Written Answers to Questions
Monday 12 May 2008
House of Commons Commission
Parliament: Renewable Energy
Justine Greening: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much electricity was (a) consumed on and (b) produced from onsite renewable sources on the Parliamentary Estate in each year from 2002 to 2007. [202191]
Nick Harvey: The quantities of electricity consumed on the House of Commons part of the parliamentary estate in each year from April 2003 to March 2008, derived from invoices, are given as follows. The data for the year 2002-03 are not readily available.
| Electricity consumption (kWh) | |
No electricity was produced from onsite renewable sources on the parliamentary estate in any year from 2002-08. 10 per cent. of electricity was purchased from offsite renewable sources from 2003 onwards and by April 2007, this had increased to 100 per cent.
Electoral Commission Committee
Polling Stations: Disabled
Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance has been issued to returning officers on (a) access to polling stations for those with disabilities and (b) steps to be taken in the event of non-delivery of polling cards. [204642]
Peter Viggers [holding answer 9 May 2008]: The Electoral Commission informs me that its guidance for returning officers covers access to polling stations for those with disabilities. This includes a checklist of issues to consider when choosing buildings for use as polling stations. The polling station handbook for use by presiding officers and poll clerks on election day also contains advice on accessibility.
The Commission’s guidance also includes information about the production and distribution of polling cards and the Commission provides advice on request in the event of non-delivery of polling cards.
Wales
Departmental Translation Services
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language. [205175]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department spent £6,620 on translation services in the last financial year; all translation costs were for the Welsh language.
Parc Prison: Mental Health Services
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in Parc Prison, Bridgend; and if he will make a statement. [203586]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government.
Health Commission Wales (HCW) is currently working towards the provision of a Forensic Adolescent Consultation and Treatment Service (FACTS) in South and North Wales. HCW anticipate the service to be available in the summer of this year (2008). Part of the FACTS remit of the South Wales team will be to provide assessment and treatment advice for children in Pare prison with mental health problems. The FACTS will also assist local CAMHS teams in the development of specific services to the prison population.
The Welsh Assembly Government has made a commitment to CAMHS in its ‘One Wales’ document. The budget settlement included an additional £4.8 million—£1 million in 2008-09 and £1.6 million and £2.2 million in successive years—to enhance service delivery. This clearly demonstrates the priority that the Assembly Government attaches to these services. In addition, some £6.5 million has been allocated to counselling in schools over the same period.
The 2001 document “Everybody’s Business” is embedded in the development of policy within the Assembly Government. The well-being of children and adolescents in Wales, including their mental emotional health, is of paramount importance to this Government.
The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services in Wales (NSF) embeds this philosophy and the setting of targets via the Service and Financial Framework for the NHS in Wales has ensured that services are improving as evidenced by the NSF Self Assessment Audit Tool results for 2006-07.
A review of CAMHS covering all relevant agencies is being undertaken by the Wales Audit Office and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. The outcome of this review, which is expected towards the end of 2008, will contribute positively to future service developments.
Transport
A4123
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to complete the de-trunking of the A4123. [204250]
Mr. Tom Harris: Subject to the completion of the statutory procedures, it is intended that the A4123 should be detrunked by March 2009.
A4123: Accidents
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many accidents took place on the A4123 involving (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists in the last five years; [204247]
(2) how many accidents resulting in fatalities have occurred on the A4123 in the last five years. [204248]
Mr. Tom Harris: The number of accidents on the length of A4123 for which the Highways Agency is responsible, for the latest five year period for which data are available, is as follows:
Personal injury accidents: 48 pedestrians; 18 cyclists.
Fatalities: four, of which two involved pedestrians.
A4123: Cycleways
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the feasibility of introducing improved provision for cyclists on the A4123. [204251]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Highways Agency has given consideration to the provision of cycle routes on the A4123 footways near junctions but no specific schemes have so far been identified.
A4123: Pedestrians
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans her Department has to improve facilities for (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists on the A4123 in Dudley and Sandwell. [204245]
Mr. Tom Harris: Currently there are no schemes planned in the 2008-09 financial year to improve the facilities already available for pedestrians and cyclists on the A4123. A scheme identified for future consideration is the improvement of pedestrian facilities in the vicinity of Mason Street, Coseley but this is unlikely to be completed prior to the proposed detrunking of this route.
