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24 Jun 2009 : Column 907W—continued
Departmental Food
Tim Farron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of the (a) meat, (b) fruit and (c) vegetables procured by his Department in the last 12 months was produced in the UK. [281938]
Chris Mole: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased and shows that the proportion of domestically produced food procured by the Department for Transport in 2007-08 was 71 per cent.
A third report is expected to be published at the end of 2009.
Departmental Plants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on (a) pot plants and (b) cut flowers in 2008-09. [280019]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport spent £87,401 on pot plants and £3,419 on cut flowers in 2008-09. This excludes spend incurred at the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency as the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Spend on pot plants includes provision, maintenance and replacement of plants.
All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Disability Discrimination Act
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of progress towards compliance with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act in respect of accessibility by persons with disabilities (a) to buses by 2017 and (b) to rail vehicles by 2020; and if he will make a statement. [281824]
Mr. Khan: The Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 require all buses and coaches both old and new to comply with the provisions of Disability Discrimination Act 1995, from 2015 through to 2017 for buses, and from 2020 for coaches. Buses used on local services have been steadily becoming more accessible. In 2008 (the latest statistics available), around 62 per cent. of the bus fleet meet low floor and accessibility requirements.
Almost 5000 rail vehicles (including 42 per cent. of the national train fleet) are in service, having been built to modern access standards. Furthermore, almost all older rail vehicles have featured increased accessibility as they have undergone refurbishment.
Exhaust Emissions: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department allocated for the development of transportation with (a) low and (b) no carbon dioxide emissions in (i) Essex and (ii) Castle Point in each of the last five years. [281634]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block funding to local transport authorities for capital investment in transport. Funding provided by the Department to local authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, such as the development of low-carbon transportation. The following table shows funding support the Department provided for Essex from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
| Integrated Transport Funding | |
| £ million | |
Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Formula Grant.
The Department has funded sustainable travel projects such as the 'Walking to School Initiative Grant scheme'—in 2008-09 Essex schools received £20,500. It has provided Essex county council with £10,000 for cycle training grants in 2008-09. The Department has also made the following funding available to Essex county council in the last five years for Rural Bus Subsidy and cycling ‘Links to School’:
| £ million | ||
| Rural Bus Subsidy | Links to School | |
Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) has been reformed to link better with Government objectives, particularly on climate change. The previous link between BSOG and fuel duty has now been broken and only those bus operators who achieve a 6 per cent. improvement in their fuel efficiency compared with the previous one or two years will receive an increase of 3 per cent. in their BSOG from April 2010. In addition, operators will receive an additional 6p per kilometre on routes operated by low carbon emission buses from 1 April 2009.
Detailed policies and proposals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions will be published in the Department’s Carbon Reduction Strategy this summer.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to conclude its analysis of stability criteria for small fishing vessels; and if he will make a statement. [281857]
Paul Clark: Further to my answer of 16 June 2009, Official Report, column 172W, concerning the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) research into the stability criteria for small fishing vessels; the MCA plan to meet with research consultants during July to review their conclusions before the fishing industry Fishing Vessel Stability Working Group meets in August 2009. Following the working group meeting they plan to provide simple and practical guidance about stability of small fishing boats.
Humber Bridge: Tolls
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to receive the report of the public inquiry on the Humber Bridge toll. [281604]
Mr. Khan: We have now received and are considering the Inspector's report following the public inquiry on the Humber Bridge Board's toll review application. A decision will be made as soon as possible.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Pay
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much was paid in bonuses to (a) directors, (b) senior managers, (c) specialist and delivery managers and (d) executive support and administration staff in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each of the last five years. [281628]
Paul Clark: The information is not available in the format requested; however the amounts paid in bonuses by grade in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
| £ | |||||
| Total | |||||
| Grade | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
Public Transport: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what funding his Department has allocated to improve public transport in (a) Test Valley borough and (b) Southampton in 2009-10. [281373]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities for capital investment in transport. Funding provided by the Department to local authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, such as the provision of public transport. Figures are not available at constituency level. The following table shows funding support for Hampshire and Southampton in 2009-10.
| 2009-10 (£ million) | |
Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Formula Grant.
In 2008-09 and 2009-10 special grant funding is being provided by the Department for Transport to meet the additional cost of the new, England-wide concessionary bus travel. The allocations made for this purpose to Test Valley and Southampton for 2009-10 are shown in the following table.
| Concessionary fares funding | |
| 2009-10 (£ million) | |
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