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7 May 2008 : Column 888W—continued
During March, 100,828 requests were received and responded to electronically. During the same month, 24,106 manual requests for information were received and processed and an additional 2,659 were refused.
The aforementioned figures show ‘all’ requests for vehicle keeper details under the ‘reasonable cause’ provisions. These include requests from insurance and finance companies, private car park enforcement companies, members of the public and solicitors, etc., for keeper details at a specific date of event. It also contains requests where the current keeper requires the full history of his vehicle and from mileage companies for investigations into vehicle ‘clocking’.
DVLA does not keep separate figures for each category of requests, so it is not possible to advise how many requests were made by individuals, members of DVLA Accredited Trade Associations (ATA), non-DVLA accredited car park enforcement companies, or others.
It is possible to confirm, however, that all electronic requests would have been made either by companies with a statutory regulator or members of an ATA.
Heathrow Airport
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how risks 2.1, 4.1, 6.2, 7, 5.1, 1.1 and 4.3 referred to in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 17 October 2006 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201249]
(2) how risks 3.3, 4.3, 1.1 and 1.3 referred to in Item 4: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 12 September 2006 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201250]
(3) how risks 2.2 and 2.4 discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 10 August 2006 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201251]
(4) how risks 3.2, 4.2, 3.4 and 6.4 discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 10 July 2006 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201252]
(5) how risks 1.1.3, 1.1.5, 1.3.2, 2.1.4, 2.1.1, 1.1.6, 1.3.7, 2.1.6 and 2.1.7 discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 17 July 2007 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201278]
(6) how risks 1.3.4, 1.4.1, 1.6.1 and 2.1.3, discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 22 June 2007 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201279]
(7) how risks 1.2.1, 1.3.5, 2.1.5, 2.2.8, 1.3.1 and 2.2.11 discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 18 May 2007 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201280]
(8) how risks 1.3.6 and 2.1.2 discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 16 April 2007 are titled; and if she will make a statement; [201281]
(9) how risks 1.6.3 and 3.3.7 discussed in Item 3: Risks section of the Heathrow Project Board Meeting Note of 20 February 2007 are titled; and if she will make a statement. [201282]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Risk registers are a routine feature of programme and project management and are used widely within the Department for Transport (DfT) to help ensure that potentially relevant issues are anticipated and addressed. The Heathrow Project Board regularly reviewed risks as part of the process leading to the recent Heathrow consultation, and the information requested is listed as follows, by date of meeting, risk number and descriptor:
3.2—loss of housing in Sipson;
4.2—AirTrack and Crossrail funding;
3.4—direct action by opponents;
6.4—communications planning.
2.2—treatment of air quality ‘hot spots’;
2.4—nitrogen dioxide exceedences.
3.3—opposition of residents;
4.3—meeting air quality targets;
1.1/1.3—airspace design for mixed mode and runway three operations.
2.1—mitigation measures to achieve air quality limits;
4.1—road congestion around Heathrow;
6.2—three runway airport operating measures;
7—adapting the ADMS air quality model;
5.1—price increases required to support additional capacity;
1.1—airspace design for mixed mode operations;
4.3—possible mitigation measures to achieve air quality compliance.
1.6.3—modelling air quality compliant scenario;
3.3.7—non-delivery of mixed mode.
1.3.6—Strategic Road Network air quality exceedences;
2.1.2—loss of housing in Sipson.
1.2.1—possible mitigation measures to achieve air quality targets;
1.3.5—road traffic modelling;
2.1.5—public consultation handling;
2.2.8—analysis of consultation responses;
1.3.1—road congestion around Heathrow;
2.2.11—ANASE study.
1.3.4—surface access modelling;
1.4.1—noise modelling;
1.6.1—BAA and DfT scheduling forecasts;
2.1.3—opposition of residents.
1.1.3—airport operations with a third runway;
1.1.5—interaction with Northolt airport;
1.3.2—possible mitigation measures to achieve air quality compliance;
2.1.4—direct action by opponents;
2.1.1—relationship between White Paper, London Plan and local development framework;
1.1.6—NATS Terminal Control North airspace change;
1.3.7—accommodating increase in surface access trips;
2.1.6—regulatory impact assessment information;
2.1.7—resources for regulatory impact assessment.
