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13 Mar 2009 : Column 806W—continued
Heathrow Airport
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what risk registers (a) are in use and (b) have been in use in the last two years within his Department's Aviation Directorate in relation to projects regarding Heathrow Airport; and if he will make a statement. [258764]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 25 February 2009]: The Department's Aviation Directorate makes regular use of risk registers to monitor strategic projects, as well as non-strategic projects and business as usual activities relating to regulatory issues, airport capacity and operations, aviation and the environment, and aviation safety. In line with this, risks relating to Heathrow airport were reported to the Heathrow Project Board until October 2007 and to the Aviation Programme Board thereafter.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons he plans to withdraw from public scrutiny responses to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation on 10 April 2009. [262943]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has no plans to withdraw from public scrutiny the responses to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation. The complete set of nearly 70,000 responses has been made available for inspection in the Department until 10 April and we consider this to be a reasonable period to provide this facility. After 10 April, the Department will allow interested parties to view named responses on request.
Heathrow Airport: Public Consultation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department collated any summaries of the responses to the consultation document, Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport in addition to the work carried out by Ipsos MORI/Detica. [262449]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In addition to the response analysis undertaken by Detica, the Department for Transport carried out some supplementary analysis of the responses from stakeholders listed in Appendix D2 to the Detica report. This was subject to scrutiny by the independent peer reviewer whose report is available on the Department's website at:
Lorries: Licensing
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with its Executive agencies on setting testing fees for goods vehicles, their drivers and operators. [263383]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for setting and administering testing fees for goods vehicles and their operators while the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is responsible for setting the fees for the testing of goods vehicle drivers.
Since VOSA and DSA are established as a Trading Funds they are required to set fees to meet their outgoings. On 27 October 2008, DSA issued a public consultation on changes to the level of fees applicable to the practical driving test for goods vehicles while on 6 November 2008, VOSA issued a public consultation on changes to the level and structure of its fees for the testing of goods vehicles and operators, both to come into effect in April of this year.
This followed extensive discussion with Department officials that included analysis to ensure that:
proposed fees have been calculated in line with Government guidance on the setting of statutory fees;
that there are sound and appropriate assumptions upon which the agency’s financial forecasts are based;
that the plans provide sufficient revenues to support the policies and objectives of the Department.
Following closure of the public consultations in January 2009, the agencies have prepared analyses of the responses from the consultation that form the basis of recommendations to the Minister on what fee changes should be made in April.
Motor Vehicles: Licensing
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has had with the chief executives of (a) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (c) the Driving Standards Agency since his appointment. [263381]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State met the chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency in November to discuss the ‘Learning to Drive’ consultation. I have regular update meetings with these agencies.
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department employs to ensure the value for money of expenditure by (a) the Driving Standards Agency, (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (c) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. [263382]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency along with two other executive agencies and three central policy directorates form the Safety, Service Delivery and Logistics Group (SSDL) of the Department for Transport.
During 2006 and as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review these executive agencies undertook a zero-based review of their key services in order to identify opportunities for improved efficiency or effectiveness in the delivery of those services.
The results of the zero-based review was a value for money delivery plan that targets £112 million of efficiencies and cost savings over the 2008-11 years resulting from a combination of:
the consumer take-up of new and existing electronic services;
the use of information to more effectively target enforcement activities;
the introduction of new working practices and processes; and
the rationalisation of the Group’s estate.
In addition, the SSDL Group seeks to ensure that value for money principles are embedded in all of its activities by including the requirement for agencies to undertake external benchmarking of processes that are being renewed or changed.
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 2123-5W, on A303: inspections, if he will provide equivalent information for each other Vehicle and Operator Services Agency checkpoint in England and Wales. [262416]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has over 1,000 checkpoint sites, to find out the requested enforcement information would result in disproportionate cost being incurred.
Roads: Safety Measures
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, columns 9-10W, on cycling: helmets, if he will take steps to ensure the earlier publication of his Department's final reports on road safety and cycling issues. [263451]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department is working with the contractors, TRL, to ensure the road safety and cycle project maintains on schedule with the publication of the project's final reports in autumn 2010.
Treasury
Bradford and Bingley
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable he has set for the appointment of an independent valuer in respect of the compensation scheme for shareholders of Bradford and Bingley. [263622]
Ian Pearson: On 10 March 2009, the Government announced that they were inviting applications for the position of independent valuer to assess any compensation that may be payable to former holders of the shares in Bradford and Bingley plc that were transferred to the Treasury in September last year (and other specified persons affected by the transfer).
