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12 Jun 2006 : Column 961W—continued
Public Transport (Incentives)
David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what incentives are available to encourage members of her staff to use public transport for travelling to and from work. [75110]
Mr. McFadden: The vast majority of Cabinet Office employees are located in central London and travel to and from work by public transport.
Permanent staff (including staff on loan to the Cabinet Office) may apply for an advance to purchase a train or bus season ticket and/or a bicycle for travel to and from work. This advance is an interest-free loan and payment is recovered from the individual's salary in up to 12 monthly deductions.
The Cabinet Office will be encouraging more sustainable travel (business and travel to and from work) among its employees depending on the nature and circumstances of particular sites, but it will not include financial incentives for participation. For example, the Cabinet Office's Environmental Policy is currently being revised and the travel policy section is being strengthened to this effect. It will also encourage employees to car share where public transport is not reasonably accessible travelling to and from work.
Further initiatives will be considered as part of any Government-wide publicity campaigns on travelling more sustainably and the Cabinet Office's membership of the Civil Service Travel Group (CSTG). The CSTG
aims to improve travel sustainability across the entire civil service by developing and delivering on action plans for each Department.
Transport
A13 Junction, Sadlers Farm, Essex
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to approve the upgrade to the A13 junction at Sadlers Farm, Essex; and if he will make a statement. [76131]
Dr. Ladyman: We are carefully considering Essex county council’s major scheme business case for the Thames Gateway A13/A130 Sadlers Farm Junction scheme alongside the advice received from the eastern region on the priority it attaches to this and other schemes in the region within the indicative funding allocation for major transport schemes announced last July. We hope to respond to Essex on its business case and to make an announcement before the summer recess.
Airbus 380
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 25 May 2006, Official Report, column 1945W, on Airbus 380, whether public expenditure was incurred for seats on the Heathrow Express for ministerial and civil servants going to the event. [76819]
Gillian Merron: The Department incurred costs of £27 for return seats on the Heathrow Express for civil servants going to the event.
BAE 146 Aircraft
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether beryllium is used (a) in the manufacture and (b) as parts in the Honeywell ALF-(i) 502 and (ii) 507 engine used on the British Aerospace BAE 146 aircraft. [75743]
Gillian Merron: Both these engines are manufactured in the United States and are US type-certificated products. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the engine manufacturer, Honeywell, have confirmed to the Civil Aviation Authority that there was no beryllium used within the parts that are of original Honeywell design. The FAA and Honeywell also advised that the only of beryllium likely to be in the type certified engine would be trace quantities possibly in aluminium castings or in some components designed and manufactured by sub-contractors.
CAA Funding
Mr. Ellwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria were used in determining
Government policy on the funding of the Civil Aviation Authority; and if he will make a statement. [75742]
Gillian Merron: It has been the policy of successive Governments that the aviation industry should be independently regulated, by the Civil Aviation Authority, and that the costs of regulation should be borne by the industry and not by the taxpayer.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what revenue has been earned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency from the provision of motorists' details in each of the last three financial years. [75515]
Dr. Ladyman: The following figures provided represent the costs recovered by DVLA for providing vehicle and driver information, based on the marginal cost of providing the data and charged to those requesting the activity.
| Costs recovered for motorists details (£000) | |
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been of the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency Diversity Unit since its establishment; and if he will make a statement. [76315]
Dr. Ladyman: The following figures are the total expenditure incurred by DVLA’s Diversity Unit since its start in August 2004.
| £ | |
The agency’s Diversity Unit is responsible for setting, agreeing and implementing the agency’s diversity policies and the action plans to ensure compliance with the public sector duties in diversity legislation such as the Race Relations (Amendment) and Disability Discrimination Acts. It focuses attention within the agency on ensuring that all staff and customers can access and use agency facilities and services, and meet its business aims for road safety. The Diversity Unit was formed in August 2004 from the basis of the agency’s equal opportunities team, which had been in existence for more than 10 years.
First Great Western Trains (Timetabling)
Mrs. Moon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the implications of First Great Western Train’s timetabling proposals for December 2006 for
commuters travelling from Bridgend to Port Talbot, Neath and Swansea. [75607]
Derek Twigg: First Great Western’s proposed timetable for December 2006 will provide an extra service from Bridgend to Swansea at around 8.15 am, arriving before 9.00 am. In the return direction in the evening, the timetable shows an hourly pattern of FGW services up to 8.30 pm (there being currently no train at 7.30 pm).
Government Vehicles
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average level of emissions in grams of carbon per kilometre was of the Government's car fleet in the last period for which figures are available. [76277]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) provides transport for Ministers and senior officials in line with the Prime Minister's guidance Travel by Ministers.
In 2004-05, the last period for which figures are available, the average carbon dioxide emission from the GCDA's car fleet was 232.03 grams per kilometre. Figures for 2005-06 will become available later in the summer.
Highways Agency
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints by the general public concerning the Highways Agency have been received in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [75918]
Dr. Ladyman: Figures for written complaints by the general public to the Highways Agency are only available from 2000 following the installation of a new computerised correspondence recording system late in 1999. Figures for oral complaints to the Highways Agency's information line are only available from 2001 due to changes in recording systems.
| Written complaints | Oral complaints | |
Jet Engine Oils
Mr. Ellwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what animal studies have been carried out on whether exposure to pyrolised synthetic jet engine oils (a) dermally and (b) via inhalation
produces (i) chronic neurotoxicity and (ii) brain cell death; [75739]
(2) what studies from overseas he has examined on the effects of contaminated air problems on the British Aerospace BAE 146 aircraft; [75740]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of exposure to pyrolised synthetic jet engine oils (a) dermally and (b) via inhalation on commercial aircraft on (i) adults, (ii) children and (iii) pregnant passengers. [75741]
Gillian Merron: The Department does not want anyone travelling by air to be at risk to their health. We have commissioned the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) to conduct a comprehensive evidence review of any such health risks in cabin air. The COT has received evidence from a wide range of sources, including BALPA. Some of this evidence has come from overseas. The formal COT meeting will be held in public on 11 July. We await the outcome of the COT process, and the Department will be guided by the COT conclusions and recommendations when they are ready.
M4 (Junction 11)
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department expects to make a decision on funding for M4 junction 11 improvements. [76959]
Dr. Ladyman: We are currently considering advice from the south-east region on the priority it attaches to this and other major transport schemes in the south-east within the regional funding allocations announced last July. We hope to announce our response to the region’s advice before the summer recess.
Rail Vehicles
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on altering the system of procurement of new rail vehicles to reduce peaks and troughs in demand. [73609]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 25 May 2006]: The Department for Transport recognises the challenges faced by manufacturers and suppliers in responding to peaks and troughs in demand for new rolling stock and is committed to working with the industry to plan ahead more effectively.
Railways
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) incidents of objects thrown at or dropped on moving railway vehicles, (b) derailments, (c) incidents of livestock wandering on to the track, (d) collisions between moving railway vehicles and (e) suicides of (i) males and (ii) females, broken down by age group, were recorded on the C2C Rail Ltd line between London Fenchurch Street and
Southend Central in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [72180]
Derek Twigg: The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information:
(a) The number of crimes recorded by the BTP for stone throwing (no damage) and damage to rolling stock by stone throwing on the railway route between London Fenchurch Street and Southend Central is shown as follows:
| Financial year | Number of crimes |
(b) The BTP have recorded no incidents of derailments on this specific route.
(c) The number of incidents recorded by the BTP where livestock have wandered on to tracks is shown in the table as follows:
| Financial year | Number of incidents |
(d) The BTP have no records of collisions between moving railway vehicles during the last five financial years on this route.
(e) The number of fatalities recorded by the BTP on the route during the financial years between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2006 is shown as follows:
| Year/Age group | Male | Female |
Data prior to April 2003 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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