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23 Jan 2007 : Column 1679W—continued


23 Jan 2007 : Column 1680W

Mr. Tom Harris: The social and environmental impacts of franchise specifications are assessed in line with the Department’s WebTAG transport appraisal guidance.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will initiate an investigation into the operation of the new Great Western franchise, with particular reference to (a) reliability, (b) punctuality and (c) the new timetable; and if he will investigate the current performance of (i) First Great Western and (ii) Network Rail. [117370]

Mr. Tom Harris: I hold meetings regularly with First Great Western and Network Rail to assess performance. Joint action plans are in place between Network Rail and FGW to address performance issues. These are monitored monthly.

Network Rail is regulated by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). ORR has been investigating performance on the western routes.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals are being evaluated to increase train traction on steel tracks. [110624]

Mr. Tom Harris: Train traction can be increased by controlled application of sand and by managing wheel-spin through intelligent control of the torque applied to the wheels by the motor. Both of these methods are already in use on modern rolling stock and locomotives across the UK network. New wheel materials with a higher coefficient of friction are theoretically possible but none has been found so far that is capable of standing up to railway conditions. Linear induction motors (which do not rely on wheel/rail friction) are in use in a few niche applications across the world but require expensive additional infrastructure.

Roadside Emergency Telephones

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside emergency telephones there are on the road network; and how many were (a) reported as faulty, (b) vandalised and (c) replaced in each of the last 10 years. [117036]

Dr. Ladyman: There are 6,835 emergency roadside telephones on motorways and all-purpose trunk roads in England.

Information on telephone faults and maintenance replacements is only available as detailed.

(a) Telephone availability throughout the year is monitored automatically and recorded as the annual percentage availability. Statistics are currently available for the period 2002 to 2005 as follows:

Telephone availability (Percentage)

2002

99.716

2003

99.492

2004

99.798

2005

99.757


(b) Separate records are not kept nationally for the number of telephones vandalised.


23 Jan 2007 : Column 1681W

(c) Telephones replaced in 2004, 2005 and 2006 due to equipment failure, damage or vandalism totalled:

Number of telephones replaced

2004

141

2005

205

2006

202


A national programme of works is currently under way to upgrade roadside emergency telephones to include new technology that has become available. During 2005 and 2006 a total of 878 telephones were replaced as part of this programme.

Translation Services

Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what documents his Department and its agencies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English; into which languages such documents are translated; and what the cost was of producing such translations in each of the last five years, broken down by language of translation; [113883]

(2) for what services provided by his Department and its related agencies translation services are provided. [113886]

Gillian Merron: The Department has a framework contract to supply translations to support the services it provides and these are commissioned by individual business units within the Department as required. Information on the services and costs for which translations are made is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The DfT and its Executive Agencies have translated the following documents:


23 Jan 2007 : Column 1682W
Title Language

South East Pilot

Polish, French, German, Spanish

Side Swipe materials

Polish, French, German, Spanish

Vehicle Identity Check Scheme

English, Welch, Urdu, Polish, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Arabic

MOT Certificate

Welsh (Bilingual)

Supported/related MOT documentation

Welsh (Bilingual)

MOT ‘Stuffers’ and leaflets

Welsh (Bilingual)

Flexible Bus registration applications and supplementary forms

Welsh

Application to change or cancel details of a local service registration

Welsh

Local Service bus registration. Welsh drivers public inquiry call up letters

Welsh

Frequently asked questions about flexible bus registrations

Welsh

Traffic regulation conditions

Welsh (Bilingual)

Fuel Consumption booklet

Welsh

“Stay SAFE at the seaside”—Dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard

Welsh

“How to fill in your driving licence application”

Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Classical Chinese, Gujarati, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu

“Driving in Great Britain as a visitor or new resident”

Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Classical Chinese, Gujarati, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu

“Import Pack”

Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Classical Chinese, Gujarati, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu

“Clamping Down on vehicle tax evasion” “If things go wrong”

Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Classical Chinese, Gujarati, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu

Get Across Road Safety

Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu

Cleaner Motoring leaflet—Drive Clean, Drive Cheaper

Welsh

Teach Road Safety (for parents)

Welsh

Air Transport White Paper

Welsh

Consultation on Transport Energy Clean Vehicle Programme

Welsh

Consultation on Graduated Fixed Penalty and Deposit Scheme and Enforcement of Drivers

Welsh

Transport Matters

Welsh

Maintaining a Vital Asset

Welsh

Disability Equality Scheme

Welsh

Transport and Works Act Orders Brief Guide

Welsh


Home Department

ASBOs

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued in each London borough in each of the last four years; how many have been breached in each case; how many breaches have resulted in a period of detention or imprisonment in each case; and if he will make a statement. [114264]

Mr. McNulty: A table giving the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued annually, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, by the local government authority area in which prohibitions have been imposed, up to 31 December 2005 (latest available), can be found on the Crime Reduction website at:

ASBO breach data are not available at local authority level. The available information is given in the table.


23 Jan 2007 : Column 1683W
Number of antisocial behaviour orders issued between 2002 and 2005 in the Greater London Criminal Justice System (CJS) area and the number subsequently proven in court to have been breached
Year in which ASBO issued
2002 2003 2004 2005

Total issued

21

139

441

528

of which:

Breached(1)

11

68

215

155

of which:

Given a custodial sentence(2)

8

49

121

78

(1) On at least one occasion by the end of 2005.
(2) On at least one occasion.
Note:
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Sources:
ASBOs issued: Court Service.
ASBOs breached: OCJR Court Proceedings Database.

Ashfield Young Offender Institution

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child protection referrals have been made by Ashfield Young Offender Institution since 2004; and what the (a) issue and (b) outcome was in each case. [116829]

Mr. Sutcliffe: There have been a total of 204 child protection referrals from HMP and YOI Ashfield since November 2004. The issues involved and outcomes are detailed in the following table.

Number

Issue

Allegation against staff

71

YP on YP assault

48

Risk to child in community

42

Historical abuse disclosure

40

Risk to public due to index offence

3

Outcome

Referred to South Gloucestershire Social Services prior to social worker start date but no known outcome

58

Closed by internal senior social worker following referral(1)

105

No action by South Gloucestershire Social Services internal investigation

35

Section 47 investigation under the Children Act 1989 requested by South Gloucestershire Social Services

6

(1 )Since January 2006 HMP and YOI Ashfield has employed the services of a senior social worker to accept initial referrals and to determine whether these need to be passed on to South Gloucestershire Social Services for further consideration.

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff have been injured in Ashfield Young Offender Institution since 2004. [116830]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Accident records show that a total of 616 staff have been injured at Ashfield YOI since 2004.


23 Jan 2007 : Column 1684W

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of ill-discipline resulted from strip searching in Ashfield Young Offender Institution since 2004. [116831]

Mr. Sutcliffe: There have been no instances of ill discipline resulting from full searching (strip-searching) at HMP and YOI Ashfield since 2004.

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people were held in segregation in Ashfield Young Offender Institution in each month since January 2005; and how many have been so held for more than (a) seven and (b) 28 days since 2004. [116832]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The figures requested are included in the following tables.

Number held in reorientation since 2005
Number

2005

January

25

February

23

March

19

April

14

May

41

June

41

July

43

August

31

September

35

October

40

November

35

December

29

2006

January

30

February

22

March

23

April

20

May

27

June

26

July

24

August

24

September

37

October

38

November

28

December

34


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