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23 Mar 2009 : Column 6W—continued
High Speed Two: Finance
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued to High Speed Two Ltd on the availability of funds. [264259]
Paul Clark: High Speed Two is funded directly from the Department for Transport. The funding arrangements are set out in a letter from the permanent secretary to a then director of the company, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Highways Agency: Members
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make it his policy to direct the Highways Agency to accept requests from hon. Members to accompany them to site meetings in relation to work authorised by the Highways Agency; and if he will make a statement; [265514]
(2) for what reasons the Highways Agency decided that no member of staff would accompany the hon. Member for Walsall North to a site meeting in his constituency on 20 March in relation to work being undertaken under the authorisation of the Highways Agency; [265515]
(3) what mechanisms are used by the Highways Agency for public consultation on work it plans to undertake which is likely to affect households near the site of such work; [265516]
(4) if he will make it his policy to direct the Highways Agency to notify each household in an area in which work authorised by the Highways Agency is to be carried out; and if he will make a statement. [265517]
Paul Clark [holding answer 20 March 2009]: The Highways Agency already accepts reasonable requests to meet hon. Members either on site or separately on any schemes for which it is responsible.
Representatives from the Highways Agency accompanied the hon. Member for Walsall, North to a site meeting on 20 March to discuss the details of the Active Traffic Management scheme currently being undertaken on the M6 in his constituency.
Where appropriate, the Highways Agency consults those likely to be affected by schemes being undertaken, and this was the case with the scheme on the M6. The Highways Agency has followed all environmental assessment and statutory procedures, including issuing public notices. It has listened to concerns raised, and has taken residents' concerns about current noise levels into consideration. An exhibition is planned where further issues can be raised. The scheme design has also been reviewed in the light of comments received.
Schemes carried out by the Highways Agency on or near highway land vary in complexity and scale. For schemes planned outside of the highway boundary, such as bypass work, the Highways Agency makes every effort to contact individual households and businesses likely to be affected.
Work carried out within the highway boundary tends to be of a relatively smaller scale, or is carried out as part of a routine maintenance programme. Although there is no statutory requirement for local residents to be contacted ahead of schemes taking place within the highway boundary, and it would be impractical and costly for the Highway's Agency to undertake to contact individual households for each one of these schemes, the Highways Agency seeks to ensure that public involvement takes place in a proportionate manner.
Intercity Express Programme
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the evidential basis is for his statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1531-3W, on new trains (investment) that the award of the contract to Agility Trains and Hitachi and granting preferred bidder status to Bombardier in relation to extra carriages on the Stansted Express will safeguard or create 12,500 jobs. [262929]
Paul Clark: These figures are based on information given by Agility Trains to the Department of Transport and we believe Agility's analysis to be sound.
The figure is exclusive of any job benefits arising as a result of the announcement of Bombardier's status as Preferred Bidder for extra carriages on Stansted Express.
Motor Vehicles: Safety
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many stretch limousines were checked by Vehicle and Operator Services Agency to ensure compliance with construction requirements in 2008; and what percentage were deemed to be compliant. [264936]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 20 March 2009]: 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)s.
VOSA's records show that 58 checks were carried out on limousines in 2008. It is not possible to determine levels of compliance.
Railways
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department have worked on projects relating to high speed rail (a) between April and 29 September 2008 and (b) after 29 September 2008. [262423]
Paul Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer on 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1189W.
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average journey time by train was from London to (a) Newcastle, (b) Cardiff, (c) Birmingham, (d) Manchester and (e) Plymouth in each year since 1997. [265090]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the information at the level of detail requested. However, Network Rail is the custodian of timetable and performance data for the rail industry, and will be able to provide this information. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London, NW1 2EE.
Roads and Railways
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost of constructing a mile of (a) motorway and (b) railway was in the latest period for which figures are available. [264689]
Paul Clark: The estimated range of construction costs for one mile of three-lane motorway with a continuous hard shoulder is from £21.4 million to £35.0 million. The estimated rates cover the construction costs of a new dual three-lane rural motorway including detailed design costs and statutory undertakers’ diversions, but excluding land costs, VAT and Highways Agency’s Agent and administration costs.
The Channel Tunnel Rail Link between Folkestone and London St. Pancras, which was built over the nine years to 2007, cost £5.8 billion in outturn money of the day costs, for the 68 miles, an average of £85.3 million per mile of railway. These costs include the two new stations on the line, the upgrading and restoration of the Grade 1 listed St. Pancras, extensive tunnelling under London, tunnels under the Thames and North Downs, and the long viaducts at Ashford, across the River Medway and crossing the M25 at Dartford.
Roads: Snow and Ice
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers the Highways Agency has to requisition supplies of grit from local authorities; and on what occasions these powers have been used. [263920]
Paul Clark: During the severe weather in February, the Secretary of State for Transport had no power to requisition supplies of road salt or grit from local authorities. Informal arrangements have been put into place between both local and strategic highway authorities for the agreed provision of mutual aid to those authorities that require additional salt stocks during the winter season. During the recent severe weather, the Highways Agency agreed to provide 5,294 tonnes of salt to a number of local authorities.
