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30 Jun 2008 : Column 574W—continued
Heathrow Airport: Security
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with (a) BA and (b) BAA on security breaches at Heathrow Terminal 5 since the terminal opened to the public. [209266]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department investigates alleged security breaches at UK airports. Our inspectors work closely with all parties involved to ensure that robust action plans are developed where appropriate and we monitor implementation of these measures.
Heysham-M6 Link Scheme
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions her Department has had with Lancashire County Council on the park and ride measures in the Heysham-M6 link scheme; [214603]
(2) if she will allocate funding to congestion relief measures in (a) Lancaster and (b) Morecambe if funding for the Heysham-M6 link road is approved; [214604]
(3) what assessment she has made of the contribution of park and ride schemes to the Heysham-M6 link scheme. [214605]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is currently in discussion with Lancashire county council on this scheme and expects to agree its approach to funding and appraisal, including of the park and ride element, shortly. No formal value for money assessment has been concluded to date.
It is for Lancashire county council to decide what if any additional measures should be taken forward beyond what is in their bid to the Department. The Department already provides significant funding to Lancashire—£28.1 million for the current financial year—through
the LTP block funding allocations which could be used to fund any further complementary congestion relief measures.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have spent on work relating to the proposed Heysham-M6 link road since 1997. [209278]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is not possible to quantify the Department's expenditure on the assessment of individual schemes. DFT officials are examining the major scheme business case submitted by Lancashire county council in accordance with existing guidance for local major transport schemes. As part of this work, the Department commissioned a specific independent review of the business case at a cost of £18,822. Due to the effects of the scheme on the strategic road network, the Highways Agency also spent approximately £16,500 on their review of assessment work submitted by Lancashire county council as part of their planning application.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with (a) environmental groups, (b) Lancashire County Council and (c) hon. Members representing local constituencies on the proposals for an M6-Heysham link road. [209326]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has not held any meetings with the aforementioned groups on proposals for an M6-Heysham link road.
High Speed Trains: Consultants
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department had spent on consultancy fees on the Intercity Express programme at the latest date for which figures are available. [212609]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has spent £9.4 million since the start of this project in 2005.
Highways Agency: Appeals
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methods of redress are available to members of the public who wish to challenge decisions taken by the Highways Agency. [209055]
Mr. Tom Harris: The methods of redress will depend on the nature of any decision and the means by which that decision is challenged.
Members of the public may, for example, seek to challenge decisions taken by the Highways Agency through statutory rights of appeal, judicial review, complaints to the Office of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and also the Agency's formal complaints procedure.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications for judicial review were made in relation to the Highways Agency in each of the last 10 years. [209059]
Mr. Tom Harris: A comprehensive list is not available, but of the three cases identifiable in the last 10 years the most recent case was in 2007 and concerns the closure of a gap in the central reservation on the A30 west of Exeter at Fingle Glen.
Lorries: Accidents
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving foreign-registered lorries there were in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [213940]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2007, the number of reported personal injury road accidents involving foreign registered heavy goods vehicles in Great Britain was 919. Details on damage only accidents are not collected by the Department for Transport.
Lorries: Fuels
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department supports training for the HGV industry on the efficient use of fuel. [213943]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Under our Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) programme some 12,000 HGV drivers have been trained via demonstration programmes with funding from the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 2003. Further SAFED training is being supported with Government funding up to 2010 to encourage transition to fully commercial delivery of SAFED by the trainers.
The Department funds the Freight Best Practice programme which provides free guides, case studies and software to help the freight industry further improve fuel efficiency and operational efficiency. The programme includes material for Developing Skills, with guides and case studies for SAFED, plus films and pocket guides for fuel efficiency. Over 2005 and 2006 the industry achieved savings of 240,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide directly attributed to use of the programme.
Motor Vehicles: Licensing
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will reduce the period within which a vehicle registered overseas and brought to Great Britain must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. [213947]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Different orders and EC directives mean that the UK Government cannot define the period during which a foreign registered vehicle is exempt from the requirement to be registered and licensed with DVLA. However, the Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) Order 1975 states that a vehicle which is properly registered and licensed in its home country may be used by the visitor for up to six months in a 12-month period without the need to register and licence in the host country.
Motorway Service Areas: Cash Dispensing
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department provides to motorway service area (MSA) operators on the provision of automated teller machines which do not charge for cash withdrawals; if she will hold discussions with MSA operators to seek an increase in the number of free-of-charge machines at MSAs; and if she will make a statement. [214210]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not require operators to provide cash machines at motorway service areas. Service areas are private operations and the decision as to whether to provide cash machines lies with the site operator. Department officials meet regularly with service area operators. I will ask them to raise the matter in the course of those discussions to encourage the provision of more free-of-charge machines.
Motorway Service Areas: Food
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department provides on the provision of hot food and drink at motorway service areas (MSAs); whether MSA operators are required to provide hot food and drink for 24 hours a day; and what guidance her Department provides to operators on prices of food and drinks at MSAs. [214208]
Mr. Tom Harris: Government policy on the provision of motorway service areas is contained within Department for Transport Circular 01/2008. This circular requires motorway service area operators to provide hot drinks 24 hours a day for every day of the year. Hot food must be available between the hours of 6am and 10pm every day of the year.
As motorway service areas are privately operated the Government do not provide guidance to operators on the prices of food and drinks at service areas.
Network Rail: Litter
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much was spent by Network Rail on litter collection from land for which it is the responsible authority in each year since 2002; [213903]
(2) whether her Department monitors Network Rail's performance in fulfilling its duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to remove litter from the railway network; and if she will make a statement; [213904]
(3) how many cases Network Rail have brought to a magistrates court under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 on litter and fly-tipping in each year since 2002. [213905]
Mr. Tom Harris:
These are operational matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. Network Rail is a private sector company
limited by guarantee. It has its own operational policies on litter and fly-tipping clearance, consistent with current legislation—the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. It operates under a network licence enforced and amended by the independent Office of Rail Regulation.
Licence condition 8 requires Network Rail to establish and review a written policy—its annual Safety and Environment Plan—to protect the environment from the effect of its licensed activities.
Each plan sets out how Network Rail intends to continue its systematic improvement of the control of key risks and compliance with new legislation to improve the safety, health and environment delivery performance of the national network.
The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for additional information in response to his questions:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton street
London, NW1 2EE.
Official Cars
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the total cost of providing cars and drivers for Ministers was in each year since 1997, broken down by Department; [212895]
(2) how many cars were available for use by Ministers in each year since 1997; and how many were used by each Department in each such year. [212896]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is responsible for providing ministerial transport in line with the Ministerial Code.
The following tables show the number of ministerial cars provided to each Department since 2000-01 together with the annual contracted costs. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. Information on numbers and costs for 2005-06 and 2006-07 were given in a written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 July 2007, Official Report, columns 109-11WS.
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