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8 Jan 2008 : Column 359W—continued
Christmas
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department’s policy is on the selection of (a) real and (b) artificial Christmas trees for her Department’s festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of. [173510]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has no specific policy on this matter and both real and artificial Christmas trees are used on departmental premises. Real trees are purchased in accordance with Government procurement rules and are disposed of via recycling. Artificial trees are not disposed of and continue to be re-used every year.
Dartford Tunnel: Fees and Charges
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the Dartford Crossing charging regime for people in (a) Castle Point and (b) South Essex. [176035]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In April 2007 the Department announced that it would develop a local discount scheme for the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing for consultation later in the year. A consultation on a discount scheme for local residents will be announced shortly.
Driving: Disabled
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Blue Badge disabled drivers permits have been issued in Copeland over the last five years. [176642]
Ms Rosie Winterton: 7,165 disabled drivers permits (Blue Badges) were issued in Copeland in the five year period between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2007.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters her Department received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997. [174943]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. Information relating to 2007 will be published as soon as it has been collated. The report for 2006 was published on 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 101-04WS. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
Metronet
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which companies made up Metronet in the period before it went into administration. [176785]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Before going into administration, Metronet Rail BCV Ltd. And Metronet Rail SSL Ltd. were owned by the same consortium of five shareholders, each shareholder holding 20 per cent. of each company. These five shareholders are:
Bombardier
Balfour Beatty
Atkins
EDF Energy
Thames Water
Minimum Wage
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many London-based staff are employed by her Department on the national minimum wage. [175973]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not have any London based staff employed on the national minimum wage.
Motorways
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultation will be undertaken with (a) local residents and (b) those with business premises between junctions 26 to 30 of the M25 motorway. [176783]
Mr. Tom Harris: A series of five public exhibitions on the proposals for the widening of the M25 from Junction 27-30 were held during November and December 2007 to support the publication of the Environmental Statement. The comment period ends on 7 February 2008.
Similar exhibitions will be held for the section from Junction 26-27 as part of the consultation for the M25 Junction 23-27 widening. It is currently proposed that the Environmental Statement for this section will be published in 2011-12.
Public Transport: Concessions
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the Minister of State to reply to the letter of 21 November requesting a meeting with representatives from Worthing Borough Council to discuss the effect of the concessionary fares scheme in Worthing. [176804]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member today.
Roads
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the M25 near Romford will be widened. [176784]
Mr. Tom Harris: The M25 near Romford will be improved as part of the M25 Junction 27-30 widening. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes and the availability of funding, the current proposed start of works for this section of widening is 2009-10.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the M25 will be widened throughout its length. [176787]
Mr. Tom Harris: The current proposals for widening the M25 relate to the following sections:
| Scheme | Proposed start of works | Expected completion |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve the M25 near the junction 27 (Romford) turn off. [176788]
Mr. Tom Harris: The M25 near Junction 27 will be improved as part of the Junction 27-30 widening. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes and availability of funding, start of works are planned for 2009-10.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the percentage of road accidents within the Copeland area which were caused by drivers using hand-held mobile telephones in the last five years. [176644]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Information on the percentage of reported personal injury road accidents within Great Britain that had ‘Driver using mobile phone’ recorded as a contributory factor can be found in table 4b of the “Contributory factors to road accidents” article in “Road Casualties Great Britain” at:
These data are not available at local authority level and are not available prior to 2005. The contributory factor ‘Driver using mobile phone’ includes ‘hand held’ and ‘hands free’ phones.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the planned cost is of the road and road bridge due to replace the underpass connecting Down’s Road and Hog Lane on the A2 trunk road in Gravesham. [176776]
Mr. Tom Harris: The estimated cost of the new Downs Road including the new bridge over the realigned section of A2 in Gravesham is £1.1 million.
Roads: Safety
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government funding was provided for road safety schemes in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire in each year since 2001-02. [176864]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government have provided specific road safety grants of £372,868 for North East Lincolnshire council and £427,793 for North Lincolnshire council in 2007-08. The grants replaced a scheme, in operation from 2000-01 to 2006-07, for the local use of income generated by safety camera partnerships.
Central Government have provided financial support for local authorities to invest in road safety within the integrated transport block, which can be used for a wide range of investment in transport according to local authorities’ policies and priorities. Typically local authorities spend about one fifth of their integrated transport block on road safety projects. The figures for North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire are shown in table 1.
| Table 1: integrated transport block | ||
| £ million | ||
| N.E. Lincolnshire | N. Lincolnshire | |
In addition local authorities receive support for road safety services via unhypothecated formula grant (including revenue support grant).
Written Questions
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she will answer Questions 169010 to 169015, tabled by the hon. Member for Richmond Park on 23 November 2007, on personal information. [175778]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I replied to the hon. Member on 17 December 2007, Official Report, columns 1169-70W.
Communities and Local Government
A12: Fires
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department received a request for the penetration by high velocity round of the oxyacetylene cylinder in the fire incident on the A12 at Eight Ash Green on 5 October; for what reasons the request was refused; and if she will make a statement. [175987]
Mr. Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 January 2008 (PQ175549).
Boyhood to Manhood Foundation
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) when she expects to meet representatives from the Boyhood to Manhood Foundation; [173470]
(2) what discussions her Department has had with the Boyhood to Manhood Foundation in the last 12 months. [173471]
Mr. Dhanda: Officials from the Department have had several discussions with the Boyhood to Manhood Foundation and have also visited the foundation to observe and participate in frontline service delivery.
Community Relations: Religion
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings her officials have had on combating violent extremism in Britain since 2005. [175633]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government took on responsibility for the community-led response to violent extremism as part of the machinery of Government changes in May 2006. Since then, officials have met regularly with partners across central and local government and internationally, and a wide range of community stakeholders.
Council Tax: Empty Property
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to reduce the council tax discount on empty homes. [176459]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1132W.
Council Tax: Greater London
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Band D council tax was on (a) the fire/police precept and (b) the GLA precept in London in each year since 1997-98. [176164]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 539W.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the change was in Band D council tax in each London borough in each year since 1997-98. [176745]
John Healey: Details of the percentage change in Band D council tax in (a) London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997-98 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
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