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5 July 2006 : Column 1074W—continued
Transport Links (Yorkshire)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve (a) road and (b) rail transportation links between the major towns and cities of Yorkshire. [77674]
Gillian Merron: The Department has made substantial investment in road transport related schemes in Yorkshire during the first local transport plan period (2001-06) and will sustain this investment throughout the second period, which runs until 2011. This includes significant investment by the Highways Agency on the motorway and trunk road network in the Yorkshire and Humber region over the last five years. This high level of investment is set to continue with, for example, the innovative £1.29 billion programme announced last year to reduce congestion on strategic routes in South and West Yorkshire.
To enable better forward planning, the Government in July last year announced three year regional funding allocations to 2007-08 and planning assumptions for 2008-09 to 2015-16, amounting to over £1 billion for the Yorkshire and Humber region. These cover major (greater than £5 million) local transport plan schemes and major Highways Agency schemes other than on those on roads of the greatest strategic national and international importance.
On rail investment, new services have been introduced between Sheffield and Leeds, and new rolling stock provided to increase capacity on routes to Leeds and Bradford. In addition, the Secretary of State, through the rail re-franchising programme, has sought and will continue to seek improvements to rail links between the towns and cities of Yorkshire.
Wales
Severn Estuary Barrage
9. Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on a reappraisal of the proposal for a barrage in the Severn estuary. [81356] Mr. Hain: Regular ones. Tidal energy, such as the Severn Barrage proposal, has huge potential to supply a significant proportion of the country's future energy needs and in turn make a significant contribution to our emissions reduction targets.
Antisocial Behaviour
12. Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the implementation in Wales of measures introduced to tackle antisocial behaviour. [81360]
Nick Ainger: Through measures such as those included in the Respect Action Plan, we are building on the progress we have already made against antisocial behaviour and are now working to tackle its root causes.
Agency Staff
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what average hourly rate was paid by his Department to each employment agency for staff employed through agencies in 2005-06. [81488]
Mr. Hain: The average hourly rates paid to employment agencies by the Wales Office in 2005-06 are as follows:
| £ | |
| Per hour | |
Correspondence
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2006, Official Report, column 67W, on correspondence, what estimate he has made of the cost of answering the question; and if he will make a statement. [82631]
Mr. Hain: We do not record the staff time taken in replying to letters. To answer the earlier question, we would have needed to monitor staff time taken for a big enough sample of letters from hon. Members and members of the public over a long enough period to give reasonably representative results. We estimated that the total cost of the exercise would exceed three days’ work and cost more than £600.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that all flights undertaken by Ministers and officials in his Department are carbon neutral; and if he will make a statement. [81398]
Mr. Hain: All central Government ministerial and official air travel is being offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases Certified Emissions Reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
Draft Legislation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his practice is regarding meeting, discussions with and taking into account the views and opinions of (a) private individuals and (b) representatives of organisations when drawing up and framing legislation to be introduced by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [81653]
Mr. Hain: The Department always seeks a full range of views when drawing up and framing legislation. Consultation is a key part of the policy-making process; both informal and formal. The Wales Office was an early adopter of pre-legislative scrutiny and the national health service (Wales) Bill was scrutinised during the 2001-02 session. Since then, a further three Bills introduced by my Department were published in draft for consultation: the Public Audit (Wales) Bill; the Transport (Wales) Bill; and, the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill. A public consultation has always been conducted in parallel with the pre-legislative scrutiny process. My Department has also introduced two further Bills. My Department had conducted a public consultation jointly with the Welsh Assembly on the principles underlying the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill, and as there was general support for the proposals, further scrutiny was not considered necessary, and would only have further delayed the legislation. The Government of Wales Bill, which is currently before the House, was introduced without pre-legislative scrutiny, because the proposals need to be implemented for the May 2007 Assembly elections. Extensive consultation was however undertaken on the White Paper, which was published well in advance of this Bill being introduced. All the Department's formal consultations also abide by the Code of Conduct on Consultation.
Energy Review
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what impact he expects the outcome of the energy review will have in Wales. [81839]
Mr. Hain:
The energy review will provide a framework for the energy policies of HMG and the Assembly Government to meet the four goals set out by the 2003
Energy White Paper: To put ourselves on a path to cut the UK’s CO2 emissions by some 60 per cent. by about 2050, with real progress by 2020; to maintain the reliability of energy supplies; to promote competitive markets in the UK and beyond, helping to raise the rate of sustainable economic growth and to improve our productivity; and to ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated.
Olympics
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which officials in his Department (a) are responsible for Olympics-related activity and (b) sit on the Inter-Departmental Steering Group for the Olympics. [81568]
Mr. Hain: The information requested is as follows.
(a) Responsibility for Olympics-related activity in the Wales Office rests within the local government, culture and sport team.
(b) The majority of functions concerned with the Olympic and Paralympic Games are devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. The Assembly Government therefore represents Wales on the Inter-Departmental Steering Group. I do, however discuss Olympic issues with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport on a regular basis, and the Wales Office is represented on the Wales Olympic Steering Group, established by the Assembly Government.
Police Force Restructuring
Mr. David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent meetings he has had to discuss police force restructuring in Wales. [81358]
Mr. Hain: I have had, and will continue to hold, regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and key stakeholders on this important issue.
International Development
Advertising Campaigns
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advertising campaigns his Department has run since July 2004; and what the (a) date and (b) cost was of each. [81916]
Hilary Benn: DFID does not hold a separate advertising budget. The majority of advertising spend relates to recruitment advertising in newspapers and journals. For the last two calendar years the costs have been as follows:
| £ | |
Since July 2004, DFID has run the following promotional campaigns:
To raise awareness of the role of trade in fighting world poverty and promote availability of a new free publication—Trade Matters. Promotional inserts were placed in the following publications:
Developments Magazine Campaign
To increase numbers of subscribers to the Department’s free magazine—Developments. Promotional inserts were placed in the following publications:
| £ | |
Developments Magazine and Rough Guide Campaign
| £ | |
Draft Legislation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his practice is regarding meeting, discussing and taking into account the views and opinions of (a) private individuals and (b) representatives of organisations when drawing up and framing legislation to be introduced by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [81324]
Hilary Benn: DFID does not regularly draw up legislation, and has not done so since the International Development Act (2002), the main legislation governing its activities. If it were to be involved in future legislation, it would consult widely, both formally—in line with the Code of Conduct on Consultation—and informally.
EU Water Projects
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the relationship between the EU Water Initiative and the EU Water Fund. [81996]
Hilary Benn: The EU Water Initiative (EUWI) is primarily a political rather than a financial initiative with five objectives, as follows:
Reinforce political commitment to action;
Make water governance effective;
Improve water management through multi-stakeholder dialogue and co-ordination;
Support regional co-operation, and
Identify additional financial resources and mechanisms.
The EU Water Fund, formally known as the EU water facility (EUWF), was established, in part, as a response to the fifth objective of the EUWI; namely to identify additional financial resources and mechanisms, but there is no formal link between the two. In contrast to the EUWI, the EUWF is a funding mechanism. The Water Facility has made €500 million available for water and sanitation and aims to leverage additional funds from other sources.
Progress to date has been slow, mainly because of lengthy procurement procedures, but approximately €230 million is currently being committed to co-fund 97 projects, valued overall at €412 million. An initial analysis of these selected proposals by the EUWF has found that by 2010 approximately 10 million people will benefit from access to drinking water and approximately 5 million people will benefit from access to basic sanitation. A second call for proposals has been launched this year and the full €500 million of the water facility will be committed by 2007.
Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the shortfall in funding for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on the ability of the fund to achieve its objectives. [82023]
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