| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
29 Jan 2008 : Column 196W—continued
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she has taken to reduce her Department's carbon dioxide emissions in 2008-09. [181815]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has engaged with the Carbon Trust to produce a carbon management energy efficiency report which gives recommendations across the Department on new schemes, estate enhancements and best practice that will bring about a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The report has recently been completed and the Department is currently developing an action plan which details the recommendations to be implemented, timescale for implementation and the estimated emissions savings. The plan is expected to be finalised by 31 March 2008.
Additionally, the Department for Transport has commissioned a Green Fleet Review from the Energy Saving Trust and will be acting upon its recommendations. The Department will also be using the Sustainable Procurement Task Force's “Flexible Framework” to benchmark its capability to deliver sustainable procurement and we will be utilising an ongoing programme of staff training, workshops and guidance to reinforce the message.
Departmental Contracts
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultancy contracts her Department issued in each year since 2005; what the (a) value, (b) purpose and (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant’s report is publicly available in each case. [181896]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Lists have been placed in the Libraries of the House for commissions recorded within the Department and its agencies accounting systems as consultancy for financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The Department does not generally publish reports prepared by consultants that it has engaged. However, requests for copies of such reports would be considered under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Departmental Data Protection
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 17 December 2007, on data loss, what personal data for which her Department is responsible are (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement. [175768]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 7 January 2008]: The Department for Transport includes its seven agencies, a shared service centre and the central Department. The only business unit within the Department that is responsible for significant amounts of personal information that is stored and/or processed overseas is the Driving Standards Agency.
The Driving Standards Agency has a contract with Pearson Driving Assessments Ltd. for the delivery of the driving theory test. Pursuant to this contract, the following data on candidates sitting their test are stored and processed in the United States:
Title; First name; Surname; Address; Postcode; Alternative postal address (if required); Phone number (optional); e-mail (optional); Date of birth; Gender; Specific card details that enable payment to be taken i.e. expiry date, card number, name, issue number; Date of test; Location of test; Test Score; Response to each multiple choice question; Response to each hazard perception test clip; Test category taken; Test pass/fail; Pass certificate number (if applicable); Special accommodation arranged i.e. voice over language, reader recorder,; British sign language/signer, translator (if required); Survey responses (optional); and Ethnic group (optional).
The Vehicle Certification Agency has offices in US, Japan, Malaysia, India and China. These offices keep small volumes of personal information of its UK Civil Servants based overseas, locally employed staff and contractors. The total number of individuals included is less that 100, five of which are VCA UK civil servants.
The central Department has a contract with Penna plc for the storage and processing of data relating to the performance management of DFT staff. These data are stored and processed in the United States. The information held includes employee name, team, e-mail address, gender, employee ID, pay band and responses to assessment questions. Approximately 8,800 records relating to civil servants are currently stored.
Heathrow Airport: Construction
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to take account of the implications of the accident involving flight BA038 in developing her policy on the expansion of Heathrow. [183018]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The recent incident at Heathrow is currently being investigated by the air accidents investigation branch (AAIB), and it is not appropriate at this stage to speculate on the cause. We will be awaiting the outcome of the investigation, which will include such recommendations as the AAIB deems appropriate.
Heathrow remains a very safe airport and safety continues to be our foremost concern as we develop proposals for adding capacity at Heathrow.
Heathrow Airport: Noise
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment she has made of which postcode areas would lose their break in the day from aircraft noise as a result of ending runway alternation at Heathrow; [170673]
(2) which postcode areas will be exposed to increased noise by the ending of the Cranford Agreement on Heathrow airport; [170674]
(3) which postcode areas would experience increased noise by the ending of the westerly preference at Heathrow airport; [170687]
(4) which postcode areas would experience less noise as a result of ending the Cranford Agreement in relation to Heathrow airport; [170688]
(5) which postcode areas will experience less noise as a result of ending the westerly preference at Heathrow airport; [170689]
(6) which postcode areas would be adversely affected by noise as a result of building a third runway at Heathrow airport; and which postcode areas would be added to the 157 dB Leq noise contour for Heathrow as a result of building a third runway; [170690]
(7) which postcode areas are affected by noise from Heathrow airport at the level of 50 dB; [170692]
(8) which postcode areas will be affected by aircraft noise at a level of 50 dB or greater as a result of building a third runway at Heathrow. [170693]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The noise effects of the various possible changes at Heathrow are illustrated by a series of noise contours contained in the supporting technical report 'Revised Future Aircraft Noise Exposure Estimates for Heathrow Airport' issued as part of the current consultation 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport'. Contours are shown from 57dBA, with 54dBA contours included for sensitivity purposes. In addition, the Department's website includes a facility allowing individuals to identify the likely change in noise levels, by postcode, under the various proposals. This includes Heathrow options with and without the Cranford agreement, mixed mode and a third runway. The noise levels are from 57dBA upwards and are presented with both a westerly preference and an easterly preference. They are indicative and should be used only as a guide.
The search facility includes postcodes in the following local authority areas: Bracknell Forest, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston-upon-Thames, Richmond upon Thames, Runnymede, Slough, South Bucks, Spelthorne, Wandsworth, Windsor and Maidenhead. Areas outside those boroughs are not expected to experience any change. Further information is on the website at:
and the postcode facility can be accessed at:
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motor vehicles were crushed for non-payment of road tax in (a) the county of Essex and (b) the Chelmsford Local Authority area in each year since 1997. [181999]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Regional figures are unavailable prior to 2002.
Vehicles scrapped in Essex and Chelmsford since 2002 are available in the following table.
| Essex | Chelmsford | |
Railways: Kent
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her Department has had with South Eastern Railway on the potential premium costs of using Javelin-operated high speed domestic services from Kent to St. Pancras. [182551]
Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 28 January 2008]: The premium fares that may be charged for domestic high speed services are specified in the Franchise Agreement between the Secretary of State, and London and South Eastern Railways (LSER).
At this stage, the Department has not had any discussions with LSER on the premium fares that may be charged on domestic high speed services.
Travel: Concessions
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what basis the allocation of £212 million for the National Concessionary Fares Scheme extension from 2008-09 was calculated; what the funding allocation for all transport authorities in the south-east except London is for that year; and if she will make a statement. [177339]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The £212 million funding allocation for 2008-09 is based on generous assumptions about increasing take-up of passes (85 per cent. in aggregate across England), extra journeys (10 per cent. or £100 million), and average fare (£1.34). It also includes a significant contingency to take account of the difficulty of allocating funding on a formula basis and uncertainty around the precise pattern of new journeys.
This new funding is being made available to cover only the additional costs of the new concession. Additional concessions will still have to be funded at an authority's discretion.
We consulted on four possible distributions of the grant. These options used data likely to reflect the main drivers of cost of the new concession (e.g. retail floor space, visitor numbers, bus patronage) in different
combinations. Our proposed distribution is based on the most popular option. Travel concession authorities in the south-east will receive £25.14 million in total—an increase of 34 per cent. against what was spent in the region on concessionary travel in 2006-07. A list of the relevant local authorities and the proposed funding for each is as follows:
| 2008-09 special grant allocation (£ million) | ||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |