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North Korea

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the objectives are of the Government's policy towards North Korea. [58165]

Ian Pearson: The Government wishes to see a peaceful resolution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue. We welcome the confirmation in the 19 September 2005 statement by the participants in the Six Party Talks process of the DPRK Government's commitment to the de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. We urge the DPRK to return to the Six Party talks and implement its commitments, including verifiably dismantling its illicit weapons programmes and resuming its engagement in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Government also wants to see an improvement in the DPRK human rights situation and raises human rights concerns at every appropriate opportunity.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer Question 42498 tabled by the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre on 11 January, on Qinetiq. [53283]

Mr. Straw: UIN 42498 was tabled to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will reply shortly. The hon. Member tabled a question on Qinetiq to me on 11 January (UIN 42537) which I also hope to reply to shortly.
 
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St. Helena

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits to St. Helena by Government Ministers are planned. [56807]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: Foreign engagements for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers are kept under constant review. It is not our practice to announce such visits until they are firm. Because of the unpredictable nature of world events, final decisions on overseas visits are often not possible until very shortly before the day of travel.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States regarding the firing of missiles near St. Helena. [56809]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There have been no discussions with the US regarding the firing of missiles near St. Helena. However, discussions were held with the US, in the 1950s, about the use of Ascension Island as a missile testing ground. These discussions culminated in the signing of the agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the extension of the Bahamas Long Range Proving Ground by the establishment of additional sites in Ascension Island on 25 June 1953.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) British and (b) foreign visitors to St. Helena there have been in each of the last seven years. [56873]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: St. Helena Immigration Department has provided the following figures for British and foreign visitors in each of the last three years:

	British	Foreign
April 2004 to March 2005	378	619
April 2003 to March 2004	359	688
April 2002 to March 2003	276	160

There are no reliable figures for the previous years.

TRANSPORT

Brighton to Ashford Rail Service

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the publication of the Brighton Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy, what the most recent daily usage figures are for the direct Brighton to Ashford service; and if he will make a statement. [53497]

Derek Twigg: The Department does not hold daily usage figures of services operated by train operating companies.

Brownhills Transport Package

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from
 
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(a) Staffordshire county council and (b) Lichfield district council regarding the Brownhills Transport Package. [58076]

Ms Buck: We have not received any representations from either Staffordshire county council or Lichfield district council about the Brownhills Transport Package, although the Department is aware of their concerns.

Concessionary Travel

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many councils have made representations to his Department on the introduction of the national bus concessionary scheme. [57344]

Ms Buck: To date, the Department for Transport has received 35 representations from local authorities on the introduction on 1 April 2006 of free local off-peak bus travel for older and disabled people.

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects a change in council tax to be necessary to meet funding for bus concessionary schemes. [57346]

Ms Buck: The Government are providing an extra £350 million through the formula grant system for 2006–07. It is for local authorities to deicide on their overall funding priorities based on their judgment of local need and circumstances.

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether councils are reducing the level of provision of service as a result of the introduction of a national standard bus concessionary scheme. [57348]

Ms Buck: The general consensus is that the extra £350 million for 2006–07 will be sufficient in aggregate to fund the extra cost to local authorities. It is for local authorities to deicide on their overall funding priorities based on their judgment of local need and circumstances.

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities were operating a bus concessionary fare scheme on 31 December 2005. [57349]

Ms Buck: All travel concession authorities (TCAs) on 31 December 2005 were required to offer half-fare local off-peak bus travel within its boundary to those 60 and over and disabled people. From 1 April 2006 the minimum entitlement will be improved to free local off-peak bus travel. TCAs are district and unitary authorities, and the passenger transport executives in the metropolitan areas.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what concessionary travel schemes are operated by local authorities (a) within the local authority area and (b) across local authority areas in addition to the free bus travel for pensioners; and what charges local authorities are making to operate these schemes. [57449]

Ms Buck: A survey carried out by the Department in 2003 identified 292 schemes; 85 schemes provided concessionary travel within the local authority or passenger transport executive boundary. The majority of the remainder allowed cross-boundary travel, such as
 
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countywide coverage, as part of the local authority's main scheme. Of those, 11 local authorities charged a fee for the enhanced geographical coverage ranging from £5 to £180 per year.

From 1 April, when free off-peak local bus travel is introduced for residents aged 60 and over and for disabled people, local authorities may, at their discretion, continue to work together to provide cross-boundary travel, depending on local circumstances and overall financial priorities.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate his Department has made of the additional costs of extending the concessionary travel scheme to allow cross-boundary travel; [57889]

(2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of additional trips that over-60s and disabled bus service passengers would make if the concessionary travel scheme were to be extended across boundaries. [57890]

Ms Buck: None. Cross-boundary concessionary travel is offered at the discretion of the local authority based on their judgment of local needs and their overall financial priorities.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate his Department has made of the total amount private bus providers will spend on complying with the requirements of the concessionary travel scheme; [57891]

(2) whether his Department has provided additional funding to private bus providers to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the concessionary travel scheme. [57892]

Ms Buck: The Government are providing an extra £350 million through the formula grant system for 2006–07. The general consensus is that this will be sufficient to cover the costs to authorities of reimbursing bus operators on a no better/no worse off basis.

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