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25 Oct 2007 : Column 466W—continued
Reoffenders: Eastern Region
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many high risk offenders committed further serious crimes in (a) East of England and (b) Suffolk while under the supervision of the probation and police service in each of the last three years. [161183]
Mr. Hanson:
The number of offenders who were charged with a serious further offence while under the supervision of the probation and police services and managed at levels 2 and 3 of the Multi-Agency Public
Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in each of the last three years in (a) East of England and (b) Suffolk is set out in the following tables.
| Offenders supervised at MAPPA levels 2 and 3 charged with a serious further offence, East of England | |
| Number | |
| Offenders supervised at MAPPA levels 2 and 3 charged with a serious further offence, Suffolk | |
| Number | |
Sentencing
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the effectiveness of his sentencing policy. [160283]
Mr. Hanson: The Government monitor closely the effectiveness of sentencing in reducing reoffending. A major review currently being conducted by Lord Carter is looking at sentencing policy as part of the wider examination of prison and probation services In England and Wales.
Transport
A303: Stonehenge
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to announce her decision on the A303(T) improvement scheme. [161076]
Mr. Tom Harris: We are considering the findings of the inter-departmental review of the Stonehenge improvement scheme and alternative options together with the results of more recent traffic surveys and analysis carried out by the Highways Agency. We expect to announce our decision on the A303(T) improvement scheme later in 2007.
A38: Devon
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made in ensuring that the alterations to the Deep Lane junction on the A38 in Devon will be carried out simultaneously with the development of a new town at Sherford. [160830]
Mr. Tom Harris:
The Highways Agency is currently negotiating with developers and local authorities to identify the most appropriate improvements for the Deep Lane junction, in order to accommodate the new community at Sherford along with other nearby developments. The Highways Agency has exercised its powers under Article 14 of the Town and Country
Planning Act to instruct the local planning authority not to grant planning consent to the development until the applicant has provided additional information enabling the Highways Agency to assess fully the impact of the proposals on the A38 trunk road. The Highways Agency will continue working with all the relevant parties to ensure the improvement works are implemented in time to accommodate traffic generated by the new developments. The improvements have been identified as a priority for funding within the current regional funding allocation period.
Air Pollution: Standards
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures her Department is putting in place to achieve compliance with the European Union targets for reductions in nitrogen dioxide pollution by 2010; and if she will make a statement. [160388]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport (DFT) plays a key role in negotiating ever-tighter air quality standards for vehicles at EU level. The European Council recently voted for the latest set of Euro standards (Euro 5 and 6 for light duty vehicles), negotiated by DFT. Euro 6, due to come into force in 2015, will deliver a 68 per cent. reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from diesel cars and vans, in comparison to the Euro 4 levels.
DFT requires local authorities to produce local transport plans (LTPs). Local authorities submitted their five-year LTPs in 2006, which cover all of England outside of London. In its guidance, DFT emphasised the importance of air quality by making it one of four shared priorities in the LTP.
The UK’s new Air Quality Strategy, published in July 2007, recommended that the Government further consider three new transport measures: incentives for the early uptake of new Euro standards; increased uptake of low emission vehicles; and reduced emissions from ships. Discussions have already begun across Government as to the possible implementation of these measures.
Aircraft: Air Conditioning
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment has she made of the health implications for aircraft passengers and crew of air quality in commercial aircraft; and if she will make a statement. [161279]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We commissioned the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) to evaluate evidence submitted by the British Air Lines Pilots Association (BALPA) in relation to cabin air “fume events”. The COT received extensive information from oil companies, airlines, engine manufacturers, independent scientific experts and campaign groups. The COT also reviewed previous studies of cabin air. The COT reported on 20 September 2007. The report is published on COT's website at www.advisorvbodies.doh.gov.uk/cotnonfood/index.htm where there is a mass of material.
The committee considered that it was not possible to conclude whether cabin air exposures (either general or following incidents) cause ill-health in commercial aircraft
crews. It recommended further work, in particular and as a priority, to ascertain whether substances in the cabin environment during fume events could potentially be harmful to health. COT considered that this work should be designed to detect any potentially harmful substances, rather than focus on named substances.
In keeping with its commitment to promoting healthy flying, the Department for Transport accepts this priority. We have recently been testing equipment which may be capable of capturing substances released during fume incidents. Subject to the results of this testing, the Department hopes to begin a study later this year or early next year.
