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29 Jan 2007 : Column 12W—continued

Environmental Liability Directive

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings on which dates since May 2004 (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) industry employees, (ii) members of trade bodies and (iii) members of non-governmental organisations, in relation to the implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive in the UK; and what organisations were represented at each such meeting. [110768]

Ian Pearson: The Department has consulted extensively with members of the trade and industrial associations and non-governmental organisations from 2002 (start of negotiations) to the present. A table providing the information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.

Solicitor-General

Serious Fraud Prosecutions

David Taylor: To ask the Solicitor-General in what ways prosecuting authorities determine the weight which is given to (a) the national interest and (b) the rule of law when determining whether to initiate prosecutions for serious fraud. [116289]

The Solicitor-General: The Code for Crown Prosecutors sets out the ways in which all prosecuting authorities weigh the relevant factors when deciding whether to initiate proceedings including the weight to be given to any factors influencing the evidence or the public interest.

While the code sets out the general principles, every case is unique and has to be considered on its own merits. Prosecuting authorities respect the rule of law by independently deciding each case in accordance with the code.

Constitutional Affairs

Freedom of Information

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs in what circumstances a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 may be considered vexatious. [111988]

Vera Baird: My Department has published guidance on the circumstances in which a Freedom of Information request may be considered vexatious. This guidance is available on the Department's website and in the Libraries of the House.

The Information Commissioner has also published guidance on vexatious requests, which can be found on the ICO website.


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Fundamental Rights Agency

Mr. Brady: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the legal base is for budgeted EU expenditure of €5,536,000 in 2007 for the Fundamental Rights Agency. [111299]

Vera Baird: The legal base of the regulation establishing the Fundamental Rights Agency is article 308 of the treaty establishing the European Community. The existing European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) has an annual budget of €8.2 million. The Fundamental Rights Agency will have a mandate significantly wider than that of the EUMC and, for this reason, its budget has been set at €16 million in 2007 rising to €29 million in 2013.

Judicial Pensions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the employee contribution rate is to the Judicial Pensions Scheme; and if she will make a statement. [111514]

Ms Harman: Active members of the Judicial Pensions Scheme contribute 1.8 per cent. or 2.4 per cent. of their pensionable salary to the scheme.

Transport

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to issue compulsory purchase orders for properties along the route of the proposed A21 upgrade. [111567]

Dr. Ladyman: The A21 programme is subject to the completion of all the statutory procedures and compliance with the Department's scheme appraisal requirements. The Highways Agency will publish draft compulsory purchase orders on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with the individual scheme requirements and programmes. We expect to take forward the A21 programme of schemes in the next five years.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many compulsory purchase orders have been issued along the route of the proposed A21 upgrade in each year since 2005. [111568]

Dr. Ladyman: No compulsory purchase orders have been published along the route of the proposed A21 upgrade since 2005.

British Transport Police

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many (a) arrests were made and (b) convictions secured by British Transport Police in (i) England, (ii) Avon and Somerset and (iii) Taunton in each of the last five years; [112031]


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(2) how many (a) police officers, (b) police community support officers, (c) special constables and (d) civilian staff were employed by the British Transport Police in (i) England, (ii) Avon and Somerset and (iii) Taunton in each year since 2000; [112032]

(3) how many crimes were reported to British Transport Police in (a) England, (b) Avon and Somerset and (c) Taunton in each of the last five years; and whether the crime was reported by a member of (i) the public and (ii) rail staff in each case; [112090]

(4) how many rail enforcement officers have been recruited in (a) England and (b) Avon and Somerset in each year since 2000; and what guidance his Department has issued to promote awareness of their role among the general public. [112091]

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, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Buses: Concessionary Travel

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the draft regulatory impact assessment on the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill on the funding of concessionary bus travel schemes. [116100]

Gillian Merron: The draft regulatory impact assessment (RIA) for the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill was published simultaneously with the Bill, which was introduced on 27 November 2006. It will be updated as appropriate. The RIA is available on the Department for Transport’s website at:

The Government have indicated they will provide up to an extra £250 million of funding per year for the national bus travel concession. Following the introduction of the new concession, the Government will be providing approximately £1 billion a year for concessionary bus travel, and are confident that this will be sufficient to cover the total cost.

The Department for Transport, in discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government and Her Majesty’s Treasury, is looking at a number of options for distributing the existing and future funding for providing the statutory concession.

Container Handling Capacity

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of container handling capacity shortages at United Kingdom ports on economic growth; and if he will make a statement. [111783]

Dr. Ladyman: In May 2006, alongside our discussion document ‘Ports Policy—your views invited’, the Department's consultants, MDS Transmodal in
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association with DTZ Pieda, published a container port transhipment study. This report contains an assessment of the wider economic effects of various capacity scenarios, looking ahead to 2030.

Comments were received on this study in response to the discussion document and the ports policy review, currently in progress, is considering the matter further.

