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3 Mar 2008 : Column 2042W—continued
Departmental Written Questions
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions from hon. Members for answer on a named day received by her Department have received a (a) holding answer and (b) substantive answer by the named day in each year since 2001. [190293]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002. Figures between that date and the beginning of parliamentary session 2002-03 are not available.
The requested information from the beginning of session 2002-03 is contained in the following table:
| Named-day parliamentary questions receiving a holding answer | Named-day parliamentary questions receiving a substantive answer on the due date | |||
| Parliamentary s ession | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
My ministerial colleagues and I aim to ensure that hon. Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the due day. Unfortunately this is not always possible but the Department for Transport makes every effort to achieve the timescales.
Driving Tests
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether delegated examiners may conduct driving tests for candidates who (a) they have personally trained and (b) have been trained by an organisation where the delegated examiner is the head of training; and if she will make a statement. [190243]
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is a condition of approval that delegated examiners are not permitted to conduct driving tests for candidates that they have personally trained.
A person may be a delegated examiner and head of training but is not permitted to conduct driving tests for candidates they have personally trained.
First Great Western: Standards
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 147W, on First Great Western: standards, what her timescale is for a reassessment of the ability of First Great Western Franchise to comply with the current franchise; and if she will make a statement. [188278]
Mr. Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 February 2008, Official Report, columns 73-4WS.
Hacking
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the use of a hacking tool or other malicious software enabling information to be (a) retrieved and (b) manipulated by a third party has been detected on a (i) network or (ii) computer in her Department. [190335]
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is not in the interests of the UK’s national security for this Department to confirm whether it holds information about attacks against its IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful this Department is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK’s IT defences.
Minibuses: Concessions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will extend concessionary fare schemes to cover the provision of volunteer car and minibus services. [188331]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government have no plans at present to extend the coverage of statutory concessionary travel to cover the provision of volunteer car and minibus services, although a small number of community transport-type services may already be eligible for the statutory concession. Our current focus is on the successful implementation of the new all-England off-peak bus travel concession from April this year.
Any changes to the scope of concessionary travel would have to be fully funded and the impacts considered carefully following consultation with all the interested parties. Local authorities retain the ability to offer discretionary concessions over and above the statutory minimum at their own expense.
Railways
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which community rail partnership projects she has visited since her appointment as Secretary of State; and which representatives of train operating companies she has met. [168691]
Mr. Tom Harris: Since her appointment, the Secretary of State has met with representatives of the following train operating companies or franchise owning companies: Arrive, Chiltern Rail, EWS, First Group, Go-Ahead Group, National Express Group, SERCO-NedRailways, Stagecoach Group, Virgin Trains. She has also met representatives of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). In addition my right hon. Friend has visited the community rail project at Walkden station.
Rolling Stock
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average weight of (a) an electric and (b) a diesel train carriage is; and what the average weight will be of each of those referred to in the rolling stock plan of 30 January. [190607]
Mr. Tom Harris: [holding answer 29 February 2008]: The Department does not compile this information, but it is available through the railway trade press.
Trains: Design
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department provides on train cab design best practice. [190171]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has not published any guidance on cab design. Best practice guidance on the design of train cabs is published by the Railway Safety and Standards Board on behalf of the industry.
House of Commons Commission
Tourists
Bob Spink: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many visitors to the Houses of Parliament undertook a public tour in each of the last five years. [190812]
Nick Harvey: Figures given are for calendar years:
| Members ’ tours (free) | |
| Number | |
Figures are for bookings taken and permits issued by the Central Tours Office and do not include guests escorted personally by passholders. They also do not include schools coming via the Parliamentary Education Service or Clock Tower Tours.
| Summer opening (paying) | |
| Number | |
| Totals (both categories) | |
| Number | |
Leader of the House
Departmental Older Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how many people over the age of 55 have commenced employment in her Office in each of the last three years. [191525]
Departmental Written Questions
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Leader of the House how many and what proportion of parliamentary questions from hon. Members for answer on a named day received by her Office have received a (a) holding answer and (b) substantive answer by the named day in each year since 2001. [190295]
Helen Goodman: The information requested is as follows;
| Answered substantively | ||
| Session | Percentage | Number |
The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has answered 100 per cent. of the 186 named day questions received in the last five Sessions on time. Just four questions have received holding replies since the 2001-02 Session, and none in any of the last five Sessions.
World Squares for All Steering Group
Mr. Swire: To ask the Leader of the House what representations she has received on the work of the World Squares for All Steering Group; what (a) political and (b) official representation the House has on the group; what submissions have been made by the House to the group; and what discussions she has had with other Ministers about the group. [190140]
Helen Goodman: The World Squares for All Steering Group has been established under the leadership of the Greater London Authority and includes representatives from a range of affected interests. The group aims to redefine the heart of London—specifically Trafalgar square, Parliament square and the Whitehall conservation area. The latest stage of its work is the Parliament square improvement project.
Representation of the House on the group is a matter for the administration of the House under the ultimate authority of the House of Commons Commission.
Parliament is represented on the group by the parliamentary director of estates or a representative, and by the manager of Visitor and Public Information Projects. The House has no political representation on
the group. Officials have received briefings from the architects, Hawkins Brown, and from Transport for London, and have consulted the Joint Committee on Security on security aspects of the plans. The Group on Information for the Public has submitted to the Parliament square improvement project a briefing on Parliament's priorities for the redevelopment of the square.
The Administration Committee, chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran), has heard a presentation from representatives of the Parliament Square Improvement Project, who sought the advice of the Committee on how Members of Parliament could be consulted about the plans. At the Committee's request, the group will shortly write to all Members, before the start of wider public consultation.
The Leader of the House has received no representations and has held no discussions on this issue.
Wales
Departmental Impact Assessments
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many regulatory impact assessments his Department has conducted in the last 12 months. [191259]
Mr. Paul Murphy: None. The nature of the Wales Office’s responsibilities means that such assessments will rarely be called for.
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