Bus Services: Tickets
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she has taken to ensure that smartcard-based passes are issued and all buses have smartcard readers before the start of the English concessionary bus fares scheme. [159815]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 22 October 2007]: We have been providing regular guidance and support to Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs) to help them issue ITSO compliant smartcard passes. This includes issuing detailed bulletins and holding a series of regional seminars.
We have put in place a network of mentor authorities to provide additional advice and guidance to TCAs and have a dedicated and experienced team within the Department to provide support to TCAs and to monitor their progress.
We have put in place a framework agreement which TCAs can use to produce their smartcards, though they are free to other ITSO compliant smartcard producers if they wish. We have also put in place a number of other framework agreements offering related services, such as smartcard database management and the provision of equipment to allow TCAs to produce passes in house.
We are paying TCAs a grant of around £30 million this year which covers the cost of ordering passes under the framework agreement.
We are funding a new company, ITSO Services Ltd, to remove from TCAs most, if not all, of the financial and administrative burdens associated with becoming an ITSO member.
We have no plans to require smart readers to be installed on all buses in England. In areas where there are no smart readers, the passes will simply be shown to the bus drivers as they are now.
Departments: ICT
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) laptops, (b) mobile telephones and (c) personal digital assistant devices bought for the use of departmental Ministers have been returned to the Department following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [156731]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Since May 2005, eight mobile phones and seven laptops issued to departmental Ministers for official use have been returned following reshuffles. Detailed information for previous years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Driving Tests: Motorcycles
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorcycle tests were carried out at each of the test centres in Scotland in each of the last 10 years. [160664]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Driving: Licensing
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people held full UK driving licences in (a) Sandwell metropolitan borough council, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK in each year since 1997. [160120]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows the estimated number of people holding a full driving licence in (a) the West Midlands government office region and (b) Great Britain based on data from the National Travel Survey. It is not possible to produce estimates for Sandwell metropolitan borough council using data from this survey.
| Full car driving licence holders, West Midlands government office region and Great Britain, 1996-98 to 2006( 1) | |
| Estimated licence holders (million) | |
| (1) Data for several years have been combined in some cases to increase the sample size. | |
London Gateway Port
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the impact of the London Gateway Port on twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity demand at other English ports; and if she will make a statement. [160220]
Jim Fitzpatrick: A detailed assessment of the impact of London Gateway on other ports by region was included in the Container Port Transhipment Study, prepared by the Department’s consultants MDS Transmodal and DTZ Pieda and published in May 2006.
Scenarios 2(b), 4(b) and 5(b) in this study considered the net effect of addition of London Gateway to other development scenarios. Depending on deep-sea development assumed elsewhere, the study estimated that it would reduce additional feeder-service quay length required elsewhere by 2030 by between 14 per cent. and 35 per cent. as well as abstracting deep-sea traffic from other ports.
London Gateway Port: Road Traffic
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the impact of the London Gateway Port on road congestion in Essex; and if she will make a statement. [160219]
Jim Fitzpatrick: An assessment of the impact of the London Gateway port on road congestion in Essex was made as part of the Government decision giving consent for the port. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron), was satisfied that the impact of additional road traffic in Essex resulting from the port would be adequately addressed by the proposed highway capacity improvements set out in undertakings given by the London Gateway port promoters to Essex county council.
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the date was of each meeting held by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers since 27 June. [159787]
Mr. Tom Harris: Ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (on an individual basis or as part of a wider group) since 27 June to discuss a range of issues.
River Thames: Bridges
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which stakeholders have been included in the discussion on a new Lower Thames Crossing; and if she will make a statement. [160230]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The first part of the study will include extensive consultation with both public and private sector stakeholders. In addition the study will have access to the comments made on capacity issues included in the response to the consultation on "Changes to Charges at the Dartford Crossing" carried out earlier this year.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the impact of a new Lower Thames Crossing on (a) access to and (b) congestion in Castle Point. [160231]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No detailed work has been carried out on the access and congestion implications of any specific option.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on commissioning a Lower Thames Crossing; and whether any locations have been ruled out. [160232]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Detailed work on the specification of the study has been completed in house and the project is now out to tender with consultants. No locations have been ruled out.
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