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17 Nov 2008 : Column 32W—continued
Dial-a-Ride
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) capital investment and (b) revenue funding has been spent on Dial-a-Ride in London in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [235664]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The funding of Dial-a-Ride services in London is a matter for the Mayor of London and Transport for London.
Driving: Licensing
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will commission research into the accuracy of information provided by drivers in each age group to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in relation to self-certification for fitness to hold a driving licence; [233150]
(2) what representations he has received on the accuracy of information provided by drivers on their (a) health and (b) eyesight when self-certifying their suitability to hold a driving licence; and if he will make a statement; [233151]
(3) what representations he has received from coroners on the procedures for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to obtain information on driving licence holders who have medical conditions which should disqualify them from driving; and if he will make a statement. [233166]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Individual drivers have a duty to ensure they are fit to drive before doing so. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), in conjunction with the Department for Transport, is reviewing the formal systems and procedures in place in Great Britain for ensuring that those who hold a driving licence are fit to do so. The issue of the accuracy of self-certification forms part of that review.
A formal record is not kept of individual representations. However, the issue has been raised by a range of stakeholders and those views have fed into the review. In addition, the Department has received one report from a coroner in relation to the procedures for DVLA to obtain information on driving licence holders who have a medical condition which would disqualify them from driving.
Ferries: Isle of Wight
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what obligation Wightlink is under to provide ferry services at (a) Yarmouth and (b) Lymington; [236206]
(2) what consultation process (a) has been and (b) will be undertaken with residents of the Isle of Wight on the introduction of new W class ferries on the Yarmouth to Lymington service, with particular reference to the (a) economic well-being and (b) social needs of those residents; [236236]
(3) if he will make an assessment of the contribution of the Yarmouth to Lymington ferry service to the (a) residents and (b) economy of the Isle of Wight, with particular reference to the West Wight; and if he will make a statement; [236237]
(4) what restrictions are in place regarding the operation of the Yarmouth to Lymington ferry (a) above and (b) below the low water mark; and who is responsible for ensuring those restrictions are adhered to. [236238]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not make assessments of the impacts of private ferry services, or conduct any related consultations, nor do we impose any obligations upon Wightlink to operate a ferry service between Lymington and Yarmouth.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for issuing a passenger safety certificate for ferries but the Department has no other role in respect of restrictions on ferry operations or for any further permissions required. I understand that works to berths or jetties to facilitate ferry operations are or have been the subject of applications for consent from DEFRA and the local planning authorities.
Freight
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road haulage operators were trading in each of the last five years for which figures were available. [235596]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 13 November 2008]: The following number of road haulage operators were trading in each of the last five years:
| Number | |
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road haulage companies entered receivership in 2007 and how many have done so in 2008 to date. [235597]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 13 November 2008]: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not record this information.
Grants
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what area-based grants his Department makes; and what the budget for each such type of grant is in 2008-09. [234909]
Mr. Hoon: The area-based grants made by the Department for Transport for the Comprehensive Spending Review period of 2008-11 are published in a table on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
The budget for each grant is included in the table.
Gulf of Aden: Piracy
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment his Department has made of the risks to UK-flagged merchant vessels from piracy in the Gulf of Aden. [235844]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Piracy is an international problem that requires an international solution. Piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden are less than 0.1 per cent. of the estimated 16,000 vessels which pass through the region annually. The Government are however, very concerned by increasing numbers of incidents in and around Somali waters. The EU is planning a counter piracy operation to which the UK will provide the operation commander and operation headquarters. EU partners agree that any operation must be co-ordinated with NATO and Combined Task Force 150, themselves active to deter piracy off the Horn of Africa. The UK contributes to both. The UK Government are also tackling piracy at its roots on land. Through the Department for International Development, the UK has allocated £25 million to support efforts to tackle instability in Somalia. The instability creates the conditions allowing piratical activities to flourish.
The Department for Transport has issued advice to seafarers on the measures that can be taken to prevent acts of piracy and armed robbery in Marine Guidance Note 298. We have also urged masters to obtain up to date information about pirate attacks in order to plan their passage through the Gulf of Aden. This advice can be obtained from the Royal Navy’s UK Maritime Trade Operation based in Dubai. The shipping industry has also been informed of the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MPSA) established by the Combined Maritime Forces. The MPSA does not eliminate the risk of criminal activity and shipping has been warned to exercise extreme caution and vigilance.
Highways Agency: Compulsory Purchase
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many properties the Highways Agency has acquired through compulsory purchase in each year since 1995; and what percentage of such properties have subsequently been (a) demolished and a road scheme progressed, (b) demolished without a road scheme being progressed, (c) resold and (d) retained. [235572]
Paul Clark [holding answer 13 November 2008]: Since 1995, the Agency has purchased 1,776 properties in advance of its immediate operational requirements. Of these 1,776 properties, 436 were agricultural, 1,114 were residential and 226 were commercial.
The Agency cannot separately identify the method of purchase but they were bought using compulsory purchase powers, the planning blight provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act or discretionary purchase powers under the Highways Act.
1,125 of these properties have been sold (63 per cent. of the total), 107 have been demolished (6 per cent.), and a further 88 (5 per cent.) have been removed for other reasons, for example, plots combined together
with another property for a sale or taken into operational use. 456 properties (26 per cent.) are currently being retained, although 132 (29 per cent.) of these retained properties are surplus and will be sold.
We are unable to identify which properties may have been demolished for reasons other than a road scheme without referring to individual property files.
The following tables detail the breakdown of the purchases, demolitions and sales.
| Properties purchased since 1 January 1995 | |||||||||
| Sold | Demolished | Other removals | Retained | ||||||
| Bought | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Properties purchased by year since 1995 | ||||
| Agricultural | Commercial | Residential | Total | |
| Of the retained properties bought since 1995, the following are now surplus and will be sold | |
| Number /percentage | |
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