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22 Apr 2009 : Column 748W—continued
Northern Ireland
Prison Officers: Safety
6. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety of prison officers in the Northern Ireland Prison Service. [269409]
Paul Goggins: The safety of prison officers is of the utmost importance to Government. A range of measures are in place to ensure that staff are properly protected.
Dissident Republicans
7. Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of recent activities by dissident Republicans in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [269410]
Mr. Woodward: Following the recent attacks by criminals calling themselves dissident Republicans, the House will wish to know that three individuals have been charged with the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll and one charged with the murders of Snappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey.
Police Reserve
8. Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his plans are for the future of the full-time police reserve in Northern Ireland. [269411]
Paul Goggins: The future of the full-time reserve is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the PSNI. He will take decisions on the basis of operational need and his assessment of the security situation.
Police Officers: Safety and Security
10. Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the safety and security of police officers in that service. [269413]
12. Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the safety and security of police officers in that service. [269415]
13. Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the safety and security of police officers in that service. [269416]
Mr. Woodward: The safety of police officers is a matter of regular discussion between the Chief Constable and me. We will continue to take all proportionate measures to protect both the public and those who protect the public.
Dissident Political Organisations
14. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent estimate he has made of the number of people belonging to dissident political organisations in Northern Ireland. [269417]
Mr. Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones).
Decommissioning Weapons
Mr. Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress has been made in respect of decommissioning weapons held by Loyalist paramilitary groups; and if he will make a statement. [269414]
Paul Goggins: The Independent International commission on decommissioning has confirmed that they are making meaningful progress and will report again in August. Parliament has made it clear that Loyalist paramilitary organisations have this one last opportunity to decommission their weapons.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of his Department's capital expenditure in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [268125]
Paul Goggins: Capital DEL (departmental expenditure limits) for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 were set at the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. The latest Capital DEL tables, including figures for the Northern Ireland Office, are published on page 214 of the pre-Budget report in November 2008:
The Government have not set departments’ Capital DEL budgets for years beyond 2010-11. Capital DEL budgets for 2011-12 and beyond are a matter for the next spending review. The Government do, however, publish projections for PSNI (Public Sector Net Investment) over the forecast period at Budgets and pre-Budget reports.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's policy is on the practice of holding departmental away days outside the Department's buildings. [268537]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office policy on departmental away days encourages use of Government buildings as the venue for events.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on media training for each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years; how many sessions have been provided; and which organisation provided such training. [268548]
Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office has not delivered or incurred expenditure on media training for ministers in the last three years.
Organised Crime
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between paramilitary activity and organised crime in Northern Ireland. [269405]
Mr. Woodward: As the 20(th) report from the Independent Monitoring Commission has made clear, criminals with links to a variety of paramilitary organisations continue to be involved in organised crime in Northern Ireland.
Scotland
China
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2009, Official Report, column 735W, on China, what the cost was of civil servant and special adviser support during his visit to China. [269831]
Ann McKechin: The travel and accommodation costs recorded are £12,793.36.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials in his Department are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the reasons are for each such suspension. [270508]
Ann McKechin: No staff working in the Scotland Office are suspended.
Transport
European Rail Traffic Management System
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress there has been on the introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System, with particular reference to the UK. [269054]
Paul Clark: The first deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System in the UK is under way on the Cambrian lines in Wales. Level 2 of the European Rail Traffic Management system will be installed on the infrastructure from Sutton Bridge Junction to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli and the existing line side signalling will be decommissioned.
The Arriva Train Wales fleet of 24 Class 158 vehicles will be fitted with European Rail Traffic Management on-board equipment, as well as three class 97 locomotives which will act as pilot locomotives for non-fitted vehicles.
The first part of the route, from Pwllheli to Harlech, is expected to enter into passenger service in the third quarter of 2009. The remainder of the route is expected to enter service in the final quarter of 2009.
This first deployment on the Cambrian lines enables the UK to develop the rules and processes needed for the successful roll-out of the European Rail Traffic Management System across the UK.
The national roll-out of the system is described in the UK ‘ERTMS National Implementation Plan’ published on the Department for Transport website at:
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been carried out on the introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System, with particular reference to the UK; and what the results of those studies were. [269055]
Paul Clark: In 2007 the Department for Transport commissioned a study into the suitability of the European Rail Traffic Management System for use in high density networks such as Thameslink. The study also evaluated whether the system could be successful integrated with an Automatic Train Operation overlay. The study contract was awarded to Parsons in October 2007.
The study concluded the following:
That the European Rail Traffic Management System is capable of delivering high density rail service operations; and
There is nothing within the European Union specifications for the European Rail Traffic Management System that prevent it from being integrated with Automatic Train Operation.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the European Rail Traffic Management System could be introduced across the rail network, with particular reference to the UK. [269056]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has notified its European Rail Traffic Management System deployment plan to the European Commission. It was notified in 2007 and is published on the Department for Transport website at
It describes the national roll-out plan for the European Rail Traffic Management System, of which the first deployment is on the Cambrian lines, due to enter service in the third quarter of 2009. The overall deployment will be evaluated in the context of the lessons learnt from the first deployment on Cambrian.
The plan is being deployed in a number of member states. At the end of 2008, approximately 2600 km of lines within the European Union were in commercial European Rail Traffic Management System service within nine countries, including Switzerland.
High Speed Trains
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the letter which he placed in the Library from the Permanent Secretary of his Department to a director of High Speed Two Limited of 14 January 2009, if he will place in the Library a copy of the programme of anticipated expenditure and breakdown of the costs of High Speed Two Limited. [269006]
Paul Clark: A breakdown of High Speed Two’s proposed expenditure budget (up to the end of the financial year 2009-10) is set out in the following table.
| Total (including VAT) (£) | |
Lighting
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009, Official Report, column 958W, on lighting, what guidance (a) his Department and (b) its agencies has issued to local authorities on night-time street lighting and efficiency savings. [270132]
Paul Clark: It is for each local highway authority to decide what level of service they wish their street lighting network to deliver; and decisions on reducing the hours of operation will need to take into account the reasons for which the lighting was provided in the first place. Any reduction in energy use would have to be balanced against any potential adverse effects.
Where local authorities are considering reducing operating hours, the Government encourage them to consider the issues in “Invest to Save”, produced by the UK Lighting Board and the Institution of Lighting Engineers (available from www.ile.org.uk). The Government also supports the Carbon Trust’s Local Authorities Carbon Management Programme, which provides councils with technical and change management support and guidance to help them realise carbon emissions savings from street lighting.
Motor Vehicles: Taxation
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many verified reports of untaxed motor vehicles the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has received in the last 12 months; and how many of these have been (a) acted upon by the DVLA and (b) referred to the relevant police authority. [269791]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Within the period April 2008-March 2009, the agency received 472,858 untaxed vehicle reports. This resulted in the issue of 227,719 out-of-court settlements and 150,583 court summonses. The agency does not refer verified reports to police authorities.
The agency receives untaxed vehicle reports from various sources including the police, local authorities, ANPR and wheel-clamping units. Following investigation, where appropriate, enforcement action is taken.
Reasons for non-pursuit of cases include:
lack of a confirmed keeper;
lack of a target address;
cases closed where doubt as to liability exists; and
closures on compassionate grounds.
Motorway Service Areas
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department had with private contractors operating motorway service stations when preparing its tiredness kills campaign. [270232]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport's partnership marketing agency approached motorway service area operators to promote materials for the Department's Driver Tiredness campaign which ran between March and May 2008. There have been no other discussions with regard to the Driver Tiredness campaign.
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