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31 Jan 2008 : Column 542W—continued
Rail Passengers Council Report
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response she has made to the recommendations of the Rail Passengers Council Report, March 2005, on the deployment of class 450 rolling stock on the Portsmouth mainline. [178974]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has examined the report, which records a range of views about the class 450s. The report does not, however, make specific recommendations and the Department has made no formal response to it.
Railways: Concessions
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will extend and fund national concessionary travel schemes to (a) rail services and (b) London underground. [182392]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 25 January 2008]: From April this year, for the first time, those aged 60 and over, and the eligible disabled, will be able to travel anywhere in England on off-peak local buses. This new concession is being funded at a cost of an additional £212 million—bringing our total commitment to concessionary travel to around £1 billion per year. Our current focus is very much on the successful implementation of this new all-England concession from April.
Local authorities retain the ability to offer discretionary concessions, including rail or underground travel, over and above the statutory minimum, if they wish to do so from their own resources.
Roads: Construction
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road-widening schemes have been approved by the Highways Agency in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each completed scheme was. [183663]
Mr. Tom Harris: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many major new road schemes have been approved by the Highways Agency in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each completed scheme was. [183664]
Mr. Tom Harris: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Rolling Stock
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the demand for additional carriages to be added to Virgin Pendolino trains on the West Coast mainline route; and if she will make a statement. [183667]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has assessed demand on the West Coast Main Line and continues to take action to ensure provision of extra capacity, as envisaged in the 2007 high level output specification (HLOS) statement. An additional 30 per cent. capacity will be realised from the existing fleet of 'Pendolino' trains from December 2008, when a more intensive service will be introduced.
The Department is currently refining requirements for the lengthening of a number of the 'Pendolino' trains by two carriages, for introduction early in the life of the next franchise for West Coast Trains (2012 onwards), subject to value-for-money considerations.
Speed Limits: Cameras
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of speed cameras is expected to be (a) nationally and (b) in each police force area in 2007-08. [183495]
Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department. Since 1 April 2007 local road safety partnerships have been responsible for the deployment and operation of safety cameras. Cameras are now funded in the same way as other road safety measures through the local transport plan process, which includes a specific road safety grant. Partnerships are free to spend the grant according to local priorities.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology she uses to estimate the number of lives saved by the siting of speed cameras. [183496]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The annual independent evaluations of the national safety camera programme assessed the effectiveness of cameras using a statistical model which took account of many different parameters including the effects of long-term trends and seasonal variations. Details of the modelling approach are included in the appendices to these reports.
The four-year evaluation, published on 15 December 2005, found a 42 per cent. reduction in people killed or seriously injured at camera sites, that means around 1,745 fewer people killed or seriously injured per annum, including over 100 fewer deaths.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Public Expenditure
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008, Official Report, columns 570-1W, on departmental public expenditure, what percentage of annual managed expenditure savings made by his Department HM Treasury has agreed to add to his Department’s expenditure limit. [181771]
Mrs. McGuire: Work to refine a methodology for calculating savings resulting from the Pathways to Work programme is on-going. The value of annual managed expenditure savings captured will be assessed periodically as positive outcomes from Pathways to Work are demonstrated. Any additional DEL funding provided to DWP will be allocated through normal processes.
Health and Safety Executive: Complaints
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) incidents and (b) complaints were (i) reported and (ii) investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last four years, broken down by region. [181128]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 22 January 2008]: National level statistics were provided in my response to the hon. Member's question PQ/07/173797 of 10 January 2008, Official Report, column 720W. Unfortunately, due to incompatibilities between HSE's current computer system and an earlier system, significant and disproportionate costs would be involved in extracting an historical regional breakdown, and manually validating the results.
Incapacity Benefit
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those people claiming incapacity benefit at the most recent date are expected to (a) die and (b) reach state retirement age in each of the next 10 years. [181641]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available.
Incapacity Benefit: Leicestershire
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming incapacity benefit in Leicestershire on the most recent date for which figures are available. [181818]
Mrs. McGuire: At May 2007, there were 16,130 working age claimants of incapacity benefits in Leicestershire.
Incapacity Benefit: Newcastle upon Tyne
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women were incapacity benefit claimants in Newcastle upon Tyne in each year since 1997. [181061]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 22 January 2008]: The information is in the following table.
Incapacity Benefits: Industrial Diseases
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will accept and implement the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommendations that those who have worked at screens on the surface of coal mines for 40 years or more be covered by Prescribed Disease PD D12; and if he will publicise that decision to all interested parties. [178609]
Mrs. McGuire: The impact of implementing the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council’s recommendations regarding screen workers at the surface of coal mines is currently being assessed.
A decision will be made in light of that assessment.
Job Creation: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new jobs were created in Bexley in each of the last four years. [182093]
Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the reasonability of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of new jobs created in Bexley in each of the last four years. (182093).
While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, figures from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in employment from year to year.
The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
Table 1 attached provides estimates based on people aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in Bexley.
Figures for 2004 are for the twelve months ending February that year. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the twelve months ending March the same year.
As with any survey, results from the APS at a small geographical area are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Net change in employment levels, for people aged 16 and over, by area of residence | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Bexley | ||
| Level | Net change | |
| Notes: 1. Figures for 2004 are for the 12 months ending February. 2. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the 12 months ending March. 3. Figures at this detailed level are produced from the LFS microdata which are weighted to the population estimates published by ONS in spring 2003. They do not incorporate the more recent population estimates used in the headline LFS employment series. 4. As with any survey, results from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty Source: Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey | ||
Job Creation: Essex
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new jobs were created in (a) Romford, (b) Essex and (c) Greater London in each of the last four years. [181667]
Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested fails within the reasonability of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of new jobs created in each of the last four years in Romford, Essex and Greater London. (181667).
While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in employment from year to year.
The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
Table 1 attached provides estimates based on people aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in London, Essex and Havering. Figures are not available for Romford from the APS.
Figures for 2004 are for the twelve months ending February. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the twelve months ending March,
As with any survey, results from the APS at a small geographical area are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
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