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) was set up by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to assist it in its statutory duty to further the reasonable interests of users of air transport services. The Government reviewed this arrangement during the preparation of the White Paper on the Future of Air Transport (2003). It concluded that the arrangement enabled the AUC to function independently of the air transport industry and that it remained a suitable model for representation of air passenger interests in the UK.

The AUC is accountable to the CAA for its efficiency through the CAA's business planning process.

British Transport Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of reference are of the review of the British Transport Police in relation to safety on trains and at stations. [54994]

Derek Twigg: Following my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport's written statement on 11 October 2005, Official Report, columns 27–28WS, copies of the terms of reference for the review of the British Transport Police were placed in the Libraries of the House on 19 October 2005.

Bus Conductors

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus conductors there were in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [54966]

 
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Ms Buck: Decisions on whether to use conductors on bus services outside London are largely a matter for commercial operators. In London, the number of conductors employed is a matter for Transport for London. The Department does not collect information on the number of conductors employed by the industry.

Concessionary Travel

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of offering (a) free and (b) concessionary rail travel for senior citizens. [56019]

Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport already ensures that all train operators participate in the Senior Railcard scheme which gives discounts on train travel nationwide for people over 60. Additional concessions for senior citizens may be proposed and funded by local authorities.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities outside London and the metropolitan areas have provided free concessionary bus transport on a county basis. [57395]

Ms Buck: There are currently no free countywide concessionary bus travel schemes outside London and the metropolitan areas.

Crossrail

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the role is of the firm Linklaters in relation to work on the Crossrail project for his Department; and how much has been paid to this firm so far. [51221]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 14 February 2006]: Linklaters, who are a firm of solicitors, have been employed by the Department for Transport to provide advice on all commercial legal aspects of the Crossrail project and develop commercial agreements in which the Department has an interest. At present, the Department has not made any payments to Linklaters.

Departmental Telephone Numbers

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) 0800, (b) 0845 and (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public administered by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies which report to him. [56544]

Ms Buck: DfT HQ buildings do not have any centrally provided 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers. The following DfT Agencies do use such numbers:

DSA has the following numbers:

0870 01 01 372—English Language test bookings

0870 01 00 372—Welsh Language test bookings

0870 01 02 372—Fax test bookings

0870 01 07 372—Minicom test bookings

DVLA has the following numbers:

08000325202—Stockton Vehicle Excise Duty

08456 022006—Automated First Registration and Licensing

08456 060160—Hire Purchase

08702 400009—Customer Inquiry Drivers Main

08702400010—Customer Inquiry Vehicles Main

 
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08702 400669—Newcastle local office

08702 400671—Lincoln local office

08702 400691—Preston local office

08702 400692—Carlisle local office

08702 400695—Stockton local office

08702 401223—Shrewsbury local office

08702 401224—Cardiff local office

08702 401225—Bangor local office

08702 401315—Sheffield local office

08702 401316—Beverley local office

08702 401317 Bristol local office

08702 401318—Chester local office

08702 401319—Worcester local office

08702 401320—Swansea local office

08702 403514—Leeds local office

08702 403515—Luton local office

08702 403516—Sidcup local office

08702 403517—Maidstone local office

08702403518—Birmingham local office

08702 404730—Portsmouth local office

08702 404731—Bournemouth local office

08702 404732—Brighton local office

08702 404734—Exeter local office

08702 406278—Truro local office

08702 406279—Aberdeen local office

08702 406280—Dundee local office

08702 406281—Edinburgh local office

08702 406282—Glasgow local office

08702 406283—Inverness local office

08702 407779—Glasgow Continuous Registration Enforcement Centre

08702 408228—Northampton local office

08702 408229—Peterborough local office

08702 408230—Oxford local office

08702 408231—Ipswich local office

08702 408232—Norwich local office

08702 411269—Stanmore local office

08702 411876—Nottingham local office

08702 411879—Vocational

08702 412146—Manchester local office

08702 412147—Chelmsford local office

08702 415161—Reading local office

08702415450—Drivers Med Diabetes

08702 419034—Northampton Continuous Registration Enforcement Centre

08706 000301—Ordinary Driving Licence

08706 001096—Bournemouth Continuous Registration Enforcement Centre

08706 006767—Wimbledon local office

08708500007—Local office Golden Number

08708500964—Sale of Marks

08708 501074—Tachographs

08708 504444—Electronic Vehicle Licensing

Highways Agency has the following numbers:

National Switchboard: 08459 556575

Highways Agency Information Line: 08457 504030

Finance Query line: 08000 186969

Automated real-time traffic service: 08700 660115

 
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MCA has an Infoline—0870 600 6505.

VOSA has two such telephone numbers:

0870 606 0440—National public inquiries

0845 600 5977—Mainly used by garages although still available to the public.

Siemens (contracted to implement the MOT computerisation scheme) also run an 0870 number on VOSA's behalf—0870 330 0440—MOT certificate validation service.

There is also an old number—0870 010 2607—which used to be the operator licensing number, although it now redirects callers to the national public inquiry line.

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