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29 Mar 2007 : Column 1688W—continued
British Transport Police: Community Support Officers
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Transport Police community support officers were based in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years, broken down by location of post. [130937]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.
Bus Services: Grants
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid to bus operators through the Bus Service Operators Grant in each year since the grant was introduced. [130058]
Gillian Merron: Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) was introduced under the Transport Act 2000. It replaced the Fuel Duty Rebate scheme which had been in place since 1965.
The amount of BSOG paid by the Department to operators of local bus and community transport services since 2000 is as follows:
| £ million (cash prices) | |
| (1) Estimated. | |
Cycleways
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on cycling facilities in local authority areas (a) in London and (b) in England outside London in each year since 2000-01; what his expectations are for future spending; and if he will make a statement. [129400]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department provides a central budget for cycling programmes and initiatives. Since 2005-06 this has been the responsibility of Cycling England and investment in cycle facilities is as follows:
| £ million | |
In 2000-01 and 2001-02 the budget was revenue spend on promotion of cycling.
The majority of expenditure on cycling is committed by local highway authorities who receive funding from the Department through the Local Transport Plan settlement and it is for them to determine their priorities. English authorities outside London have informed the Department that their investment in cycle facilities for each year is as follows:
| £ million | |
London boroughs also receive funding from the Department via a block settlement through Transport for London (TfL) and with their other revenue streams TfL has informed the Department that their investment in cycling facilities for each year since 2001-02 is as follows:
| £ million | |
The Department does not require local authorities to provide an estimate of future spend on cycling so no data are available for 2006-07 and 2007-08. TfL though have informed the Department that they forecast £24.1 million will be spent on cycle facilities in 2006-07 and £36.1 million in 2007-08. Cycling England forecast that their expenditure on cycle facilities in local authority areas in 2007-08 will be £3.8 million to be spent in the cycling demonstration towns and on ‘Links to Schools’.
Departments: Advertising
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on (a) sponsoring newspaper and publication supplements and (b) funding advertorials in newspapers and publications in the last year for which figures are available; and what the topic was of each. [130010]
Gillian Merron: The Department has not sponsored newspaper or publication supplements in fiscal year 2006-07. We have however purchased advertorial space to reinforce specific campaigns as follows:
| Campaign | Cost (net) (£) |
|
VOSA Automatic Number Plate Recognition/Weigh in Motion Sensors | |
Departments: Golden Arrow Communications
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent (a) meetings and (b) discussions Ministers in his Department have had with Golden Arrow Communications; and if he will make a statement. [130791]
Gillian Merron: Since 2005, Ministers have attended two events organised by Golden Arrow Communications.
As part of the consultations on the Department’s review of ports policy, the Minister of State accompanied by officials attended a lunch on 18 July 2006 to hear the views of ports and shipping interests.
On 21 February 2007 both Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State attended a parliamentary reception at which one spoke about the Government’s broad transport priorities.
In addition Ministers have attended conferences, receptions and other such events not organised by Golden Arrow Communications but at which individuals employed by them may have been present. No record is kept of such encounters.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have held with Golden Arrow Communications since 2005. [129825]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 26 March 2007]: Since 2005, Ministers and officials have attended several events organised by Golden Arrow Communications.
An official gave an introductory address about the Department’s review of ports policy at a seminar on 5 July 2006. As part of the consultations on that review, the Minister of State accompanied by officials attended a lunch on 18 July 2006 to hear the views of ports and shipping interests.
On 21 February 2007 both Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State attended a parliamentary reception at which one spoke about the Government’s broad transport priorities.
In addition Ministers and officials have attended conferences, receptions and other such events not organised by Golden Arrow Communications but at which individuals employed by them may have been present. No record is kept of such encounters.
Departments: Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment. [130135]
Gillian Merron: Information about the political activity of appointees is recorded and publicised in accordance with the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice. This shows that no former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have since been appointed to public bodies sponsored by the Department.
Departments: Railways
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were employed by his Department with a responsibility for rail transport in each year since 2002. [128919]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport was established in May 2002. The number of people employed with a specific responsibility for rail transport including Rail Accident Investigation Branch (operational from October 2005) and the transfer of the Strategic Rail Authority's responsibilities (from July 2005) for each year since 2002 were:
| Rail directorates | Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) | Total | |
Government Car and Despatch Agency: Manpower
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers working for the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female. [124612]
Dr. Ladyman: Drivers working for the Government Car and Despatch Agency in the last five years were as follows:
| Male | Female | Total | |
The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing a range of transport and mail distribution services to Government and the wider public sector.
The Agency's Diversity Action Plan 2006-11, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House, includes a target to increase the number of women, disabled and black minority ethnic employees by 2011.
M42: Motorway Service Areas
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish correspondence between the Highways Agency and Shirley Estates on the proposed motorway service area at junction 4 of the M42. [130472]
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