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27 Feb 2007 : Column 1232W—continued
Lorries
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the mobile compliance device acquired by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency; how much the equipment has cost; and what plans he has for its future use. [123171]
Dr. Ladyman:
The mobile compliance device (MCD) is being tested by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) in stages from spring 2006 until later in 2007. The results of using the MCD are incorporated into VOSA’s targeting and intelligence led programme. This is measured against VOSA’s key targets and measures set by the Secretary of State. For
the current financial year to date VOSA are on track to achieve the relevant measures.
The capital cost for each of the 550 MCDs is £882.
In the future it is anticipated that the MCD will support:
The new digital tachograph regulations.
VOSA’s operator compliance risk score system.
Enforcement and prohibition notices.
The forthcoming graduated deposit and fixed penalty system.
Motor Vehicles: Tax Evasion
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets he has set for reducing vehicle excise duty evasion. [123438]
Dr. Ladyman: The current target for VED evasion is that we reduce the evasion level to 2.5 per cent. by December 2007.
Parking: Scarborough
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the decriminalisation of parking enforcement in Scarborough to be authorised. [123843]
Gillian Merron: Ministers will consider formally the application from Scarborough borough council (as agent for North Yorkshire county council) for decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) powers once the council has completed its application by confirming in writing that all of the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), traffic signs and road markings within the borough have been fully reviewed, any deficiencies have been remedied and as a result, all of the TROs, traffic signs and road markings are lawful and are in line with the regulations. If approved, the relevant parliamentary processes will then need to be completed before the DPE powers come into effect.
Railways: Oxford
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the reasons for discrepancies in peak time return rail fares between Oxford and Reading and Oxford and Banbury. [122780]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not compare specific fares or reasons for variations on routes.
Standard day return fares, which are valid for travel at peak times, are regulated between Oxford and Reading, and Oxford and Banbury. Fares regulation currently allows train operators to increase regulated fares overall by an average of RPI+1 per cent. each year. Within this average, which is monitored by the Department, individual regulated fares may rise by up to RPI+6 per cent. at the operators discretion. These fares have not exceeded regulation.
Road Signs and Markings: Languages
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has given to local highway authorities on the erection of bi-lingual road signs. [122616]
Gillian Merron: The traffic signs regulations specify signs in English only. The Department has not published advice on use of bi-lingual road signs. However, we have published advice on the reasons why the amount of information included on a traffic sign should be limited—in Local Transport Note 1/94, the Traffic Signs Manual and Volume 8 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed in automobile accidents by those (i) under 25 years of age and (ii) over 25 years of age in each of the last 10 years. [122865]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of people injured and killed in reported personal injury road accidents where there was at least one motor vehicle driver/rider (i) under the age of 25 and (ii) aged 25 and over in each of the last 10 years is given in the following table.
| Casualties from reported personal injury road accidents involving drivers/riders of motor vehicles aged under 25 and drivers/riders of motor vehicles aged 25 and over, Great Britain, 1996 to 2005 | ||||
| Number of casualties | ||||
| Age of driver/rider | ||||
| Under 25( 1) | 25 and over( 1) | |||
| Fatal | Injured | Fatal | Injured | |
| (1) Accidents that involve both a driver under the age of 25 and a driver aged 25 or over will be included in both categories. | ||||
Education and Skills
Adoption
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what resources will be made available to implement the Children Contact and Adoption Act. [122546]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 22 February 2007]: The Government are currently considering a timescale for implementation of provisions in parts 1 and 2 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006. That exercise includes consideration of the nature and level of resources that will be needed to support implementation of the Act. We will be making a written ministerial statement shortly outlining the timetable and, as appropriate, the nature and level of resources to support implementation.
Adult Education
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with Government colleagues on the role of adult education
for those without level 2 qualifications in overcoming poverty and social exclusion; and if he will make a statement. [123834]
Bill Rammell: The priorities for adult education, that is all adult learning funded through the Learning and Skills Council, is to help those who need it most by achieving our targets for basic skills and a first full Level 2 qualification. These priorities have been set out in our Skills Strategy and Further Education White Papers which have been agreed across Government.
The Skills Alliance acts as a high profile champion for the Skills Strategy and ensures that our strategic aims of transforming both the demand for and supply of skills are carried through. The Skills Alliance is led by the Secretaries of State for Education and Skills and Trade and Industry.
I am also working closely with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on our response to the Leitch Report on skills. In his report, Lord Leitch has recommended a new integrated employment and skills service that would have a significant role to play in
reducing poverty and social exclusion, by helping those without a full Level 2 qualification to find a sustainable job and to progress in their chosen career.
Apprentices
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the completion rates were for (a) Apprenticeships and (b) Advance Apprenticeships in each sector in the latest period for which figures are available. [121405]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows success rates for Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships (calculated as the number of leavers who met all the requirements of their Apprenticeship framework, divided by the number of learners who have either left training or successfully completed their programme). These data were published in Table 8 of the Statistical First Release, ‘Further Education and Work Based Learning—Learner Outcomes in England: 2004/05’ in April 2006.
| Success rates in LSC funded work based learning provision | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | |||
| Sector subject area | Advanced apprenticeships | Apprenticeships (at level 2) | Advanced apprenticeships | Apprenticeships (at level 2) |
| (1) Number of learners less than 50 Source: Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record (ILR) | ||||
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