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5 Feb 2007 : Column 678W—continued


Government Auctions

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland where his Department publishes information about Government auctions which it arranges or to which it contributes in (a) Blackpool, (b) Lancashire and (c) the north west; and when the next such auction will take place in each area. [117423]

Mr. Hain: The Northern Ireland Office does not arrange or contribute to auctions in (a) Blackpool (b) Lancashire or (c) the north west.

Mental Health

Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the waiting list is for adolescent mental health beds in each health board area. [111065]

Paul Goggins: Mental Health in-patient services for adolescents are provided in only one trust in Northern Ireland, that being South and East Belfast HSS Trust. Information on the number of patients waiting for adolescent mental health in-patient treatment in South and East Belfast HSS Trust by Purchaser Health and Social Services Board is shown in the following table.


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5 Feb 2007 : Column 680W
Purchaser Health and Social Services Board Provider trust Number of patients waiting for adolescent mental health in-patient treatment

Eastern

South and East Belfast HSS Trust

4

Northern

South and East Belfast HSS Trust

2

Southern

South and East Belfast HSS Trust

0

Western

South and East Belfast HSS Trust

0

Source:
South and East Belfast HSS Trust

Remploy

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many public contracts have been awarded in Northern Ireland to (a) Remploy and (b) other similar organisations since January 2006; and if he will take steps to increase the number of contracts awarded to such employers. [112378]

Maria Eagle: Remploy has not been awarded any contracts to deliver services in Northern Ireland. Ulster Supported Employment Ltd. (USEL) is an Executive non-departmental public body that provides similar services to Remploy. Since January 2006 USEL has been awarded 12 public contracts as a result of competitive tendering processes. There are no plans to take steps to increase the number of contracts awarded to USEL. USEL will be able to continue to bid to deliver contracted services as a result of competitive tendering processes.

Royal Prerogative of Mercy

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions the royal prerogative of mercy has been used to pardon individuals who have been convicted of scheduled offences in relation to the situation in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [110551]

Mr. Hanson: Since 2002 the royal prerogative of mercy has been granted to three individuals convicted of terrorist offences relating to Northern Ireland. All three were granted in 2002. In all of these cases, the RPM was used to remit a portion of a prison sentence and not to provide a pardon for the offences committed. There have been no such cases subsequently.

Transport

Central Trains

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage Central Trains to respond to (a) customer complaints and (b) communications from hon. Members sent on behalf of their constituents in a timely and professional manner; and if he will make a statement. [118519]

Mr. Tom Harris: All operators are required to have a complaints handling procedure which sets out the response rates to complaints which they are required to meet. Central Trains figures for the latest period available indicates that 91 per cent. of complaints were responded to within the target period of three weeks.

M6: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Lancashire county council carried out an integrated transport solution study for the Lancaster district before submitting the business case for the M6 Link Northern Route. [118993]

Dr. Ladyman: I understand that the potential for resolving the transport problems of Lancaster through an integrated transport solution was considered by Lancashire county council in the early part of the development of proposals for a link between Heysham and the M6. The Lancaster Transportation study concluded that a number of coordinated measures, including a new road link to the M6 and a number of other measures such as quality bus routes, cycle routes and park and ride, would be necessary to deal with the transport problems of Lancaster.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles there are in each road tax classification in the London borough of Bexley. [118008]

Dr. Ladyman: The following table contains the number of vehicles for each road tax classification as at 30 September 2006 registered in Bexley.


5 Feb 2007 : Column 681W
Taxation class Category Number

Private

TC11

Private

58,502

TC36

Euro 4 light goods vehicles—private

249

TC39

Light goods vehicles—Co2 private

5,554

TC48

Petrol cars—Co2 private

34,810

TC49

Diesel cars—Co2 private

8,557

TC59

Alternative fuel cars—Co2 private

89

TC10

Private HGV

73

TC23

HGVCT (combined transport)

5

TC53

HGVCT (combined transport reduced pollution)

1

Motorcycles

TC17

Bicycle

4,594

Goods vehicles

TC01

HGV

1,352

TC45

HGV—reduced pollution

123

TC02

Trailer HGV

12

TC46

Trailer HGV—reduced pollution

2

Public transport vehicles

TC34

Bus

106

Other licensed vehicles

TC14

Special vehicles

132

TC47

Recovery

57

TC50

Tricycle

34

TC55

General haulage

1

TC56

General haulage—reduced pollution

1

TC57

Special type

6

Exempt categories—no licence

TC60

Crown vehicles

4

TC61

Not licensed

444

TC65

Ambulance

7

TC66

Fire engine

1

Exempt categories—nil licence

TC77

Limited use

1

TC78

Disabled

2,884

TC85

Disabled passenger carrying vehicle

87

TC87

NHS vehicles

1

TC88

Over 25 years

800

Exempt categories: former special concessionary group

TC37

Steam vehicles

1

TC40

Agricultural machine

19

TC44

Mowing machine

8

TC79

Electric

10

TC81

Gritting vehicle

13

Total

118,540


Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of (a) untaxed and (b) unlicensed vehicles; and what steps he is taking to reduce the numbers. [118112]

Dr. Ladyman: Following a 2006 roadside survey of vehicle excise duty evasion, statisticians estimate that there are 2.19 million untaxed/unlicensed vehicles in Great Britain. Licensing and taxation are in practice the same.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a clear strategy to tackle evaders. Those who fail to re-tax are identified from the DVLA record and issued
5 Feb 2007 : Column 682W
with a penalty notice. Those who continue to fail to re-tax or pay the penalty are targeted through a national wheel clamping operation, the use of automatic number plate reader (ANPR) technology and special operations with the police, local authorities and other enforcement bodies.

In addition, DVLA has a telephone hotline facility whereby the public can inform DVLA of untaxed vehicles in their area.

Since the 2006 roadside survey was conducted, DVLA has:

DVLA is currently conducting further research to establish the cause of this recent rise in evasion and will be reviewing its enforcement strategy accordingly in order to target evaders more effectively.

MSC Napoli

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the distance was between the location of the MSC Napoli and (a) Portland and (b) Cherbourg at the time it was first taken under the control of (i) the coastguard and (ii) a salvage company. [112010]

Dr. Ladyman: In accordance with the Anglo-French Joint Maritime Contingency Plan (Mancheplan), HM Coastguard had been monitoring the situation involving the MSC Napoli together with the French search and rescue (SAR) authorities from the outset of the incident. Co-ordination of the incident was passed to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Falmouth from the French co-ordination at CROSS Corsen at approximately 16:10 on 19 January 2007 when the MSC Napoli passed over the UK/French median line. At this point the ship was approximately 60 nautical miles from Portland and Cherbourg. Taking all the environmental and safety factors into account, the French authorities were unable to identify a suitable place of refuge on the French coast within about 200 nautical miles.

A salvage contract was agreed at 14:45 on 19 January 2007, when the ship was still in French waters and approximately 110 nautical miles from Portland and Cherbourg.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the MSC Napoli was diverted to a British port while under the control of a French salvage company. [112011]

Dr. Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement I made to the House on 1 February 2007, Official Report, columns 376-78.


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