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18 Mar 2009 : Column 1150W—continued
Ports: Milford Haven
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations he has received on the trust port status of the Port of Milford Haven; [263524]
(2) what assessment he has made of the benefit to the public of the Port of Milford Haven being a Trust Port; [263525]
(3) what his policy is on the status as a Trust Port of the Port of Milford Haven; and if he will make a statement. [263526]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Our policy towards trust ports in England and Wales is set out in the Department’s guidance document “Modernising Trust Ports - A Guide to Good Governance”. A revised version of this guidance, on which the Department is currently inviting views, is available on our website at:
The policy recognises the validity of the trust port model, while strongly encouraging trust ports to analyse their corporate structure and keep it under review, with a view to identifying opportunities to enhance their efficiency and get value from their assets.
We expect the major trust ports, including Milford Haven, to have reported to us within the next 12 months on their analysis of structural change and their intended course of action.
We have received no specific representations about the status of Milford Haven as a trust port nor undertaken any analysis of its benefit to the public in the area.
Railways: Consultants
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultants his Department has engaged to work on the Intercity Express Programme; and how much each has been paid to date. [262448]
Paul Clark: The following consultants, technical, legal and financial Advisers have been engaged to provide expert advice and services to the Intercity Express Programme from 2005 to end January 2009:
| £ million | |
These costs should be considered in the context of the total contract value of £7.5 billion.
Railways: Franchises
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contingency preparations his Department has made in the event of a rail franchisee defaulting on a franchise. [263597]
Paul Clark: Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended by the Transport Act 2005) places a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure passenger services are maintained in the event of franchise failure.
To deliver that requirement, the Department for Transport has contingency plans in place in the event of a franchisee defaulting on a franchise. These plans are aimed at ensuring that passenger services are maintained and are regularly reviewed.
Railways: Manpower
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the jobs he estimates will be safeguarded or created as a result of his announcement on the Intercity Express Programme and Stansted Express on 12 February 2009 will be in Derby. [262450]
Paul Clark: There will be significant investment at a number of UK facilities in relation to the Intercity Express Programme. None of these facilities are currently proposed at Derby itself. However, the East Midlands is being considered for the new assembly plant.
It is not yet possible to confirm figures for the jobs safeguarded or created in relation to the new Stansted Express fleet until the procurement process has been concluded, as commercial negotiations are ongoing at this time.
Road Traffic Offences: Fines
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether revenue generated from (a) fines imposed for speeding detected by speed cameras and (b) other motoring offences is hypothecated. [264280]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Until 31 March 2007 safety camera partnerships were allowed to hypothecate their costs from fixed penalties arising from offences detected at approved sites within the national safety camera programme. All surplus was passed to the Consolidated Fund. Since 1 April 2007 all fine revenue from speeding offences has gone to the Consolidated Fund, safety camera enforcement costs have been absorbed into wider road safety partnerships, and the Government have provided additional funding of £110 million per year for three years which is
available for all road safety purposes. Fines from other motoring offences have always passed to the Consolidated Fund.
Rolling Stock
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1612W, on rolling stock, when the remaining 227 carriages will be ordered; and to which operators they will be allocated. [Official Report, 5 May 2009, Vol. 492, c. 2MC.][264203]
Paul Clark: The remaining 227 carriages for High Level Output Specification (HLOS) capacity are made up of the growth element of the Thameslink build which is due to be ordered in 2009-10, and is identified in the Official Report, column 1612W.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1612W, on rolling stock, how many of the 202 GoCo vehicles will be ordered by (a) First Great Western, (b) Trans Pennine Express and (c) Northern Rail. [264204]
Paul Clark: The intention is that the 202 diesel multiple unit vehicles will be ordered by Diesel Trains Limited. The Department for Transport is currently engaged in a series of commercially confidential negotiations with the relevant train operating companies, on the basis of which a final decision on the exact allocation of the 202 vehicles between train operating companies will be made.
Rolling Stock: Procurement
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department assessed Bombardier's bid under the Intercity Express Programme contract to be substantially compliant with the specifications set by his Department. [262359]
Paul Clark: Both bids, from Agility Trains and from Express Rail Alliance (which includes Bombardier) were of a very high quality and were deemed substantially compliant.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received representations on reconciling the 362 tonne train weight specification with the other performance requirements specified by his Department for the new Intercity Express Programme trains. [262360]
Paul Clark: Yes. The bid evaluation assesses the optimum whole life best value for money across a number of important parameters. Weight affects both energy efficiency and track wear and these two key parameters were fully assessed.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Agility Trains/Hitachi bid proposal is for the weight of each train in the Intercity Express Programme. [262361]
Paul Clark: The current IC 225 train (existing intercity train) is 498 tonnes. In comparison, the current proposed weights of the Intercity Express Programme trains are:
| Tonnes | Lighter by: (percentage) | |
In terms of weight per seat, the improvement is much greater as the new trains will seat many more people (with the same seat spacing).
