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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 8 February 2007

House of Commons Commission

Water

Mr. David Anderson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House authorities will ensure that tap water is provided in (a) committee and (b) meeting rooms as an alternative to bottled water. [119139]

Nick Harvey: The Administration Committee considered a suggestion that tap water be provided in place of bottled water in committee and meeting rooms at its meeting on 17 January 2006 and decided to take no action. Further consideration is being given to the provision of water in committee and meeting rooms.

The hon. Gentleman may wish to make his views known to the Committee.

Transport

A52

Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost was to public funds of the multi-modal study into transport links along the A52 corridor between Nottingham and Grantham; which of the recommendations he plans to implement; and when he expects the implementation to take place. [119940]

Dr. Ladyman: The total cost to public funds was £822,439, which was within the originally agreed fixed-price contract.

No recommendations from the multi-modal study have yet been implemented. The study recommendations for major road schemes were remitted to the East Midlands Regional Assembly for consideration when determining funding priorities in response to the Government’s Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) process in 2006. None of the recommendations were prioritised by the region. There will be another opportunity to review priorities when the RFA advice is refreshed in 2008.

Airports: Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has carried out into the length of delays at the UK’s airports as a result of changes to security measures introduced in 2006. [118529]

Gillian Merron: The management of queues at UK airports is a matter for the airport operators. While the Department is sympathetic to passengers who might have had to queue for longer than usual, it is important that security screening is carried out properly and to the required standard.


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Aviation: Carbon Dioxide

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the change has been in UK carbon dioxide emissions from aviation, including the UK’s share of international aviations emissions, in each year since 1990. [118499]

Gillian Merron: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs publish UK carbon dioxide emissions estimates for aviation. Table 5 of DEFRA’s Statistical Release ‘UK Emissions of Greenhouse Gases’ (31 January 2007), can be found at the following web link:

Bicycles

Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of electric bicycle use on reducing road congestion; and if he will make a statement. [119818]

Dr. Ladyman: None.

Blue Badge Scheme

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the Blue Badge Scheme to meet the needs of upper limb damaged individuals; and when these changes will come into effect. [111701]

Gillian Merron: Following discussions with the Thalidomide Trust, the Department has agreed to change the existing upper limb criterion for a blue badge to include disabled people who drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe congenital disability in both arms and are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter.

This change requires amendment regulations which we are currently finalising, along with new guidance to local authorities and a revised explanatory leaflet on the scheme. We intend consulting on this regulatory package shortly and implementing/issuing them as soon as possible thereafter.

Carbon Offsetting

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on carbon offsetting for air travel in the past 12 months. [117131]

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport is a participant in the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund. Payments to the fund, which purchases and cancels Certified Emission Reductions, are made on an annual basis following the end of the financial year at which time figures will be produced.

Departmental Contracts

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which public affairs firms have been given contracts by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies sponsored by his Department in the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract. [118507]


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Gillian Merron: The Department and its executive agencies employ press officers who handle its media relations with the support of the Government News Network in the regions. The Department and its agencies have used PR agencies to extend our advertising messages in support of our communication campaigns such as THINK! Road safety and the introduction of Continuous Registration by the DVLA.

Agencies employed are as follows:

Agency

(a) DfT

THINK! Campaign

Fishburn Hedges 2002-07

Transport Direct campaign

Red Consultancy 2004-05

Climate Change campaign

Forsters 2006-ongoing

(b) Executive agencies

DVLA Continuous registration

Red Consultancy 2003-ongoing

MCA Sea Smart Campaign

Kinross + Render 2002-07

Highways agency

Communications Strategy

Kinross and Render 2003


Departmental Offices

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in (a) 2004 and (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement. [112179]

Gillian Merron: The Department used 26,422 m(2) of office space in 2004 and 27,345 m(2) of office space in 2006. This excludes short-term serviced office accommodation used by the Department in 2004 (and since vacated) for which data on area occupied are not available.

The increase in office space is due to:

Departmental PPP and PFI

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) annual cost and (b) final year is of each public private partnership and private finance initiative contract with his Department and its agencies. [118345]

Gillian Merron: The annual cost and termination year of PPP/PFI contracts awarded by the Department for Transport and its agencies are as follows:


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DfT agency/project 2005-06 Unitary charge (£ million) Final year on contract

DVLA

Estates Transformation

9.8

2024-25

Highways Agency

A1 Darrington to Dishforth

14.7

2036-37

A1 (M) Alconbury to Peterborough

26.8

2025-26

A19 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel

24.4

2026-27

A249 Stockbury to Sheerness

(1)0.0

2033-34

A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis

28.8

2026-27

A417/A419 Swindon to Gloucester

19.1

2025-26

A50 Stoke to Derby

15.2

2026-27

A69 Carlisle to Newcastle

11.1

2026-27

M1/A1 Lofthouseto Bramham

56.0

2026-27

M40 Denham to Warwick

22.8

2026-27

National Road Telecommunication Service

(1)0.0

2015-16

Traffic Control Centre

11.1

2011-12

VOSA

MOT Computerisation

29.0

2015-16

(1) Contract under construction and so not yet triggered any service delivery payments.

The annual cost of PFI projects varies depending of the service provision, its performance and any index linked payments.

Departments: Guardian Newspaper

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department paid to The Guardian newspaper in 2005-06. [119522]

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 January 2007, Official Report, column 1253W.

Departments: Motor Vehicles

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007, Official Report, column 247W, which Minister used the Jaguar XJ 4.2 which was sold on 26 May 2005. [120767]

Dr. Ladyman: The Jaguar XJ 4.2 sold on 26 May 2005 was the official car provided to the late Lord Callaghan of Cardiff and was sold following his death on 26 March 2005.

Driving Offences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists were stopped by the police and found to have (a) drugs and (b) weapons in their cars in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force. [118289]

Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not available.

The Stops and Search collection under Section 1 of PACE and other legislation, held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, records the number of stop
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and searches and the reason for power being exercised. The outcome of the searches which lead to arrest are recorded against the reason for arrest. The outcomes are recorded against the person irrespective of whether the person, the vehicle or both were searched. The person data do not distinguish motorists from any other type of person.

Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of motor vehicles being used on the road without (a) road tax and (b) insurance. [119301]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is as follows.

(a) The most recent estimates of the number of vehicles evading Vehicle Excise Duty in Great Britain and Northern Ireland were published in the statistical report Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion 2006. A copy of this report, published on 25 January 2007, was placed in the House of Commons Library and is also available at:

(b) Our latest estimate (2005) for uninsured driving is based on a comparison of the vehicle register, maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Motor Insurance Database. It is that there are about 2.1 million vehicles (about 6.5 per cent. of the UK vehicle fleet) being driven by uninsured drivers.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists have been (a) stopped by the police and (b) convicted for driving using a non-United Kingdom or EU/EEA driving licence more than 12 months after they arrived in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [118299]

Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has he made of the number of motorists driving illegally in the United Kingdom because they are using their non-UK or non-EC/EEA licence more than 12 months after their arrival in the UK. [118300]

Dr. Ladyman: No estimate is made of illegal drivers who continue to drive in the UK once their non-UK or non-EC/EEA licence ceases to be valid. Enforcement of driver licensing is for the police. If unlicensed foreign nationals who contravene driver licensing rules are found by the police they are prosecuted. However, Home Office statistics on offences relating to motor vehicles do not differentiate between UK and non-UK drivers.

A survey of compliance with road safety legislation in general was carried out in 2006 and was placed in the House Libraries and is on the internet at:


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