M20: Noise
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008, Official Report, column 1445W, on M20: noise, how many sites identified as being a high priority for resurfacing have been resurfaced in each of the last five years; and how many her Department plans to resurface in each of the next five years. [203881]
Mr. Tom Harris: The resurfacing of the high priority sites commenced in financial year 2004-05. The number of high priority sites which have been resurfaced in each financial year to 2007-08 is:
| Number | |
No information is available for the planned resurfacing of the remaining high priority sites by individual financial years. However, four sites are currently planned to be resurfaced before the end of financial year 2010-11. The remaining 10 sites are planned to be resurfaced after 2010-11.
Mersey Tunnel: Tolls
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received on providing a discount for Mersey Tunnel tolls for local residents. [203573]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport is not aware of any representations relating to discounts for local residents for use of the Mersey Tunnels.
Passengers: Borders
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate she has made of the projected number of passenger movements across UK borders in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009. [203943]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.
However, the Department for Transport’s latest forecasts of air passenger demand at UK airports are reported in “UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts” (November 2007), available at:
Railways: Postal Services
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the merits of reopening the MailRail postal transport system under central London for mail or other purposes. [203954]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has not carried out any assessment into the merits of reopening the Post Office Underground Railway system. Decisions on the future of the system are a commercial matter for the Royal Mail.
Railways: Sales
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of dismantled railway track bed have been sold by the British Railways Property Board since 2001; and if she will make a statement. [202921]
Mr. Tom Harris: BRB (Residuary) does not record the length of trackbed that it disposes of. However, since 2001, the number of sites containing trackbed that have been sold is limited as most disused railway lines that were owned by the British Railways Board had been disposed of by then.
Railways: Watford
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers used the Watford-Gatwick service operated by Southern in each year since the service began; what the Government's plans are for the service; and if she will make a statement. [199349]
Mr. Tom Harris: A survey carried out during 2007 showed that some 8500 passengers per day use the Watford-Gatwick service, of whom fewer than 30 per cent. were making journeys from one side of Clapham Junction to the other, and fewer than 3 per cent. were making journeys to and from Gatwick airport.
I understand that Southern (the train operator) intend to make an announcement about plans for this service shortly.
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to ensure that fuel counting towards the renewable transport fuel obligation is sourced only from sustainable and local supply chains; and if she will take steps against those producers, wholesalers and retailers which do not meet these requirements. [203637]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which came into effect on 15 April, transport fuel suppliers are required to report on the sustainability of any biofuels in respect of which they wish to earn renewable transport fuel certificates. Details of the reporting requirements are available via the Renewable Fuels Agency's website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa.
The Government have set various targets to encourage transport fuel suppliers to source sustainable, low carbon biofuels. The Renewable Fuels Agency will report regularly on the performance of different transport fuel suppliers against these targets.
In parallel, the Government are pressing for EU-wide mandatory sustainability standards for all biofuels: these could be in place by April 2010.
Roads: Tolls
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) plans to commission on enabling technologies for road pricing schemes; and what timetable is planned for such research in each case. [199522]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government have invited the private sector to demonstrate how they might run a system of charging for road use according to time of day and route chosen. On 12 March we issued, to eight pre-qualified bidders, the first invitation to tender in this two-year demonstrations project, for the framework for road user service providers. We expect that this framework agreement will be established during June 2008, with the first trials involving volunteers getting underway this autumn.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how her Department takes into account the average income of local residents when deciding on the level of tolls for river road crossings and tunnels for which it is responsible. [203582]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The only charging regime for which the Department for Transport is responsible is the scheme for the Dartford Crossing. Income of local residents is not specifically taken into account in setting charges.
Roundabouts
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will issue guidance on providing pedestrian crossings at roundabouts that at night can be decoupled from the traffic lights that control their operation to increase traffic flow and reduce noise at such junctions at night. [203700]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The type of crossing and use of traffic lights depends on the type of roundabout and its location. The local highway authority is responsible for deciding the most appropriate type of crossing and junction control.
Department for Transport advice on pedestrian crossings is given in two Local Transport Notes, LTN 1/95 The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings and LTN 2/95 The Design of Pedestrian Crossings. LTN 2/95 provides advice on pedestrian crossings on the approaches to roundabouts and at traffic light controlled junctions. This advice includes the need to consider linking crossings with other nearby traffic lights to co-ordinate when the lights change and ease traffic flow.
The Department has commissioned research to examine options for traffic lights at roundabouts. We will consider the need for further guidance when that research is complete.
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