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4 Sep 2006 : Column 2007W—continued

Judicial Review

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 1071W, on judicial review, where information is held indicating on what occasions individuals and organisations have applied for a judicial review of decisions of his Department; and how (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public may have access to that information. [85387]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. The information will be held on the files of Her Majesty’s Court Service, of the Department for Transport, and of the Treasury Solicitors Department. Where information is not already publicly available, it is open to hon. Members and members of the public to make a request for information relating to individual cases. Some
4 Sep 2006 : Column 2008W
information is also available on Her Majesty’s Courts Service website (www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk) and other legal research databases, although these may be selective and are likely to be confined to cases that proceeded to judgment.

Private Aircraft Security Procedures

Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to ensure that passengers using private aircraft are subject to the same security procedures as those using commercial airlines; and if he will make a statement. [87944]

Gillian Merron: The Government take a proportionate approach to aviation security. Measures are adjusted to take account of the practicalities of different types of operation. These measures are kept under review.

Railways

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by (i) the Health and Safety Commission and (ii) the Health and Safety Executive relating to railway matters in 2005-06; what the nature was of the assignment for each consultant; and what the value was of work done by each consultant. [85788]

Derek Twigg: The (a) technical and financial contracts; (b) technical consultants used on call-off basis; and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the (i) Health and safety Commission and (ii) Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on railway matters in 2005-06 are set out as follows. All three contracts were let by the Health and Safety Executive:

Nature of the assignment	Consultant	Value of work done (£)
(a) Phase 2 of research covering the post Hatfield incident investigation into the formation of rolling contact fatigue cracking in a range of rails	The University of Newcastle (during this project researchers transferred from the University of Sheffield)	55,000
(b) Follow up research project into initial research to determine tramway wheel and rail profiles to minimise the risk of derailment	Health and Safety Laboratory	20,000
(b) Phase 3 of research into the crashworthiness of welded aluminium railway vehicles	Health and Safety Laboratory	45,000
(c) None	—	—

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the consultants used in connection with the transfer of the Strategic Rail authority to DfT Rail, (b) the (i) private finance initiative and (ii) public-private partnership external consultants used by (A) his Department and (B) each of its agencies and (c) the external consultants used by (1) his Department and (2) each of its agencies,
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excluding public-private partnership and private finance initiative contracts, in 2005-06; and what the (x) nature and (y) cost of the work done by each consultant was in each case. [85789]

Derek Twigg: Information about external consultants used by the central Department and its Executive agencies have already been provided in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz), on 24 May 2006, Official Report, column 1890W, and tables placed in the Libraries of the House.

Where the central Department and its Executive agencies have used consultants in connection with the private finance initiative and public-private partnerships these tables have been revised to highlight this and placed separately in the Libraries. It should be noted that five Agencies (GCDA, VGA, MCA, DSA and DVLA) did not use PPP/PFI consultants during this period.

It has not been possible to gather the data regarding the transfer of the Strategic Rail authority to DfT Rail Group. 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).

Road Surfaces

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it remains Government policy to resurface all concrete roads with quieter materials by March 2011; and if he will make a statement. [88318]

Dr. Ladyman: The target stated in the 10 year plan for the reduction of noise from motorway and trunk road network is that 60 per cent. of the network, including all concrete stretches, will be surfaced with
4 Sep 2006 : Column 2010W
quieter surfacing by March 2011. We have a policy of using quieter surfaces as a matter of course whenever a road needs to be resurfaced, but not to resurface ahead of maintenance requirements.

To date the Highways Agency has resurfaced approximately 30 per cent. of the strategic road network with quieter materials.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

AONBs

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many areas of outstanding natural beauty there are in (a) Wales and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. [89058]

Barry Gardiner: There are 40 areas of outstanding natural beauty in England and Wales; four of these are entirely in Wales; 35 entirely in England; and also the Wye Valley which is in both Wales and England.

