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24 July 2007 : Column 924W—continued
Road Traffic Control: Ambulance Services
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the impact of speed humps on ambulances; and if she will make a statement. [151897]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has commissioned extensive research into the development of traffic calming technique. This research covers the impacts of road humps on vehicles, including ambulances, and their occupants. As a result, the Department recommends the use of 75 mm high (instead of the 100 mm maximum height permitted under regulations) road humps with shallow gradients, or speed cushions, where emergency services may be expected to pass on a regular basis.
Rolling Stock: Leasing
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost was to the public purse of the high speed trains fleet recently leased to SNCF; how long the period of the lease is; and what return is expected for (a) the Exchequer and (b) Eurostar. [150758]
Mr. Tom Harris: Eurostar UK Ltd. (EUKL) has recently leased its Regional Eurostar trains to SNCF to reduce the cost of stabling and maintaining trains for which it has no current use. The lease agreed with SNCF runs to 2013, however, the value of the deal is commercially sensitive and cannot be released in answer to this question. Income from the lease will accrue to EUKL, improving London and Continental Railways’ (EUKL’s parent company) overall financial position and reducing the Department for Transport’s exposure to supporting Eurostar’s costs. The Regional Eurostar trains were ordered by British Rail in 1991 at a cost of £180 million.
Shipping: Radioactive Materials
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether radioactive materials may legally be transported (a) on passenger ferries and (b) through the channel tunnel. [151927]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Provided that shipments are made in accordance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code there is no legal reason why radioactive material may not be transported by passenger ferry.
Provided that shipments are made in accordance with the requirements and restrictions established in Volume F (Carriage of Dangerous Goods) of Eurotunnel's Safety Arrangements, there is no legal reason why radioactive material may not be transported through the channel tunnel.
Transport: Lancashire
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost was of the next best option (western route) which Lancashire County Council submitted in her Department as their major business scheme in 2005; what environmental mitigation measures were identified for this route; and what the estimated cost was of any such measures. [152329]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Lancashire county council’s 2005 major scheme business case for the Heysham to M6 link did not include an estimated cost for the next best option (the western route). However, it did include an explanation of the reasons why the local authority had rejected the western route. A copy of the business case is available on Lancashire county council’s website at
Transport: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government grant the City of York received for transport schemes in each year since the unitary authority was established. [152201]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A local transport capital settlement is made annually and includes funding to support local transport projects. The settlements are published on the Department for Transport website at:
Most Government support for day to day highways and transport services is provided within the revenue support grant. It is up to local authorities to determine how much of this support to use on individual services according to their local policies and priorities.
Travel: Surveys
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) number and (b) distance of trips as calculated by the National Travel Survey was by (i) car driver, (ii) car passenger, (iii) bus, (iv) walking and (v) other modes of transport for the purposes of (A) commuting, (B) business, (C) education, (D) escort education, (E) shopping and (F) other reasons, broken down by (1) sex and (2) ages (v) under 17 years, (w) 17 to 29 years, (x) 30 to 49 years, (y) 50 to 59 years and (z) over 60 years in the latest period for which figures are available. [152136]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 28 November 2006, Official Report, columns 527-28W.
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been paid by the Department in consultancy fees to Deloitte and Touche in respect of its study into the possible outsourcing of elements of the work of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. [152434]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Payments to Deloitte and Touche LLP, from July 2006 (when the contract was awarded) to the end of June 2007, that are related to the current review of services provided by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency have been £1,072,904.
Defence
Arborfield Garrison
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to seek planning permission for more housing development at Arborfield Garrison prior to disposal of surplus property and land. [150923]
Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence is required to obtain market value when disposing of surplus assets. Officials work closely with English Partnerships, regional development agencies, local authorities and other key stakeholders when considering its disposal strategy. This will often include an assessment of development and regeneration opportunities which can be taken forward by prospective purchasers.
