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29 Jun 2009 : Column 12W—continued
Driving: EU Action
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will take steps at EU level to seek to ensure mutual recognition of driving disqualifications in all EU member states. [282982]
Paul Clark: The United Kingdom is a signatory to the 1998 European convention on driving disqualifications. The necessary primary legislation in connection with this convention forms part of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003.
The convention does not come into practical effect across all member states until all 15 original signatories have adopted it. I understand that only Spain has done so.
However, the convention also allows member states to bring in arrangements early. The UK and the Republic of Ireland have been discussing a bilateral arrangement to do so together, but no final arrangements have yet been made.
To date, no other EU member state has expressed an interest in making such an arrangement with the UK.
Driving: Tamworth
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many residents of Tamworth constituency had their driving licences suspended in each of the last three years. [282738]
Paul Clark: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not readily hold this information in the requested format.
Highways Agency: Manpower
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) directors, (b) senior managers, (c) specialist and delivery managers and (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Highways Agency office in each of the last five years. [281631]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency does not specifically categorise its staff in the requested format. However, in broad terms senior civil servants equate to directors, pay band 7 and 8 to senior managers, pay band 5 and 6 to specialists and delivery managers, and pay band 1 to 4 to executive support and administrative.
The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of transferring commercial vehicle testing to the private sector. [281653]
Paul Clark: Following an extensive consultation process, the Department for Transport announced on 3 July 2008 that the testing of commercial vehicles would continue to be conducted within the public sector by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
However, in order to meet customer requirements for a modern, flexible service, and to reduce vehicle downtime and associated costs for operators, the Agency aims to significantly increase the number of annual tests conducted at private sector premises over the next three years. These tests will still be conducted by VOSA staff.
Road Signs and Markings
Mark Hunter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many new (a) road traffic signs and (b) road markings have been included in the Highway Code in each year since 1997. [282742]
Paul Clark: The Highway Code provides information to road users about the safe and legal use of the network. It is not intended as a comprehensive guide to traffic signs and road markings, but the reference section in recent editions has included a number of depictions and explanations of selected signs and road markings as follows:
| Edition | Total traffic signs( 1) | Road markings |
| (1 )Including traffic signals. | ||
Mark Hunter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) understanding of and (b) compliance with road signs and markings among drivers aged (i) between 17 and 24, (ii) between 25 and 30, (iii) between 31 and 35, (iv) between 36 and 40, (v) between 40 and 60 and (vi) over 60 years. [282743]
Paul Clark: This information is not held centrally. However, understanding and effectiveness of certain traffic signs are being considered as key issues for the Department's current review of traffic signs policy.
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road traffic accidents were recorded on roads in Peterborough in each of the last five years. [281701]
Paul Clark: The number of (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal reported personal injury road traffic accidents recorded on roads in Peterborough in each of the last five years is given in the following table:
| Number of accidents | ||
| Accident severity | ||
| Fatal | Injury | |
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road traffic accidents were recorded in (i) Southampton and (ii) Test Valley Borough in 2008. [283332]
Paul Clark: In 2008 there were five fatal and 617 non-fatal reported personal injury road accidents in Southampton, and four fatal and 324 non-fatal accidents in Test Valley borough.
Shipping: Exhaust Emissions
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make it his policy to bring forward proposals for a cap on emissions from the shipping industry. [280750]
Paul Clark: The Government are working to achieve international agreement, at the forthcoming Copenhagen conference, on a carbon dioxide emissions reduction target for the shipping sector.
Subsequently, the Government will seek to achieve agreement in the International Maritime Organisation on an economic instrument to achieve reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from shipping, specifically a global emissions trading scheme incorporating a cap.
Shipping: Renewable Energy
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage the development of shipping technologies based on non-fossil fuel power sources. [280749]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport and its Maritime and Coastguard Agency participate actively in the work of the International Maritime Organisation to promote alternative modes of propulsion for ships. The Department has met proponents of alternative modes of propulsion and encouraged them in their efforts.
Vehicle Certification Agency: Consultants
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Vehicle Certification Agency spent on consultants in each of the last five years. [282143]
Paul Clark: The Vehicle Certification Agency has spent the following amounts on consultants over the last five years:
| £ million | |
House of Commons Commission
Members: Allowances
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will publish the information requested in all outstanding requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information relating to hon. Members’ expenses. [282454]
Nick Harvey: The House will fulfil all of its obligations under the Act and the responses to all requests will depend on the circumstances relevant in each case.
Nurseries
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House of Commons Commission will introduce crèche facilities in the House of Commons. [282447]
Nick Harvey: In July 2008, the Commission asked the Administration Committee to look at child care and assess the level of demand among Members for any change to the current arrangements. The advice is expected soon.
Northern Ireland
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many anti-social behaviour orders in Northern Ireland have been breached in each year since 2004. [280643]
Paul Goggins: The relevant authorities have notified the Northern Ireland Office that 18 ASBO holders were sentenced in court for a breach of their ASBO.
Additionally, in two cases, the individual went on to be sentenced again for a further breach. This gives a total of 20 ASBOs that were sentenced in court for a breach.
| Number | |
Community Relations: Coleraine
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce levels of sectarian tensions in Coleraine. [282289]
Paul Goggins: PSNI officers have been working tirelessly to reduce tensions and provide reassurance to all the communities in the Coleraine area.
Additional PSNI officers have also been appointed to neighbourhood policing teams; they are liaising with community associations to ensure a co-ordinated approach.
Departmental Lost Property
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many laptop computers belonging to (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have been lost or stolen in the last five years. [281078]
Paul Goggins: Five laptop computers have been lost by, or stolen from, the Department and its agencies since 1 January 2004.
Departmental Manpower
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people from ethnic minority backgrounds his Department employs. [282299]
Paul Goggins: To monitor the effectiveness of its equal opportunities policies, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) monitors its work force in a number of areas. While the monitoring of community background is mandatory for NIO staff in Northern Ireland, information on other categories, including ethnicity, is provided by staff on a voluntary basis. Records show that 13 staff in the NIO Core Department have declared they are from an ethnic minority background.
Migrant Workers
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of migrant workers in Northern Ireland from attacks against minority groups. [281592]
Paul Goggins: My Department is working closely with other statutory agencies and the PSNI to ensure that migrant workers and minority groups get the support they need.
The Hate Incidents Practical Action (HIPA) Scheme is a regional initiative that is jointly supported by the Northern Ireland Office Community Safety Unit, PSNI and the Housing Executive (NIHE), and provides personal and home security measures for victims of hate incidents.
In 2007, the Criminal Justice Inspection for Northern Ireland published a thematic review of the management of hate crime by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. In response to the report, the Community Safety Forum, a sub-group of the Criminal Justice Board, has drawn up an Action Plan to address the recommendations and to underpin the commitment of the criminal justice system to tackling hate crime.
All criminal justice organisations are working to improve their response to hate crime and to provide help and support to the victims of such crimes.
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