Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Wales
Dairy Products
10. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with ministerial colleagues the promotion in England of dairy products produced in Wales. [278183]
Mr. David: UK Government and the Welsh Assembly Government already have a number of successful initiatives promoting the best of Welsh food in the UK and abroad.
Carbon Capture Pilot: Aberthaw
11. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with RWE npower on government assistance for the development of the carbon capture pilot project at Aberthaw; and if he will make a statement. [278184]
Mr. Hain: My predecessor recently met the CEO of RWE npower who updated him about the range of their energy activities in Wales including at Aberthaw.
Welsh Economy
12. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to assist economic recovery in Wales. [278185]
Mr. Hain: I look forward to undertaking the same meetings as my predecessor. Both the UK Government and Welsh Assembly Government are committed to supporting Welsh businesses and households through these challenging times.
14. David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government on the state of the Welsh economy. [278187]
Mr. Hain: I look forward to my first meeting with the First Minister on the Welsh economy. I want to focus not just on delivering the help that people need now but on building a stronger economy for the recovery to come.
Draft Legislative Competence Orders
13. Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the speed and effectiveness of each stage of the process for considering draft legislative competence orders. [278186]
Mr. David: We reviewed the LCO process last year and will keep it under review to ensure it continues to work effectively.
Departmental Data Protection
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many notifications his Department made to the Information Commissioner in the year ended 30 April 2009 in respect of the loss or mishandling of personal information or data; what was notified in each such case; and how many individuals were the subjects of personal information or data in respect of which such notifications were made. [278756]
Transport
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in the level of carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the liberalisation of aviation within the EU in (a) the UK and (b) the EU since 1993. [278402]
Paul Clark [holding answer 8 June 2009]: The Government have not made any assessment of the impact on carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the liberalisation of aviation within the European Union.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department holds on which airlines provide carbon dioxide emissions information on their air tickets. [278656]
Paul Clark [holding answer 8 June 2009]: I am not aware of any specific examples of airlines providing information on their tickets, but some include high level data on their website or in their in-flight magazines. The information is typically the average grammes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger km on that aircraft or airline rather than on that specific flight. In addition departmental officials have contributed to the development of tools that estimate the emissions for a particular flight both for the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Government’s Act on CO2 website.
Cabinet: Glasgow
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how many (a) special advisers and (b) officials of his Department accompanied him to Glasgow for the Cabinet meeting on 16 April 2009; [273921]
(2) what car journeys he took in attending the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009; [273922]
(3) how much expenditure was incurred by his Department in respect of the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009; [273923]
(4) what expenditure on (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) food (i) he and (ii) officials in his Department incurred in connection with the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009. [273924]
Chris Mole: For information in relation to the Cabinet and public engagement event held in Glasgow on 16 April I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2009, Official Report, column 487W.
Climate Change
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department has taken to adapt to climate change in the last two years. [277642]
Mr. Khan: All Departments are actively involved in the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme, which aims to help society adapt to climate change. The role of the programme is to develop and provide a comprehensive evidence base including adaptation tools, to raise awareness of the need to adapt, to measure success and to work across Government at all levels to embed adaptation. Further details about the programme's work can be found at:
As well as working together to tackle issues that affect all Departments and their work, each Government Department is adapting to climate change in its own operations and policies.
In the last two years the Department for Transport's (DfT) work on adaptation has included:
Working closely with Network Rail in designing methodologies to ensure renewal work incorporates increased resilience and that the network can withstand future climate related events.
Establishing a cross-rail industry forum and commissioning research to identify and address challenges to the railway and produce hazard maps highlighting vulnerable areas.
Completing research on adapting materials and techniques in highway works to the changing climate which will be published by the Highways Agency as a guide for local authorities.
The Highways Agency's assessment of how to manage the risks from climate change to its strategic road network. This has already improved drainage and road surface standards to increase resilience.
Ensuring a risk-based approach to adaptation is integrated into the ‘New Approach to Transport Appraisal’ (NATA)—the framework used to appraise costs and benefits of transport schemes requiring DFT's funding/approval.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of his Department's potential gross (a) costs and (b) savings arising from its climate change adaptation measures in the next three years. [277715]
Mr. Khan: It is not currently possible to provide estimates of the potential costs and savings over the next three years. It has, however, been shown in the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change that timely and well-targeted climate adaptation measures will yield benefits in excess of their costs. The main rationale for investment to address climate risk will be to reduce the UK's vulnerability to longer-term climate change impacts.
The Government are undertaking a Climate Change Risk Assessment and Economic Analysis, which will provide estimates of the costs and benefits of adaptation to the UK. This analysis will be presented to Parliament within three years of the Climate Change Act coming in to force.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many days on average (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies has taken to pay invoices from suppliers in each month since November 2008. [278912]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is comprised of the Central Department (DfTc) and seven Executive Agencies. The Executive Agencies are Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driving Standards Agency (DSA), Highways Agency (HA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) and Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).
The average number of calendar days taken to pay invoices from suppliers in each month since November 2008 is shown as follows. The table excludes figures for VCA which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| DfTc | DVLA | DSA | HA | MCA | VOSA | GCDA | |
Global Positioning System
Norman Baker: To ask the Minster of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety implications of possible failures of the Global Positioning System. [278636]
Paul Clark [holding answer 8 June 2009]: The Department for Transport has not carried out any assessment of the possible safety implications of a failure of the Global Positioning System (GPS). The vulnerabilities of GPS because of intentional or unintentional interference or because of environmental interference have always made it unwise for any GPS user to rely on it as the only means of radio navigation position fixing. It is customary to use multiple navigation systems for marine and aviation navigation for example.
However, the European Commission has announced plans to prepare a European Radio-Navigation Plan (ERNP), by next year, which will draw up a comprehensive inventory of the vast array of radio-navigation services (satellite and terrestrial)—with the aim of informing future strategy and policy development for all users not just transport. The plan will set out how best to harmonise radio-navigation services and to ensure redundancy and reliability in the use of any mix of navigation systems in support of safety, security, transport, environment and economic policies.
Departmental officials will work with the Commission and other EU member states to develop the emerging strategy and policy.
M1: Nottinghamshire
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the hours of work of the contractors carrying out the widening of the M1 motorway between junctions 25 and 28 are; what consideration has been given to carrying out such work on a 24-hour basis; and if he will make a statement. [278718]
Chris Mole: Work generally starts between 6 am and 8 am and finishes between 6 pm and 8 pm, Monday to Friday. These hours have been agreed with the respective Environmental Health Departments of the four local authorities that are affected by the scheme under Section 61 of the Environmental Health Act.
Between summer 2009 and summer 2010, consideration will be given to extending these hours.
Railways: Publicity
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cheadle of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 399W, on railways: mobility, for what reasons his Department has not advertised to promote rail services generically in support of the Government’s climate change and social exclusion objectives. [278645]
Chris Mole [holding answer 8 June 2009]: Advertising rail services is a matter primarily for the train operating companies. The Government provide information to consumers and businesses on the emissions impact of their journeys and ways that these can be mitigated. Our aim is to help people make informed choices, and whatever their chosen mode of transport, to make it safe, reliable and accessible and to reduce its environmental impact.
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