| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 July 2006 : Column 1269W—continued
Motorcycles
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been undertaken by his Department regarding the safety of children of primary school age or below travelling as passengers on motorcycles. [83285]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not commissioned any research on this topic.
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which regulations govern the transport of children of primary school age or below as passengers on motorcycles. [83286]
Dr. Ladyman:
There is no minimum age limit in respect of pillion passengers on motorcycles but there
are a number of regulations with which a motorcycle rider must comply, including that: pillion passengers must be able to sit securely astride properly fixed seats with their feet reaching suitable supports or rests; they must wear a safety helmet that is securely fastened to the head—an adult helmet may not be suitable for children; only motorcyclists who have passed a motorcycle test may carry passengers; and any passenger must be carried in a manner so that no danger is caused, or likely to be caused, to any person either on the vehicle or on the road.
National Motorcycling Strategy
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it cost to (a) research, (b) write and (c) publish the National Motorcycling Strategy. [82212]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government's Motorcycling Strategy was published in February 2005. This built on the work of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling, which was established in 1999 and produced its final report in August 2004. The work involved in the Advisory Group on Motorcycling and in producing the Government's Motorcycling Strategy formed part of normal civil service duties.
Three documents were published as part of this process.
Information on the design and printing costs for the Advisory Group on Motorcycling—interim report, April 2001 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The costs of the other two documents are as follows:—
Advisory Group on Motorcycling—final report to Government, August 2004, printing and typesetting, total cost £1,371.60 plus VAT
The Government's Motorcycling Strategy, February 2005, printing and typesetting, total cost £4,260.00 plus VAT
Various motorcycle research projects have been undertaken, as part of the Department for Transport's road safety research programme, which informed the work of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling and the Government's Motorcycling Strategy. The total costs for completed research is £1,295,650 plus VAT and includes the following projects:
‘Police fatal road accident reports—Analysis’;
‘Multivariate Analysis of Motorcyclist's Accident Risk Factors’;
‘Scoping Study on Motorcycling Training’;
‘The Older Motorcyclist’;
‘SUNFLOWER+6 Extension’;
‘In-depth Study of Motorcycle Accidents’.
There are also several ongoing motorcycle research projects arising from this work. The total cost for these projects is £487,304 plus VAT which are:
‘In-depth Study of Motorcycle Training’;
‘Car Drivers' Skills and Attitudes in Relation to Motorcycle Safety’;
‘Rider Fatigue and Accident Risk’;
‘Analysis of OTS Data to Supplement Maids Motorcycle Study’.
Railways
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from passenger train operating companies regarding fare increases on recently awarded franchises. [82502]
Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport has received no representations from train operating companies regarding fares increases on recently awarded franchises.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether additional premium payments made to the Government by rail franchises under agreements reached since 2005 will be (a) returned to the Consolidated Fund and (b) made available to his Department for spending on transport. [82318]
Derek Twigg: All premium payments received from rail franchises are appropriated in aid by the Department and the funds are made available for spending on transport.
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce high-speed rail links between Edinburgh and London. [82010]
Derek Twigg: The Government have a manifesto commitment to look at the feasibility and affordability of a new north-south high-speed link. The Government have committed to take this forward in the development of a long-term strategy for the railways, drawing on Sir Rod Eddington’s advice on the long-term impact of transport decisions on the UK’s productivity, stability and growth.
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department first learned of First train operator’s plans to stop recognising cheap day returns between 4.30 pm and 7.00 pm on Mondays to Fridays; and if he will make a statement. [82304]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 4 July 2006]: First Group’s bid for the Thameslink/Great Northern franchise included a proposal to restrict the use of day return fares during the evening peak on certain routes. They did not give the Department any advance notification of the date they intended to implement the proposal. However, day returns are unregulated fares and it is for operators to decide whether to offer them and, if so at what price and with what restrictions.
Regional Planning Assessments
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it has cost to research, write and publish each of the Regional Planning Assessments for the railways. [79920]
Derek Twigg: Two Regional Planning Assessments for the railway (RPAs) have been published: the North East and Eastern RPAs. The total costs were £231,900 and £257,266 respectively (including VAT).
Speed Cameras
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras have been vandalised in the Lancashire police authority area in each of the last five years. [83542]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer on 15 February 2006, Official Report, column 2054W, to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans).
Staff Absenteeism
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many working days were lost to his Department and its executive agencies in each year since 1997 due to staff absenteeism, expressed as the average annual number of absent days per employee; and what the estimated total cost to the Department and its agencies of absenteeism was in each year. [78081]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 19 June 2006]: The Department for Transport was only established following machinery of Government changes in May 2002. Each year the Cabinet Office publish an annual report ‘Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service’ that contains reported sick absence data across Government Departments.
Figures from the Cabinet Office report for the Department and its Agencies for days lost due to sick absence are available for 2003 and 2004 as follows:
| Average annual number of absent days per employee | Estimated cost (£) | |
Figures for 2005 are not available but will be published later this year. Copies of reports are available on the civil service website.
Tonnage Tax Scheme
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the annual cost was to the Exchequer of the SMarT 1 funding scheme for participants in the tonnage tax scheme in each of the last five years. [82083]
Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not available. Some tonnage tax companies and groups contract out training to independent training providers. The SMarT 1 claims made by these training providers are in respect of the training they provide for all of their clients, and disaggregated figures are not available for those within tonnage tax only.
However, the total cost to the Exchequer of SMarT 1 funding for the last five years, and the amounts paid to tonnage tax companies and groups who are also SMarT training providers was as follows:
| £ | ||
| Total SMarT 1 funding | Total SMarT 1 funding paid to tonnage tax companies/groups who are SMarT training providers | |
Transport Select Committee
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action has been taken by his Department to implement Transport Select Committee recommendations since the 2001-02 Session; and if he will make a statement. [77847]
Gillian Merron: The Department takes very seriously all recommendations contained in Select Committee reports and where possible, addresses each and every one in our response.
If the Committee do not feel that their recommendations have been properly responded to, they are of course able to publish further reports.
Transport Direct
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have used www.transportdirect.info in each of the last 12 months. [82211]
Dr. Ladyman: Statistics for both the number of people who have used Transport Direct and the number of pages that they have accessed are as follows:
| Month | User sessions | Pages accessed |
Culture, Media and Sport
Alcohol Sales
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what controls the licensing regime imposes on the sale of alcohol to minors via (a) fast food delivery outlets and (b) shopping purchases online. [82121]
Mr. Woodward [holding answer 3 July 2006]: Since 24 November 2005, it has become an offence to sell alcohol anywhere to a person under 18. There are no longer any exceptions.
Under the new licensing regime, we have:
made protection of children from harm a statutory objective of the Licensing Act 2003;
introduced fixed penalty notices for selling to children, and for purchase or attempted purchase by children, and these offences apply equally to mail order or internet purchases;
increased the fines fivefold for offences of selling to children, from a maximum of £1,000 up to £5,000;
ensured that personal licences can now be lost for a first offence;
ensured that premises licences, including those for a fast food outlet or a mail order or internet company, are subject to review for such behaviour, with temporary closures, reduced hours and licence revocation if necessary;
brought forward the Violent Crime Reduction Bill with proposals for a new offence of persistent selling to children and a power to close offending retailers; and
created powers by which premises licences can be made subject to conditions restricting or prohibiting the presence of children.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |