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30 Jun 2008 : Column 570W—continued
Departmental Expert Groups
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expert groups her Department set up in each year since 1999. [213276]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual “Public Bodies” publication. “Public Bodies” also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of “Public Bodies” dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from
Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Departmental Inquiries
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what independent inquiries have been commissioned by her Department in the last five years; what the (a) purpose and (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each such inquiry. [212317]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has not commissioned any independent inquiries in the last five years.
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many jobs her Department expects to relocate under the policy of civil service job dispersal. [213407]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The 2004 spending review set the Department for Transport the target of relocating 60 posts by the end of March 2010. As at the present date, 62 relocations have taken place, meaning that our target has been met almost two years ahead of schedule.
The Department continues to look for further relocation opportunities, for example, through departmental reorganisation and review of estates requirements, and we expect to identify further posts suitable for relocation.
Departmental Sick Pay
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much sick pay to staff in her Department cost in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [212071]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table summarises responses from the Central Department, the Driving Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Highways Agency.
| Calendar year | Total cost of sickness absence (£) |
The increase since 2005 is in the context of the investment in 1,800 new Traffic Officers by the Highways Agency, as well as various other staff increases across the Department.
The Driving Standards Agency can only provide the last three years data. Previous years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| DSA | |
| Calendar year | Total cost of sickness absence (£) |
The cost has been calculated as total days paid absence x average salary cost (£20,000)/working days in year 220.5.
MCA, VCA, VOSA and GCDA could provide this information only at disproportionate cost.
Driving: EC Action
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the written ministerial statement of 11 June 2007, Official Report, column 38WS, on drivers' hours (derogation for reservists), whether the Minister has received a response from the European Commission to the request for a derogation from regulation (EC) 561/2006; and if she will make a statement. [215018]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Dialogue with the European Commission officials dealing with our request is continuing. I will inform the House when the Commission makes a final decision.
East Coast Main Line
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library the Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average statistics for the National Express East Coast services for each month since it took over the East Coast Main Line franchise. [214565]
Mr. Tom Harris: The figures are as follows:
| Percentage | |
| Period | Moving annual average |
Electrification: Costs
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost per mile of electrifying the rail network. [214032]
Mr. Tom Harris: The cost of electrifying the railway network is currently estimated at around £800,000 per single track mile (£500,000 per single track kilometre) dependant on the complexity and constraints of the particular line.
Great Western Trains
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2008, Official Report, column 95W, on Great Western Trains, when the amended franchise agreements will be published. [209286]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is now available from the Department for Transport’s Public Register, the statutory commercial redactions now having been made and will be on the Department for Transport’s website in due course.
Great Western Trains: Standards
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timescale is for First Great Western to work through its notice to improve; and whether the criteria for improvement include the number of journeys where trains have been replaced by bus or taxi. [213898]
Mr. Tom Harris: The timescale for First Great Western improvement is set out in the remedial agreement, which now forms part of the First Great Western franchise agreement. This is available from the Department for Transport's Public Register and will also be available on the Department for Transport's website in due course.
The criteria do not include the number of journeys where trains have been replaced by bus or taxi.
Heathrow Airport: Noise
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2008, Official Report, column 1388W, on Heathrow Airport: noise, what estimates her Department has made of the proportion of current aircraft which will have been replaced by the Boeing 767 and Airbus A300/310 and A340 by (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2020 and (d) 2025; and on what information her estimates are based. [210601]
Jim Fitzpatrick: As explained in the supporting technical reports to the recent Heathrow consultation, the aircraft types mentioned are expected to be superseded by a new generation of aircraft, some of which are due to enter service imminently. Table 2.3 of the ERCD Report 0705 (Revised Future Aircraft Noise Exposure Estimates for Heathrow) as follows shows how this is reflected in the composition of the Heathrow fleet, by aircraft type, over the period to 2030.
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