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11 Oct 2007 : Column 734W—continued
Motor Vehicles: Global Positioning System
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to publish on her departmental website a summary of the results of the public consultation on GPS in-vehicle information systems which closed in January 2007. [156812]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport intends to publish a summary of the results of the voluntary consultation on in-vehicle information systems by the end of the year. It will be available on the departmental website and copies will be sent to the Libraries of both Houses.
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent estimate is of the number of vehicles which should have an MOT safety test but do not. [156054]
Jim Fitzpatrick: A national vehicle and driver compliance check undertaken by the police in 2006 showed that, of the vehicles stopped, 4.2 per cent. were without a valid MOT certificate. This equates to approximately 1 million vehicles which should have a valid MOT certificate, but do not. The report is published on the Department for Transport website at
and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Passenger Focus: Information Officers
Mr. Mackay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many press officers are employed by Passenger Focus. [154465]
Mr. Tom Harris: I have been advised by Passenger Focus that it currently employs one press officer.
Railways: Portsmouth
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with First Great Western on the service offered to passengers on 15 September 2007 on its service from Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff; and if she will make a statement. [157258]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Secretary of State for Transport has had no discussions with First Great Western on the service from Portsmouth to Cardiff on 15 September 2007.
Roads: Accidents
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hit-and-run accidents there were in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) England in each of the last five years; and how many accidents resulted in (i) injury and (ii) death. [157099]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one hit and run driver/rider in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) England in each of the past five years, for (i) serious or slight and (ii) fatal accidents is shown in the table.
| Number of accidents | ||||
| South Yorkshire | England | |||
| Serious or slight | Fatal | Serious or slight | Fatal | |
Transport: Costs
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates she has made of the percentage change in real terms of the cost of travelling using (a) domestic air services and (b) cross-country train services since 1997. [155730]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The change in the real cost of travelling by domestic air services since 1997 is not available.
Data are not available for cross-country rail services. However, in Table 5.1 of National Rail Trends (see weblink) published by the Office of Rail Regulation a breakdown of rail fares by type of operator is shown.
Transport: Livestock
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will set out the details of the relaxation of drivers hours restrictions for the transport of livestock, including the period for which the relaxation will apply, arising from the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Surrey. [157154]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The changes to the requirements of Regulation (EC) 561/2006 apply only to drivers who are wholly or mainly engaged in transporting cattle, pigs and sheep (including lambs) in connection with meeting the exceptional circumstances arising as a consequence of the foot and mouth outbreak.
A daily driving limit of 10 hours (instead of the current nine hours);
A weekly rest period of 24 hours (instead of the current 45 hours);
No weekly or fortnightly driving time limits (currently 56 and 90 hours).
There is no change to the requirements for daily rest and breaks.
Drivers are also subject to the provisions of the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 which impose limits on total working time (the period when a driver is at work rather than just driving). These regulations impose a maximum weekly limit of 60 hours. To allow drivers to use the full amount of additional driving time allowed, the weekly working time limit is raised by 10 per cent. from 60 to 66 hours (the maximum permissible under EU legislation).
The relaxation will remain in place initially until 4 November, but the situation will be kept closely under review with the relaxation either being revoked sooner or extended if appropriate. The approval of the European Commission would be required for any extension. Industry will be informed at that time.
Treasury
Northern Rock
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the terms on which he has engaged Goldman Sachs to advise him on Northern Rock. [155741]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 8 October 2007]: Goldman Sachs has been jointly engaged by HM Treasury and the Financial Services Authority to advise on the implications of the announcement made on 17 September that, should it prove necessary, HM Treasury, with the Bank of England, would put in place arrangements to safeguard existing depositors of Northern Rock.
Smuggling: Boats
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the threat to the UK, of the smuggling of (a) firearms, (b) other items subject to an import prohibition, through uncanalised yacht and pleasure craft traffic; and if he will make a statement. [156566]
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of the threat presented to the UK of smuggling firearms and other items subject to an import prohibition through uncanalised yacht and pleasure craft traffic. [156027]
Jane Kennedy: Yachts and pleasure craft represent a very small fraction of the vehicles entering and leaving the UK which HM Revenue and Customs deals with on a regular basis. HMRC assesses the threat posed by this form of transport as part of its overall approach to tackling smuggling.
