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15 May 2007 : Column 650W—continued
Galileo Project
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much British funding has been made available for the Galileo global positioning system. [134359]
Dr. Ladyman: The European Union (EU) and member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) jointly fund the design and development programme for Galileo. To date the UK's subscription to the ESA element of the programme has been €142 million.
The EU’s contribution to the design and development programme is made from the EC budget and is estimated by the Commission to be €790 million. The UK's contribution to the EC budget is around 17 per cent. of the total, before the UK receives any abatement.
Invalid Vehicles
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consultation he has carried out with disability groups on the new classification of mobility scooters as vehicles rather than invalid carriages and the impact of such classification on their use on the highways and footpaths; [136364]
(2) what he expects the impact of the new EU classification of mobility scooters as motorised vehicles to be on the capacity to use those scooters on footways and highways. [136368]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 8 May 2007]: The Department for Transport considers that the change in the classification of mobility vehicles is purely a customs and excise issue, which will not affect road traffic legislation.
Consultation with disability groups on the new classification has not been carried out as it is not considered that it will impact on the ability of scooter users to travel on highways or footpaths.
Foreign-registered Lorries
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department is taking to ensure foreign lorries on roads in the UK comply with UK and EU safety regulations. [134717]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has a specific responsibility to help ensure that all commercial vehicles and drivers comply with the law, irrespective of whether their operating base is in the UK, or elsewhere.
However, in recognition of the concern that a greater proportion of vehicles and drivers on international journeys break the rules, last year we provided for VOSA to increase the level of roadside enforcement resources they have available in the south-east. This enabled VOSA to double the number of enforcement checks on potentially non-compliant vehicles during the last financial year, and will enable them to increase the number of checks by a further 20 per cent. in the current financial year. VOSA is extending the work of the South East International Transport Pilot nationally.
In addition to providing for a greater level of enforcement activity in the south-east, we also intend to introduce regulations at the earliest opportunity that will enable both the police and VOSA to issue fixed penalties and take a deposit from offenders on-the-spot in any case where they do not have a satisfactory address in the UK.
Enforcement officers will, in future, also be able to immobilise a vehicle in any case where the offender is likely to refuse to pay a deposit, or to drive away in contravention of any prohibition which has been issued, either in respect of the driver, or in any case where the vehicle has been deemed unfit to continue with its journey.
M1: Road Traffic
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to reduce congestion on the northbound carriageways of the M1 motorway between junctions 25 and 26. [137137]
Dr. Ladyman: The M1 junction 21-30 improvement scheme, which includes the northbound carriageways between junctions 25 and 26, will reduce congestion. The scheme will also improve safety and journey time reliability. Subject to satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes, construction is anticipated to begin between junctions 25 and 28 at the end of 2007 with completion expected in 2010.
Mobility
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made in introducing regulations to allow the issuing of temporary badges for drivers with a temporary mobility impairment. [137342]
Gillian Merron: The Department is currently conducting a full strategic review of the Blue Badge Scheme, which will consider the issue of temporary badges. We aim to report our findings in September 2007.
Ports: Construction
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to review the planning process for sea-port expansion. [137344]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government will shortly be publishing their proposals for reform of the planning system, including that for major infrastructure developments such as the largest ports.
The Marine Bill White Paper issued in March by the Secretary of State, DEFRA, outlined our proposals for a new marine planning system and the setting up of a new body, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO will, among other roles, administer marine licensing including proposals for harbour development below the category of major port projects.
Road Traffic Control
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) economic and (b) environmental impact his Department expects the ending of the tidal flow at the Blackwall Tunnel to have on (i) the South East, (ii) East Anglia, (iii) London and (iv) England; [136667]
(2) when and by whom his Department was invited to comment on the proposal to end the tidal flow at the Blackwall Tunnel. [136669]
Gillian Merron: The operation of the Blackwall Tunnel is the responsibility of Transport for London. They consulted the Highways Agency in January on the decision to terminate the tidal flow system. The Highways Agency was satisfied that the traffic impact on the Strategic Road Network would be negligible.
Since the decision to end the tidal flow system is an operational matter for Transport for London, no assessment of the economic and environmental impact has been made by the Department for Transport or the Highways Agency.
Roads: Tolls
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much grant from the Transport Innovation Fund has been given to Transport for London to fund the study of road tolls at Greenwich; [136664]
(2) what (a) advice and (b) funding his Department has given to Transport for London to assess the impact on surrounding areas of a proposed Greenwich road toll, including the impact of diverted traffic and pollution. [136666]
Gillian Merron: The Department has not provided specific policy or analytical support to Transport for London (TfL) in relation to Greenwich, however it has published guidance that is available to any local traffic authority that might wish to consider road pricing in their area on how to appraise the impacts of potential schemes.
The Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) is available from 2008-09 to support packages that address local congestion problems by combining investment in public transport with demand management, including road pricing. Pump priming money has been awarded to 10 areas to support the development of business cases. TfL has not received pump priming support and was not eligible to apply but may bid for substantive TIF along with other local authorities.
Culture, Media and Sport
British Grand Prix: Tourism
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives her Department is taking to promote tourism in the UK to overseas visitors coming to the UK for the Grand Prix. [136233]
Mr. Woodward: DCMS provides funding for VisitBritain to market Britain overseas and promote England domestically. In partnership with other public sector agencies, VisitBritain seeks to ensure that travellers to Britain enjoy an experience that encourages not only repeat visits but also further exploration of the country. VisitBritain’s website contains a dedicated sport area which markets attractions that can be enjoyed by the sports tourist, including material specifically aimed at international tourists visiting the Grand Prix.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport recently met the Chief Executive of VisitBritain to discuss how
effective marketing can maximise the tourism benefits of major sports events held in this country, in the context of the forthcoming Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games.
Gambling: Fees and Charges
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of (a) local authority licensing fees and (b) Gambling Commission fees have been set by her Department, under the Gambling Act. [136687]
Mr. Caborn: Licensing authorities are responsible for setting the fees for each type of gambling premises on a cost recovery basis. These must not exceed the fee maximum published in The Gambling Act (Premises Licence Fees) (England and Wales) regulations 2005 No. 479.
The Gambling Commission fees are as follows:
| Gambling Commission: Payable from 1 January 2007 | ||||||||
| Licence Application Fees | ||||||||
| Non-Remote | Remote | |||||||
| Operating Licence Type | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
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