| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 May 2006 : Column 1737W—continued
Road Construction
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost was of constructing a mile of (a) motorway and (b) trunk road in the latest period for which figures are available. [68098]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 3 May 2006]: The average cost of constructing a mile of three lane motorway was £28.4 million per mile and for constructing a mile of dual carriageway was £15.3 million per mile, based on prices at the end of 2005.
Transport Subsidies
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he plans to review the rate of the Bus Service Operators Grant; and if he will make a statement; [63504]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of (a) the appropriateness of the rate of the Bus Service Operators Grant and (b) its impact on local bus operators; and if he will make a statement. [63505]
Dr. Ladyman: We will be reviewing the rate of Bus Service Operators Grant in the light of the changes to fuel duty from 1 September this year contained in the Budget Statement on 22 March and will make an announcement in due course.
For the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 we are of course considering all transport spending, including spending on bus subsidies and concessionary fares, and the various impacts of that spending.
4 May 2006 : Column 1738W
Travel Costs
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in real terms has been of the costs of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus and (c) train since 1997. [68057]
Dr. Ladyman: Between 1997 and 2005 the real cost of motoring declined by 9 per cent. Bus and coach fares increased by 15 per cent., and rail fares increased by 5 per cent.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Crown Prosecution Service
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many (a) males and (b) females in each branch of the Crown Prosecution Service have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed in the last 10 years as a result of a complaint against them of (i) bullying and (ii) sexual harassment being upheld; and if he will make a statement. [67943]
The Solicitor-General: Data setting out the reasons for leaving the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prior to 1 April 2001 are not available. This date coincides with the change of the HR database. Since that date, one male has been disciplined—in February 2002—for sexual harassment. No males have been disciplined for bullying and no females have been disciplined for either bullying or sexual harassment. No staff have been dismissed as a result of a complaint of bullying or sexual harassment being upheld against them. All complaints of bullying and sexual harassment are investigated in accordance with the CPS' Equality and Diversity Complaints Procedure.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how much compensation the Crown Prosecution Service has paid out in each the last 10 years as a result of complaints of (a) bullying and (b) sexual harassment being upheld; and if he will make a statement. [67944]
The Solicitor-General: Complaints of bullying and sexual harassment are investigated by the Crown Prosecution Service in accordance with its equality and diversity complaints procedure. If a complaint is upheld, a disciplinary authority is appointed who will decide on what action would be appropriate. That does not include the payment of compensation and it therefore follows that no compensation has been paid in the last 10 years.
SCOTLAND
Corporate Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months. [67528]
David Cairns: Paragraph 5.28 of the ministerial code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) EU foreign nationals and
4 May 2006 : Column 1739W
(b) non-EU foreign nationals have been employed in his Department in each of the last five years; what vetting procedures are in place for each category of staff; and whether these include liaison with foreign law enforcement agencies. [68020]
David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are employees of the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs and it is the responsibility of those Departments to undertake any necessary vetting. The Office does not hold information on the nationality of staff.
Departmental Televisions
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many television sets are in operation in the Department (a) in total, (b) in Ministers' private offices and (c) in each building in the Department; and how many television licences are held by the Department. [62810]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office has 10 television sets; five in Melville Crescent, Edinburgh and five in Dover House, London, of which two are in the ministerial private offices.
Regarding licences, I refer the hon. Member to the answer she received on 13 March 2006, Official Report, column 1920W from the Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism.
Equal Pay
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) women and (b) men are employed in the Department; what the average pay was for (i) women and (ii) men in the Department in (A) 1997 and (B) 2006; what women's average pay is as a percentage of men's average pay; and how many (1)women and (2) men the Department employed in each of the last five years, broken down by grade. [67779]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
The Cabinet Office collects and publishes annually statistical information on the civil service by Department. These include data on the employment of men and women. Information on the numbers of women and men employed in the civil service broken down at 31 December 2005 is available in the Library and on the civil service website at:
The staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive and the Department for Constitutional Affairs and information on average salaries and percentages is not available. The percentages of women in each grade have been published in the Office's departmental and annual reports since 2002.
PRIME MINISTER
Honours (Prevention of Abuses ) Act
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from (a) hon. Members,
4 May 2006 : Column 1740W
(b) Members of the House of Lords, (c) Members of the Scottish Parliament and (d) members of the public about (i) the operation of and (ii) reform of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925; and if he will make a statement. [66176]
The Prime Minister: The information is not held in the format requested. However, since January I have received over 400 letters and cards about the issue of honours. Given the volume of correspondence I receive, thousands of letters each week covering a broad spectrum of issues, my office records letters by subject rather than by the view expressed.
Ministerial Code of Conduct
Derek Conway: To ask the Prime Minister on whichdates the Cabinet Secretary advised him of the application of the ministerial code of conduct in relation to the relationship between the Deputy Prime Minister and a civil servant. [67792]
The Prime Minister: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |