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22 Mar 2007 : Column 1048W—continued



22 Mar 2007 : Column 1049W

22 Mar 2007 : Column 1050W
Hertfordshire
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

Total Funding (£000)

6,550

5,035

7,382

10,837

23,237

26,705

24,564

41,035

36,120

28133

Funds per mile (£000)

2.16

1.66

2.44

3.58

7.67

8.82

8.11

13.55

11.92

9.29

Funds (£ per head)

6.29

4.84

7.09

10.41

22.32

25.65

23.59

39.41

34.69

27.02


Norfolk
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

Total Funding (£000)

7,713

7,130

9,906

11,128

36,904

33,925

41,211

46,190

32,254

34,267

Funds per mile (£000)

1.24

1.14

1.59

1.79

5.92

5.44

6.61

7.41

5.17

5.50

Funds (£ per head)

9.45

8.73

12.13

13.63

45.20

41.55

50.47

56.57

39.50

41.97


Suffolk
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

Total Funding (£000)

4,939

5,838

6,756

9,914

22,688

21,975

22,760

31,333

34,717

38,261

Funds per mile (£000)

1.16

1.37

1.59

2.33

5.34

5.18

5.36

7.38

8.18

9.01

Funds (£ per head)

7.22

8.54

9.88

14.50

33.18

32.14

33.29

45.83

50.78

55.96


The Government also support local transport authorities through the general revenue support grant, and councils spend some of this support on highways and transport services according to their own priorities.

Transport: Transpennine Corridor

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the levels of (a) road transport and (b) rail transport in the Transpennine corridor. [125776]

Gillian Merron: The current levels of road traffic on the Transpennine routes at their busiest sections taken from the 2005 Traffic Monitoring-Data Analysis Report are:

The current level of rail traffic between Manchester and Leeds, using Huddersfield as a central measurement point, is an average of 104 trains in each direction on any weekday. Capacity on the core Leeds-Manchester section of the north Transpennine route was stepped up in December 2004 from three trains per hour to four trains per hour.

The current level of rail traffic between Manchester and Sheffield, using Edale as a central measurement point, is an average of 44 trains in each direction on any weekday.

West Coast Railway Line

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce a decision on the procurement of extra carriages for the Pendolino trains operating on the West Coast Main Line; and if he will make a statement. [129039]

Mr. Tom Harris: Negotiations continue to take place with Virgin Trains and their partners over the provision of additional cars for the Pendolino trains. I cannot give any specific time scales at this stage.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to assist in the procurement of extra carriages for the Pendolino trains operating on the West Coast Main Line; and if he will make a statement. [129040]

Mr. Tom Harris: Officials from the Department for Transport are actively working with Virgin Trains and their partners over the commercial and operational issues relating to the provision of additional accommodation on the Pendolino trains.

Solicitor-General

Trooper Williams

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was of the (a) defence teams, (b) prosecution teams and (c) other costs related to the prosecution of Trooper Williams for alleged crimes in Iraq in 2005. [129154]

The Solicitor-General: The total prosecution costs in this case were £28,195.24. I have been told by the Legal Services Commission that the total Crown court legal aid costs were £151,526. I am not aware of other costs. The costs of the investigation are not kept by my Department.


22 Mar 2007 : Column 1051W

Culture, Media and Sport

Budget and Revenues Sub-Group

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list attendees of the Budget and Revenues Sub-Group between February to July 2004. [127977]

Tessa Jowell: The Budgets and Revenue Sub-Group included representatives from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, HM Treasury, the Greater London Authority (GLA), London 2012 Ltd., Government Office for London, the London Development Agency and the British Olympic Association.

Casino Advisory Panel

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what evidence the Casino Advisory Panel received on the economic multiplier effect of situating a regional casino licence (a) in a large city and (b) elsewhere. [128464]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 19 March 2007]: In its call for proposals published on 31 January 2006, the Casino Advisory Panel asked all local authorities as part of their proposals to explain how and why they expected that the “multiplier effect” of the additional economic activity to be created by the proposal would outweigh the potential leakage of money from the local economy.

When relevant evidence was received it was taken into account by the panel and published on its website. The panel was also able to draw on its own extensive expertise in similar economic impact assessments.

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make the transcripts of the evidence in public sessions held by the Casino Advisory Panel available to the public. [128821]

Mr. Caborn: Transcripts of the recordings made of all seven of the Casino Advisory Panel’s examinations in public are currently being prepared, and will be published shortly.

Gambling: Finance

Mr. Anthony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has held with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust on industry funding and the implications for a statutory levy under section 123 of the Gambling Act 2005. [128748]

Mr. Caborn: My Department has met representatives of the gambling industry and the Responsibility in Gambling Trust on many occasions, and discussed industry contributions to problem gambling research, education and treatment. If more is needed, and not delivered by the industry, the Act has powers to impose a statutory levy. We will use those powers if necessary.


22 Mar 2007 : Column 1052W

Gaming Clubs

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the differences are in (a) scale and (b) nature of operation between regional casinos, large casinos and small casinos under the 2005 legislation. [128847]

Mr. Caborn: The following table sets out the scale and nature of the operation of the three new categories of casinos permitted under the Gambling Act 2005.

Type of casino
Small Medium Large

Minimum area (sq m)

750

1500

5000

Minimum number of gaming tables

1

1

40

Category of gaming machines permitted

Up to B1

Up to B1

Up to A

Maximum number of gaming machines

80

150

1250

Machine table ratio

2:1

5:1

25:1

Bingo permitted

no

yes

yes

Betting permitted

yes

yes

yes


Gaming Clubs: Licensing

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to publish the detail of her Department's consideration of (a) the Casino Advisory Panel's (CAP) report on the location of the new casinos and (b) the representations she has received about the CAP's recommendations. [128280]

Tessa Jowell: I made clear in my statement to the House on 30 January that I wanted to take time to consider the panel's report carefully. The outcome of this period of consideration is reflected in the draft order which I laid in the House on 1 March. I have concluded that the panel has taken its terms of reference seriously, has applied them in a balanced and consistent way and has tested its results back against the original terms of reference. I am satisfied that the panel has arrived at robust recommendations as a result.

As required by the Gambling Act 2005,1 have consulted Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly on the draft order, and they were content that the draft order should reflect the panel's recommendations in full.

On 20 February I met a delegation of Members and Peers who were sympathetic to Blackpool's proposal to the panel, and have received written representations from members of this group. The Department has also received around 270 letters from members of the public.


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