Currently we are promoting the surplus land holdings at Arborfield Garrison within the emerging Local Development Framework for a residential-led mixed use re-development. This may lead to a planning application being made by MOD prior to disposal of the land.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what area of land at Arborfield Garrison he expects to become surplus to his Department's requirements by 2012; and how much of that area is designated brownfield. [150924]
Derek Twigg: Arborfield Garrison consists of Rowcroft Barracks, Hazebrouck Barracks and West Court Officers' Mess that are due to become surplus to the Department's requirements by 2012. The site areas are respectively 50.753 hectares, 67.332 hectares and 28.393 hectares. In accordance with Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing, we consider most of the land holdings as previously developed land (often referred to as brownfield land).
In addition there is 2.24 hectares not assigned to any of the above sites and a number of Service families accommodation, owned by Annington Homes Limited (AHL), that will become surplus to this Department and will be handed back to AHL under the terms of the 1996 Sale Agreement.
Armed Forces: Casualties
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many casualty admissions there have been to (a) Selly Oak, (b) Ramstein and (c) other Ministry of Defence medical facilities from (i) Operation Telic, (ii) Operation Herrick and (iii) other theatres in each year since 1997. [148264]
Derek Twigg: The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) (formerly CDM), officially opened at Selly Oak in April 2001. Figures prior to this date are not available. Since opening, RCDM has handled the following numbers of patients who will have been admitted to any of five separate hospitals in Birmingham (this includes Selly Oak hospital). RCDM is the main reception centre for our casualties from all operations. The figures include all war fighting and non-war fighting physical injuries and illnesses. Figures for other operations include deployed operations, permanent operations, Permanent Joint Operating Bases, British Forces Germany, all Royal Navy ships and overseas locations, and exercise areas of all three services.
The admissions to RCDM from Operation Telic (commenced in 2003) are shown in the following table:
| Total | |
| (1) January to June | |
Admissions to RCDM from Operation Herrick (commenced in 2005):
| Total | |
| (1) January to June | |
Admissions to RCDM from other operations:
| Total | |
| (1) January to June |
With regard to the number of admissions to the United States medical facility in Ramstein, Germany, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy my letter in the Library of the House.
Field hospital admissions and Aeromedical figures are published on a fortnightly basis on the MOD website and updated regularly.
Statistics for other theatres of operations from 1997 onwards are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Housing
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many faulty (a) gas and (b) electrical appliances in accommodation maintained by Modern Housing Solutions were repaired or replaced in each year since 2005. [149667]
Derek Twigg: Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) has only been responsible for the maintenance of service families accommodation in England and Wales since January 2006.
MHS does not separately identify the information requested.
Armed Forces: Private Education
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on providing education in independent schools for the children of (a) officers and (b) other ranks of the armed forces in the last year for which figures are available. [150902]
Derek Twigg: Information on cost details of Service Education Allowances that have been spent by Service parents to help provide education for their children at independent schools is not held. When an eligible Service parent claims a Service Education Allowance, it can be used to help provide continuity of education for their child(ren) in either the independent or state maintained school sector; this is the parents' choice. The allowances can also be used at independent or state maintained education establishments that offer professional or vocational qualifications for the post-16 age group. All of these schools and establishments are listed on the Ministry of Defence's Accredited Schools Database.
The net cost of Service Education Allowances for the academic year 2005-06 was £93.6 million and for 2006-07 is estimated to be £93.7 million.
From 1 April 2007, all Service Education Allowances are now managed by the Joint Personnel Administration system. I am able to provide information on the number of Service Education Allowance claimants for 2005-06. This is shown in the following table:
| Service | Officers | Other ranks | Total |
Information on the cost for officer and other rank claimants from the legacy single Service administration systems could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Temporary Accommodation
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of placing service families in hotels in each year since 2005. [150027]
Derek Twigg: Records of hotel costs in England and Wales incurred prior to 1 January 2006 are no longer available. However, the costs incurred since January 2006 are:
January-December 2006: £49,081
January-30 June 2007: £28,271
It will take more time to identify hotel costs for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Overseas and I will write to the hon. Member. A copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Defence Export Services Organisation
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Defence Export Services Organisation. [151453]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 13W.
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