Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 5 February 2009
Transport
Buses: Fares
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timescale has been established for the roll-out of smartcard technology on buses in England; whether it is policy that all buses should be smartcard-enabled; and if he will make a statement. [253907]
Paul Clark [holding answer 3 February 2009]: The Department for Transport would like all buses in England to eventually be smartcard enabled. To help achieve this, we have specified that all concessionary travel passes must be smartcards and have announced our intention to pay a higher rate of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) for buses that use such technology. We anticipate that as a result of these initiatives there will be a transformation in the availability of smart card systems and the use of smart cards over the course of this decade.
Work is under way on a ticketing strategy for England, which will encompass smart ticketing. The intention is to publish a consultation paper in the spring and officials are currently meeting with key stakeholders to inform the development of the consultation.
Carbon Emissions: EC Law
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on the implementation of EC Regulations (a) 715/2007 and (b) 692/2008 on replacement catalytic converters. [254119]
Jim Fitzpatrick: None. However, under the terms of directive 98/34/EC, the Department for Transport recently notified the Commission of certain additional domestic provisions which are included in the UK's regulations implementing the EU legislation. These provisions require replacement catalytic converters which are not subject to the EU requirements to be labelled accordingly. The Government consider these provisions to be essential to ensure effective enforcement and hence to fully achieve the objectives of the EU legislation.
Departmental Equality
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the milestones set out on page 7 of his Department's human resources Race Equality Action Plan 2005 to 2008 were not achieved. [253566]
Mr. Hoon: Two of the milestones on page 7 of the Race Equality Action Plan 2005 to 2008 were not fully achieved. These were:
“publish analysis (of diversity monitoring data) annually” - some information was not published in year, however, all of the information for the years 2005 to 2008 has now been published.
“ensure that external recruitment agencies ... collect and supply ethnicity-monitoring data...” - information has not been available for external recruitment from one contractor for campaigns run in the year 2007-08.
Departmental Leave
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of his Department’s bargaining units grant disability leave to staff. [253174]
Mr. Hoon: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driving Standards Agency and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency grant disability leave to staff. In other bargaining units, requests for time off for disability-related medical appointments and rehabilitation are considered on a case by case basis.
Departmental Recycling
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) paper, (b) plastic and (c) other waste has been produced by his Department in each of the last three years; and how much of that waste was recycled. [253292]
Mr. Hoon: The figures for the Department for Transport for the last three years are as follows:
| Total waste (Tonnes) | Recycled waste (Tonnes) | Waste recycled (Percentage) | |
Very few parts of the Department for Transport are able to calculate the specific volumes of paper and plastic waste generated. However, the following data represent the departmental figures for the specified waste streams.
| Tonnes | |||
| Recycled paper waste | Recycled plastic waste | Other waste recycled | |
Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency: Debts
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the performance of Moorcroft Debt Recovery Ltd; what conclusions he reached; and if he will make a statement. [253562]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The performance of Moorcroft Debt Recovery Ltd. is monitored on a regular basis.
Driving Standards Agency: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Driving Standards Agency spent on alcohol in relation to its operations conference in September 2008. [250790]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency spent £1,429.64 on drinks served at the Operations Conference in September 2008. This amounted to slightly under £10 per delegate.
Driving Tests
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of scheduled driving tests have been cancelled by the Driving Standards Agency in each of the last five years. [253479]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 2 February 2009]: The proportion of scheduled driving tests that have been cancelled by the Driving Standards Agency in each of the last five years are as follows:
| Total cancellations (Percentage) | |
The majority of these tests were cancelled as a result of bad weather or were cancelled outside of the short notice period.
Infrastructure Policy Statements
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the infrastructure policy statements for (a) ports, (b) surface networks and (c) aviation to be published. [253901]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 3 February 2009]: I expect to publish a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for ports this summer for consultation, with a view to designation early in 2010; to publish a draft NPS for National Networks (strategic highways and railways, including strategic rail freight interchanges) for consultation this autumn, with a view to designation later in 2010; and to publish a draft NPS for airports by 2011.
