House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 30 Mar 2006 (pt 10)

30 Mar 2006 : Column 1117W—continued

Valuation Office Agency

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent on foreign travel, including subsistence, for staff in each year since 1997–98. [60101]

30 Mar 2006 : Column 1118W

Dawn Primarolo: Regarding the cost of foreign visits, I refer the right hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 19 January 2006, Official Report, column 1502W, and 28 February 2006, Official Report, column 685W.

For clarification it should be noted that the costs quoted for foreign travel are exclusive of subsistence. Subsistence for foreign trips is included within the figures quoted for the Agency as a whole. Separate figures for subsistence claimed for foreign trips are not readily obtainable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

VAT Relief

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is permitted under EU VAT rules to extend the zero rates applied to the services of providing, extending or adapting a bathroom or washroom and those areas covered in section 6 of VAT reliefs for disabled people (HMRC Reference: Notice 701/7, August 2002) to other areas in the private residences or residential accommodation of disabled people. [62593]

Dawn Primarolo: Under agreements with our European partners we can keep our existing zero rates of VAT but we are not able to extend them or introduce any new ones.

Women Entrepreneurs

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Department for Trade and Industry on developing micro-finance programmes tailored to the needs of women entrepreneurs. [62342]

John Healey: HM Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with counterparts in the Department of Trade and Industry and other departments, and with other organisations in both the public and private sectors, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of the normal processes of enterprise policy analysis and development.

Youth Volunteering

Mr. Flello: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the funding he has allocated for youth volunteering. [62344]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave on the Floor of the House earlier today to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones).

TRANSPORT

Cargo Transfers

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the status is of the draft regulations covering ship-to-ship transfer of oil and other chemicals in UK territorial seas; and when he expects to introduce the final regulations. [60304]

30 Mar 2006 : Column 1119W

Dr. Ladyman: The secondary legislation which will regulate ship-to-ship transfers within the limits of the UK's territorial sea is in draft. The Department expects to consult on it in the summer, with a view to its coming into force later in the year.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years on (a) television, (b) poster, (c) radio, (d) newsprint and (e) other advertising. [61736]

Dr. Ladyman: Specific publicity costs are available only for the categories noted in the following table:
£000

TV Radio Press Other⁽⁵⁾

2001–02 1,603 726 1,773 1,926

2002–03 2,192 1,734 2,837 1,303

2003–04 4,674 997 2,295 2,211

2004–05 3,287 1,590 3,158 1,335

2005–06 (current forecast)⁽⁶⁾ 4,724 1 ,494 919 1,130

⁽⁵⁾ The other category includes online advertising and outdoor advertising i.e. buses, bill boards etc.
⁽⁶⁾ The current forecast for 2005 includes 11 months actuals and one month's forecast.

	TV	Radio	Press	Other⁽⁵⁾
2001–02	1,603	726	1,773	1,926
2002–03	2,192	1,734	2,837	1,303
2003–04	4,674	997	2,295	2,211
2004–05	3,287	1,590	3,158	1,335
2005–06 (current forecast)⁽⁶⁾	4,724	1 ,494	919	1,130

Flight Paths

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many flight paths to major UK airports which serve international carriers take aeroplanes over built-up areas. [59793]

Derek Twigg: [holding answer 21 March 2006]: The Civil Aviation Authority only approves flight profiles that are safe and avoid over-flight of densely populated areas as far as is possible. However, flight profiles must be compatible with international route design requirements and this inevitably results in some over-flight of built-up areas by flights servicing major UK airports.

Greater Manchester PTE

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive on congestion charging in Greater Manchester. [62202]

30 Mar 2006 : Column 1120W

Dr. Ladyman: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 17 March 2006, Official Report, columns 2510W-11W given to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Leech).

Level Crossings

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many incidents have been reported at level crossings in each of the last eight years in each police force area; [61282]

(2) how many (a) pedestrians, (b) road vehicle users, (c) train passengers and (d) other members of the public have been (i) injured and (ii) killed at level crossings in each police force area in each of the last eight years; [61283]

(3) how many level crossings there are in each police force area in England and Wales. [61406]

Derek Twigg: Details on the number of different types of level crossing and number of different types of incidents are given in the Health and Safety Executive's annual reports on rail safety, copies of which are in the House Library. Information on the number of different types of crossing is broken down into Network Rail's regional territories but information on incidents is given only for Great Britain. Neither HSE nor the rail industry record data by police force area.

