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24 Nov 2008 : Column 1076W—continued
Transport
Aviation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projections he has made of the change in the number of flight movements at (a) Heathrow and (b) all UK airports between 2030 and 2050. [237620]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport projected annual air traffic movements (ATM) for all UK airports to 2050, including 2030 figures, in its “UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts” (2007) report, page 49. This is available at:
The Department for Transport also stated its projected annual ATM for Heathrow to 2030 in its “Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport” consultation document, page 209. This is available at:
With maximum use of its existing runways, there are projected to be 480,000 ATMs at Heathrow in 2030. This is assumed to remain constant between 2030 and 2050.
With additional capacity at Heathrow, there are projected to be 702,000 ATMs in 2030. This is assumed to remain constant between 2030 and 2050.
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the changes to aviation policy which will be necessary as a result of (a) inclusion of the aviation sector in the Climate Change Bill and (b) the decision to set a target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent. by 2050. [237619]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government’s policy for the sustainable, long-term development of the aviation industry was set out in the 2003 Air Transport White Paper. This included a comprehensive approach to addressing aviation’s environmental impacts.
International aviation emissions are not included within the system of greenhouse gas budgets and targets provided by the Climate Change Bill, as there is no agreement as to how to allocate such emissions to individual countries;
emissions from domestic aviation are included. The Bill does provide for the inclusion of international aviation emissions at a later date, which will allow the Government to maintain consistency with international practice.
As a result of Government amendments to the Bill, both the Government and the Committee on Climate Change will be required to take account of projected emissions from international aviation in setting, and advising on, carbon budgets, respectively.
In taking this approach, the Government have followed the recommendation of the shadow Committee on Climate Change in their interim advice in October this year.
Aviation: Passengers
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to ensure that in all cases air passengers stranded abroad as a result of airline failure are able to be repatriated; and what consideration he is giving to a statutory scheme to achieve this. [239021]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The air travel organiser’s licence (ATOL) scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority already ensures that anyone on a package holiday including a flight can finish their holiday and return home as planned in the event of their tour operator or airline becoming insolvent. This requirement comes from the EU Package Travel Directive.
As part of the Department for Transport’s work to learn the lessons of XL’s failure, we are examining how those not covered by the ATOL scheme got home including via other airlines, some of whom offered discount repatriation fares.
Brussels
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on visits by its staff to Brussels in 2007-08; and how many such visits were made by (a) air and (b) rail. [239418]
Mr. Hoon: The Department for Transport (central) and four of its agencies (Driving Standards Agency, Government Car and Despatch Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) do not record details of journeys by destination, and could provide the information only at disproportionate cost
Highways Agency staff made eight visits by air at a cost of £2,170, and eight visits by rail at a cost of £1,597.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency recorded nine return flights at a cost of £3,129, and no rail journeys.
Vehicle Certification Agency spent £4,507 on return travel to Brussels, but cannot differentiate between air and rail journeys, except at disproportionate cost.
Bus Services: Competition
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what strategies his Department employs to ensure competition between local bus operators to encourage better services for passengers. [238809]
Paul Clark: The Local Transport Bill contains various measures, building on those in the Transport Act 2000, to enable stronger, more effective partnership working between local authorities and bus operators to deliver services that better meet the needs of passengers. It includes a tailored competition test and enforcement regime that would apply to voluntary partnership agreements between authorities and operators, and to certain other agreements between operators. Further details are contained in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill, and the Office of Fair Trading has recently consulted on draft guidance to support these provisions in the Bill.
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Torbay local authority since April 2007 on funding for the national concessionary bus fares scheme. [239002]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport received representations from Torbay council last autumn when over 200 responses were received to the Department's consultation on the formula distribution for the special grant for the new England-wide concession. Also, in July 2008 a senior public transport officer of Torbay council wrote expressing his concern about the allocation of special grant funding. In September 2008 the mayor of Torbay wrote on this issue to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The correspondence was answered by officials in the Department for Transport.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to raise the age of eligibility for concessionary bus travel in line with changes to the pensionable age between 2010 and 2020. [239275]
Paul Clark: We have no current plans to do so. At present eligibility for the national concessionary bus pass is defined as 60 years old, or over, rather than linked to the actual pension age.
Buses: Accidents
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving bus passengers were reported in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) service provider; and if he will make a statement. [237848]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury accidents with at least one bus passenger casualty in each of the last five years is given in the table which has been deposited in the Libraries of the House. Information on the service provider is not collected by the Department.
Christmas
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (a) cards, (b) parties and (c) decorations in the last 12 months. [237479]
Mr. Hoon: The information is set as follows.
| £ (inc. VAT) | |||
| Christmas: | (a) Cards | (b) Parties | (c) Decorations |
| (1) Christmas trees are provided at the HA as part of the internal planting contract, but the sum is small and cannot be disaggregated. | |||
Crossrail: Finance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an agreement has been made with BAA on the exact amount of funding BAA will contribute to Crossrail. [237835]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport and BAA announced on 4 November that agreement had been reached about the terms on which BAA will make a contribution worth £180 million in 2007 prices. The contribution, which will be paid in two instalments, is subject to indexation and so the actual amount paid will depend on its timing (and the first payment cannot be earlier than April 2013). Certain conditions will have to be met that may affect the timing or size of the contribution: for example, the contribution is subject to progress with construction of new viaducts at Stockley to improve the capacity and reliability of rail access to the airport; and it is also subject to the regulatory approval of the CAA.
Cycling England: Finance
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments Cycling England has (a) made in the last 12 months and (b) is contracted to make, to public affairs consultants; and for what purposes. [238466]
Paul Clark: Blue Rubicon has been contracted through the Central Office of Information since 2005 to provide PR consultancy services to Cycling England. The agency delivers a programme of activity targeting consumers and engaging stakeholders with the aim to get more people cycling, more safely, more often.
Expenditure for the period November 2007-November 2008 has been £969,759. Spend so far this financial year is £390,766. This includes costs for running a general press office; website development and maintenance; development and promotion of Bikeability (Cycling England’s flagship award scheme, teaching children to cycle safely and responsibly); event management; commissioning research into and promoting the benefits of cycling. The estimated spend for the rest of the current financial year is £341,996. The contract ends in March 2009 and is due to be retendered in January.
Cycling: Accidents
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians have been killed in accidents involving cyclists and no other vehicles in each of the last 10 years. [237748]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of pedestrians killed in reported personal injury road accidents involving a pedal cycle and no other vehicle in each of the last 10 years are given in the table.
| Number of pedestrian fatalities | |
Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Road Traffic
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the average delay caused by congestion at the Dartford River Crossing to users during (a) morning peak times and (b) afternoon peak times on (i) week days and (ii) weekends to users travelling from (A) junction 2 of the M25, (B) junction 3 of the M25, (C) junction 29 of the M25, (D) the A2 travelling eastbound heading on to the A282, (E) the A2 travelling westbound and then heading on to the A282, (F) the A13 travelling eastbound and then heading on to the A282 and (G) the A13 travelling westbound and then heading on to the A282. [236311]
Paul Clark: The Department has not made estimates to the level of detail requested.
Departmental Catering
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether food and drink on sale to staff of (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies at official premises is subsidised from public funds. [237425]
Mr. Hoon: The Department for Transport does not subsidise food or drink sold at its main London HQ buildings. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Government Gar and Despatch Agency provide subsidised catering facilities. The Department's other executive agencies do not.
Departmental Civil Servants
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants have been employed by each of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [239103]
Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the Department for Transport Annual Report 2008, Appendix A, Table A6. Copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
The information requested for non-departmental bodies can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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