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17 July 2008 : Column 610W—continued
Driving Tests
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what increase in the driving test fee would be required to raise the amount of money expected to be saved through closures of driving test centres. [218769]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 14 July 2008]: The Driving Standards Agency does not have this information. To collate it would incur disproportionate costs.
Eurostar
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward proposals to develop a regional Eurostar link. [218992]
Mr. Tom Harris: Any changes to Eurostar service patterns are a matter for Eurostar. The Department for Transport does not have any proposals to develop a regional Eurostar link.
Fish
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much fish was procured by her Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and
value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species. [217887]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fraud
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions staff employed by her Department defrauded her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [214630]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on 29 May 2002. Since that date, the number of occasions staff have defrauded the Department is as follows:
| Number of occasions | |
The number of occasions for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes fraud committed by staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the losses to her Department from fraud committed by staff of her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [214637]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on 29 May 2002. Since that date, the estimated cost of fraud committed by staff (including theft) in the Department is as follows:
| Estimated amount (£) | |
Assets have been valued at cost, net book value or replacement cost depending on the circumstance of the individual case.
The estimated amount for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes fraud committed by staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were prosecuted for (a) attempting to defraud and (b) defrauding her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [214640]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on the 29 May 2002. Since that date, the number of staff prosecuted for defrauding and attempting to defraud the Department is as follows:
| Number of staff prosecuted | |
It has not been possible to differentiate between staff prosecuted for (a) attempting to defraud and (b) defrauding my Department as to do so would involve a disproportionate cost.
The numbers provided for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes the prosecution of staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff of her Department were responsible for each instance of fraud or attempted fraud in her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [214644]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on 29 May 2002. Since that date, the number of staff responsible for each instance of fraud in the Department is as follows:
| Number of staff | |
The number of staff involved for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes fraud committed by staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.
Heathrow Airport
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2008, Official Report, columns 939-40W, on Heathrow Airport, which of her Department's staff worked with BAA on the work specified in the answer. [218786]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The technical work which underpinned the “Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport” consultation was managed by the Department's Aviation Directorate. The relevant directors and heads of division leading this were:
Jonathan Moor—Director, Airports Strategy
John Parkinson—Head of Airports Policy Division (from July 2007)
Jonathan Sharrock—Head of Airports Policy Division (up to June 2007)
Martin Capstick—Head of Aviation Environment Division
David Hart—Head of International Networks Analysis and Support Division.
High Speed Trains: EC Law
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the costs of implementing Commission Decision 2008/164/EC on the high speed rail network; and if she will make a statement. [217981]
Mr. Tom Harris: As a result of Commission Decision 2008/164/EC, the Technical Specification for Interoperability—Persons with Reduced Mobility (‘PRM TSI’) came into force in the UK on 1 July 2008. The PRM TSI sets out accessibility standards for passenger trains and stations on both the conventional and high speed Trans-European Network.
The PRM TSI replaces very similar domestic access standards for stations and trains which had been in place for several years. We do not, therefore, expect that its implementation will have a significant impact on costs.
Highways Agency: Complaints
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2008, Official Report, Question 209057, whether the Putting Things Right procedure is made available to the public in hard copy. [218793]
Mr. Tom Harris: Yes. Members of the public may request a hard copy of the “Putting Things Right” leaflet from any Highways Agency office or their information line on 08457 50 40 30.
Leicester to London Railway Line
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) who the main service provider of the Leicester to London high speed train will be; [218182]
(2) what effect the construction of the high speed train link will have on travel times between Leicester and London until the link has been completed; and what plans she has to reduce adverse effects on travel times during this period. [218184]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Secretary of State invited Network Rail to begin work to develop longer-term options for the railway network. As part of this, on 23 June 2008 Network Rail announced a strategic review of the case for new rail lines. It will consider five of Network Rail's strategic routes, north and west of London: Chiltern, East Coast, West Coast, Great Western and Midland Main Lines. It is too early to say what the results of this study will be or where any potential new lines might go. The study is expected to be complete in July 2009.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the railway track improvements between Leicester and London will be completed. [218183]
Mr. Tom Harris:
This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national
rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE.
London to Cardiff Railway Line
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2008, Official Report, column 745W, on the London to Cardiff railway line, where the potential new rail line along the Great Western main line being examined by Network Rail would end. [219083]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Secretary of State invited Network Rail to begin work to develop longer-term options for the railway network. In response to this, on 23 June 2008 Network Rail announced a strategic review of the case for new rail lines. It will consider five of Network Rail’s strategic routes, north and west of London: Chiltern, East coast, West Coast, Great Western and Midland main Lines. It is too early to say what the results of this study will be or where any potential new lines might go. The study is expected to be complete in July 2009.
Lorries: Accidents
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many serious injury accidents left-hand drive heavy goods vehicles were involved in each of the last three years. [218466]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported serious road accidents involving at least one foreign registered left hand drive heavy goods vehicle in Great Britain in 2005-07 are shown in the following table.
| Number of serious injury accidents | |
Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 July 2008, Official Report, columns 88-90WS, on new cars: emissions targets, what position she has taken in discussions with the EU in respect of a possible derogation for Jaguar and Land Rover. [219801]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK is not seeking a derogation for any one specific automotive manufacturer. The UK position is that manufacturers that only produce a narrow range of products, while still being subject to challenging mandatory targets, should not be unfairly disadvantaged as compared to their competitors who produce a wider range of vehicle types. Our position on this is set out in more detail in the new car CO2 consultation document on the DfT website.
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency spent on its vehicle testing centres in 2007-08. [218788]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The cost of running Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's testing centres in 2007-08 was £6.9 million, this includes rent, rates and maintenance and other locally incurred costs such as telecommunications. This figure excludes staff related costs and major improvement programmes.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle test centres are managed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. [218789]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) manages 89 goods vehicle testing stations, with a further five single vehicle approval/vehicle identity check sites.
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