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30 Oct 2007 : Column 1291W—continued
Vetting
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) basic and (b) enhanced checks the Criminal Records Bureau undertook for each Government Department and executive agency in the last year for which figures are available; [158124]
(2) how many (a) basic and (b) enhanced checks the Criminal Records Bureau has undertaken for home inspectors and energy inspectors. [158127]
Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not issue basic disclosures.
In the year October 2006 to September 2007, the CRB has issued 66,459 enhanced disclosures to Government Departments and executive agencies. These are broken down as follows:
| Number | |
Neither home inspectors nor energy inspectors are eligible for enhanced disclosures under current legislation. However, home inspectors have qualified for standard disclosures since October 2006 and the CRB has processed 877 such disclosures. Criminal Records Bureau checks on energy assessors are carried out by CRB Scotland.
Work Permits
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007, Official Report, column 1769W, on work permits, how many work permits in each category of work permit carrying an entitlement to settle in the UK were granted in each year since 2000; and for which sectors they were issued. [127087]
Mr. Byrne: The granting and issue of a work permit does not carry an automatic entitlement to settle in the UK. Settlement applicants must meet the specific criteria and so it is not possible to provide information on the basis requested.
Work Permits: Health Professions
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2007, Official Report, column 1941W, on work permits: health professions, how many work permits were issued to doctors and nurses from foreign countries other than African states in each year from 1997 to 2006, broken down by country. [156253]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 8 October 2007]: The table placed in the Libraries of the House shows the number of work permit applications which were approved for overseas nationals during the period 1998 to 2006 (excluding African countries). Data for 1997 and 1998 are not available. There have been no approvals for Auxiliary Nurses.
The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
Written Questions
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to Question 123917, on staff exit schemes, tabled by the hon. Member for Putney for answer on 26 February. [137167]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.
Transport
A436: Cheltenham
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will provide funding (a) to make improvements to the A436 around Cheltenham and (b) to adopt other measures to reduce congestion in Cheltenham city centre. [160495]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 29 October 2007]: In the current financial year the Department for Transport has provided £20.788 million for transport in Gloucestershire. It is for the county council to determine how this funding is spent in line with the priorities and strategies identified in their second local transport plan. The plan identifies congestion as a problem in parts of the county, including around Cheltenham, but it is for the authority to decide whether spending on the A436 would address this.
The south west region as a whole has not identified A436 improvements as a priority for major scheme investment through the regional funding allocation process.
Airports: Public Transport
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2007, Official Report, column 228-29W, on airports: public transport, what steps she is taking to ensure capital and revenue funding is in place for AirTrack to ensure the scheme is implemented; what meetings she has held with BAA and Network Rail to resolve the funding issues; and when she expects a final decision to be made on funding the capital revenue costs of the scheme. [161739]
Mr. Tom Harris: Airtrack is a private sector proposal and it is for the promoters to make the case for the scheme. We will need to be satisfied both that the capital costs can be met and about the need for future revenue support. The Department has regular meetings with the promoters to keep in touch with progress.
Aviation: Terrorism
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many acts of terrorism or attempted terrorism against aircraft have involved the use of (a) nail scissors and (b) lip gloss. [161612]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has no record of such incidents.
Car Sharing
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations she and her predecessors have held on the use of High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes since 2004. [160523]
Mr. Tom Harris:
No formal consultations have taken place. However, in the normal course of the Agency’s day-to-day work, informal discussions on the feasibility of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes as a
concept have been ongoing with interested parties such as motorists’ organisations and freight and public transport operators.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on the 2004 Highways Agency feasibility study into High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes. [160524]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Highways Agency spent approximately £36,000 on the feasibility study into High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes.
Crossrail Line: Finance
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for additional funding if the cost of Crossrail proves to be higher than the £16 billion budget. [158499]
Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 16 October 2007]: The £16 billion budget for the project is a fully inclusive cost, allowing for both contingency and expected inflation. Both the underlying costings and the risks around those costings have been very carefully assessed and subjected to independent external review. The Government are confident that costs will be contained within budget.
However, if costs should rise above that level and countervailing savings, or other revenue sources cannot be identified, then, recognising the scale of the project, Government would be the ultimate funder.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Transport for London and the Mayor of London on the (a) funding and (b) construction of Crossrail. [159116]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with both Transport for London and the Mayor of London to discuss such matters concerning transport in London, including Crossrail, as may be relevant at the time.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much and what proportion of funding for Crossrail will come from (a) public funding, (b) supplementary business rates, (c) additional business funding, (d) future farebox projections and (e) other sources; and if she will make a statement; [159196]
(2) how the financial risk for Crossrail will be managed; and if she will make a statement; [159197]
(3) what powers her Department has to monitor the building of Crossrail and to prevent any budget overruns. [159198]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007, Official Report, column 1093W.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contributions to the cost of Crossrail will be made by (a) the Corporation of London, (b) the Canary Wharf Group and (c) BAA. [160246]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007, Official Report, column 1093W.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by whom possible cost over-runs on Crossrail would be met. [159906]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) today (UIN 158499).
Crossrail Line: Cost Effectiveness
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) by what means she plans to ensure that the Crossrail project offers best value for money in its construction and implementation; [160537]
(2) what financial controls she will place on those carrying out work on Crossrail. [160538]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007, Official Report, column 1093W.
Departments: Assets
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the (a) description and (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is. [160403]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested information, where not commercially sensitive, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Departments: Consultants
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many consultants have been employed by her Department in 2006-07; how much has been paid to each consultant; and what the subject matter of consultancy for the Department was in each case. [156063]
Jim Fitzpatrick: 417 different 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.
Lists showing the costs and nature of the work undertaken by these consultancies in 2006-07 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
This updates the information provided to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 24 May 2007, Official Report, column 1455W, the hon. Member for Epsom & Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 19 June 2007, Official Report, column 1620W, and the right hon. Member for Oldham West & Royton (Mr. Meacher) on 12 July 2007, Official Report, column 1580W.
Departments: Crossrail Line
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the responsibilities of (a) her Department and (b) the Mayor of London will be on oversight of Crossrail. [161784]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007, Official Report, column 1093W.
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