Mrs. May: To ask the Leader of the House for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost (a) was of establishing and (b) has been of maintaining each site. [135711]
Mr. Straw: I am responsible for the website www.commonsleader.gov.uk. During 2006, the website received a total of 6,646,720 hits (an average of 553,893 hits per month), with the number of unique users in an average month being 45,037.
The total cost for the initial development and software amounted to £44,689 in 2003. The annual cost of hosting the website is £7,044. Extra costs may be incurred for development and maintenance on an ad hoc basis.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his Oral Answer of 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1505, on engagements, what the basis was of his claim on 24 September 2002 that, if he were able to purchase fissile material illegally, it would be only a year or two before Saddam Hussein acquired a usable nuclear weapon. [136508]
The Prime Minister: These matters have been examined during the course of the Butler Review and other inquiries, and covered during debates and statements on Iraq and in briefings by my Official Spokesman. All relevant information has been placed in the public domain in as far as that could be done without prejudicing national security.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the environmental impact of the Aviation White Papers proposal on expanding Heathrow airport; and if he will make a statement. [136779]
Gillian Merron: We maintain a close working relationship with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), at both official and ministerial level, on the programme of work to review further development of Heathrow. Officials from DEFRA participated in the technical panel work on air quality which reported last July, and our respective officials have had a number of discussions since on the environmental issues.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) originally estimated, (b) most recently estimated and (c) outturn cost was of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by his Department with outside suppliers over the last five years. [135683]
Gillian Merron: A table showing the five largest information technology contracts agreed by the Department over the last five years has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Top five IT contracts in the Department for Transport over the last five years | ||||||
Date awarded/commencement date | Title/Nature of work | Awarded by | Supplier | Original estimate (£ million ) | Outturn cost (if complete) (£ million ) | Most recent estimate (if ongoing) (£ million ) |
(1) Set up and transition costs have been excluded from the above figures. (2) Overall cost of all ICT services due to issues of commercial confidentiality. Notes The original estimate excludes indexation. The figures are provided on a resource basis (not cash basis). Support for new systems has been added (subject to change control) which has added to this baseline. Indexation has also been added each year. This explains the difference between the original estimate and the outturn. |
Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is undertaking the additional research recommended in the Road Safety Research Report Number 61, Stratifying Hypoglycaemic Event Risk in Insulin-treated Diabetes'. [136275]
Dr. Ladyman: No decision as yet has been made about commissioning further research.
The Secretary of States Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving is awaiting agreement from the European Commissions Committee on the Diabetes EC Working Group recommendations, before advising on whether changes can be made to the current medical standards for driving licences or further research is needed.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason EU driving licences cannot be upgraded in the UK; and whether there are plans to allow such upgrading in the future. [136246]
Dr. Ladyman: European legislation on driving licences does not allow for the member state of residence to amend a driving licence document issued by another member state to show additional driving entitlements.
DVLA must require the surrender of the original driving licence before a UK licence can be issued showing any new entitlements gained within the UK.
We are not aware of any plans to allow for the upgrade of licence documents in future amendments to European legislation.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of passengers travelling to and from Heathrow airport by (a) private motor vehicles, (b) taxis, (c) London Underground and (d) Heathrow Express in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [136780]
Gillian Merron: The estimated number of passengers using each mode of transport at Heathrow airport in each of the last five years is as follows:
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal road traffic accidents were recorded in the West Mercia police authority area between 22 and 29 April 2005. [136814]
Dr. Ladyman: Between 22 and 29 April 2005, there were three fatal personal injury road accidents reported in the West Mercia police authority area.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase the acreage of woodland and forests to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. [136637]
Barry Gardiner: Growing trees have the capacity to sequester carbon and existing woodlands contain a significant carbon stock. Young, fast growing species sequester carbon fastest, but these are not necessarily the trees that bring the greatest public benefits for wildlife, amenity and access. Carbon dioxide absorption is, therefore, valued as an additional benefit to the principal environmental and social objectives of woodland creation supported by the Forestry Commissions English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS).
The incentives offered through EWGS over the next few years will be influenced by the outcome of the refreshed England Forestry Strategy, the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 and the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what global greenhouse gas stabilization target, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent, the Government are using as a basis for their policies. [136557]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 10 May 2007]: The UK Governments climate change policies are based on limiting global mean temperature rise to 2°( )C above pre-industrial levels. This mirrors the European Unions 2° C stabilisation target.
The Government agree with the European Commission that, to meet that objective, the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases has to remain well below 550 parts per million volume carbon dioxide equivalent. This will require global greenhouse gas emissions to fall by between 15 and 50 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2050, with reductions in developed countries of between 60 and 80 per cent. The UKs target of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is consistent with this approach.
We will keep our emission reduction target under review and the draft climate change Bill includes a provision for it to be amended if required.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department is planning to contribute to the Heathrow expansion consultation by the Department for Transport; what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport on that matter; and if he will make a statement. [136778]
Ian Pearson: The Department for Transport has kept DEFRA in close touch on the programme of work to review further development of Heathrow airport. DEFRA participated in the technical panel work on air quality which reported last July, and discussions on other environmental issues have taken place between the two Departments.
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