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17 Jun 2009 : Column 293W—continued
However, through the franchising process and grants to Network Rail, the Department provides funding for the services promoted by partnerships. It also provides core funding for the national umbrella body representing and supporting partnerships, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. Working with Network Rail, the Department makes available small grants to contribute towards specific projects such as promotions and small scale station improvements. It will also be making grants to assist with training and development of employees for Community Rail Partnerships on officially designated routes.
Railways: Franchises
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of his Department’s (a) actual and (b) potential liabilities under revenue support clauses in contracts with train operators in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; what assessment he has made of the effects of passenger number projections on those liabilities in each case; and if he will make a statement; [279581]
(2) what funding has been allocated to his Department to meet liabilities or potential liabilities under revenue support clauses in train operator franchises in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; [279593]
(3) how much has been allocated from the rail budget for Control Period Four to cover revenue support clauses in train operator franchises. [279602]
Chris Mole: The amount of any revenue support payable to eligible franchise holders is dependant on the performance of individual franchises and is set out in the relevant franchise contracts with the Department for Transport.
The Department’s internal forecasts for and amounts payable or receivable under these revenue sharing arrangements are commercially confidential.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding to meet liabilities or potential liabilities under revenue support clauses in train operator franchises. [279592]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has regular discussions with Treasury Ministers and officials on a range of issues concerning railway finances. Revenue support and sharing arrangements is one of these issues.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what proportion of the rail budget has been allocated to settle franchise disputes in Control Period Four. [279901]
Chris Mole: The Government expect all operators to adhere to the terms of the contracts that they have entered into with the Department for Transport. As such, no specific funds have been allocated for the settlement of any disputes.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many disputes were dealt with by the Rail Industry Dispute Resolution Committee in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse. [279902]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of cases handled by the Rail Industry Dispute Resolution Committee. The hon. Member should write to the Committee itself at the following address:
John Gott
Railway Industry Dispute Resolution Committee
Central House
14 Upper Woburn Place
London
WC1H 0HY
Railways: South East
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much was spent by his Department on the re-letting of the South Central franchise. [280386]
Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 June 2009, Official Report, columns 177-78W.
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding has been allocated to his Department’s infrastructure grant programme for low carbon transport. [279546]
Mr. Khan: The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Grant Programme (AFIGP) was launched in 2005 with a budget of £500,000 grant funding per year.
In addition, the then Secretary of State for Transport announced in April that up to £20 million will be provided by the Department to support the development of infrastructure supporting electric vehicles in a few lead cities and regions in the UK.
More broadly the Department supports low carbon transport through a wide range of funding streams and other policies.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effects of his Department’s infrastructure grant programme on progress towards meeting targets on renewable sources for transport fuel use. [279547]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport’s principal policy for delivering progress towards meeting targets on renewable sources for transport fuel use is the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Grant Programme is designed to trial and demonstrate infrastructure to support a range of alternatively fuelled vehicles.
Roads: Accidents
Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2009, Official Report, columns 773-74W, on roads: accidents, what the combined duration of road closures in each police force area in the south west was (a) from July to December 2005, (b) in 2006, (c) in 2007, (d) in 2008 and (e) in 2009 to date. [279995]
Chris Mole: The table provides the combined duration of road closures, due to road traffic accidents by police force area in the south west for each area of the periods requested.
The information available is for road traffic accidents where the police have requested Highways Agency involvement. No data are held for those occurrences where the police have dealt with an accident alone.
| Motorways by police force area from July 2005 onwards | |||||
| Duration of road closures in hours/minutes on motorways per year | |||||
| Police force area | July 2005 onwards | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2009, Official Report, columns 773-74W, on roads: accidents, what the combined duration of road closures on each trunk road referred to was (a) in the period July to December 2005, (b) in 2006, (c) in 2007, (d) in 2008 and (e) in the period January to June 2009. [279996]
Chris Mole: The table provides the combined duration of road closures due to road traffic accidents for each trunk road in each of the periods requested.
The information available is for road traffic accidents where the police have requested Highways Agency involvement. No data are held for those occurrences where the police have dealt with an accident alone. Also, the data available for all purpose trunk roads west of Exeter are from autumn 2006 onwards, and from July 2005 for other Highways Agency roads in the south west network.
| All purpose trunk roads | |||||
| Duration of road closures in hours/minutes on all purpose trunk roads per year | |||||
| Trunk road number | July to December 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| n/k = Not known | |||||
Shipping
Mark Lazarowicz:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009, Official Report, column 1729W, on
shipping, when he expects to decide whether to conduct a second consultation exercise on the draft regulations; and if he will make a statement. [280123]
Paul Clark: During the summer, consideration will be given by the Department for Transport, as to whether a second consultation will be required on draft regulations to control ship to ship transfers of oil in UK territorial waters taking account of comments made by consultees.
Shipping: Accidents
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will commission the Health and Safety Executive to undertake research into the circumstances surrounding the capsize of (a) offshore oil-rig support tugs and (b) other vessels in UK and international waters in the last five years for the purposes of improving safety measures in relation to escape routes from such vessels. [279865]
Paul Clark: The safety of vessels, including offshore oil-rig support tugs, is a matter for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) rather than the Health and Safety Executive.
A comprehensive review of the circumstances surrounding the capsize of an offshore oil-rig support tug has been completed recently by the Norwegian maritime administration. The conclusions of this review are to be incorporated as appropriate into the “North West European Area Guidelines for the Safe Management of Offshore Supply and Anchor Handling Operations” (NWEA Guidelines) and into international safety regulations under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation.
The MCA fully endorses the outcome of the Norwegian review, welcomes the improvements to the NWEA Guidelines and believes that further research would not enhance what has already been done recently in this area. In particular, it is considered that current requirements for escape routes from ships are adequate for the risks faced, and that special escape routes from capsized vessels would be impractical and might even increase risk to lives and vessels.
Shipping: Carbon Emissions
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he plans to set targets for carbon dioxide emissions reductions from the shipping industry. [279976]
Paul Clark: Shipping is an international industry and regulation of carbon dioxide from shipping will be most effectively achieved through international action. To this end the Government are seeking to ensure that the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen on 7-18 December 2009 will set an emissions reduction target for the shipping sector.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the methodology for calculating carbon dioxide emissions from shipping. [279977]
Paul Clark: The Department of Transport's assessment on this subject was contained in the Department's memorandum of evidence submitted to the Environmental Audit Committee last year. The memorandum is reproduced in the published Environmental Audit Committee report on ‘Reducing CO2 and other emissions from shipping’ (HC 528, Session 2008-09), on pages Ev 66-70.
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