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the risk of accident to (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists on the A4123 in Dudley and Sandwell. [204246]
Mr. Tom Harris: There have been two formal studies carried out into the accident risk to pedestrians and cyclists on the A4123 in the last three years. These were A4123 Pedestrian and Cyclists Accidents Birmingham to Wolverhampton Safety Study (April 2005) and The A4123 Operational Review (January 2008). In addition a review of the needs of pedestrians under the Disability Discrimination Act has also been completed for the whole of the route. All resulted in schemes that have either been taken forward or are being considered for future development.
A4123: Safety Measures
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken to improve safety for pedestrians crossing the A4123 between the Foxyard and Priory estates in Dudley. [204249]
Mr. Tom Harris: There is an existing signal controlled crossing facility on the A4123 at Priory road. The Highways Agency has given consideration to the provision of additional facilities at Tipton road but this is unlikely to be completed prior to the proposed detrunking of this route.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department and its predecessors spent on carbon offsetting in each of the last three years; and to which companies payments for carbon offsetting have been made in each such year. [204103]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The majority of central Government Departments are members of the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF). The GCOF aims to fulfil the Government's commitment to offset emissions attributable to all official and ministerial air travel in central government. It is available to all central government departments and provides a simple and cost effective way to offset, as well as ensuring high environmental integrity. The GCOF runs for an initial period of three years (2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09).
The GCOF is being managed by EEA Fund Management Ltd., who won the contract to source and deliver 255,000 certified emission reduction credits, with a provision for a further 50,000 credits, over three years from a range of clean development mechanism(COM) projects. Credits will be supplied from the project portfolio of Trading Emissions Plc, to whom EEA is the investment adviser.
As a participant in the GCOF, the Department for Transport contributed £13,445.17 to offset air travel in the year 2006-07. In addition, the Government Car and Despatch Agency contributed £22,621.31 to offset Government road fleet emissions. Data are currently being collected for the 2007-08 reporting year and will be available later in the year.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of her Department's civil servants have been (a) suspended and (b) dismissed for accessing (i) obscene and (ii) other prohibited material on work computers in each of the last five years. [188781]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Regular reminders are issued to staff about their responsibilities with regard to the use of e-mail and internet systems. In order to ensure that these systems are not abused, or that the Department for Transport’s (DFT) security is not compromised, e-mails and internet use may be monitored from time to time.
Following are the details of the number of DFT staff either suspended or dismissed over the past five years for accessing either obscene or other prohibited material on work computers.
| Suspended | Dismissed | |
| (1) Includes one case where an individual was suspended but resigned before disciplinary charges could be investigated. (2) Includes 17 people who were dismissed from DVLA after it was discovered that staff had been accessing and circulating inappropriate material. | ||
Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 33W, on public transport: concessions, what representation of those with mental health disabilities there is on the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. [204018]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There is no specific representation of those with mental health disabilities on the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC).
Section 125 (3) of the Transport Act 1985 provides that at least half of the membership of the Committee should consist of persons who are disabled. Currently over 60 per cent. (13 out of 21) of the Committee are disabled. Members are appointed on merit and have experience of disability issues in general and understanding of the particular issues pertaining to certain impairments. DPTAC has a pan-disability approach to its work and its advice regularly reflect the views and concerns of people with different types of impairments.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Disclosure of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many requests from (a) private individuals, (b) car park enforcement companies and (c) other sources were submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for the release of information from the vehicle register under the provision of reasonable cause in each of the last five years; and how many of these were (i) agreed and (ii) rejected in each such year. [205159]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table includes all requests for vehicle keeper details processed under the ‘reasonable cause’ provisions. These include requests from insurance and finance companies, private car park enforcement companies, members of the public and solicitors, for keeper details at a specific date of event. It also contains requests where the current registered keeper requires the full history of his vehicle and from mileage companies for investigations into vehicle ‘clocking’. The DVLA does not keep separate figures for each category of requests, so is unable to provide figures on how many requests were from private individual, car park enforcement companies, or other sources.
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
The following table shows the number of requests for information that were rejected during the same time period.
| Requests rejected | |
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