The closing date for applications is 7 April 2009. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present to a selection panel in May 2009. Thereafter, the panel will submit their recommendation to Treasury Ministers. Further details can be found on the Treasury website at:
Consolidated Fund: Fines
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 133W, on Consolidated Fund: fines, which public bodies are required to surrender their revenue from fines to the Consolidated Fund. [258625]
Yvette Cooper: For all central Government Departments most cash receipts, either by specific legislation or by the Civil List Act 1952, are required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund. Local authorities are not required to surrender income from fines to the Consolidated Fund.
The requirement to surrender income ceases to apply where the Treasury lays an omnibus minute, alongside each Supply Estimates publication, under section 2 of the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000. This enables Departments to use specified income to offset the costs of their expenditure. The Supply Estimates provide details of the income appropriated in aid.
The Resource Accounts of each Department contain information on both amounts appropriated in aid and those surrendered as Consolidated Fund Extra Receipts. The level of detail disclosed on fines will vary between the accounts and will be influenced by factors such as the materiality of fines to the figures in the accounts.
Details of fines are not separately identifiable within the Consolidated Fund’s receipts.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford's letter of 13 October 2008, Treasury reference: 1/6189/2008, concerning Mr Richard Macaskill of Chelmsford; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply. [263379]
Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what the planned source will be of the professional lending skills to be used by the Treasury in lending to private finance initiative projects. [262777]
Ian Pearson: HM Treasury will use the skills of a combination of Treasury employees and secondees.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what estimate he has made of the average return on capital committed to private finance initiative projects which have been completed and refinanced to date. [262778]
Ian Pearson:
The private finance initiative (PFI) should only be used where it demonstrates value for money in absolute terms and when compared with other forms of
procurement. Competition among PFI providers is designed to ensure that the best value for money options are selected, helping to ensure that investors' returns on capital invested in PFI projects are appropriate.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what his latest estimate is of the number of private finance initiative projects for which the Government will provide the full amount of senior debt. [262781]
Ian Pearson: The Government will determine which projects will receive what quantity of senior debt on a project-by-project basis.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what steps his Department is taking on management of credit risk in circumstances where the Government are providing the full amount of senior debt required by a private finance initiative infrastructure project. [262782]
Ian Pearson: The Treasury's lending facility will operate at arm's length from the authorities procuring private finance initiative (PFI) projects. It will operate on a commercial basis with robust risk management procedures and will lend on commercial terms.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, (1) what steps his Department is taking to ensure value for money from Government lending to private finance initiative infrastructure projects; [262783]
(2) whether his Department's value for money assessment guidance will apply in determining the projects for which the Government will provide the full amount of senior debt for a private finance initiative infrastructure project; [262787]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of any comparative cost-benefit analysis of switching to alternative procurement methods in private finance initiative infrastructure projects undertaken by or on behalf of his Department. [262795]
Ian Pearson: HM Treasury's Green Book (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/data_greenbook_guidance. htm) states that all new policies, programmes and projects should be subject to comprehensive assessment, including an appraisal of value for money.
Private finance initiative projects are required to further test value for money using tailored qualitative and quantitative appraisals which must form part of the project's business case (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_vfm_index.htm).
Competition among PFI providers is designed to ensure that the best value for money options are selected.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, when he expects his Department's lending to private finance initiative projects to have been repaid. [262786]
Ian Pearson: The Treasury will lend to projects only where appropriate funding is not available from the market. It will be a temporary intervention. As with normal commercial lending these loans will bear interest and will be repaid over the life of the project.
The Treasury envisages selling the loans it makes prior to their maturity as favourable market conditions return.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, (1) what pricing structure the Government will use when providing the full amount of senior debt required by a private finance initiative infrastructure project; [262788]
(2) what criteria the Government will use to determine appropriate means of funding provision for a private finance initiative infrastructure project. [262789]
Ian Pearson: It is intended that the Government will lend to PFI projects on commercial terms, alongside other commercial lenders and/or the European Investment Bank.
The Government will only lend to those PFI projects that cannot raise sufficient debt finance on acceptable terms.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, how the private finance initiative infrastructure projects receiving additional Government funding will be selected. [262790]
Ian Pearson: All PFI projects in procurement (that have, to date, issued a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)) will be eligible for this finance from the Government. Future projects intending to go to market soon will also be eligible, provided they meet the usual value for money and affordability criteria, and subject to Treasury approval before issuing their OJEU notice.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2009, Official Report, columns 47-8WS, on Government infrastructure investment, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that returns to private investors on private finance initiative projects supported by his Department's lending reflect the transfer of risk back to the public purse implicit in such support. [262794]
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