| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 July 2008 : Column 1754W—continued
The list excludes information from the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Driving Standards Agency which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The data used to complete the answer rely upon correct coding of expenditure by finance staff.
Departmental Reviews
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many reviews of regulation (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have conducted or commenced since July 2007; and in which areas. [215620]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Regulation is routinely reviewed as part of the policy making process, including as part of simplifying regulation or preparing to consult on policy changes. The Department for Transport (DfT) Simplification Plan published in December 2007 lists over 80 proposals to simplify regulations. Since July 2007 DfT and its agencies have launched over 70 consultations. These cover the whole range of departmental responsibilities from local transport to aviation.
Current and closed consultations are available on the consultation page of the DfT website along with final impact assessments for policies that have an impact on business, the third sector and local government:
The revised impact assessment process, introduced from November 2007, includes a requirement to carry out a post-implementation review within three years of implementation of any policy that requires an impact assessment. Since the new format was introduced we have laid 19 impact assessments in the House Library with legislation.
Departmental Television
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what premium Sky, digital terrestrial or cable television channels (a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies subscribes; and at what yearly cost in the most recent period for which figures are available. [215644]
Jim Fitzpatrick: At the Department’s two main London HQ buildings CNN is received via Sky and Virgin Media (formerly NTL). Sky Sports is provided as an additional channel for Ministerial Drivers and is received via Sky. The total annual estimated cost in financial year 2007-08 was £9,357.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency subscribes to Sky at an annual cost in financial year 2007-08 of £775.
No other premium television channels are taken at other Department for Transport Executive Agencies.
Departmental Wastes
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. [215887]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport, including its agencies, has reported the following waste figures for the last two years.
| Recycled | Re-u sed | Energy from w aste | Landfill | Total | |
The aforementioned information is derived from the Department for Transport Greening Operations and Sustainability returns for the period 2006-08.
The Department for Transport has reduced the volume of waste going to landfill in each of the last two years. Total waste arisings have fallen by 19.8 per cent. since the baseline year (2004-05) of the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate waste target. This has been as a result of the introduction of effective waste streaming programmes in the majority of the Department’s main offices. Waste streaming has resulted in numerous new recycling initiatives being introduced, including CDs, plastic bottles, glass, food waste, furniture, spectacles, fluorescent tubes, cardboard, batteries, cooking oil and mobile phones. The Department has also introduced new initiatives such as duplex printing to reduce paper consumption and subsequent waste, think before you print campaigns so that only essential items are printed, and an IT re-use contract which results in old IT equipment being collected, refurbished and then externally re-used. In addition the Department has worked with its suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging associated with deliveries.
Driving Tests: Closures
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the revenue to be raised by her Department from the sale of (a) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) test stations and (b) the Driving Standards Agency; and if she will place in the Library a list of the (i) VOSA test stations and (ii) DSA test centres due for closure. [217150]
Jim Fitzpatrick
[holding answer 8 July 20 08] : The VOSA has 89 test stations, 71 of which are full-time. The current net value asset of VOSA’s test stations is £98,000,000. There are currently no VOSA test stations due for closure however, I refer the hon. Member to my statement to the House of 3 July 2008, Official Report, column 62WS, that stated that the principle for VOSA’s testing stations in the future would be “fewer but better”. The aim is to quickly identify those sites for
which there is a continuing requirement and to develop more detailed and timetabled plans for these changes by the autumn.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has £600,000 profiled as a capital receipt from the sale of driving test centres to be received within the next 12 months.
A list of the 54 driving test centres that DSA plans to close has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
East Coast Railway Line
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she next plans to meet Network Rail to discuss the performance of the (a) track and (b) trains on the East Coast Main Line. [217278]
Mr. Tom Harris: Officials in the Department for Transport meet Network Rail every four weeks to discuss rail performance and this meeting is normally chaired at ministerial level. As a key intercity route, all aspects of performance on the route are discussed.
First Great Western
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many weekends First Great Western rescheduled trains along the Gloucester to Swindon line for all or part of the weekend in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2007-08 and (e) 2008. [218003]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The hon. Member should contact First Great Western directly at the following address:
Andrew Haines
Chief Operating Officer
First Great Western
Milford House
1 Milford Street
Swindon
SN1 1HL
Freight Facilities Grant
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to increase the availability and accessibility of the Freight Facilities Grant to potential applicants. [217950]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has recently announced a budget for the Freight Facilities Grant in the amount of £21 million over the next three years which should give potential applicants some assurance over the future availability of funding.
We will also shortly be running a campaign to publicise the FFG scheme to encourage more applications. A new leaflet has been produced, which will be mailshot to potential applicants and the new Freight Best Practice contract which was awarded to Faber Maunsel on 1 July 2008, will require them to market grants direct to businesses.
We are also looking at ways to simplify the application process—including a redesign of the application form to make it easier to use—to encourage more companies to apply for grants.
M3: Surrey
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average daily volume of traffic (a) on the M3 motorway between junctions (i) 4 and 4A and (ii) 4A and 5 and (b) entering and leaving the M3 at junctions 4, 4A and 5 was in each of the last 10 years. [217328]
Mr. Tom Harris: The following table shows the average daily volume of traffic (a) on the M3 motorway between junctions (i) 4 and 4A and (ii) 4A and 5 in each of the last 10 years
| J4A-4 London bound | J4-4A coast bound | J5-4A London bound | J4-5 coast bound | |
(b) Information on traffic entering and leaving the M3 at junctions 4, 4A and 5 is only available since 2005, when automatic traffic counting sites were established. The following tables show the record of average traffic flows entering and leaving junctions 4, 4A and 5 of the M3 motorway since 2005.
| Entering junction 4 London bound | Exiting junction 4 London bound | Entering junction 4 coast bound | Exiting junction 4 coast bound | |
| Entering junction 4A London bound | Exiting junction 4A London bound | Entering junction 4A coast bound | Exiting junction 4A coast bound | |
| Entering junction 5 London bound (Main NB 4 to 4a minus within J5) | Entering junction 5 London bound | Entering junction 5 coast bound (Main SB 5 - 6 minus within J5) | Exiting junction 5 coast bound | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |