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13 Mar 2007 : Column 189W—continued
DFID supports 73 projects through 59 NGOs or community-based organisations in 27 of Nepal's 75 districts. DFID is the lead donor in support of services to: mobile populations; injecting drug users; people living with HIV/AIDS; prison populations; men having sex with men and male sex workers. The activities implemented range from information and awareness;
peer education; voluntary counselling and HIV testing; harm reduction (including rehabilitation); care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and safe blood supply.
In addition to bilateral assistance, DFID also supports prevention and treatment to Nepali migrants in Nepal and India through the Asia Regional Poverty Fund, a three-year, £2 million project which commenced in February 2006.
Over the last three years, DFID has worked closely with the Government of Nepal (GON), the UN agencies and the World Bank to develop the Three Ones: one policy and programme, one national co-ordination body and one monitoring and evaluation framework.
DFID plans to increase its policy engagement in HIV/AIDS. This will be focused on supporting the establishment of a national multi-sectoral semi-independent unit which can manage the programme, improve fund-flow to communities and attract more resources.
Overseas Aid: AIDS
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on AIDS-related work in 2005-06; and how much has been spent in 2006-07. [126396]
Mr. Thomas: DFID spent £385 million in tackling HIV and AIDS in 2005-2006, an increase of almost 30 per cent. on the 2004-05 figure of £298 million. Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available. These figures were released as part of a draft report on an interim evaluation of ‘Taking Action - the UK Government’s strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing World’ available on DFID's website at www.dfid.gov. As part of this strategy DFID remains committed to spending £1.5 billion on tackling HIV and AIDS over the three years to 2007-08.
Transport
Biofuels
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the importance of long-term security in attracting investment to develop biofuel production capacity. [127182]
Dr. Ladyman: We fully recognise the importance of long-term security in attracting investment to develop biofuel production capacity in the UK. We believe that the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation will provide a high degree of investor confidence in biofuels, and there are already signs that it is leading to increased investment in new biofuel production capacity, with a number of new plants due to come on stream very shortly.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time was for calls to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency local office helplines to be answered in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of callers discontinued calls before they were answered. [126870]
Dr. Ladyman: Fiscal year to date figures for DVLA's local office help line shows average speed of answer is 18 seconds. The number of calls discontinued while queuing to advisors is 0.87 per cent.
Driving Offences: Cellular Phones
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the risks of driving while using a hands-free mobile telephone; what research his Department has conducted on the effects on the chance of being in a crash of using a hands-free mobile telephone; and if he will make a statement; [124609]
(2) what research he has conducted on the level of mobile telephone usage by motorists while driving according to (a) gender, (b) age, (c) region and (d) type of car owned. [124610]
Dr. Ladyman: A report prepared for the Department and published in 1997 reviewed the use of mobile phones by drivers. TRL Report 318, “The use of mobile phones while driving: a review” is available from TRL Ltd (www.trl.co.uk).
The Department has not needed to undertake its own further research into the risks of using any mobile phone because research by others adequately covers the subject and confirms that there is little difference in the distraction whether a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone is used. The Department’s consistent advice, for example in the Highway code and the THINK Road Safety campaign, has been that mobile phones of any type should not be used while driving.
The research is conveniently summarised in the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones “Mobile Phones and Health”, published in 2000—see paragraphs 5.201 to 5.214, pages 86 to 90 for a summary of research worldwide—available online at: www.iegmp.org.uk/report/text.htm.
The Direct Line Insurance report published in 2002 (available at http://info.directline.com/xxx/news.nsf/64125738690474fe00256a6f003a151b/bec9c738833c 7fb180256b84002dec5f/$FlLE/Mobile%20Phone%20 Report.pdf) compares the effect on reaction times from the use of mobile phones with the effect of alcohol. The research underlying the Direct Line report is published as TRL Report 547 available from www.trl.co.uk.
Research completed in 2003 for the Department of Health’s Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research programme “Conversations in Cars: The Relative Hazards of Mobile Phones” is expected to be published shortly—available from www.trl.co.uk.
Surveys for the Department on the level of mobile phone use are undertaken twice yearly. The most recently published report “Mobile Phone use by drivers, 2004-06”—report Lf2100—can be downloaded from www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211. Surveys are not undertaken regionally but surveys sites are considered representative of the full range of conditions on British roads. They do not attempt to include gender, age and type of car because there is no need for such information.
Level Crossings: Hampshire
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the locations are of half barrier level crossings in Hampshire; and if he will make a statement. [126266]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. The hon. Member should contact John Armitt, the Chief Executive, at 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EE.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps either to remove or to upgrade the half barrier level crossings in Hampshire; and if he will make a statement. [126750]
Mr. Tom Harris: Any changes would need to be proposed by Network Rail and agreed by the Office of Rail Regulation, the health and safety regulator for the railway. All level crossings of whatever type are adequately safe when used correctly.
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) cost and (b) profit components are contained in the convenience charge of £2.50 that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency levies on online credit card payments of vehicle excise duty. [127153]
Dr. Ladyman: The £2.50 charge for using the credit card for online re-licensing transactions is calculated to cover the specific full costs of providing the credit card as a payment option and is subject to review on an annual basis. No profit element is built into the charge. The charge covers two distinct types of cost:
Credit Card company costs relating to the charges applied for processing credit card payments;
DVLA operating costs relating to the process of credit card payments, credit card enquiries and the investigation of disputed payments.
Motor Vehicles: Registration
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many registered cars there were in 1997; and how many there are in 2007. [125986]
Dr. Ladyman: The latest statistical series on the number of licensed cars and cars registered for the first time were published in Tables. 1b and 12b of Vehicle Licensing Statistics 2005. A copy of this report, published on 18 May 2006, was placed in the House of Commons Library and it is also available at:
Network Rail
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what work has been undertaken to upgrade the East Coast Mainline since 1997; [125980]
(2) what work has been undertaken to upgrade the Great Western Mainline since 1997. [125981]
Mr. Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive for a response to his question:
John Armitt
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Ports: Liverpool
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Olive Mount Chord project at the port of Liverpool to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [126532]
Mr. Tom Harris: The project to re-instate the Olive Mount Chord is being promoted by a variety of parties including the Northern Way and Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, working with Network Rail. The completion date for the scheme is a matter for Network Rail and the proposers.
Railways: Construction
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new railway line he plans to be constructed in each of the next five years. [126867]
Mr. Tom Harris: In July the Secretary of State for Transport will publish a High Level Output Specification for England and Wales. This will set out the railway improvements the Government wishes to buy in terms of capacity, safety and reliability, and the funding to support this for the five-year period from April 2009. It will be for the rail industry to determine what inputs are required to deliver this.
Railways: Freight
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail freight routes to major ports have been upgraded since 1997. [125979]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive for a response to his question:
John Armitt
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Railways: Greater London
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new railway lines into and in London for which his Department has responsibility have been built since 1997. [125985]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive for a response to his question:
John Armitt
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Railways: Overcrowding
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rates of overcrowding on (a) South West trains and (b) national network trains were in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [127353]
Mr. Tom Harris: Data to which the Department has access is limited to Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC), a measure which applies to weekday commuter trains arriving in London between 7 am and 9.59 am and departing London between 4 pm and 6.59 pm.
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes PIXC figures in its National Rail Trends publication. The most recent edition, covering 2005, was published on 5 July 2006.
The document is on the internet at the following address: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/294.pdf and has been made available in the Library of the House.
Road Traffic
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new bypasses on trunk roads and local roads have been built since 1997. [125989]
Dr. Ladyman: 66 Highways Agency trunk road (over £5 million) and local authority bypass schemes have been completed between 1997 and March 2007 as listed in the following table:
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