Local Transport Plans

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent changes have been made to the formula for local transport plans; and if he will make a statement. [61741]

Dr. Ladyman: Following consultation, the Department is introducing a formula for the distribution of the Integrated Transport block progressively over five years from 2006–07. Details are published on the Department's website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/qroups/dft_localtrans/documents/page/dft_localtrans 610731.pdf

M6

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) vehicles and (b) heavy goods vehicles travel between junctions 11A and 20 on the M6 on average each day in the last period for which figures are available. [61189]

Dr. Ladyman: The following table provides the average number of vehicles and heavy goods vehicles using the M6 on each weekday in 2005 for each junction to junction link between junction 11 A, north of Birmingham and junction 20, south of Warrington.
2005 Average 24 hour traffic flow

Location Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

Flow HGVs Flow HGVs Flow HGVs Flow HGVs

J11AtoJ12 114,300 32,000 117,300 35,800 120,800 36,200 124,600 36,100

J12toJ13 117,600 32,400 121,000 36,400 124,400 35,500 128,000 36,500

J13toJ14 118,700 30,800 121,700 34,700 124,600 34,300 128,300 34,100

J14toJ15 112,000 28,500 114,600 32,100 117,100 32,200 120,900 32,000

J15toJ16 117,700 30,600 119,500 34,700 122,700 34,300 126,900 34,300

J16toJ17 121,300 33,100 123,400 35,300 126,800 36,400 129,500 36,100

J17toJ18 125,900 33,600 128,500 37,500 132,100 37,200 136,000 37,500

J18toJ19 127,200 38,100 130,000 41,800 133,300 41,800 136,900 42,600

J19toJ20 108,700 28,000 110,600 31,600 113,700 32,000 116,800 31,300

30 Mar 2006 : Column 1121W

Location Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Flow HGVs Flow HGVs Flow HGVs

J11AtoJ12 129,100 31,600 94,300 13,200 101,500 10,600

J12toJ13 131,400 31,500 95,300 13,300 102,200 10,700

J13toJ14 131,500 30,200 94,200 12,700 101,000 9,500

J14toJ15 123,600 29,100 89,900 11,700 97,100 9,200

J15toJ16 130,100 30,600 92,600 12,100 100,200 9,000

J16toJ17 132,700 31,800 97,200 13,200 103,000 9,900

J17toJ18 139,000 33,300 100,200 13,500 107,100 10,300

J18toJ19 138,400 37,600 100,100 15,900 106,400 12,200

J19toJ20 119,400 27,800 82,900 11,400 88,900 8,700

Note:
Traffic Flows are combined flows ie both directions

Location	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
	Flow	HGVs	Flow	HGVs	Flow	HGVs	Flow	HGVs
J11AtoJ12	114,300	32,000	117,300	35,800	120,800	36,200	124,600	36,100
J12toJ13	117,600	32,400	121,000	36,400	124,400	35,500	128,000	36,500
J13toJ14	118,700	30,800	121,700	34,700	124,600	34,300	128,300	34,100
J14toJ15	112,000	28,500	114,600	32,100	117,100	32,200	120,900	32,000
J15toJ16	117,700	30,600	119,500	34,700	122,700	34,300	126,900	34,300
J16toJ17	121,300	33,100	123,400	35,300	126,800	36,400	129,500	36,100
J17toJ18	125,900	33,600	128,500	37,500	132,100	37,200	136,000	37,500
J18toJ19	127,200	38,100	130,000	41,800	133,300	41,800	136,900	42,600
J19toJ20	108,700	28,000	110,600	31,600	113,700	32,000	116,800	31,300

Location	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	Flow	HGVs	Flow	HGVs	Flow	HGVs
J11AtoJ12	129,100	31,600	94,300	13,200	101,500	10,600
J12toJ13	131,400	31,500	95,300	13,300	102,200	10,700
J13toJ14	131,500	30,200	94,200	12,700	101,000	9,500
J14toJ15	123,600	29,100	89,900	11,700	97,100	9,200
J15toJ16	130,100	30,600	92,600	12,100	100,200	9,000
J16toJ17	132,700	31,800	97,200	13,200	103,000	9,900
J17toJ18	139,000	33,300	100,200	13,500	107,100	10,300
J18toJ19	138,400	37,600	100,100	15,900	106,400	12,200
J19toJ20	119,400	27,800	82,900	11,400	88,900	8,700

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated delivery date was of the widening reported by the Midlands to Manchester multi-modal study. [61288]

Dr. Ladyman: The West Midlands to North West Multi-Modal Study report was published on 3 May 2002. A copy of this report was placed in the Library of both Houses at the time of publication. Chapter 7 of this report provides an implementation programme for the Study's recommendations.

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