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5 Dec 2007 : Column 1229W—continued
Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year. [171338]
Margaret Hodge: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Young People
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department (a) directly and (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department. [171281]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has employed only one person aged between 16 and 18 years of age during the last 10 years. During that person’s employment they received 8.5 days training which was fully funded by the Department. No information is held on the age of staff employed through employment agencies.
Transport
Chiltern Railways: Greater London
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) Transport for London and (b) the Mayor of London's office made any approach to her to take responsibility for the routes into Marylebone operated by Chiltern Railways; and if she will make a statement. [170337]
Mr. Tom Harris: There are no records of an approach by either (a) Transport for London or (b) the Mayor of London's office requesting a change in responsibilities for Chiltern Railways routes into London Marylebone.
Crossrail Line: Finance
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which businesses she expects to contribute more than (a) £1 million, (b) £2 million, (c) £5 million, (d) £10 million, (e) £50 million and (f) £100 million towards Crossrail, broken down by (i) direct contributions and (ii) contributions through the supplementary business rate. [165491]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by the Secretary of State on 26 November 2007, Official Report, columns 4-5WS. Contributions raised from any Crossrail-related supplementary business rate are a matter for the Mayor of London.
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial contribution BAA is making to Crossrail. [165493]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by the Secretary of State on 26 November 2007, Official Report, columns 4-5WS. Discussions with BAA on the size of its contribution to Crossrail are ongoing.
Departmental Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in her Department (a) were disciplined and (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last five years. [163695]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of staff in the Department who were disciplined or dismissed for poor sick record is shown in the following table. However, the number disciplined excludes GCDA and DfT(C) because the Department does not routinely collate disciplinary information in the format requested and this could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
| Number | ||
| Staff disciplined for sick record | Staff dismissed for poor sick record | |
East Coast Railway Line: Repairs and Maintenance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable for improvements to the East Coast mainline has been agreed as part of the new franchise. [171044]
Mr. Tom Harris: The new franchise, awarded to National Express Group, will commence on 9 December this year. The timetable that it will inherit from that date will be the same as that currently operating with two additional Sunday services.
Provision has been made within the franchise for National Express East Coast to run additional services to reflect the emerging recommendations from Network Rail’s East Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS). The anticipated date for implementing the RUS recommendations is expected to be December 2010.
M6
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Written Statement of 25 October 2007, Official Report, column 20WS, on active traffic management, what factors determine the length of time for completion of the improvement of the M6 around Birmingham and the M6 Toll; and if she will make an assessment of the feasibility of completing the scheme before summer 2011. [170631]
Mr. Tom Harris: The main construction phase of the scheme announced on 25 October to implement the Active Traffic Management (ATM) techniques on the motorway box around Birmingham (parts of the M6, M40 and M42) is due to start next summer and complete in summer 2011. An invitation for expressions of interest from contractors was published shortly after the announcement of the scheme, allowing for tenders in the spring. The anticipated schedule to completion reflects knowledge and experience gained from the delivery of the M42 ATM scheme, including the identification of potential efficiencies. Appropriate contractual incentives will be put in place to support effective delivery.
Motor Vehicles: Licensing
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue was raised through fines issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency due to the failure of registered keepers of cars to notify them of changes in car ownership in each of the last three years. [169402]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Revenue collected through fines issued for failure to notify disposal or acquisition of a vehicle is as follows:
| £ million | |
Revenue collected includes fine income, court costs recovered and out of court settlements.
Public Transport: Innovation
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make an assessment of the use of upright electric personal transporters in other countries. [171114]
Jim Fitzpatrick: No. The Department has however invited the company marketing such machines to share with us any research carried out into the use of these vehicles.
Railway Network: Greater London
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to transfer the running of any of the current rail franchises to Transport for London or the Mayor of London; and if she will make a statement. [170338]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has no plans to transfer the running of current franchises to Transport for London (TfL). The Department for Transport has been in discussion with TfL regarding issues that they would like to see addressed in the London part of the South Central franchise replacement process.
Railways: Tickets
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what charges were levied on outlets currently acting as retailers for rail tickets, excluding online and telesales services and those located on railway station premises in each year since 1997; [170525]
(2) how many outlets act as retailers for rail tickets, excluding online and telesales services and those located on railway station premises. [170798]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold this information as the retailers in question operate under licence issued by the Association of Train Operating Companies.
Renewable Transport Fuels
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the Government's renewable transport fuels obligation will come from exported sources by 2010; and what estimate she has made of the percentage of these fuels which will come from sustainable sources. [169937]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) will create a demand for some 2.5 billion litres per annum of biofuel by 2010-11. This demand is likely to be met through a mixture of domestically produced and imported biofuels. The Government do not have a precise estimate of the likely split between the two. In theory, and provided a number of large UK biofuel production plants which are currently at the planning stage come on stream by 2010, UK farmers and producers could produce enough biofuel to meet this demand in full. Whether or not they do depends on a wide range of factors including the relative costs of UK-produced and imported biofuels.
From day one of the RTFO in April 2008, transport fuel suppliers will be required to report on the sustainability of their biofuels in order to earn any certificates in respect of them. This will create an incentive for suppliers to source only those biofuels which deliver genuine environmental benefits.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic (a) accidents and (b) fatalities there have been on the A14 in Suffolk in each year since 1997. [170135]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Number of reported personal injury road accidents and fatalities on the A14 in Suffolk , 1997 to 2006 | ||
| (a) Accidents | (b) Fatalities | |
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic (a) accidents and (b) fatalities there have been on the A143 in (i) Suffolk and (ii) Great Barton; and how many involved drivers under the age of 21 years in each category since 1997. [170136]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is given in the following tables:
| Number of reported personal injury road accidents and resulting fatalities on the A143 in Suffolk, 1997 to 2006 | ||||
| All accidents | Accidents involving drivers/riders aged under 21 years | |||
| Number of accidents | Resulting fatalities | Number of accidents | Resulting fatalities | |
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