Cross Country Franchise

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of services between (a) Preston and London, (b) Lancaster and London and (c) Scotland and Birmingham between when the present Cross County Franchise ends in November 2007 and the new West Coast Enhanced Service starts in December 2008. [111502]

Mr. Tom Harris: Faster, more regular and more reliable services will be achieved on all of these routes from the commencement of the new timetable in December 2008. Regular services will be maintained from both Preston and Lancaster to London and between Scotland and Birmingham via Lancashire in the period between November 2007 and December 2008 with a similar timetable to the one which operates currently.

M42

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2007, Official Report, column 654W, to the hon. Member for Colchester on the M42, what contingency plans (a) his Department and (b) the Highways Agency are preparing in the event that the assessment in the autumn is in favour of hard shoulder running. [110528]

Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency is continuing to monitor the Active Traffic Management (ATM) project on the M42, which includes hard should running on parts of the network at certain times. If the trial results prove positive, subject to funding/budgetary considerations, we will consider implementing the ATM techniques where they will provide significant benefits. The Agency is reviewing the network to identify potential locations that might benefit.

In addition, I announced in December 2006 that we will work with the Highways Agency to develop the case for productivity TIF funding for the traffic management schemes on the Birmingham Motorway Box and the M62 (Leeds Bradford). The results of the Agency’s monitoring and evaluation of the M42 trial will be considered in finalising the design for these schemes, and in considering other possible applications.

Network Modelling Framework

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent report produced by his Department from the output of the Network Modelling Framework; [110533]


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(2) if he will publish the outputs from the Network Modelling Framework for the last two years. [110534]

Mr. Tom Harris: The Network Modelling Framework is still under development and will be used to support the high level output specification, which will be published in July. No reports setting out outputs from the Network Modelling Framework have been published by my Department.

Rail Network: Overcrowding

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on rail network overcrowding. [111499]

Mr. Tom Harris: Three parliamentary questions have been tabled in the last three months concerned with crowding. The Secretary of State has received 60 letters concerning crowding in the same period.

The Secretary of State has also received some 200 letters since November about First Great Western. Many of these have referred to crowding as well as other issues.

Railways

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the zonal system for London overground railways to be introduced. [111051]

Mr. Tom Harris: Zonal fares for peak single, peak return and off-peak return rail journeys wholly within London were introduced in January 2007. The zones are the same as those used for Underground and Travelcard fares. Zonal fares for rail-only season tickets will be introduced from January 2010.

Road Pricing

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected cost implications are of road pricing schemes for vehicle technology for individual motorists. [112257]

Dr. Ladyman: No decisions have been taken as to what technologies may be suitable to support road pricing. The Secretary of State announced last May a demonstration project to test the systems and technology for time-distance-place charging. This project will include analysis of the implications of different approaches. The road pricing feasibility study found that road pricing could be introduced at no net cost to the motorist.

Train Services

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints he has received from the public on the late arrival of trains in East Sussex in the last 12 months. [110985]

Mr. Tom Harris: For the three main train operators that provide services in East Sussex, the Department
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has had no complaints about late arrival of trains in the last 12 months. A number of secondary operators also operate over the East Sussex route. The Department does not keep records of late trains broken down by county areas.

Vehicle Registration Databases

Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to synchronise vehicle registration databases across EU and non-EU nations. [111345]

Dr. Ladyman: DVLA is not aware of, or working on, any proposals to synchronise vehicle registration databases across EU and non-EU nations.

House of Commons Commission

Dining Rooms

John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether dining room bookings made for functions in breach of rules governing the use of such facilities can be cancelled by the House authorities. [112004]

Nick Harvey: Yes. Paragraph 9.2 of the terms and conditions provides for cancellation by the House of Commons if the sponsor or organiser is in breach of the terms and conditions of the booking.

Recycling

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will arrange for signs to be mounted next to the recycling bins in communal spaces informing staff of the toner cartridge recycling facility provided by the Serjeant at Arms. [111524]

Nick Harvey: Arrangements will be made for signs to be put by the recycling bins wherever possible in the communal spaces.

The toner cartridge recycling facility, as well as the other recycling facilities, will also be publicised through available and appropriate means in the future.

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what amounts of (a) glass, (b) metal, (c) plastic and (d) paper were recycled by the parliamentary estate in each year since 2004. [111525]

Nick Harvey: The amounts of (a) glass, (b) metal, (c) plastic and (d) paper recycled by the parliamentary estate in each year since 2004 are given as follows. The only plastic products being recycled at present are drinks bottles and figures are only available from April 2006 onwards.


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Recycled (tonnes)
Waste category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07( 1)

(a) Glass

152.8

182.8

140.3

(b) Metal

6.1

77.6

31.1

(c) Plastic bottles

1.9

(d) Paper

265.7

401.9

297.8

(e) Other

136.6

159.1

185.2

Total Recycled

561.2

821.4

656.3

Total Waste

1,916.5

2,251.7

1,565.4

Percentage of total waste recycled

29.3

36.5

41.9

(1) Nine months.

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