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8 Dec 2008 : Column 6W—continued
Food: Safety
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority spent per head of population on taking and analysing samples for food standards purposes in the last 12 months. [240401]
Dawn Primarolo: The decision on how much each local authority spends on taking and analysing samples for food standards purposes is decided by each local authority in accordance with the requirements of the Food Law Code of Practice issued in June 2008.
Each authority is required to publish a food sampling policy and make it available to businesses and consumers. The policy sets out the authority's general approach to food sampling and its approach in specific situations such as process monitoring, inspections, complaints, special investigations and national, regional and local co-ordinated programmes.
NHS: Pay
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on salaries and wages for (a) general and senior managers, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff within each primary care trust in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. [240749]
Ann Keen: Tables have been placed in the Library showing the amount spent by each primary care trust in England on salaries and wages for:
total managers and senior managers;
total nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff; and
total administrative and clerical staff
in the years 2006-07 to 2007-08.
Overseas Residence: Australia
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual savings accruing to his Department as a result of expatriates resident in Australia meeting the cost of their healthcare. [240681]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not hold data on the cost of health care for United Kingdom expatriates resident in Australia. The UK does not fund the healthcare costs of British citizens resident in non-European countries and therefore does not consider these to be cost savings. It is the responsibility of individuals to make their own healthcare arrangements when they move to Australia.
Transport
Air Routes
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will designate the air route from London Gatwick to Inverness under Public Service Obligation protection; and if he will make a statement; [240679]
(2) if he will designate all air service to peripheral areas of the United Kingdom from London Heathrow and London Gatwick which do not have a seven hour day return trip capability by surface transport under Public Service Obligation protection; and if he will make a statement. [240680]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In December 2005, the Department for Transport published guidance on the circumstances under which it would consider imposing a Public Service Obligation (PSO) to protect domestic air routes to London airports. A copy is available on the Department's website at:
Under the guidance, it is for local bodies such as devolved administrations, regional development agencies or local authorities to make the case for a PSO to the Department. No such applications have been received since the guidance was published.
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr. Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding has been provided to each local authority to run the national concessionary bus fares scheme in 2008-09; and what estimate his Department has made of the expenditure which will be incurred by each authority on the scheme in that year. [240408]
Paul Clark:
The additional funding provided to each Travel Concession Authority (TCA) to run their schemes following the introduction of the England-wide concession on 1 April is published in the Special Grant Report (No. 129). A copy is in the Library of the House. In total, £212 million of additional funding is available to TCAs in England in 2008-09. The special grant allocation is based on generous assumptions around fares, pass take-up, extra journeys and additional costs, and the distribution of the grant was consulted on in detail. This grant is in
addition to the bulk of the funding for statutory concessionary travel which remains within the overall local Government formula grant settlement.
The Government are providing around £1 billion each year to support the England-wide concession and is confident this is sufficient in total to meet the cost to TCAs. We will continue to monitor the impact of England-wide statutory concessionary travel but final data on expenditure for 2008-09 is unlikely to be available before autumn 2009.
Driving Offences
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the number of cars that are not (a) insured and (b) taxed. [240434]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not hold estimates of the number of cars that are not insured or taxed.
However, the Department's latest estimates of vehicle excise duty evasion suggest that there were around 589,000 unlicensed vehicles in Great Britain in 2007.
In addition, the latest estimate of uninsured driving, based on a 2005 comparison of the DVLA vehicle register and the motor insurance database, suggests that about 2.1 million licensed vehicles are being driven by uninsured drivers.
Measures have already been introduced to tackle uninsured driving including police powers to seize vehicles used on the road uninsured and improved police access to information contained in the insurance industry's database. The Road Safety Act 2006 introduced a new offence of being a registered keeper for which there is no valid motor insurance. Further regulations are required to bring in the provisions into force and the detail of this scheme for continuous insurance enforcement will be subject to consultation later this year.
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what his most recent estimate is of the number of uninsured drivers who renewed their car tax (a) online, (b) by telephone and (c) in person in the last 12 months; [240432]
(2) what procedures are in place to ensure that individuals who renew their car tax disc (a) online, (b) by telephone and (c) in person have valid car insurance. [240431]
Jim Fitzpatrick: No such estimate has been made, as valid insurance must be in place before a vehicle licence can be issued.
A vehicle licence cannot be issued unless valid insurance is in place.
When a vehicle is licensed in person at the Post Office or a DVLA local office, a paper certificate of insurance must be produced. This will be scrutinised to ensure that the person taking out the licence, the registered keeper, is covered by the insurance policy.
When a licensing application is made online or over the telephone, the same check is made electronically via the motor insurance database before the application is processed.
Northern Rail: Rolling Stock
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to announce the (a) timings and (b) business case for the additional 182 vehicles for Northern Rail. [240923]
Paul Clark: The updates to the Department of Transport's Rolling Stock Plan published in July 2008 stated that the indicative rolling stock numbers will only be substituted by different numbers when the Department contracts with the relevant train operator. In the case of Northern Rail this is expected to be in 2010.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in discussions on the preparation and delivery of additional rolling stock vehicles to Northern Rail. [241075]
Paul Clark: Discussions with Northern Rail are at an early stage. Our current view is that they should conclude during 2010, although this is clearly subject to the progress of the commercial negotiations between the parties.
Roads: Accidents
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) other outcomes there were in road traffic accidents reported to his Department in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England in each month in each of the last five years. [240691]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of casualties resulting from reported personal injury road accidents for each month in Cornwall and England, for each of the last five years is given as follows:
| Cornwall | |||||||||||||
| Number of casualties | |||||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Ju l | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
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