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6 Nov 2006 : Column 678W—continued
DVLA
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in delivering the new rules governing the release of vehicle keeper information by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority from the UK vehicle registers. [99701]
Dr. Ladyman: A statement on the progress of introducing the 14 new measures which I announced on 24 July will be made shortly.
Free Bus Passes
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passes providing free bus travel for pensioners have been issued by each local authority in Hampshire including Southampton and Portsmouth since the scheme's inception. [97330]
Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally, it can be obtained from the relevant local authorities.
Hand Luggage
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) hair gel, (b) toothpastes, (c) lip balm, (d) water, (e) liquid cosmetics, (f) other liquids, (g) nail clippers, (h) lighters, (i) corkscrews and (j) other sharp items are permitted to be carried within the hand luggage of passengers on flights departing foreign airports for destinations within the UK. [95398]
Gillian Merron
[holding answer 19 October 2006]: International civil aviation security is framed by the principle of “host state responsibility”, whereby each state is responsible for the security of flights from its territory. It is for the relevant authority in each state to
determine what items are prohibited at its airports from being carried in passengers' hand baggage. The International Civil Aviation Organisation offers advice to contracting states in this regard, and the UK and other states are working with ICAO to update that advice. Within the European Union there is a common list of prohibited items which applies at EU airports. This list, available at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/59&format=HTML&aged=0%3Cuage=EN&guiLanguage=en is presently being amended in light of the recent aviation security alert in the UK. It includes pointed or bladed articles capable of causing injury. ICAO's common list of prohibited items also includes pointed or bladed articles capable of causing injury.
IT Projects
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if he will make a statement. [95865]
Gillian Merron: The requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The following details relate to the DfT’s key IT projects that are monitored centrally.
Low Bridges
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving buses striking low bridges occurred in the last three years for which figures are available. [97079]
Gillian Merron: The number of personal injury road accidents involving buses striking bridges that occurred in the last three years is given in the following table.
| Number of personal injury road accidents involving a bus( 1) striking a bridge( 2) : GB 2003-05 | ||||
| Accidents | ||||
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | All | |
| (1) Buses and coaches equipped to carry 17 or more passengers, regardless of use. (2) Includes accidents where the side or roof of the bus struck the bridge. | ||||
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys he has undertaken by (a) car, (b) train and (c) aeroplane in the last month. [95689]
Gillian Merron: All travel is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.
The Secretary of State for Transport made six journeys by air and eight journeys by rail in his official capacity between 18 September 2006 and 18 October 2006.
The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is responsible for providing ministerial transport by car. GCDA does not keep a record of individual journeys nor details of passengers carried.
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to offset the carbon dioxide emissions caused by ministerial travel in his Department. [98767]
Gillian Merron: 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.
Carbon dioxide emissions arising from 32 (Royal) Squadron flights are included in the Government's carbon offsetting commitment. Carbon emissions arising from the use of these flights will be recorded and offset in the same way as the use of scheduled flights.
MOT
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether provision is made for the compensation of providers of motor vehicle maintenance services for (a) loss of earnings and (b) additional costs in circumstances of technical difficulties with the MOT IT system. [98938]
Dr. Ladyman: In the event of disruption to the MOT computerisation service, there are currently two business continuity procedures which are available to garages to ensure that they can continue to test vehicles. One militates against a failure of the local garage computer equipment whilst the other militates against a large scale database or telephone outage. There should therefore be very few circumstances under which garages incur either (a) loss of earnings or (b) additional costs as a result of technical difficulties with the MOT computerisation system. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) would, however, consider claims for compensation where a garage could demonstrate that it had suffered financially as a result of these business continuity procedures being unavailable.
Northern Ireland Airports
Lady Hermon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2006 to question 98374, on the security screening at
Northern Ireland airports, whether members of the judiciary are included in the category of certain passengers. [99940]
Gillian Merron: The Chief Justice (or occupant of the highest judicial office in each country) is included in the category of passengers that are exempt from screening at UK airports. However, other members of the judiciary are not included.
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