HMRC is an intelligence-led organisation which works in partnership with other customs and law enforcement agencies, both within and outside the UK, to identify and tackle the threats posed, and deploys its resources accordingly.
Taxation: Tobacco
Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much net revenue was raised through the sale of tobacco products in the last 12 months. [156769]
Angela Eagle: The details of tobacco excise duty revenue figures for recent years are published by HM Revenue and Customs in Table 3 of the Tobacco Bulletin which can be found on its website at:
HMRC does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.
Welfare Tax Credits: Appeals
Mike Wood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals have been (a) lodged and (b) heard, broken down by outcome, in relation to the calculation of child and working tax credit entitlements. [155974]
Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested. During the period April 2006 to the end of September 2007 around 60 tax credits appeals were lodged with the Appeals Service each month.
Women and Equality
Domestic Violence
24. Chris McCafferty: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of the support available to victims of domestic violence; and if she will make a statement. [156864]
Barbara Follett: We have transformed the support available for the victims of domestic violence, which often has far-reaching effects not only for themselves but also their families, particularly children.
This includes £3 million to fund independent domestic violence advisers with a commitment to ongoing funding for services, £2 million to fund the local delivery of support services for victims and their children and £59 million for housing-related support through the Supporting People Programme.
However, as this is an abhorrent crime which can never be justified, we have undertaken the biggest overhaul in legislation in 30 years to protect victims and stamp it out. The Government are determined to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their action which is why we have increasing the number of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts from 25 to 64.
Freemen's Guilds
25. David Taylor: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent estimate the Government have made of the proportion of women belonging to freemen's guilds in England; and if she will make a statement. [156865]
Barbara Follett: We have made no estimate of the proportion of women belonging to freemen’s guilds in England. Such information is not held centrally. We are aware that some guilds do not feel that they can admit the daughters of freemen, given the terms of their charter or custom in the area. We agree that such ancient traditions should not be restricted to men and will bear this in mind should a suitable legislative opportunity become available.
Child Care
26. Ian Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of the availability of child care for women seeking further and higher education. [156866]
Barbara Follett: The Childcare Act 2006 requires local authorities in England to assess child care in their areas by April 2008, and then to secure sufficient child care for working parents and those in education or training leading to work. These assessments will highlight demand for child care, including from student parents. I understand that the Welsh Assembly Government will bring the Childcare Act 2006 duties in Wales into force following the conclusion of their budget-setting process.
Work and Pensions
Children: Poverty
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the impact on child poverty of raising to 74.6 per cent. the employment rate for lone parents whose youngest child is aged 11 years or over. [155943]
Caroline Flint: The requested information is not available.
Comptroller and Auditor General: Correspondence
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to paragraph 14 of the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the National Insurance Fund Account 2003-04 (HC 197, 2004-05), what criteria were used to determine which people over state pension age should receive letters from his Department; and how many were (a) men and (b) women. [156402]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 8 October 2007]: In the exercise that ran for 12 months from 27 September 2004 DWP wrote to pensioners who
reached state pension age between 6 April 1998 and 24 October 2004; and
were not receiving a full basic state pension in their own right, or not receiving a pension; and
had a deficient national insurance contribution record in any of the years between 1996-97 and 2001-02; and would have received a deficiency notice from HMRC.
those customers living abroad who were also in the United Kingdom at the time and met the criteria above;
customers reaching state pension age between 6 April 2004 and 24 October 2004 who had a deficient national insurance contribution in their final relevant year tax year 2003-04 and 2002-03;
customers who had already paid voluntary class 3 national insurance contributions at either the standard rate or the higher rate and who were refunded the difference, and
customers who had paid voluntary class 3 national insurance contributions and did not have their state pension backdated to state pension age in line with the easements introduced with this exercise.
only those customers who could benefit from the payment of class 3 national insurance contributions were contacted.
The Department does not hold management information on the gender split of letters issued during this exercise.
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