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25 Nov 2008 : Column 1189W—continued
Railways: Overcrowding
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of overcrowding on East Midlands Trains services during peak times on train services from Warrington station; and what steps are being taken to address the issue. [239236]
Paul Clark: East Midlands Trains regularly evaluates levels of overcrowding to formulate plans to improve capacity. The refurbishment programme for Class 158 vehicles commenced this summer and will provide a 13 per cent. increase in seating capacity.
Railways: Scotland
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of his Department's staff are working on a possible high speed rail line from London to Scotland. [237830]
Paul Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answers on 16 October 2008, Official Report, column 1372W, and 28 October, Official Report, column 835W.
Railways: South-West
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to promote high speed rail links to the south-west. [239555]
Paul Clark: The Government’s immediate priority are increasing capacity on the existing rail network and £10 billion will be invested from 2009 to 2014 on measures to bring this about.
In March 2008, the Secretary of State for Transport invited Network Rail to examine options for supporting further growth in the longer term, which might include new lines. Network Rail’s new lines study is due to be completed in summer 2009.
On 29 October 2008, it was announced that the Minister of State for Transport (Lord Adonis) will chair a National Networks Strategy Group, with senior partners from Network Rail, the Highways Agency, Treasury and other Government Departments as necessary.
The focus of the group is to make best use of the existing key networks and to investigate longer term solutions to future challenges on these networks including new rail lines.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projects are included in the Highways Agency's category of other programmes; and from which budget the costs of each such project are met. [234907]
Paul Clark: The Highways Agency has a major projects category of construction schemes which individually are greater than £5 million. There are some 4,400 other non major projects, a summary of these showing the number of projects by budget line is as follows:
| Number | |||
| Budget line | Capital | Resource | Total |
A detailed list of projects by description will be placed in the Libraries of the House early in the new year.
Roads: Tolls
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce road tolls in Wiltshire; and which roads will be affected by such tolls. [239556]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has no plans to introduce road tolls in Wiltshire.
Rolling Stock
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport of the 1,300 new carriages referred to in the 2007 Rail White Paper, how many will be allocated (a) to First Transpennine and (b) to First Capital Connect; and whether they will be in addition to the new Thameslink carriages. [237769]
Paul Clark: The HLOS Rolling Stock Plan published on 30 July 2008 shows 42 additional vehicles allocated to the First Transpennine Express franchise and 85 additional vehicles allocated to the First Capital Connect franchise. These carriages are not part of those being procured for the Thameslink upgrade.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what detailed specifications his Department has made for the procurement of new trains since 2000. [237841]
Paul Clark
[holding answer 20 November 2008]: The Strategic Rail Authority was initially involved, alongside HBSC Rail, in procuring the new trains for the fast
domestic services into St. Pancras which are being built by Hitachi. This is because there was no train operator in place at the time.
The Department for Transport, with the involvement of industry stakeholders, has developed the output specification for the Inter City Express programme and the new trains for Thameslink.
Shared Service Centre: Finance
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of bills the Shared Service Centre has paid within 10 days or less in the last 12 months. [239331]
Mr. Hoon: The Department for Transport Shared Service Centre has paid an average of 32 per cent. of invoices within 10-days in the period November 2007 to October 2008.
Transport: Concessions
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the proportion of central Government funding for the concessionary fares scheme; and if he will make a statement. [239193]
Paul Clark: The Government remain confident that there is sufficient funding in total to meet the cost of the statutory minimum bus concession. We are also confident that the extra funding provided this year, £212 million, to meet the additional costs of the move to England-wide free off-peak bus travel is sufficient. A formula was used to distribute this year's additional funding taking account of factors such as local population, tourist numbers and current bus use. The Department for Transport will continue to monitor the impact of the new concession.
Written Questions: Government Responses
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many holding answers his Department has given in response to written parliamentary questions in the last 12 months; and of those how many have been followed with substantive responses. [239332]
Mr. Hoon: In the 12 months to 20 November 2008 the Department for Transport had been asked 1,028 named day written questions. Of these 430 received holding replies and 21 questions awaited final answer.
Prime Minister
Departmental Manpower
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff in his Office did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available. [235214]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson), Parliamentary and Secretary to the Cabinet Office.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Africa
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations were represented at the meetings he attended during his recent visits to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. [235180]
Gillian Merron: During his recent visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo with my right hon. Friend the French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met President Kabila in Kinshasa. In Goma, he visited a camp for internally displaced persons where he met representatives from a range of humanitarian organisations, and had meetings with Alan Doss, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative and other members of the UN mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, local government authorities and the EU Special Representative’s team.
