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9 Oct 2006 : Column 242W—continued
Bomb Hoaxes
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Home Office on the guidance given to police on whether they should seek to secure charges against individuals who are responsible for bomb hoaxes on railways or urban mass transit systems. [89323]
Dr. Ladyman: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with the Home Secretary to discuss, among other things, transport security matters. However, operational matters including the prosecution of individuals responsible for bomb hoaxes are a matter for the relevant chief constable.
British Transport Police
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total number of British Transport Police in each year since 1997. [92635]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, email:general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many anti social behaviour orders have been granted on the application of the British Transport police in each of the last three years, broken down by region. [90369]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. This information is held by the force, who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.
Bus Passes
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioner bus passes have been issued in (a) Gravesham and (b) Kent under the scheme to give all pensioners free off-peak travel. [92431]
Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally, I would refer the hon. Member to the relevant local authorities who will be able to assist.
Cabin Baggage
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to lift the ban on (a) valuable and (b) bulky musical instruments being carried in-cabin by musicians. [91844]
Gillian Merron: The enhanced security measures at UK airports were adjusted from 22 September. Passengers are now permitted to take a large musical instrument into the cabin of an aircraft, in addition to their one item of hand luggage, which is subject to separate x-ray screening.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to enable professional musicians to travel by air with their instruments in the cabin. [91867]
Gillian Merron: The enhanced security measures at UK airports were adjusted from 22 September. Passengers are now permitted to take a large musical instrument into the cabin of an aircraft, in addition to their one item of hand luggage, which is subject to separate x-ray screening.
Car Tax
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car licences were lost or stolen through the Royal Mail postage system in 2005-06. [92489]
Dr. Ladyman: Information is not available on car licences (i.e. vehicle excise duty discs) which are stolen in the post. Of the 4,087,784 car licences sent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, 37,312 were reported as undelivered between 1 January 2005 and 2 October 2006.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive concerning steps to secure continued access to the channel tunnel for Scottish exporters and importers; [89371]
(2) what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive in respect of a new charging regime for freight trains using the channel tunnel from 1 December. [89372]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has discussed these issues with officials from the Scottish Executive. We have a joint desire to see freight companies continuing to access the channel tunnel at a commercially viable rate.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has received from EWS regarding the role of the channel tunnel in transporting freight to and from Scotland. [89373]
Mr. Tom Harris: We have received a number of representations from EWS about the future of channel tunnel freight. None has been specifically concerned with freight travelling to or from Scotland.
Coaches
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the maximum permitted number of seats is on a coach configured for adult use. [91313]
Dr. Ladyman: The law does not specify a maximum number of seats, although seat numbers are constrained indirectly by regulations limiting vehicle weight and external dimensions, and specifying minimum requirements for seats and their spacing.
Typically, a 12-metre single deck, two-axle coach would carry around 50 seated passengers.
Congestion Charge
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on paying the congestion charge for official car travel by him in 2005-06. [90105]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government Car Service (GCS) provides the Secretary of State for Transport with his official car and driver. During 2005-06 GCS incurred £1,655 in congestion charges for this service.
Cwmbran Driving Test Centre
Mr. Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the Cwmbran Driving Test centre. [90079]
Dr. Ladyman: The delivery of driving tests in Cwmbran will be transferred to a new multi-purpose test centre (MPTC) planned for Newport, eight miles away. The start of operations at Newport MPTC is planned for later in 2006.
No date has yet been agreed for the cessation of testing at Cwmbran. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will endeavour to give maximum notice to interested parties before driving tests in the area are transferred to Newport.
Cycling
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier. [90055]
Gillian Merron: The Department is in the process of letting two contracts which will give its employees access to cycles and associated equipment from a number of suppliers through a tax-efficient scheme. The scheme covers specialist equipment for staff with disabilities. A scheme was not in operation within the Department during 2005-06.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the length in miles of cycle lanes in each London borough was in each year since 1997. [91578]
Gillian Merron: The Department does not collect borough-level data on the length of cycle lanes in London. Transport for London (TfL) is now the body responsible for providing capital funding to London boroughs for cycle lanes and other local transport initiatives. Further information concerning cycle routes may be obtained from:
Director of Street Management
Transport for London
Windsor House
42-50 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0TL
Departmental Drivers
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers have been employed by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the total wage bill was for drivers in each year. [92643]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing a range of transport and mail distribution services to Government and the wider public sector.
The numbers of drivers and wages for each year since 2000-01 is as follows:
| Cost (£000) | Number of drivers | |
Information for earlier years can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005. [89515]
Gillian Merron: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Driving Licences
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s policy to send photo card driving licences in plain brown envelopes to avoid fraud. [89833]
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence forms the basis of the information necessary to establish identity for the purposes of obtaining a driving licence for (a) UK nationals, (b) non-UK nationals resident in the UK and (c) those still subject to immigration control; and if he will make a statement. [90287]
Dr. Ladyman: All applicants for a driving licence, irrespective of nationality, are required to meet the conditions specified in section 97 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, in order for the Secretary of State to grant a licence.
Section 97(1)(b) of the Act requires an applicant to provide the Secretary of State with such evidence or further evidence in support of the application as the Secretary of State may require.
Details of acceptable identity documents and photograph criteria can be found on www.direct.gov.gov.uk/motoring.
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress the Government have made in securing amendments to the Third European Directive on Driver Licences as it applies to the staged access by age to the use of motor cycles. [91370]
Dr. Ladyman: The Council of the European Union adopted its common position on the proposed Directive on driving licences on 18 September 2006. The United Kingdom abstained from the vote on the common position, as it did from the vote on political agreement in March 2006 and for the same reasons.
At the time of the political agreement, the UK requested a minutes statement as follows in order to record the reasons for its abstention:
"The UK abstains. It continues to believe that the measures proposed for staged access to motorcycles for younger riders are too complex and too rigid, and that they are likely to achieve little if any improvement in road safety. The UK therefore has proposed amendments to reduce the complexity and increase the flexibility of these measures at key points. It expresses disappointment that the Council has found it impossible to reach agreement on such amendments."
Driving Standards Agency
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of industrial action in the Driving Standards Agency. [91403]
Dr. Ladyman: DSA staff have been involved in industrial action since 17 July 2006.
There have been two one-day strikes. On 17 July, 906 members of staff took action. This represents about 33 per cent. of the workforce of 2,750 and resulted in around 40 per cent. of the day's tests being lost. On 4 September, support for the strike was reduced and only 601 staff (22 per cent. of the workforce) took action which resulted in about 33 per cent. of tests being lost.
The industrial action has also included a work to rule since 17 July. This has led to some tests being cancelled at short notice.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the restructuring of Driving Standards Agency offices; how many private examiner posts are expected to be lost as a result of the restructuring; what the location will be of the job losses; and what the aims and objectives are of the Driving Safety Forward programme. [91652]
Dr. Ladyman: There will be no loss of driving examiner posts as part of the restructuring of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). The aim of the Driving Safety Forward programme is for DSA to have a more proactive and broader role in improving driver safety in support of the wider road safety agenda in order to:
lead the development and delivery of effective driving standards and testing regimes;
be recognised as a leading authority on the development of driver safety services and driver education;
co-ordinate the results of driver safety research currently undertaken in a wide number of places across government and industry.
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving tests were conducted by the Driving Standards Agency in each of the last 24 months. [91402]
Dr. Ladyman: The table shows driving licence acquisition tests conducted nationally during the period September 2004 to August 2006. The data includes practical and theory tests for car, motorcycle, bus and lorry driving tests.
| Practical test | Theory test | |
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