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Media Training

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by his Department on media training in each year since 1997–98. [55213]

Ms Buck: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002. In each of the financial years since, the central Department has spent the following amounts providing training in doing television and/or radio interviews for senior officials within the Department.

Financial year	Amount spent (£)
2002–03	1,998
2003–04	2,233
2004–05	8,695

 
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The increase in more recent years is primarily due to training provided to senior inspectors at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch in preparation for the start of their operations in October 2005.

Public Transport (Late Night Services)

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that late night public transport for young people is available in Peterborough. [55736]

Ms Buck: Provision of public transport outside London is a matter for bus operators. Local authorities have powers to subsidise services which they deem socially necessary and are not provided on a commercial basis.

Regional Airports

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling has been undertaken to assess the cost and benefit to regional economies of the development and expansion of regional airports. [57482]

Ms Buck: The regional consultation documents preceding the Air Transport White Paper in 2003 examined the economic costs and benefits of additional airport infrastructure at a range of airports. However, these were on the basis of benefits to airport users and of other benefits to the national economy, rather than in terms of benefits to individual regional economies.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many airlines have been given fifth freedoms since they became available from the UK's regional airports in October 2005. [57899]

Ms Buck: No foreign airline has been granted new rights to operate scheduled fifth freedom services from UK regional airports since the Government announced a relaxation of restrictions on such services in September 2005. However, some initial applications from foreign airlines have recently been submitted, and these are currently being considered by the Department.

Regional Transport Expenditure

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the transport budget for each region has been spent on (a) roads and (b) public transport in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [55752]

Ms Buck [holding answer 6 March 2006]: Individual regions did not have specific transport budgets during this period. However, details on overall transport spend for each region, based on certain assumptions as to how this should be attributed, can be found in chapter 8 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2005—published by HM Treasury, and available on their website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_ data_and_tools/finance_spending_satistics/pes_ publications/pespub_index.cfm.

Royal Family (UK Travel)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many publicly funded (a) helicopter
 
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and (b) train journeys within the UK were undertaken by each member of the Royal Family in each year since 2000. [57412]

Ms Buck: The costs of all official journeys by air or rail undertaken by members of the Royal Family are met by the grant-in-aid for Royal travel by air and rail. Details of journeys funded by the grant-in-aid are published annually in the Royal Household Report on the grant-in-aid. Copies of the reports are placed in the Library of the House.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage the Royal Family to reduce their use of helicopter travel for journeys within the UK. [57413]

Ms Buck: Helicopter travel enables members of the Royal Family to undertake a number of engagements at different locations on the same day. Since its introduction in 1998, the Royal helicopter has proved to be a highly efficient and cost-effective travel option. Without the availability of helicopter travel, the number of official engagements that members of the Royal Family would be able to undertake would be reduced. In 2004–05, members of the Royal Family undertook 2,400 official engagements in the UK. Accordingly there are no current plans to limit the use of helicopter travel.

Stretch Limousines

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to revise the regulations relating to stretch limousines to include vehicles carrying nine to 16 passengers. [57898]

Ms Buck: We have no plans to revise regulations. There is nothing stopping a stretch limousine that fully meets the safety and construction and use requirements from being licensed to carry nine to 16 passengers.

Transport Innovation

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Transport Innovation bids have been received from the regions on (a) roads, (b) rail, (c) bus, (d) road pricing and (e) other matters; when he will announce the decision on allocations of funding; and if he will make a statement. [58329]

Ms Buck: The Transport Innovation Fund has two entry points: congestion and productivity. The process for bidding through both entry points is set out in Transport Innovation Fund: Guidance January 2006", copies of which have been placed in the Library. As yet there have been no congestion fund bids. There is no bidding process for the productivity part of the fund. We will be identifying a shortlist of potential candidates, against the criteria for productivity schemes set out in the guidance, and after seeking the views of the English Regional Development Agencies.

We expect to make decisions on the allocation of both first round congestion and productivity funding towards the end of this year.

I refer the hon. Member to the written statement given on 26 January 2006, Official Report, columns 66–67WS by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.
 
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West Midlands PTA

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much bus subsidy has been provided in the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority area in each of the last 10 years. [54091]

Ms Buck: The following table shows the totals for the last nine years of expenditure by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority on support for bus services and re-imbursement of concessionary fares on local bus services. There is no comparable figure for 1995–96.

	Bus subsidy (£ million)
1996–97	78.2
1997–98	85.1
1998–99	85.2
1999–2000	88.0
2000–01	89.0
2001–02	94.4
2002–03	84.2
2003–04	79.4
2004–05	72.5

Source:
Local authority returns to ODPM, revenue outturn (RO2) data.

In addition, operators of local bus services receive Bus Service Operators Grant from this Department. This is paid direct to operators and is not attributed to a specific area.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Pension Regulations

Mr. McGovern: To ask the Leader of the House what steps have been taken to ensure the percentage abatement of pension entitlement outlined in the Parliamentary Pension Regulations is compliant with the EU directive on age discrimination, with particular reference to Regulation H1 and Schedule 4; and whether he has satisfied himself that the scheme is so compliant. [57919]

Mr. Hoon: The European Employment directive does not cover those who have been elected of appointed to a political office. This is reflected in the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 which implement the age strand of the directive and which where laid before Parliament on 9 March 2006. There is therefore no requirement for the parliamentary pension scheme to be compliant with the directive.

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