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24 May 2006 : Column 1888W—continued
‘no single component or set of components can be identified which at conceivable concentrations would definitely cause the symptoms reported in cabin air quality incidents’.
But acids were found which could act as irritants, and as a result CAA brought in specific troubleshooting and maintenance actions to minimise the potential for fume events.
Since then the Department has commissioned the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) to conduct a comprehensive evidence review of toxic risk in cabin air. The. formal COT meeting will be held in public later this year. We shall be guided by the COT conclusions and recommendations.
Beverley Integrated Transport Plan
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the East Riding of Yorkshire council will receive confirmation of funding for the Beverley Integrated Transport Plan; and if he will make a statement. [73514]
Gillian Merron: The Department is currently considering East Riding’s Business Case for this scheme alongside the Yorkshire and Humber region’s advice on its priorities for major transport schemes within the indicative regional funding allocations announced in July 2005. The response is expected to be announced later this year.
British Airports Authority
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions exist for Special Administration in the event that the British Airports Authority (BAA) or its holding company should go into administration or receivership; and what arrangements are in place to ensure that BAA’s airports continue to operate in such an eventuality. [73294]
Gillian Merron: There is no provision for Special Administration in the event of any UK airport operator going into administration or receivership. Any such provision could only be introduced by primary legislation. The Government liaise closely with BAA, and other airport operators, to understand their plans for managing major risks such as this.
Buses
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when consultation was (a) started and (b) completed on the civil enforcement of bus lane contraventions outside London under the Transport Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [73315]
Gillian Merron: The Department wrote to consultees on 10 July 2002 seeking comments by 6 September 2002 on the draft regulations concerning the arrangements for imposing civil penalty charges for bus lane contraventions, the handling of representations, the procedure for adjudication and the procedure for enforcement when a penalty charge is not paid. A summary of the comments received was published on the DfT website on 15 November 2004.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with bus operators on (a) the reduction in services in Huddersfield and Yorkshire and (b) the introduction of free transport for the over 60s. [68854]
Gillian Merron: Ministers meet with bus operators on a regular basis and discuss a range of issues. The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the main body representing the bus industry, participates in the Department’s Concessionary Fares Working Group along with representatives from local government. There have been no specific discussion with operators in Huddersfield and Yorkshire about services or concessionary travel.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking to improve the skills of bus drivers; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on this subject. [68855]
Gillian Merron: Over recent years, the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has taken forward the task of creating Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) across various sectors of industry. In October 2004 the SSDA awarded a licence to GoSkills, which is now the SSC for passenger transport. GoSkills is taking a leading role in addressing the skills needs of the passenger transport industry, including those of bus drivers.
The Department is providing funding of £0.75 million over the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 in support of Go Skills’ work. It works closely with the Department of Education and Skills on these matters.
Government, bus operators and local authorities have been jointly considering the issue of staff recruitment and retention in the industry through a Bus Partnership Forum Task and Finish Group. The forum will shortly be publishing a best practice guide as a result of this work.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average wage is of a bus driver in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Leeds, (c) Huddersfield and (d) London. [69156]
Gillian Merron: The information available is set out as follows.
| Average gross hourly pay for bus and coach drivers | |
| £ | |
| Source: Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey Autumn 2004 |
Consultants
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the companies which were paid consultancy fees by his Department in 2005-06; how much each was paid; and what each of the companies was used to accomplish. [69695]
Gillian Merron: Tables providing this information for the central Department and its Executive Agencies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The central Department and its Agencies currently have separate accounting systems. This means that it has not been possible in all cases to provide the level of detail requested in relation to actual expenditure. The central Department and the DVLA have only been able to provide this information in relation to committed spend (i.e. orders raised and contracts awarded during the period in question). Figures are based on the latest revised OGC definition of consultancy.
Cycling Proficiency
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage local authorities to ensure a cycling proficiency scheme is made available in all schools. [73121]
Derek Twigg: We are already doing so.
With the help of over 20 road safety and cycling organisations including ROSPA, the CTC, local authorities and Cycling England, we have developed a new child cycle training standard to replace the old style cycle proficiency test.
To support the new standard we have throughour advisory body Cycling England awarded over£1 million to increase the number of accredited trainers and training centres able to teach the new National Standard. Grants and bursaries are available for trainers and training centres to teach the new standards together with a national training helpline and consultancy service for local authorities.
The Department for Transport encourages local authorities to apply for the grants and bursaries available and work with us to improve both the quality of cycle training our children receive and to make it more widely available in schools.
Damages
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to his answer of 10 January 2006, Official Report, column 489W, on damages, if he will
make a statement on the background to the incidents where no breach of confidentiality would occur. [69541]
Gillian Merron: Details of the damages claim where there is no breach of confidentiality would occur are listed as follows:
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what incentives his Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work. [73117]
Gillian Merron: Car sharing is one of a number of measures called “Smarter Choices”, which the Department and its Executive Agencies are promoting to encourage our staff and the wider population to travel more sustainably.
Through the Local Transport Planning system and other initiatives, we encourage local authorities to set up authority-wide car share schemes and promote car sharing as part of site specific workplace travel plans.
The Highways Agency are implementing workplace travel plans on the strategic road network and piloting the use of dedicated car share lanes.
Initiatives aimed at staff include:
car sharing only parking bays;
promotion of car sharing for business travel;
in-house training courses;
car park management measures that combine intelligent traveller information with Co2 economy data,
and, with both external and internal parties, examining the development of electronic car sharing tools.
Dredging
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who pays the cost of dredging (a) for a new port development and (b) for existing ports. [72577]
Dr. Ladyman: The costs of dredging in ports are met by the harbour authority or terminal operator in the port concerned. In the case of new port developments, if a new authority is being established it will meet the costs of any dredging unless otherwise agreed with another harbour authority.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Ageny’s’s policy is on providing information to a court about a defendant. [72917]
Dr. Ladyman: Prior to a court hearing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will provide the court with information relating to any current driving endorsements. This is provided to the courts via an electronic printout of the driver record.
Equal Pay
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. [67781]
Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport was formed in 2002 and consists of a central Department and seven Agencies.
A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House listing the information requested for Department for Transport (Centre). Information with regards to Agencies can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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 andmen employed in the Civil Service broken down at31 December 2005 is available in the Library and on the Civil Service website at:
www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/employment/index.asp
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