Rolling Stock: Procurement
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1531-3, how many of the 12,500 jobs he expects will be (a) existing jobs safeguarded and (b) new jobs created (i) in the train vehicle manufacturing industry and (ii) for third party suppliers to the industry; and on what assumptions these estimates are based. [261553]
Paul Clark [holding answer 6 March 2009]: Agility Trains anticipates that of the estimated 12,500 total jobs to be created or safeguarded, 2,500 will be directly employed by the Agility Trains consortium. Of these, 1,400 (estimate) jobs will be safeguarded in train maintenance, and 1,100 (estimate) jobs will be created in train and factory construction.
Of the remaining estimated 10,000 jobs Agility Trains anticipate that they are likely to be within train vehicle component suppliers, third party suppliers and the wider economy. Agility Trains advises that it has adopted an industry standard multiplier assumption, used with regard to the automotive industry, that each direct job will create, or secure, circa four jobs within the supply chain and the wider economy.
Transport: Eco-Towns
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the promoters of the Whitehill Bordon eco-town on (a) transport costs in the initial years of the development, (b) the (i) viability and (ii) cost of the proposed A325 fast bus link works and (c) levels of car use in the area. [265279]
Paul Clark: To date, the Department for Transport has had no discussion with the promoters of the Whitehill Bordon eco-town on the specific issues to which the question refers. The transport strategy for Whitehill Bordon is still in its early stages of development. Department for Transport officials continue to be informed of its progress and, should the town be included in the list of preferred sites to be announced later this year, it is anticipated that further discussions will then take place.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department and its agencies have had with the developers of the Ford Airfield eco-town development on (a) a bypass on the A27, (b) a link from the site to the A259 and (c) the development's rail strategy. [265280]
Paul Clark: The Highways Agency is holding discussions with the promoters of Ford eco-town and other stakeholders to identify appropriate measures to address the current issues on the A27. This will primarily be based on the provision of sustainable travel initiatives with additional road capacity as a last resort.
Previous proposals for a bypass for Arundel, as recommended in the South Coast Multi-modal Study (2004), were rejected by the then Secretary of State for Transport as being too environmentally damaging. The promoters of the eco-town have been asked to develop proposals on the basis that such a bypass would not be constructed.
Any link from the site to the A259 would be a local road, and therefore an issue for the local highway authority, in this case West Sussex county council. The Highways Agency has therefore not been involved in any such discussion.
There has been no direct engagement between Department for Transport officials and the promoters for Ford eco-town on rail issues.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) his Department and (b) Network Rail have had with the developers of the St. Austell eco-town development on a rail strategy for the site. [265281]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has had no discussions with the developers of the St. Austell eco-town development on a rail strategy for the site. Network Rail has received one presentation from the developers on the proposals for the site.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Highways Agency have had with the developers of the St. Austell eco-town development on the proposed improvements to the A391; and if he will make a statement. [265282]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport and Highways Agency have not had direct contact with the developers of the St. Austell eco-town as the main coordination of this large project is being led by Cornwall county council. The department and Highways Agency are in regular discussions with the council and are working collectively to improve the transport proposals associated with the eco-town development.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military engagements there have been between UK armed forces and Taliban insurgents in the last two months. [265311]
Mr. Hutton: The Ministry of Defence is currently collating and validating the data needed to answer this question. I will write to the right hon. and learned Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether UK armed forces are using unmanned aerial vehicles in Afghanistan. [265312]
Mr. Hutton: The armed forces use Reaper, Hermes 450 and the Desert Hawk 3 unmanned aerial vehicles in Afghanistan.
Africa: Conflict Prevention
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has contributed to the Africa Programme of the Conflict Prevention Pool in each year since 2001. [265123]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: From 2001 to 2007, HMG funded its conflict related programme activity through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) and Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP), owned and managed tri-departmentally by DFID, FCO and MOD. By bringing together the UK Government's development, diplomatic, and defence interests and expertise this ensured a coherent response to conflict prevention. In 2001, all three Departments contributed funds to form these pools (£2.1 million disbursed by the FCO; £14.4 million by DFID and £3.2 million by MOD), but in subsequent years funds have been allocated directly from HMT. The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) was set up in April 2008 as a successor to the former Global and Africa Conflict Prevention Pools, focusing activity through regional programmes where the UK can have its biggest impact, and through thematic programmes to deal with cross-cutting conflict prevention issues. The CPP commands a total of £112 million in 2008-09 of which the Africa Conflict Prevention Programme is forecast to spend £68 million. From FY 2001-02 to 2007-08, HMG has spent approximately £341 million through the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool. This is broken down by year as follows:
| £ million | |
Air Force: Military Bases
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1520W, on the Air Force: military bases, when he now expects an announcement to be made regarding Programme Belvedere; [264868]
(2) when he expects to receive a recommendation on the preferred option for Programme Belvedere. [264869]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As explained in my written answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 430W, the future of Programme Belvedere is currently under consideration at senior levels within the Department. Once that review has concluded I will write to the hon. Member.
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