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24 May 2007 : Column 1453W—continued
Bus Stations
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus stations there are in England, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) passenger transport executive areas. [138887]
Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally.
Cycling: Highway Code
Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the revised version of rule 47 of the Highway Code from cyclists and their representatives. [139094]
Dr. Ladyman: In the course of the public consultation on proposed changes to the Highway Code in 2006, DSA received a total of 2,612 comments on rule 58 in the consultation text (the equivalent of rule 47 in the current edition of the Highway Code and rule 61 in the proposed draft code laid in Parliament on 28 March 2007). 32 of these comments were from cycling organisations, 29 from other organisations, 10 from MPs and 2,541 from individuals who may or may not be cyclists. A summary of consultation responses, including those on cycling issues, was placed in the Libraries of both Houses when the proposed revised code was laid before Parliament on 28 March 2007. It is also available on line at:
In addition to this consultation, we have since received correspondence from MPs, cycling organisations and individuals on this issue. The numbers of such queries have not been collected.
Dartford Tunnel: Fees and Charges
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the local discount scheme for residents living in the vicinity of the Dartford Crossing announced by his Department on 2 April 2007 following its consultation on changes to charges at the Dartford Crossing. [133223]
Dr. Ladyman: The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing has brought huge benefits over the years. But surrounding communities have borne the brunt of the added pollution and congestion. The Department has registered the demand for local discounts expressed through the consultation exercise on the proposals set out in our document “Proposed Changes to Charges at The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing”. I have accepted in principle that there is a case for local discounts, alongside the implementation of the other proposals in the consultation paper.
The Department will now be considering how discounts can be delivered in a way that is fair and protects the interests of both local people and taxpayers. We will be consulting on detailed proposals later in the year. In the meantime the current charging system will continue unchanged.
The local discount scheme does not alter our plans for discounts for anyone who chooses to use a ‘DART-Tag’. These drivers will be able to use the crossing for the current £1 cash charge regardless of where they live.
Departments: Consultants
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the outside (a) agencies and (b) consultancies which are undertaking work commissioned by his Department; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost is of each commission. [138460]
Gillian Merron: Details of the outside agencies and consultancies who are currently undertaking work commissioned by the Department are not held centrally and a complete list could be provided only at disproportionate cost. 399 different agencies and consultancies worked for the central Department and its agencies during financial year 2006-07 on commissions that have been recorded within the Department's accounting systems as consultancy.
The following are examples of some of the projects undertaken during 2006-07:
Technical consultancy for a digital tachograph project;
Study to Review Proposals for an In-Service Testing of Low Emission Diesel Engines;
Organisational Consultancy for the DVLA Local Office Directorate;
Advice in Connection with Development of a New DVLA Pay Structure;
Development of a Business Case for Automatic Number Plate Reader;
Development of a Business Case for Weigh in Motion Systems;
Traffic Officer Service Development;
Development of a Journey Time Reliability Measures;
Business Improvement Projects;
Transport Direct;
Cycling Demonstration Towns - to Measure Cycle Trips.
Departments: Driving Offences
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department paid in (a) parking fines and (b) speeding fines in 2006. [126080]
Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport and its agencies maintain the policy that traffic violations such as parking tickets and speeding fines remain the responsibility of the individual, and are not reimbursed from public resources. The one exception to this is the Government Car and Despatch Agency which pays parking tickets when they arise operationally in circumstances where overriding security requirements necessarily dictate the choice of parking location. The GCDA are the Government's own services for moving people and documents safely and reliably throughout the UK. The amount paid by the GCDA in 2006 was £11,165.
Departments: Greater London
Mrs. Lait:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department’s responsibilities are
with respect to London; what responsibilities he holds jointly with the Mayor of London; and if he will make a statement. [138514]
Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport provides national leadership across the transport sector, working with regional, local and private sector partners who deliver many of the services.
The Mayor of London’s statutory responsibilities are set out in the Greater London Transport Act 1999. Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for implementing the Mayor’s transport strategy. It manages the buses, the underground, the docklands light rail (DLR), Croydon tramline, a 580-kilometre network of main roads, all of London’s 4,600 traffic lights and has a strategic role in traffic management. TfL also runs London river services, Victoria coach station, regulates taxis and the private hire trade and runs the dial-a-ride service for those who need door-to-door transport.
DfT provides a substantial transport grant to TfL—over £2.3 billion in 2006-07—to support the delivery of its transport objectives.
The Secretary of State and the Mayor of London, under the Railways Act 2005, have a duty to co-operate with regard to the provision of London rail passenger services.
Departments: Manpower
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff funded by the public purse in his Department are classified as people without posts. [137665]
Gillian Merron: The number of staff in the Department for Transport classified as people without a post is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality as it is less than five.
Departments: Private Finance Initiative
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value of private finance initiative projects included in his Department's balance sheet (a) is in 2007 and (b) was in each of the last five years, broken down by project. [137788]
Gillian Merron: The HM Treasury signed deals list identifies departmental managed projects that are ‘on balance sheet’. This is available at:
The balance sheet presentation of Department for Transport ‘on balance sheet’ PFI projects is as follows:
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the value was of annual private finance initiative payments made by his Department from (a) capital and (b) revenue budgets in each of the last five years. [137789]
Gillian Merron: The capital value and revenue budget for Department for Transport PFI projects is available and updated at six monthly intervals through the HM Treasury Signed Deals list. The information is published on the Treasury website:
All payments to the contractor will come from the revenue budgets.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what value of annual private finance initiative payments by his Department was classified as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable in each of the last five years, broken down by project. [137790]
Gillian Merron: All payments made under PFI are identifiable. Prior to a PFI contract being signed the profile of unitary charge payments is agreed between the contractor and the public sector, subject to the operation of the payment mechanism.
For information on the value of each project, I would refer the hon. Member to the Treasury website:
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what value of annual private finance initiative (PFI) payments by his Department was (a) to repay capital and (b) expenditure on other parts of each PFI contract in each of the last five years, broken down by project. [137791]
Gillian Merron: The Department does not retain information on how PFI payments have been used by the contractor to repay capital or for other purposes. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Highways Agency has undertaken its own estimate of capital repayments on its projects and a table has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
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