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7 Feb 2008 : Column 1412W—continued
Breaking down the costs of external public relations contracts prior to 2002-03 fiscal year could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on travel (a) within and (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of her Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year. [181528]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and its agencies account and record their expenditure in different ways, with differing degrees of detail. To provide the information at the level of detail requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997. [181916]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not record centrally the number of miles Ministers and officials travel while on Government business.
In financial year 2005-06 the Department performed a one-off exercise to track the combined number of miles travelled by Ministers and officials during the year. The totals were as follows:
| Miles travelled | |
| Number | |
The mileage does not differentiate between Ministers and officials and does not include DSA, DVLA, GCDA, HA, VGA and VOSA.
All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many overseas visits by officials in her Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year. [181594]
Jim Fitzpatrick: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information regarding ministerial travel is published annually by the Government and can be found in the Libraries of the House and can also be accessed at
The publication dates back to financial year 1997-98 and lists all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas.
All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.
Fair Trade Initiative
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods (a) in staff catering facilities and (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if she will make a statement. [183882]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not purchase food or drink centrally.
At our main London HQ building fair trade goods are available for purchase in the staff restaurant and only fair trade teas and coffees are served at official meetings.
All procurement within the Department is undertaken in line with the EU's procurement rules and to obtain value for money.
Ferries: Licensing
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will review the qualifying service time of 120 days minimum for candidates working on ferries in Category C waters as set out in the new National Boatmasters' Licence (Merchant Shipping Notice 1808); and what steps is she taking to help Category C ferry operators who operate on a part-time seasonal basis to recruit boatmasters who can satisfy the new service time requirements. [185363]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government are reviewing the provisions of the regulations that implement the Boatmasters' Licence. This review will take account of the circumstances in which many small and seasonal operators on limited tidal waters—including Category C waters—operate. Any proposed changes will be subject to consultation with those affected.
Heathrow Airport: Archaeology
Justine Greening:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will list the 16 undesignated sites of archaeological importance identified as at risk of substantial disturbance referred to in Annex B,
paragraph 2.31, of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document; and if she will make a statement. [179435]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 16 January 2008]: A map has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing the location of the undesignated sites of archaeological importance referred to in Annex B, paragraph 2.31 of the 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' consultation document. The sites referred to are those on the map wholly or partly within the hatched area, which indicates the illustrative Heathrow airport boundary with a third runway, as proposed by BAA for consideration in the consultation document.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to answer question 179435 tabled by the hon. Member for Putney on 11 January 2008 for named day answer on 16 January 2008, on archaeological sites and proposals contained in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document; and if she will make a statement. [185378]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I replied to the hon. Member’s earlier question today.
Heathrow Airport: Nature Conservation
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to answer question 179436 tabled by the hon. Member for Putney on 11 January 2008 for named day answer on 16 January 2008, on sites of significant importance for nature conservation and the proposals contained in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document; and if she will make a statement. [185379]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The hon. Member received a reply on 6 February 2008, Official Report, column 1155W.
Lorries: Accidents
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving heavy goods vehicles were reported to the police in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and of these how many involved foreign-registered heavy goods vehicles. [185499]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving (i) at least one heavy goods vehicle and (ii) at least one foreign registered heavy goods vehicle in Great Britain in 2002 to 2006 is shown in the table.
| Number of accidents | ||
| Involving at least one HGV( 1) | Involving at least one foreign registered HGV( 1) | |
| (1) Heavy goods vehicle (2) Data not available | ||
This information is published in the Department's annual publication 'Road Casualties Great Britain', available at
Data are not available for foreign registered vehicles prior to 2005.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured as a result of an accident involving a foreign heavy goods vehicle in each of the last five years; and how many of these injuries have been attributed by the police to the existence of a blind-spot in the off-side mirror. [185554]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of casualties who have been (a) killed and (b) injured resulting from a reported personal injury road accident involving at least one foreign registered HGV in GB in 2005 to 2006 is shown in the table.
| Number of casualties | ||
| Killed | Injured( 1) | |
| (1) Serious or slight. | ||
Data are not available on foreign registered vehicles prior to 2005. This information is available in table 53 of the Department's annual publication 'Road Casualties Great Britain' at
The number of injuries that have been attributed by the police to the existence of a blind-spot in the off-side mirror is not available.
Lorries: Foreign Companies
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of heavy goods vehicles on roads in England which were registered abroad in each of the last three years; and what proportion of heavy goods vehicles on roads in England this represented in each year. [185498]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Standards
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to complete its review of oral examinations in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping system. [185706]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has sent a survey to stakeholders and candidates about its review of the oral examinations in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping system.
Responses are due by 31 March 2008 and the MCA hopes to complete the review in the summer.
National Security Strategy
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role her Department has played in drafting the National Security Strategy; and if she will make a statement. [184203]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is working closely with the Cabinet Office and other interested Departments and agencies to produce the National Security Strategy.
Railway Stations: Disabled
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of levels of compliance with disability access requirements of railway stations in Worcestershire; and when such stations which do not comply with the requirements will be modified to conform with them. [185248]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department does not assess the compliance of railway stations with Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Station operators are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access their services. Operators are responding to these duties, but where a disabled person believes that they have been discriminated against contrary to Part 3 they can bring a claim against the operator.
In addition, Worcester Shrub Hill and Kidderminster have been included in the main access for all programme and Alvechurch, Barnt Green and Evesham have been offered funding from the programme for smaller scale access improvements.
Railways: Subsidies
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what subsidy from the public purse was received for each rail franchise since 1997. [184883]
Mr. Tom Harris: Prior to 2005-06 this information was published by the Strategic Rail Authority in their annual report and accounts. Since then the data have been published annually in National Rail Trends which is published by the Office of Rail Regulation, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Roads: Accidents
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 28th January 2008, Official Report, column 48W, on roads: accidents, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of road deaths in those areas where road death rates have risen in the last 10 years. [184940]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 6 February 2008]: The Government's Road Safety Strategy sets out what we are doing to tackle road deaths (and casualties generally) across a range of domains. The latest update of the strategy is in ‘Tomorrow's roads: safer for everyone: The second three year review’ which can be found on our website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/strategytargets performance/2ndreview/screen .
In terms of geographical areas where road deaths have risen, it is the responsibility of the local safety partnerships to address the problem. However the Government do provide funding for this work, and indeed in 2007 we provided an additional £110 million funding for road safety work, which was allocated to local authority areas in proportion to the number of deaths and serious injuries.
The Government monitor national and local trends in deaths and serious injuries. The new road safety delivery board will bring together partners from the agencies that deliver road safety, to ensure that best practice is spread and obstacles to delivery are tackled effectively, especially where casualties are high.
Roads: Construction
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of (a) traffic, (b) carbon dioxide emissions and (c) accidents were on the equivalent stretches of road (i) in the 12 months before construction and (ii) in the latest 12 months for which figures are available in respect of each Highways Agency scheme completed since 1997. [183665]
Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 31 January 2008]: The Highways Agency is currently undertaking an exercise to provide a table detailing the changes in the following for each scheme in the programme of major schemes:
Annual average daily total traffic—predicted and observed (one year after opening);
Carbon dioxide emissions—predicted and observed (opening year);
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