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20 Mar 2009 : Column 1386W—continued
Pakistan
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) purpose of, (b) duration of and (c) number of participants in the study tour on social protection in Pakistan funded by his Department via the Economic Policy Research Institute in March 2007 was. [263971]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development funded a study tour to South Africa, for 13 government of Pakistan officials between 25 February and 4 March 2007, to review South Africa's social protection programmes. The purpose of the visit was to allow the officials, working on social protection programmes in Pakistan to see at first hand, how programmes of this type have been designed and implemented in a country, which has a recognised and effective social protection system. The tour was organised by South Africa's Economic Policy Research Institute and included a field visit to Soweto.
Following the visit, Pakistan finalised a national social protection strategy, which was published as government policy in the middle of 2007. This strategy is now being used as the framework for rolling out wider social protection programmes in Pakistan. These include the Benazir Income Support Programme, which is now one of the cornerstones of the government's efforts to protect poor people, especially in the current period of economic instability.
Pakistan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the distribution of aid to that country. [264774]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) Country Plan for Pakistan, which the Secretary of State launched in July 2008 during his visit to Pakistan, sets out how we will distribute UK aid to Pakistan over the five-year period 2008-13. The plan was discussed in detail with the Government as it was being prepared and the Secretary of State personally discussed details with Pakistan's Minister of Finance at the time of the launch. The priorities set out in the plan are to: give people access to better health and education, make government more effective, make growth work for everyone, and ensure the international community works better together.
The Country Plan builds on the 10-year Development Partnership Arrangement which the Prime Ministers of the UK and Pakistan signed in November 2006 which increases UK aid to £480 million over the period 2008-11. Since the launch, high level partnership talks have been held between DFID's Director General for Regional Programmes and Pakistan's Minister for Economic Affairs.
The Country Plan is available on the DFID website:
Performing Arts
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has engaged any (a) actors, (b) musicians and (c) other performers to support its initiatives over the last five years. [264062]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has engaged actors, musicians and other performers as part of its development programme work in the United Kingdom and overseas. Information on activities involving such performers is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate costs to disaggregate particular activities from programme budgets.
Public Opinion
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) of 10 March 2009, Official Report, columns 328-32W, on public opinion, if he will place in the Library a copy of each document held by his Department relating to each of the opinion polls and focus groups listed in the answer. [264624]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) will place copies of those documents which are on record relating to the focus groups and opinion polls detailed in the answer to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead of 10 March 2009, Official Report, columns 328-32W, in the Library of the House.
Much of the material requested is already available on the DFID website at:
Transport
Biofuels: Oils
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what volume of recycled cooking oil has been used as a biofuel in each year since 2001. [263594]
Jim Fitzpatrick: HM Revenue and Customs publishes information on UK sales of biodiesel used for transport fuels in their monthly ‘Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin’. It is not possible to disaggregate recycled cooking oil from other similar oils used as biodiesels as this information is not recorded.
Under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation which came into effect in April 2008, UK transport fuel suppliers are required to report on a monthly basis to the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) on matters such as the feedstock and origin of their biofuels. The RFA's January quarterly report summarises data on fuel supplied between April and October 2008. This report indicates that used cooking oil made up 3 per cent. (22 million litres) of the biofuel supplied over this period to meet the obligation. Their report is available on the RFA website at:
Borders: Personal Records
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, columns 279-80W, on borders: personal records, if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the Facilitation Stakeholders Forum of meetings at which (a) the e-Borders programme and (b) the Authority Carry Scheme were discussed. [264185]
Jim Fitzpatrick: It is not the normal practice of the Government to release details of meetings with private individuals or companies.
Cycling: Helmets
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 publish an interim report on the merits of wearing a cycle helmet before the end of 2009. [265290]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The research project on cycling and safety is under way and is likely to be three years in duration, but as part of the initial phase of the work we are aiming to complete and publish the review of cycle helmet effectiveness by late 2009.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his Department’s staff are employed full-time to work on policy on (a) cycling, (b) public transport, (c) walking and (d) cars and roads. [265538]
Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 391W.
Driving Tests: Kidderminster
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the decision to close the Kidderminster Driving Test Centre in the light of new evidence made available under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [264839]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State sees no case for reviewing the decision to close the Kidderminster test centre. The information provided in response to the Freedom of Information requests do not affect this decision.
Heathrow Airport
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1608W, on Heathrow airport, how many individual pieces of correspondence intended for the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation were received from members of the public resident in Maidenhead constituency. [265092]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is not available in the format requested. The “Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport: Report on Consultation Responses” provides a breakdown of responses from members of the public only in terms of London residents inside or outside the 57dBA noise contour and UK residents outside London.