Area-based Initiatives

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which towns in Cornwall have been engaged in the Coastal and Market Towns Initiative; how much (a) central and (b) local government funding has been spent on each; and which have completed the process and produced a final report. [87524]

Barry Gardiner: The following table shows, for each Cornish town engaged in the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative, how much (a) central and (b) local government funding has been granted, and the expected completion date for each town's Strategic Action Plan.

£
Town	Community strategic plan produced/expected	South west RDA funding (central)	MCTA interim funding( 1)	Local authority funding
Bodmin	July 2005(2)	60,000	9,984	(3)6,000
Camelford and Delabole	November 2004(2)	26,500	0	2,500
Hayle	September 2006	60,000	0	(3)6,000
Helston	September 2006	55,000	5,000	(3)5,500
Launceston	April 2004(2)	50,000	500	(3)5,000
Looe	March 2007	43,650	0	4,850
(1 )Awarded to those towns requesting additional support to help with the implementation stage of their plan. (2 )Indicates that the initiative has already been completed. (3 )Informed estimate indicated where data is unknown (it is a stipulation of each grant that a minimum of 10 per cent. grant should be provided by each local authority).

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4 Sep 2006 : Column 2012W

£
Town	Community strategic plan produced/expected	South west RDA funding (central)	MCTA interim funding( 1)	Local authority funding
Lostwithiel	April 2004(2)	40,500	8,990	(3)4,500
Mevagissey	Withdrawn from initiative	25,000	0	(3)2,500
Penzance	March 2007	43,200	0	4,800
Saltash	June 2006(2)	30,000	5,000	5,500
St. Ives	September 2006	44,611	0	4,957
St. Just	December 2006	42,811	0	4,757
Torpoint	June 2006(2)	60,000	Will receive 6,000	(3)6,000
Tamar Valley(4)	April 2003(2)	103,400	0	Unknown
(1 )Awarded to those towns requesting additional support to help with the implementation stage of their plan. (2 )Indicates that the initiative has already been completed. (3 )Informed estimate indicated where data is unknown (it is a stipulation of each grant that a minimum of 10 per cent. grant should be provided by each local authority). (4 )This MCTI constituency comprises areas within both Devon and Cornwall.

Biosphere Reserves

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many biosphere reserves there are in England; and if he will make a statement. [89056]

Barry Gardiner: In England there are currently three Biosphere Reserves designated under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme. They are:

1. Braunton Burrows (North Devon), designated in 2002.

2. North Norfolk Coast (Norfolk), designated in 1976.

3. Moor House—UpperTeesdale (Northumberland), designated in 1976.

All three of these sites are underpinned by national and European site protection legislation.

Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal or marine ecosystems which are internationally recognised under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme launched in 1971.

British Waterways

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what funding British Waterways received from his Department in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07; [87403]

(2) what funding British Waterways will receive from his Department in each of the next three financial years. [87405]

Barry Gardiner [holding answer 20 July 2006]: As part of the Spending Review 04 settlement, British Waterways was given an indicative grant allocation of £62.59 million for 2005-06 and 2006-07.

However, following a number of pressures on DEFRA’s budget, this figure has been reduced to £55 million for 2006-07. A budget review exercise for 2007-08 is underway which is examining expenditure across the whole of DEFRA.

Carbon Emissions

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps (a) to co-ordinate and (b) to implement an integrated approach across Departments to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. [87473]

Ian Pearson: The Government already has an integrated approach to tackling climate change. The UK Climate Change Programme 2006 and the recently published Energy Review, set out the Government’s plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in respect of the 2010, 2020 and 2050 climate change targets and includes a number of co-ordinated policies and measures from across Government Departments.

We are also working to set up an Office for Climate Change in the near future that will take up the drive for progress on the climate change agenda. The Office will have an important contribution to make and will be a shared resource, reporting to Ministers across Government.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 5 June from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. D. Edwards. [88721]

Mr. Bradshaw: A reply was sent on 19 July 2006.

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