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15 Mar 2006 : Column 2285W—continued
TRANSPORT
Bioethanol
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ensure that E85 bioethanol is available as an alternative vehicle fuel in all areas. [58714]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government announced in November 2005 that a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) will be introduced from 1 April 2008. The RTFO will require all suppliers of transport fuels in the UK to ensure that 5 per cent. of their total fuel sales come from renewable sources by 2010 in order to help meet our climate change objectives. It will be up to individual fuel suppliers to decide whether they want to sell higher blends of bioethanol through dedicated E85 pumps to help meet their Obligation, or blend it into fuels suitable for all vehicles in line with EU fuel quality standards which currently impose a maximum biofuel limit of 5 per cent. by volume. I am aware that filling stations in the South West and East of England are already providing dedicated E85 pumps on their forecourts and that other retailers are considering doing so.
The Department for Transport currently provides limited grant funding towards the installation of alternative refuelling infrastructure. Details of this funding can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website at www.est.org.uk.
Driving (Sleep Problems)
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2005, Official Report, column 811W, on driving (sleep problems), if he will make a statement on the reasons for the rise in DVLA inquiries about obstructive sleep apnoea. [58538]
Dr. Ladyman: The increasing number of inquiries to DVLA about obstructive sleep apnoea reflects media interest in the subject and the Agency's efforts to raise awareness among health professionals. DVLA is starting to see the benefits of regular review of drivers with the condition.
IT Systems
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the Highway's Agency projection of costs associated with moving from Oracle to SAP was made. [58043]
Dr. Ladyman:
The cost of moving the Highways Agency financial systems to the SAP system is being examined as part of the Department's shared services programme, taking into account the experience of moving the Agency from its legacy cash accounting systems to the Oracle system during 2002–03 and 2003–04. As Highways Agency finance will not be migrating to SAP for another three years, the full costs will not be known until detailed technical work, planned for a later stage of the shared services programme, is complete.
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A very broad estimate of the full costs of migrating Highways Agency finance of £10 million to £15 million was given in oral evidence to the Transport Select Committee by the Agency's Finance Director on 15 February 2006. The migration costs reflected in the interim business case for the shared services programme assumed that it could be done for less, taking into account the work that would already have been carried out in establishing the core SAP platform. The interim business case included a further allowance for optimism bias of £5 million.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the cost of moving from Oracle to SAP for the viability of the Shared Services Programme business case; and if he will make a statement. [58044]
Dr. Ladyman: An interim business case for the Department's shared services programme was produced in February 2006, which included initial estimates of the costs of migrating the different business units from their existing accounting and other IT systems to a SAP platform. Some of the business units were already using a version of SAP. This showed that, based on the total estimated economic investment cost of £49.5 million (including 'optimism bias' of £5 million), the programme would pay back in 6 years with a net present value after 10 years of around £46 million.
London and Continental Railways
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the advisers and (b) their parent companies who worked on the restructuring of London and Continental Railways in 1998. [54751]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 6 March 2006]: The Department appointed three sets of advisers in 1996 to provide specialist support in relation to the development and operation of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. They are the project representative, Mott Parsons Gibb, the financial agent, Schroders (now Citigroup), and the legal agent, CMS Cameron McKenna.
These advisers also supported the Department in the 1998 restructuring of London and Continental Railways (LCR).
Road Improvements (Denton)
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Highways Agency on improving capacity and traffic flows at the M60, M67 and A57 interchange at Denton. [58414]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency have been asked to investigate options for an improvement scheme at Denton Interchange. I am expecting to receive their advice shortly. Officials in the Government Office for the North West have been kept fully informed of progress.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to improve the junction capacity at the M60, M67, A57 interchange at Denton. [58416]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Highways Agency is currently investigating options for an improvement scheme for this junction and their advice is expected to be submitted
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to Ministers shortly. Any recommendations will be considered along with the advice from the North West Region recently sent to the Government on their transport priorities.
South Hampshire Rapid Transit Scheme
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the documents which formed the basis of the recent decision not to proceed with the South Hampshire Rapid Transit scheme. [47910]
Derek Twigg: We are currently considering a request under the Freedom of Information Act for release of the reports I considered in reaching my decision. Any documents released under this request will be placed on our website shortly.
Subject to agreement from the promoters, I will place in the Library the information they provided which formed the basis of my decision on this scheme.
Transport Offences
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) notifiable and (b) non-notifiable offences were reported to the British Transport Police in 2004–05, broken down by (i) parliamentary constituency, (ii) region and (iii) police authority area. [57580]
Derek Twigg: The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information on the number of (a) notifiable and (b) non-notifiable offences reported to the BTP in 2004–05 broken down by police authority area in England and Wales; this data is not collected by parliamentary constituency or by region and therefore can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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