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12 Nov 2007 : Column 40W—continued
2004: ArmorGroup
2005: ArmorGroup, Edinburgh International
2006: ArmorGroup, Edinburgh International
2007: ArmorGroup
ArmorGroup provides both static and mobile security. This contract was subject to a retender in late 2006. Edinburgh International provided a one-off contract for both static and mobile security services for a project between 2005-06.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) ensures that all contracts are subject to a rigorous selection process so that we obtain best value for money. Any company engaged by the FCO needs to pass through a stringent and transparent procurement process in line with public procurement guidelines and best practice.
Pakistan: Politics and Government
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Pakistan Government following the decision by President Musharraf to suspend that country's constitution. [162095]
David Miliband:
The Government have made numerous representations to the Government of Pakistan at various levels since President Musharraf declared a state of emergency. I myself have spoken to Prime Minister Aziz and to Foreign Minister Kasuri. In both cases, I urged the Government of Pakistan to act quickly to restore the constitution, to ensure free
and fair elections on schedule in January, to release all political prisoners, to lift media restrictions and to honour the commitment that President Musharraf steps down as Chief of Army Staff by 15 November.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 7 November 2007, Official Report, columns 130-32.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with President Musharraf of Pakistan on the situation in that country; and what steps he plans to take in relation to the replacement of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. [162106]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to President Musharraf on 1 November. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Prime Minister Aziz and to Foreign Minister Kasuri on 5 November. In all cases, we stressed the vital importance that we place on Pakistan’ acting quickly to restore the constitution and the rule of law, which includes a legitimate and independent judiciary.
I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 7 November 2007, Official Report, columns 130-132.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Pakistan. [162108]
Dr. Howells: We are gravely concerned by the political situation in Pakistan. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend the Minister responsible for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, are working closely with our international partners to urge the Government of Pakistan to ensure free and fair elections by 15 January, to release all political prisoners, to lift media restrictions and to honour the commitment that President Musharraf step down as Chief of Army Staff by 15 November.
I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 7 November, Official Report, columns 130-132.
Saudi Arabia: Official Visits
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse was of the recent visit of the Head of State of Saudi Arabia. [162490]
Meg Munn: I will write to the hon. Member about Foreign and Commonwealth Office expenditure on the visit as soon as the accounts have been finalised and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Transport
Aircraft: Air Conditioning
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tests are carried out on commercial aircraft to measure levels of tricresyl phosphate in cabin air. [163077]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology looked into the organophosphate known as TOCP (tri-ortho cresyl phosphate) in 2000, and concluded that
“the very low levels of TOCP that would be found even in the highly unlikely worst case of contamination from oil leaking into the air supply lead us to conclude that the concerns about significant risk to the health of airline passengers and crew are not substantiated.”
The Committee looked again at this matter during its inquiry into Aviation Health in July of this year and took evidence from aviation stakeholders and Ministers. We await its report.
Typically cabin air is changed every two to three minutes and cockpit air every minute; so tests on cabin air need sampling equipment which can pick up transient contaminants. The Department for Transport has commissioned the testing of equipment which may be capable of capturing substances released during fume events. Subject to the results of this testing, the Department hopes to begin a study later this year or early next year.
That study will be designed to detect any potentially harmful substances rather than focusing on named substances, as recommended by the independent Committee on Toxicity which reported on cabin air on 20 September 2007.
Aviation: Security
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects Regulation (EC) No. 2320/2002 to be fully revised and implemented. [162973]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Agreement having not yet been reached between the Council and the European Parliament on the text of a regulation to replace EC2320/2002, the draft regulation will shortly enter the formal conciliation process. The outcome should be known by the end of the year.
Motor Vehicles: Glass
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness amongst drivers of the existence of the visual light transmission standard for vehicle window tint imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986; and if she will make a statement. [161948]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Information was made available in 2003 when we consulted on amendments to the regulations covering tinted windows. A press release was issued at the time and when the new requirements took effect, from 1 January 2004, a leaflet was produced by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. There is information on the direct.gov website about tinted windows including a link to the VOSA leaflet which sets out the position.
There have been no changes to the requirements since January 2004. However, as a new version of the Highway Code was produced we took the opportunity to include a reference to excessively tinted windows in the code.
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers were subject to sanctions by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency enforcement examiners for using vehicles which failed to meet the relevant visual light transmission standard imposed by Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 in each of the last three years. [161951]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency does not collect data specifically on the number of drivers that failed to meet the relevant visual light transmission standard. However, the number of prohibitions issued for glass/glazing defects are as follows:
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to include the Visual Light Transmission standard in the MOT test. [163055]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has no plans to do so.
Railway Stations: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many additional trains under the new timetable will be stopping at central Milton Keynes station once the work at the station is complete. [162917]
Mr. Tom Harris: In the draft December 2008 timetable, the number of long-distance trains calling at Milton Keynes every hour is set to increase from two to three providing passengers with direct trains to destinations such as London, Manchester and Birmingham.
The level of services to local stations and other destinations served by the London Midland franchise (which took over from Silverlink on 11 November 2007) remains broadly as it was previously.
Railway Stations: York
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps she is taking to increase (a) car parking capacity and (b) platform availability at York railway station; and if she will make a statement; [162380]
(2) when she last considered the adequacy of (a) car parking and (b) platform capacity at York railway station; and if she will make a statement. [162381]
Mr. Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The right hon. Member should contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his questions.
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Railways: Greater London
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department made of railway passenger numbers in London in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [162550]
Mr. Tom Harris: Statistics on passenger rail journeys are published by the Office of Rail Regulation in National Rail Trends. The Yearbook editions contain regional passenger journeys in and between regions. These are available in the House Library or from the ORR website:
Statistics on the number of passengers using rail travel are based on ticket sales, rather than actual passenger numbers. The data is obtained from the ticketing database LENNON. The regional passenger figures are sourced from the Historic Rail Database, an annual compendium of LENNON.
Railways: Skipton
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to re-open the railway line between Skipton and Colne; and if she will make a statement. [162601]
Mr. Tom Harris: There are no plans to re-open the railway line between Skipton and Colne.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car accidents there were in Huddersfield in each of the last five years; and how many of those accidents resulted in death. [162549]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Number of reporting personal injury road accidents involving cars in the Huddersfield parliamentary constituency: 2002-06 | |||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the relationship between the number of speeding convictions and the number of road traffic accidents in each of the last three years. [162902]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of speeding convictions and road traffic accidents in the last three years for which figures are available is shown in the following table.
| Number of convictions | Number of accidents | |
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