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22 Feb 2008 : Column 1100W—continued
Strategic Communications Unit
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many (a) civil servants, (b) special advisers and (c) other staff were employed by the No. 10 Strategic Communications Unit in each of the last five years; [178946]
(2) what the total cost of the No. 10 Strategic Communications Unit was in each of the last five years. [178952]
The Prime Minister: For information for the financial year 2006-07 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 October 2007, Official Report, columns 819-20W and to the answer I gave today (UIN 163573).
For information for previous years I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my predecessor (right hon. Tony Blair) on 30 November 2006, Official Report, columns 895-6W, 8 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1377-8W and, 25 March 2003, Official Report, columns 125-7W.
Transport
Airports: Baggage
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008, Official Report, column 1411W, on airports: baggage, whether there is a requirement on UK airport authorities to record information on the disposal of items which are confiscated from the hand luggage of passengers; and how her Department ensures compliance with the requirement on airport operators to ensure that passengers are prevented from taking prohibited articles on to aircraft departing UK airports. [186993]
Jim Fitzpatrick: UK airports are not required to keep records of passenger items that they have confiscated and subsequently disposed of.
Before anyone can be allowed airside access for departing flights, all travellers and their luggage must be screened for prohibited articles in airport search areas.
Departmental Computer Software
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the source code copies of core application software used by her Department and its agencies and supplied by third parties are held in escrow. [186901]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows whether the source code copies of core application software used by the Department for Transport and its agencies, and supplied by third parties, are held in escrow:
| Whether or not held in Escrow | |
|
Partial—a number are currently held in Escrow and DVLA are currently working with service providers to provide further items for inclusion as part of an ongoing review. | |
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints from individuals directly her Department has received as a consequence of the loss of personal data held by her Department and its agencies. [185807]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Many parts of the Department are involved in handling personal data in relation to its varied functions, and central records are not kept of the different kinds of losses that could be construed to fall within the scope of this question.
Departmental Databases
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what databases are (a) owned and (b) maintained by (i) her Department and (ii) its agencies. [185417]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no central record of all databases covering the whole of the Department for Transport, but a table, which has been deposited in the Libraries of the House, shows the major databases operated by the Department. Further information on smaller databases can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will list the special advisers employed in her Department and its predecessors since 6 May 1997; and what the (a) start and (b) end date of employment was in each case. [184376]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and numbers of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007, Official Report, columns 147-150WS.
Information on the employment of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and is available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Security
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will list the (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial appointees in possession of a security pass enabling access to her Department's main building in the month prior to the prorogation of Parliament for the 2005 general election. [182258]
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is established practice not to provide details on pass access to Government buildings for security reasons.
Driving: Elderly
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward proposals to simplify the process whereby those who reach the age of 70 years can receive a new driving licence. [188056]
Jim Fitzpatrick: A web-based facility was introduced in June 2007 to allow drivers aged 70 and over to renew their driving licence entitlement on line. This supplements the existing paper based renewal facility.
There are no other plans to introduce further facilities for the licence renewal process for drivers at age 70 and over.
Eurostar North Pole Depot: Finance
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding from the public purse was spent on the Eurostar North Pole depot. [187717]
Mr. Tom Harris: North Pole depot was originally built by European Passenger Services Ltd (EPSL), a subsidiary of British Rail, in 1991-02 for £75 million. The facility was built to service what is now known as the Eurostar train fleet.
Under the arrangements for the Government to fund the provision of the new Eurostar maintenance depot at Temple Mills, Eurostar (UK) Ltd agreed to relinquish its interests in North Pole Depot for zero cost. The depot transfer to BRB (Residuary) Ltd. ownership was completed on 31 January 2008.
The asset transferred from Eurostar (UK) Ltd to BRB (Residuary) Ltd on 31 January 2008, under the arrangements for providing Eurostar (UK) Ltd with a new depot at Temple Mills. This transfer involved no costs to the public purse. BRB (Residuary) Ltd is now responsible for managing all the costs and benefits of North Pole depot.
Honours
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of the senior civil service in her Department have received an honour. [187119]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Since New Year 2003, 12 members of staff in the senior civil service in the Department and its agencies have been awarded an honour, of whom four are still serving.
Motor Vehicles: Ownership
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward proposals to clarify the responsibilities of the seller and new owner of a vehicle under the form V5 process to ensure that the legal owner and registered keeper are always the same person. [188057]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) maintains a register of vehicles and associated keepers. It does not record owners of vehicles. There are no plans to change this approach.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers she has to take action against a previous owner of a vehicle who has not filled in the relevant paperwork to transfer the title of registered keeper according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. [188058]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Failure to notify sale, transfer, destruction or export of a vehicle is a criminal offence that can result in a fine of up to £1,000 under Section 59 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (VERA).
Private Roads: Lancashire
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for the unadopted road at the side of 21 Market street, Adlington, Lancashire. [188564]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have no information on the specific circumstances at Adlington. In general, if a road is unadopted, the responsibility for the maintenance of it lies with the property owners that front the road concerned.
Railways: Greater London
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average timetable journey time by train was from (a) Cambridge to London King’s Cross, (b) Lewes to London Victoria, (c) Peterborough to London King’s Cross, (d) St. Albans to London St. Pancras, (e) Reading to London Paddington, (f) Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street and (g) Canterbury to London Charing Cross in each year from 1993 to date. [188502]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. However, this information should be available from Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail’s chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
Treasury
Alcoholic Drinks: Children
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children died as a result of drinking alcohol in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years, broken down by (i) strategic health authority, (ii) age and (iii) sex. [187201]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 21 February 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children died as a result of drinking alcohol in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years, broken down by (i) strategic health authority, (ii) age and (iii) sex. (187201)
There were no deaths of children where there was any mention of alcohol on the death certificate in (a) 2006 (the latest 12 month period available). The table attached provides, for (b) the five year period 2002-06, the number of deaths of children which resulted from the effects of alcohol, or where there was any mention of alcohol on the death certificate, by (i) strategic health authority in England. Of these 11 deaths, (ii) all were aged between 12 and 15, and (iii) there were six boys and five girls.
Alcoholic Drinks: East of England
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths in which alcohol was the primary cause there were in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk and (c) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997. [187616]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 February 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths in which alcohol was the primary cause there were in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk and (c) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997. (187616)
The table attached provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk and (c) Cambridgeshire counties, from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
| Table 1: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire counties( 2) ,1997 to 2006( 3) | |||
| Deaths (persons) | |||
| Suffolk | Norfolk | Cambridgeshire | |
| (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the boxes below. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) All figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |||
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