Written Answers to Questions
Monday 30 March 2009
Scotland
Departmental Internet
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of the recent redesign of the Scotland Office’s website was. [267532]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General jointly tendered for the redevelopment of both their websites. We went through a competitive tendering process following the principles of Government procurement. The cost for both websites was £12,880 plus VAT.
The redevelopment of the sites includes a comprehensive in-house content management system which represents considerable value for money and costs savings for both offices, both now and in the future.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of updating the official portraits on his Department’s website during its recent update. [267587]
Ann McKechin: The portraits used on the new website were taken from existing photography.
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) staff and (b) Ministerial away days have been organised by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the cost of such events was in each year. [266212]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office held one staff away day in 2005-06 and one in 2006-07. Information on the costs prior to 2006-07 are not separately identifiable; however, in 2006-07 the total cost of the staff away day was £6,834. No ministerial away days have been held in the last five years.
Departmental Travel
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what travel (a) he and (b) the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland undertook in respect of attendance at the Scottish Labour Party conference on 7 and 8 April 2009. [267531]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office did not make any travel arrangements for either the Secretary of State or the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State regarding their attendance at the Scottish Labour Party Conference.
Transport
Aviation: Safety
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Air Accident Investigation Branch's interim report of 13 March 2009 on the incident at Heathrow Airport on 17 January 2008, when he expects the modifications to the Rolls Royce Trent 800 engine to prevent critical power loss due to ice crystals to be made to all aircraft with that engine operating from the UK; and if he will make a statement. [264349]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Boeing and Rolls Royce are already working to develop appropriate modifications to the B777 aircraft and the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger on the Rolls Royce Trent 800 engine. Once the modifications have been developed they will need to be approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The Civil Aviation Authority will then ensure that UK airlines make the modifications within the timescale set by EASA.
Since the accident at Heathrow in January 2008 Boeing has developed a range of changes to the aircrafts operating procedures to ensure that aircraft crews can minimise and manage any risk associated with potential ice accumulation in the fuel system. These procedures have been approved by EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (US FAA) and have been made mandatory for all US and European airlines. Both EASA and the US FAA are content that, subject to the application of these procedures, B777 aircraft with Rolls Royce Trent engines are safe to remain in service. When a Delta Airlines Boeing 777 experienced an uncommanded power reduction in a single engine on 26 November 2008 the procedures were shown to be effective and thrust control of the engine was recovered.
Departmental Detergents
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ensure that no cleaning products or ingredients of cleaning products used by his Department have been tested on animals. [261119]
Mr. Hoon: The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising a central Department and seven Executive agencies and does not procure cleaning products or ingredients centrally. All procurement within the Department is undertaken in line with the European Union’s procurement rules and to obtain value for money.
Departmental Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which former (a) hon. Members who left Parliament since 1997 and (b) Members of the House of Lords from each party have been appointed to positions on public bodies within his Department’s responsibility; and who made each appointment. [266793]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 26 March 2009]: This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership is published in individual bodies’ annual reports and accounts.
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what training courses (a) civil servants and (b) Ministers in his Department have undertaken in the last 12 months. [266268]
Mr. Hoon: Employees of the central Department and its agencies undertook the following internally available training during the last 12 months:
Absence Management
Accountancy
Assessment Centre Training
Customer Service
Data Protection
Diversity Awareness
Avoiding Harassment and Bullying
Driving Examiner Assessment
Coaching
Emergency Officer Training
Coastguard Training
Employment Law
Communication—Oral and Written Skills
European Union Training
Coping with Traumatic Incidents
Finance and Audit
Health and Safety
Programme and Project Management
Impact Assessment
Recruitment and Selection Interviewing
Induction for New Entrants
Risk Assessment Training
Information Technology
Stress Management
Interviewee Skills
Talent Management
Language Courses
Telephone Skills
Leadership Skills
Traffic Officer Service Training
Manual Handling Training
Transport Security Officer Training
Marine Vessel Inspection
Vehicle Safety and Inspection
Marine Search and Rescue
Mentoring
Parliamentary Process
Performance Management
Personal Development
Personal Effectiveness
Pre-Retirement Courses
Procurement
Professional Qualifications
Training with external companies is also available to Department for Transport employees, pending line manager approval. Details of external training is available only at disproportionate cost.
With regards to ministerial training, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 835W, and 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1125W.
M1: Speed Limits
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce variable speed limits on the M1 motorway; what the timescale for introduction of such limits is; on which stretches of the motorway it is planned to introduce them; and if he will make a statement. [267372]
Paul Clark: It is proposed that variable mandatory speed limits will be introduced on certain sections of the M1 motorway. The following table provides detail of the proposed stretches and the expected implementation dates.
| M1 section/scheme | Implementation of variable mandatory speed limit |
The purpose of implementing variable mandatory speed limits (VMSL) is to improve the throughput during congested periods, smooth the flow of traffic, improve driver information, reduce secondary accidents and improve journey time reliability.
Motor Vehicles
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 12W, on motor vehicles, if he will publish the results of the research from the recent comparison of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency vehicle register and motor insurance database when it is available. [265942]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Yes. The information will be placed in the Libraries of the House when available.
Motorcycles: Driving Instruction
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorcyclists took a second or subsequent Compulsory Basic Training course in each month since April 2007. [267708]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport’s agencies do not record how many motorcyclists take a second or subsequent compulsory basic training course.
Motorcycles: Driving Tests
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many candidates took the practical motorcycle driving test in each month since October 2008. [267710]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is as follows:
| Month | Candidates |
Park and Ride Schemes: Bridlington
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the public expenditure requirement arising from construction and implementation of the proposed Bridlington park and ride scheme. [267371]
Paul Clark: The estimated cost of the construction and implementation of the Bridlington Integrated Transport Plan, including the Park and Ride element, is £6,318,380 of which the Department for Transport will provide £5,428,799.
I understand that East Riding of Yorkshire council are anticipating that the service will make an operating profit.
Railways: Freight
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department’s policy is on the positioning of rail freight interchanges on motorways; and if he will make a statement. [266844]
Paul Clark [holding answer 26 March 2009]: The Strategic Rail Authority document, “Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy”, published March 2004, states that rail freight interchanges should have
“high quality links to the motorway and trunk road network”.
This document is still the basis for the Department for Transport’s policy on rail freight interchanges.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where he has discussed the proposed Kent International Gateway development with Kent Highways; and if he will make a statement. [266846]
Paul Clark [holding answer 26 March 2009]: Officials in the Highways Agency have discussed the proposed Kent International Gateway development with Kent Highways (part of Kent county council) at regular liaison meetings held at the agency’s office in Dorking, at Maidstone borough council’s offices in Maidstone and at the offices of Maidstone borough council’s technical advisers Jacobs in London.
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