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the proportion of heavy goods vehicles on UK roads which were registered (a) in the UK, (b) elsewhere in the EU and (c) outside the EU in 2007-08. [265129]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of heavy goods vehicles newly registered in Great Britain in 2007 and 2008 were as follows:
| Number of heavy goods vehicles newly registered in Great Britain | |
| Thousand | |
The Department for Transport does not hold statistics regarding vehicle registrations outside of Great Britain.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles he estimates heavy goods vehicles registered (a) in and (b) outside the UK have travelled on roads in the UK in each year since 1997. [265385]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 February 2009, Official Report, column 857W.
Intercity Express Programme
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on consultants during the procurement process for the Intercity Express Programme since 2007. [262932]
Paul Clark: The Intercity Express Programme represents the most significant UK rolling stock investment ever and appropriate resources are therefore required to ensure best value is achieved both for rail passengers and taxpayers.
The Department for Transport has committed a total of £4.2 million in 2007 and £8.0 million from 2008 to end January 2009. This includes all of the project and programme management; business case; technical; financial; legal; procurement; and industry advisers required to deliver a programme valued at £7.5 billion.
Jalal Ahmed
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Jalal Ahmed has received security clearance in respect of his employment as a baggage handler at Luton Airport; whether he has access to military aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [264350]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Personnel and physical security checks are in place for all staff working airside at UK airports, but it would be inappropriate for the detail of those checks to be placed in the public domain. A baggage handler at Luton airport would have no legitimate access to any military aircraft. We are currently reviewing personnel security measures across the transport sector in the light of the report delivered last July by Stephen Boys Smith.
Lorries: Testing
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials have had with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency on changes to mechanisms and fees for goods vehicle testing. [264728]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 19 March 2009]: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for setting and administering testing fees for goods vehicles and their operators.
Since VOSA is established as a Trading Fund it is required to set fees each year at a level to meet their outgoings. On the 6 November 2008, following discussion with Department for Transport officials and myself, VOSA issued a public consultation on changes to the level and structure of its fees for the testing of goods vehicles and operators, to come into effect in April of this year.
Discussions with the agency included analysis to ensure that:
the proposed fees have been calculated in line with Government guidance on the setting of statutory fees;
there was sound and appropriate assumptions upon which the agency's financial forecasts are based; and
the proposals provide sufficient revenues to support the policies and objectives of the Department.
Following closure of the public consultation on 29 January 2009, the agency has undertaken analyses of the responses from the consultation. The agency has since held further discussion with Department officials to consider its recommendations on fees in light of responses to the consultation and of direct discussion between representatives of trade associations and Department officials.
The agency's final recommendations will be the subject of discussion with me in the next few weeks so that changes to fees can be implemented in April.
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he is making of the merits of withdrawal of the system of statutory off-road notification; and if he will make a statement. [264872]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Statutory off road notification (SORN) is an integrated part of effective vehicle excise duty (VED) compliance. The measure of its effectiveness is in reducing the level of non-compliance. The 2008 survey of compliance showed that VED evasion is less than 1 per cent. No formal review of the merits of SORN has been undertaken and there are no plans to change the requirement.
Motor Vehicles: Safety
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many certificates of initial fitness were issued by Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in respect of imported stretch limousines in 2008. [264937]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has only recently introduced the capacity to record a specific vehicle type as a limousine. Previously vehicles were classed as either cars or Public Service Vehicles (PSV).
VOSA issued 19 Certificates of Initial Fitness (COIF) in 2008 for limousines. VOSA is unable to distinguish whether the vehicles were imported or not.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public service vehicle operators’ licences were issued by traffic commissioners in each area in respect of stretch limousines in (a) 2003 and (b) 2008; and how many such licences related to limousines able to carry (i) more than eight and (ii) eight or fewer passengers. [264938]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There are no records of limousine operators for 2003 as our business system does not differentiate between types of vehicles operated on a PSV licence at that time.
In recent years we have started keeping separate records for limousine operators and the information for operator licences granted in 2008 shows that 116 restricted licences and 11 standard national licences have been issued. All of these licences have limousine conditions attached and the operators applied to run vehicles with eight passenger seats or fewer.
Any operator who applied for a licence to run a limousine with more than eight passenger seats is not recorded as they are run under normal PSV regulations and these vehicles should have a COIF (Certificate of Initial Fitness).
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