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the inclusion of dual function diesel and electric trains has had on the estimated cost of the Intercity Express Programme. [262363]
Paul Clark: The operation of dual function diesel and electric trains is less expensive and more environmentally friendly than operating under diesel traction for the whole of the route, and is more cost effective than further electrification of key, but lightly trafficked lines. The inclusion of the dual function bi-mode train has therefore reduced the costs and, as journey times are faster, improved the benefits of the Intercity Express Programme, relative to the alternatives.
Speed Limits: Cameras
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by his Department to safety camera partnerships on the location and evaluation of effectiveness of speed cameras. [264279]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers) on 17 March 2009, Official Report, column 995W.
Speed Limits: Rural Areas
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the effect of lowering the speed limit on rural roads to 50 miles per hour on the number of (a) accidents and (b) deaths each year. [264334]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We expect to consult shortly on a new road safety strategy. When we publish the consultation document, we will also publish research on the potential impacts of a variety of options for improving road safety, including for rural single carriageways.
XL Leisure Group: Compensation
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) individuals and (b) companies have (i) claimed against the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing scheme for their costs and (ii) received compensation following the collapse of XL Airlines. [263596]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) Scheme is run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The XL Leisure Group collapsed on 12 September 2008. Passengers affected who were on ATOL protected holidays at the time were able to complete their holiday broadly as planned and return to the UK at no additional cost.
As at 6 March 2009, the CAA has received 56,215 claims against the ATOL Scheme from individuals who had advance bookings with XL Leisure Group tour operators at the time of the collapse.
Also as at 6 March 2009, the CAA has processed and settled 15,000 claims with payments totalling over £15 million being made to individual claimants, and 41,000 are under consideration or requiring further information from claimants or travel agents.
The CAA classifies all claims to be from individual consumers and therefore the numbers provided above cover both claims received from individuals directly and those through travel agents in respect of individuals.
Home Department
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to combat anti-Semitism since January 2009; and if she will make a statement. [263257]
Mr. Alan Campbell: A range of work is ongoing to reduce hate crime including anti-Semitic crimes. In February 2009, a ministerial seminar agreed an action plan on tackling hate crime on the internet. I have become the cross-government champion for this work on reducing incitement on the internet. Moving forward, tackling anti-Semitic attacks forms part of the work in the development of the cross-government Hate Crime Strategy.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to allow the separate identification of offences committed against the Jewish community under (a) the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 and (b) section 18 of the Public Order Act 1986; what recent representations she has received supporting separate identification; and if she will make a statement. [263256]
Mr. Alan Campbell: From April 2009, the Annual Police Community Safety figures will add five data requirements on hate crime. These figures will enable us to identify the number of hate crimes reported due to an individual being targeted because of their race or religion. The Home Office is currently considering the potential for further subcategories within these broader categories.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Young People
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many individual support orders were issued in 2007; and what proportion of all anti-social behaviour orders issued to 10 to 17 year olds individual support orders represented in that year; [263186]
(2) how many intervention orders were issued in 2007; and what proportion this represented of all antisocial behaviour orders issued in that year. [263187]
Mr. Alan Campbell:
Individual support orders (ISOs) became available from 1 May 2004. Data on the number of ISOs issued to 10-17 year-olds are currently available
up to 31 December 2006 only. 2 per cent. ISOs were attached to antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) in 2004, 7 per cent. in 2005 and 18 per cent. in 2006. Data for 2007 are expected to be available shortly.
Intervention orders became available in October 2006. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform started collecting data on the number of intervention orders from 1 October 2007. Data for 2007 are due to be published shortly.
Appropriate Adults
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009, Official Report, column 2210W, on police custody: young people, what mechanisms her Department has in place for the review of the way in which the use of an appropriate adult to attend police questioning of minors operates; and if she will make a statement; [260759]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009, Official Report, column 671W, on appropriate adults, when she expects to (a) make decisions on and (b) implement changes to the role, training and use of appropriate adults following the public consultation launched in August 2008; and if she will make a statement. [261802]
Mr. Coaker: The Review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was published in August 2008 as a public consultation document and contained proposals on the role, training and use of appropriate adults. We intend to publish the summary of responses to the consultation paper in April 2009 and to publish final proposals in respect of appropriate adults by summer 2009.
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