| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
28 Nov 2006 : Column 528W—continued
Transport Safety
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was allocated to research into improving safety in each mode of transport in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and through which routes money has been allocated. [101878]
Gillian Merron: Transport research programmes cover a wide range of issues, including safety. We do not allocate separate funding to improving safety, except where entire programmes are focussed solely on safety issues (the only example being Road User Safety Division which has an annual research budget of around £4.3 million).
Research funding is included in the Department's Evidence and research strategy(1). The strategy also identifies safety research issues and describes how we address them. Further details are on the Department's website (including individual projects through the research database(2)) and on the websites of the Highways Agency(3) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency(4).
The Department and its agencies commission research through a wide range of research contractors, including industry, academia and public research establishments. We also contribute to European and other international research programmes.
(1) http://www.dft.gov.uk/ers
(2) http://www.rmd.dft.gov.uk
(3) http://www.highways.gov.uk
(4) http://www.mcga.gov.uk
Transport Schemes
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) sites of special scientific interest, (b) areas of outstanding natural beauty, (c) national parks and (d) internationally designated sites will be affected by roads schemes approved in the (i) targeted programme of improvements, (ii) local transport plans and (iii) Community Infrastructure Fund. [104405]
Dr. Ladyman: In view of the number of road schemes involved, the information could be assembled only at a disproportionate cost.
Travel Statistics
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) number and (b) distance of trips as calculated by the National Travel Survey was by (i) car driver, (ii) car passenger, (iii) bus, (iv) walking and (v) other modes of transport for the purposes of (A) commuting, (B) business, (C) education, (D) escort education, (E) shopping and (F) other reasons in the latest two-year period for which survey results are available, broken down by (1) sex and (2) those (v) under 17 years, (w) 17 to 29 years, (x) 30 to 49 years, (y) 50 to 59 years and (z) over 60 years. [102692]
Gillian Merron: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Water Freight
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions he has had with (a) the Department of Communities and Local Government and (b) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the establishment of a cross-departmental unit with responsibility for water freight; [102678]
(2) if he will make it his policy to promote the establishment of a cross-departmental unit with responsibility for water freight; and if he will make a statement. [102687]
Dr. Ladyman: In line with a freight study group recommendation, since 2002 the Department acts as the focal point for all water freight issues across Government. However, as the freight study group recognised, improvements in the prospects for water freight must come from the industry itself. That is why the Department has funded the setting up and running costs of Sea and Water and we look primarily to them to deliver those improvements.
Working Time Directive
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the Working Time Directive in the transport sector; how many prosecutions have been made against employees in the road freight sector for failing to implement it in each year since the directive came into force; and how many of these prosecutions have been successful. [103601]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005, which implement the European Road Transport Working Time Directive (2002/15/EC) in Great Britain, have been in force since 4 April 2005 (similar regulations implementing the directive in Northern Ireland have been in force since 16 June 2005). The regulations apply to “mobile workers” (basically drivers and crew) operating on vehicles
subject to the separate EU drivers’ hour rules—which apply to most HGV drivers and about half the bus and coach drivers in the UK. Mobile workers who do not operate under the EU drivers’ hours rules are subject to the requirements of the main Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC).
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) enforce the regulations in Great Britain (the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency enforce the regulations in Northern Ireland), normally in response to complaints received. To date, nobody has been prosecuted for an infringement of the regulations. This reflects the fact that the initial onus has been on educating employers and employees rather than prosecution. The arrangements for enforcement are being kept under review.
Communities and Local Government
Consultants
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) her Department and (b) its agencies paid to the Eunomia consultancy in the most recent year for which figures are available; and for what services the money was due. [103830]
Angela E. Smith: The Department of Communities and Local Government was formed in May 2006. No payments were made by (a) the Department or (b) its agencies to Eunomia research and consultancy in the last financial year or to date.
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will exempt members of the armed forces serving overseas on military operations from council tax. [103890]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) on 2 November 2006, Official Report, column 619W, and the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, South (Ben Chapman) on 7 November 2006, Official Report, column 1446W, by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Derek Twigg).
Council Tax (Data Sharing)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to facilitate data-sharing of council tax information (a) within departments of local authorities and (b) between local authorities and other public sector bodies. [103946]
Mr. Woolas:
As we said in our recent Local Government White Paper, ‘Strong and Prosperous Communities’, effective cross-agency working needs to be supported by effective data sharing between local partners. The Government’s Information Sharing Vision Statement published on 13 September 2006 sets
out the Government’s vision for better, more customer-focused services supported by greater information sharing which will protect and support individuals and society as a whole.
Departmental Contracts
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06. [104167]
Angela E. Smith: The Department of Communities and Local Government was formed in May 2006. DHL has been paid £143 since May 2006.
Departmental Databases
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of the databases owned by her Department are managed (a) internally and (b) by external consultants. [103934]
Angela E. Smith: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 2 November 2006, Official Report, column 619W.
Departmental Estate
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest (a) rateable value and (b) business rates bill is of each of the buildings occupied (a) in whole and (b) in part by her Department. [103945]
Angela E. Smith: The rateable value and the business rates bill for each building occupied by Community and Local Government in 2006-07 is as follows:
This answer does not include buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments nor does it include those occupied by the Department’s Agencies.
Departmental Expenditure
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to her Department was of (a) telephone calls and (b) official entertaining at the Deputy Prime Minister’s official residence in 2005-06. [103936]
Angela E. Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 7 November 2006, Official Report, column 1175W and by my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 27 March 2006, Official Report, column 832W.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has spent on anger management classes in the last 24 months. [104211]
Angela E. Smith: My Department has not invested any expenditure in anger management classes in the last 24 months.
Departmental Staff
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the job titles of each staff position in her Department. [103825]
Angela E. Smith: Information on job titles is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff have been employed by her Department in each year since 2002. [103898]
Angela E. Smith: The Department of Communities and Local Government came into being on 5 May 2006.
Communities and Local Government’s predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), was formed on 29 May 2002. The number of full-time equivalent staff in post at the 31 March in each subsequent year is shown in the following table.
| Permanent staff in ODPM: 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2006 | |
| As at 31 March each year | Full-time equivalents |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |