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26 July 2007 : Column 1549W—continued


Transport

Airborne Global System for Mobile Equipment

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the European Aviation Safety Authority granted airworthiness certification for the Airborne Global System for Mobile Equipment; when the House was informed of this decision; what the consultation process was prior to this decision; what the dates were of the consultation; which organisations were consulted; and if she will make a statement. [152012]

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is a technical matter between a European Agency and a private company.

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued Airbus with airworthiness certification for an airborne global system for mobile equipment (GSM) system on 19 June. The certification was issued to enable trials to be carried out on a single aircraft. EASA is the competent authority in the EU with responsibility for the airworthiness certification of all aeronautical products. It did not undertake a consultation process with regards to this particular approval.

Following the outcome of the trials and the product approval granted by EASA, operators of UK airlines
26 July 2007 : Column 1550W
would be required to gain an operational approval from the CAA before mobile equipment could be used on their aircraft.

Bus Services: Concessions

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated set-up cost is of the new concessionary bus travel schemes set up under the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill per individual smart card; and how these costs were calculated. [152180]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of introducing smartcards will depend on local circumstance and will vary from authority to authority. The Department commissioned independent Consultants, Deloitte, to produce an estimate of the indicative costs of all stages of introducing a national concessionary bus pass for older and disabled people in England. Their report was received in January 2007, and estimated that the cost, per smart card, would be between £2.64 and £3.59.

The report drew upon a number of sources. Several regional and local authorities have already implemented smart card travel schemes while many more are actively planning to, and members of several such authorities were interviewed. In addition, a number of representatives from key suppliers and from transport operating companies were also approached for information for the report.

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will fund the new bus schemes arising from the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill by specific grants direct to local transport authorities. [152244]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Funding for the Concessionary Bus Travel Act will either be distributed via the formula grant system—as is the case for funding of the current statutory minimum concession—or specific grant by formula. A decision on the funding route will be made in due course.

Departments: Air Conditioning

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by the Department and its agencies on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years. [151928]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested information is as follows:

£

2002-03

19,000

2003-04

87,097

2004-05

117,989

2005-06

171,936

2006-07

190,692


Departments: Disabled

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of people employed by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies are disabled. [153595]


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Jim Fitzpatrick: The proportions of staff who declared that they were in the Department and its agencies disabled at 31 March 2007 was 6.1 per cent.

Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in her Department have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate telephone numbers in the last 12 months. [149182]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows the number of people in the Department and its Agencies that have been disciplined/dismissed for inappropriate use of the internet while at work and using work telephones to access premium rate telephone numbers in the last 12 months.

Number disciplined Number dismissed

Internet

155

20

Telephone

1

0


Almost all of these relate to one particular instance. This represents 0.84 per cent. of staff employed within the Department for Transport central and its Agencies.

Departments: Flint Bishop Solicitors

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have made payments to Flint Bishop solicitors since 1997. [151376]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since the Department was formed in May 2002 of the Department’s agencies, only the Highways Agency has a record of payments being made to Flint Bishop solicitors, as follows:

Departments: Information Officers

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many press officers are employed by her Department. [153216]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The full time equivalent number of staff employed on press officer activities on 1 July 2007 is as follows:

Press officers

DfT Central

14

DfT Agencies

22


Press office activities in most agencies are not carried out by staff or units solely dedicated to this purpose.

Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ministerial red boxes her Department bought in each of the last five years; what the cost of each was; who the suppliers were; and what tendering process was used in selecting them. [150416]


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Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministerial boxes are used by successive Ministers over many years.

Since the Department was formed in May 2002, it has purchased 13 ministerial red boxes at a total cost of some £8,853.62 (inc VAT). All of the boxes were supplied by Banner Business Supplies (formerly the Stationery Office). Identifying the tendering process at this stage could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Postal Services

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what volume of correspondence her Department sent (a) by Royal Mail and (b) by other commercial delivery services in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for the use of other commercial delivery services. [150459]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising seven Executive Agencies. Data on volume of correspondence sent by Royal Mail and by other commercial service providers is not recorded in all cases.

Where recorded the requested information is as follows:

Items

(a)

2002-02

76,720,270

2003-04

80,866,908

2004-05

110,748,308

2005-06

100,662,528

2006-07

102,671,860

(b)

2002-02

(1)

2003-04

(1)

2004-05

3,905

2005-06

4,481

2006-07

7,685

(1) not recorded

Commercial delivery services are only used when it was proven more cost effective to do so, at customer’s request, for non-standard sized items or if time critical.

Departments: Press

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which periodicals her Department subscribes. [153208]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport (Central) receives a library and information service from Communities and Local Government. A list of those periodicals centrally funded has been placed in the Library of the House. Separating those titles solely held for use by the Department for Transport could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The list also includes periodicals subscribed to outside this service by the Department’s Executive agencies.

The list excludes information from the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Driving Standards Agency which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


26 July 2007 : Column 1553W

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by her Department on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months. [153209]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport (Central) receives a library and information service from Communities and Local Government. From 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, the library spent £25,064 on paper-based publications for Department for Transport and for Communities and Local Government. This included the purchase of newspapers, magazines, annuals and books. Separating out spend relating to newspapers and magazines solely held for use by Department for Transport would attract a disproportionate cost.

Expenditure outside this service, by the Department’s executive agencies, was some £169,225 in 2006-07. This excludes information from the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Driving Standards Agency which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Training

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by her Department on staff away days in the last 12 months. [153205]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is not held in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Travel

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by her Department on (a) business class and (b) first class flights in the last 12 months. [153211]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Air travel expenditure is not recorded by class of ticket. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of miles travelled by cars in the Government Car and Despatch Agency in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2001-02; and how many miles were travelled in work conducted for each Government Department. [153368]

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the then Minister of State for Transport (Dr. Ladyman) on 22 February 2007, Official Report, column 1939W.

Driving Offences

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of motor vehicles being used on the road without (a) road tax, (b) insurance and (c) a driving licence. [152154]


26 July 2007 : Column 1554W

Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 24 July 2007]: (a) The most recent estimates of the number of vehicles evading Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland were published in the statistical report Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion 2006. A copy of this report, published on 25 January 2007, was placed in the House of Commons Library and is also available at:

(b) Our latest estimate (2005) for uninsured driving is based on a comparison of the vehicle register, maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Motor Insurance Database. It is that there are about 2.1 million vehicles (about 6.5 per cent. of the UK vehicle fleet) being driven by uninsured drivers.

(c) The most recent estimate of the number of drivers using a vehicle on the road without a valid driving licence was published in a joint DfT/DEFRA/ACPO report, Roads Policing Operation V79—National Driver and Vehicle Compliance Check. It was published on 8 September 2006, was placed in the House of Commons Library and is also available at:

The Government are determined to tackle the problem of unlicensed vehicles. It introduced a system of continuous registration (CR) in January 2004 to enforce VED direct from the computer record. In addition, DVLA let a new contract to wheelclamp unlicensed vehicles in May 2006. In the 12 months since then 100,442 vehicles were clamped and impounded.

The Road Safety Act 2006 gives the Government powers to introduce a system of continuous insurance enforcement. The scheme will provide a new fixed penalty for people who ignore official reminders that their insurance has expired. This will apply to vehicles that are not declared as being off the road through a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) and are not insured. Continuing offenders risk having their vehicle seized and destroyed. This is expected to begin in 2008.


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