Oil: Prices
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions on the price of oil his Department used in developing its High Level Output Statement; and whether he plans to revise such assumptions. [253690]
Paul Clark: The oil price assumptions used in the High Level Output Statement were taken from the National Transport Model and the Department for Transport (DFT) Appraisal Guidance, details of which are available on the DFT website at
These forecasts are kept under review and updated as necessary.
Public Transport: Concessions
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable he has set for the transfer of responsibility for concessionary fares from district to county councils. [253902]
Paul Clark [holding answer 3 February 2009]: We shall shortly be consulting on possible changes to the administration of concessionary travel. These will include the possibility of moving responsibility for administering concessionary travel from district to county councils or centralising the scheme.
Railways: Freight
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group on financial support for the development of railfreight interchanges. [254564]
Paul Clark: There have been no recent discussions between Ministers with the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group on the provision of financial support for the development of railfreight interchanges.
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the development of railfreight interchanges will be subject to a National Planning Policy Statement under the Planning Act 2008. [254565]
Paul Clark: The development of strategic railfreight interchanges, as specified under the Planning Act 2008, will be part of a National Policy Statement.
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the process is for reviewing and updating the railfreight interchange policy. [254566]
Paul Clark: The policy relating to strategic railfreight interchanges will be updated as part of the appropriate National Policy Statement. This review of the current published policy is being undertaken and will be the subject of consultation when published.
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he is holding with the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group on the development of the Department's policy on railfreight interchanges. [254567]
Paul Clark: Although there is ongoing contact between officials and the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group, there are no discussions taking place with the group on the development of the Department for Transport's policy on railfreight interchanges at present.
Road Traffic
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the percentage change in traffic levels (a) on English roads and (b) on roads in each county within England was in each year since 1997, taking 1997 levels as 100 per cent. [253845]
Paul Clark: A table providing traffic volumes for all motor vehicles on all roads for (a) English roads and (b) each local highway authority in England has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The figures provided in the table are for the period 1997 to 2007 and are indexed to 1997. More recent data for 2008 will be published during summer 2009.
Traffic estimates at local highway authority level are not designated as National Statistics and are therefore not as robust as the national estimates. Some discontinuities exist in the data between various years for certain local highways authorities. These are caused by the Department for Transport collecting an increased number of road counts in particular years, which allows the Department to make traffic volume series in subsequent years more accurate.
Road traffic by local highway authority can be found on the Department’s website at the following web address:
Road Traffic: Cameras
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) locations and (b) roads in (i) the Metropolitan police area of London, (ii) Essex and (iii) Hertfordshire are where enforcement cameras to police no overtaking zones (A) are in place and (B) will be in place within the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [252989]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The enforcement of offences is an operational matter for the police; the Department for Transport therefore does not hold the information requested. The Home Office type approve equipment that the police use for enforcement, so that the evidence it produces is admissible in court without corroboration. They do not type approve cameras to enforce no overtaking zones, only speed, red light, bus lane and unlicensed vehicle offences.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue enforcement cameras for the policing of no overtaking zones have generated in Essex in each year since 1997; and how much of that revenue has been spent in Essex. [252990]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Home Office type approve equipment that the police use for enforcement, so that the evidence it produces is admissible in court without corroboration. They do not type approve cameras to enforce no overtaking zones, only speed, red light, bus lane and unlicensed vehicle offences. Overtaking in a no overtaking zone is an endorsable fixed penalty offence (£60) or can result in a maximum Level 3 (£1,000) fine on conviction. The Department for Transport does not hold any information on the level of fine revenue from these offences.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were killed in (a) West Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in drink-driving-related accidents in each of the last five years. [254747]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Estimates of the number of drink-driving-related accidents or casualties are not available below Government Office Region level. The estimates are published as an article 3, entitled “Drinking and driving” in “Road Casualties Great Britain—Annual report 2007”. Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House and it is also available at the following web address:
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