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24 May 2007 : Column 1450W—continued
Airports: Security
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for the security regime operating for passengers in UK airports; what standardisation exists throughout the EU to ensure that equal security provisions are imposed on all European travellers; and if he will make a statement. [138208]
Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State, through the Transport Security and Contingencies Directorate (TRANSEC) of my Department, sets the security requirements and standards to be applied at UK airports. The airports themselves—and other directed parties such as airlines—are responsible for implementing the measures. The Department monitors compliance with security requirements and takes enforcement action where necessary.
Regulation EC/2320/2002 sets a common baseline for security standards at all European Union airports. Member states may however impose more stringent measures within their own territory where they judge this to be appropriate.
British Transport Police: Manpower
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) police officers and (b) community support officers there are in the British Transport Police in (i) Swansea and (ii) England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [139253]
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, email: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk
Bus Services: Competition
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which barriers to entry to the market in the provision of bus services he has identified; and what steps he plans to take to remove the barriers identified. [138267]
Gillian Merron: We have not identified any regulatory barriers to entry to this market. Outside London, the bus market is deregulated. Any operator who holds a public service vehicle operator’s licence, or a voluntary body that hold a community bus (section 22) permit, may register a bus service with the traffic commissioner and begin to operate it 56 days after the date of registration. In London, operators who hold such a licence or permit may tender for services in the London bus network.
Bus Services: Grants
Mr. Carmichael: 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 2000-01, broken down by (a) region and (b) local authority and passenger transport executive areas. [138886]
Gillian Merron: The totals paid by the Department to bus operators in Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) since 2000-01 have been as follows:
| £ million | |||
| London | England (excluding London) | Total | |
BSOG is paid direct to bus operators. Routes and operators cross local government boundaries and it is not possible to make sufficiently accurate estimates of the split of expenditure between local authority or passenger transport executive areas or regions, other than for London for which figures are given in the table.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the current rates are of the Bus Service Operators Grant scheme for each fuel type. [138888]
Gillian Merron: Bus Service Operators Grant rates are related to the fuel duty levied on the fuel concerned. The current rates, increased with effect from 7 December 2006, by fuel type.
| Pence per litre | |
| (1 )This rate also applies to a 95 per cent. / 5 per cent. diesel/biodiesel blend (2 )Pence per kilogram | |
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rural bus services are supported by rural bus grants, broken down by local authority area. [138889]
Gillian Merron: The main grant by which the Department supports rural bus services is the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant. The following table shows the latest information provided by each local authority on the number of services supported by the grant (figures showing the position as at March 2007 will be available later this year).
The Department has also provided funding to projects successful in Rural Bus Challenge competitions held between 1998 and 2003. A total of £110 million was awarded to 301 projects. The majority of these are now continuing after their period of funding from the Challenge scheme. Details of the annual awards are on the Department’s website.
Local authorities also support rural bus services from their own resources, including Revenue Support Grant.
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