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3 Feb 2009 : Column 1124W—continued
Departmental Pensions
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to advise staff of pension options available to them in relation to added years or additional voluntary contributions. [253264]
Mr. Hoon: Information is made available to staff on added pension, additional voluntary contributions, and stakeholder pensions by the following means:
(a) all new staff are provided with a scheme booklet on pension choices when they join the Department;
(b) all staff in the scheme are provided with an annual pension statement which details the current and projected value and provides information about ways of boosting their pension;
(c) the Department's intranet and staff handbook provide information about the pension scheme and a link to the scheme website where more information is available;
(d) the Department's pension team provides a pensions helpline for all pension enquiries including information about ways of boosting pension.
Departmental Public Relations
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years. [251249]
Mr. Hoon: The Department was formed in May 2002 and figures for the 2002-03 financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The cost of public relations consultancies for the last five complete financial years is as follows:
| £ 000 | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Departmental Training
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 835W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008. [251319]
Mr. Hoon: Other Ministers in the Department for Transport have taken the following training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008: induction and action learning set.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in the provision of training for external organisations in that period. [252220]
Mr. Hoon: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Working Hours
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working (a) in lunch breaks, (b) in evenings and (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement. [252011]
Mr. Hoon: The Department for Transport and its agencies operate a flexible working system where staff participating may accrue a credit balance of more than their conditioned hours. Time off in lieu can be granted by line managers to staff who have accrued additional hours.
Line managers may formally agree in advance that staff carry out essential work outside contracted hours attracting time off in lieu or overtime.
All working arrangements must comply with the working time regulations, such as taking appropriate minimum break during the working day.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available. [252012]
Mr. Hoon: This information is not available.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700. [249134]
Mr. Hoon: Separate records of these occasions are not kept and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has a statutory duty to issue an acknowledgement letter following receipt of a statutory off road notification or notice of a change of owner; and if he will make a statement. [253563]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is under no statutory obligation to issue acknowledgement letters. However, the DVLA is committed to sending all customers an acknowledgement letter. Upon receipt of a statutory off road notification (SORN) or disposal notification, an acknowledgement is automatically generated and sent to the keeper of the vehicle.
Driving Tests
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people (a) took and (b) passed their driving test in (i) Ribble Valley, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years. [253226]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 2 February 2009]: There are no driving test centres within the Ribble Valley.
The number of driving tests conducted by the Driving Standards Agency in Lancashire and where the result was a pass in each of the last five years for car, motorcycle, lorry and bus categories are:
| Overall | |||
| Conducted | Passed | Percentage pass | |
The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for conducting driving tests within Great Britain. The Driver and Vehicle Agency is responsible for driving tests conducted within Northern Ireland. The number of driving tests taken and passed in Great Britain over the last five years for car, motorcycle, lorry and bus categories are:
| Overall | |||
| Conducted | Passed | Percentage pass | |
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