In Kigali, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met President Kagame, the Belgian Foreign Minister and members of the Office of Tony Blair Rwanda Team, as well as staff from our embassy and the Department for International Development office.
Alexis Sinduhije
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Burundi on the imprisonment of Alexis Sinduhje of the Movement for Security and Democracy. [236377]
Gillian Merron: Following the recent detention of 37 members of the Movement for Security and Democracy (MSD) and its Chairperson Alexis Sinduhije, the UK issued a statement on 7 November expressing its concerns about the ability of Burundians to exercise their civil and political rights.
A number of incidents involving the media, civil society and political parties have called into question the independence of the judiciary from interference and the credibility of rule of law. No one should be above the law, and those who commit offences should have the right to a free, fair and transparent trial. The UK believes adherence to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Burundi has ratified, the Burundian constitution and dialogue will help create the necessary conditions for the reconstruction, stability and development of Burundi.
Algeria: Religious Freedom
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Algerian Government on the implementation of the spirit and letter of Article 36 of the Algerian Constitution on freedom of speech and expression of religion. [236661]
Bill Rammell: I am due to visit Algeria on 24-25 November to participate in the third round of bilateral political dialogue with my Algerian counterparts. During these discussions, I hope to discuss the issue of freedom of religion and belief.
Our ambassador to Algeria also raised this issue with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 23 July 2008.
The right to freedom of religion and belief in Algeria was raised on 14 April during Algeria’s examination under the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, which the UK participated in. Additionally, the EU-Algeria Association agreement, which came into force in September 2005, restates that the principles and fundamental human rights set out in the universal declaration of human rights is an essential part of the agreement and must be followed by both signatories. The EU will continue to raise questions of human rights in Algeria.
We continue to monitor the enforcement of religious laws in Algeria, raising individual cases when it is appropriate.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Algerian counterpart on compliance with the commitment by the Algerian Government to adhere to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with particular reference to Article 18. [236665]
Bill Rammell: I am due to visit Algeria on 24-25 November to participate in the third round of bilateral political dialogue. During discussions, I hope to raise the issue of freedom of religion and belief. Our ambassador to Algeria raised this issue with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 23 July 2008.
During the last review of Algeria at the UN Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in response to questions on this issue, the Algerians said that it was necessary to keep certain laws in place in order to maintain order and prevent proselytisation.
The right to freedom of religion and belief in Algeria was raised on 14 April during Algeria’s examination under the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, which the UK participated in. We were disappointed that Algeria did not accept the recommendation made, relating to its decree on freedom of religion.
We continue to monitor the enforcement of religious laws in Algeria, raising individual cases when it is appropriate.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Algerian counterpart on (a) the imprisonment of Algerian nationals who have expressed their minority religious views through written and audio materials and (b) the closure of 26 Protestant churches in the last 12 months. [236666]
Bill Rammell: I am due to visit Algeria on 24-25 November to participate in the third round of bilateral political dialogue. During discussions, I hope to raise this issue with my Algerian interlocutors. Our ambassador to Algeria raised this issue with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 23 July 2008.
The right to freedom of religion and belief in Algeria was raised on 14 April during Algeria’s examination under the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic
Review, which the UK participated in. Additionally, the EU-Algeria Association agreement, which came into force in September 2005, restates that the principles and fundamental human rights set out in the universal declaration of human rights is an essential part of the agreement and must be followed by both signatories. The EU will continue to raise questions of human rights in Algeria.
We continue to monitor the enforcement of religious laws in Algeria, raising individual cases when it is appropriate.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet the Algerian Ambassador to discuss the effects of Ordinance 06-03 on religious freedom in Algeria. [236753]
Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary does not intend to meet the Algerian ambassador to discuss this issue.
However, I am due to visit Algeria on 24-25 November to participate in the third round of bilateral political dialogue. During discussions, I hope to raise this issue with my Algerian interlocutors.
Our ambassador to Algeria raised this issue with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 23 July 2008.
Arms Trade: Treaties
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials had with their US counterparts in advance of the recent United Nations vote on a multilateral Arms Trade Treaty; and if he will make a statement. [233945]
Bill Rammell: We maintain regular and close contact with the US Government on the proposed Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) alongside a wide range of other subjects. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the proposed ATT with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when they met in New York in September this year and wrote to her on 7 October.
Senior officials have maintained a dialogue with their US counterparts up to and during the UN First Committee meetings last month at which the vote on our resolution to continue work on an ATT was adopted with 147 member states voting in favour—a substantial majority.
Although the US decided to vote against this resolution we are confident that they remain committed to working with the UK towards higher standards of arms export controls. We will maintain our dialogue with them to ensure their views, along with the views of all other UN members, are reflected fully in a strong ATT that will help put an end to the irresponsible trade in conventional arms.
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