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21 July 2009 : Column 1208W—continued
The results from forensic analysis of the many seizures in the Caribbean, provided to us by the American Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (South), have enabled us to update many of our previous estimates of the size of these seizures. Our previous answers were drawn from figures often estimated by the UK vessel at the time of the interdiction; subsequent investigations by law enforcement officials would usually have been completed after the UK vessel had left the vicinity and thus not reflected in the initial UK estimate. For interdictions when cargoes were jettisoned by the traffickers we have continued to provide the sizes assessed by the UK crew before the contraband was lost.
The table also includes a small number of additional interdictions that have not previously been reported. In some cases these omissions are due to different approaches by individual UK ships in recording an incident as a 'seizure' or as an 'interdiction' (which may have resulted in a jettison). In others cases the reliance upon disparate ships' records may have resulted in a small number of accidental omissions as our historic responses were consolidated. The positive outcome is that the Royal Navy has had an even greater impact on narcotics trafficking than previously reported.
It is very difficult to estimate street value of the illegal drugs seized or destroyed in these operations. The price varies greatly depending on a number of factors including supply and demand, the intended destination of the product as well as the purity of the drugs themselves when they reach their market. Not all of the
seized drugs would have been intended for the UK, however for simplicity the estimated values in the table are based on the assumption that the product would have reached the UK with street values of £40,000 per kilogram of cocaine, of £45,000 per kilogram of heroin and of £2,880 per kilogram of cannabis.
In agreement with the Serious Organised Crime Agency these valuations have been applied retrospectively across the entire historical record; thus detailing estimated values of seizures as if they had reached UK streets in 2009. We have done this because there is no reliable record of street values year on year since 1997, particularly prior to the Agency's creation in 2006. Where only the number and not size of bales seized were recorded, we have not attempted to assign a street value.
The successes of these counter narcotics operations are considerable and to ensure that a full and accurate picture is maintained in future, I have put in place revised record-keeping policies and established a more centralised reporting mechanism which will be updated where possible with US post-forensic results.
I hope you will find this information useful.
I am copying this letter to other MPs who have asked similar questions in the past.
Nuclear Weapons
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals the Government intend to make at the next NATO summit on (a) nuclear sharing, (b) nuclear first-strike and (c) the reliance by NATO members on nuclear weapons as a guarantee for their security; and if he will make a statement. [287910]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Declaration on Alliance Security that was agreed in April at the NATO summit in Strasbourg/Kehl makes clear that
"Deterrence, based on an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional capabilities, remains a core element of (the Alliance's) overall strategy".
This provides the basis of discussions between Allies on a revised Strategic Concept for NATO, which is due to be agreed at next year's summit meeting. The UK will play a full part in these discussions.
Warships: Wrecks
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 1141W, on HMS Victory, whether his Department plans to enter into a salvage agreement with Odyssey Marine Exploration. [288467]
Bill Rammell: The MOD has no current plans to enter into a salvage agreement with Odyssey Marine Exploration. Discussions on the future management of the wreck site continue with other Government Departments and English Heritage.
White Phosphorus
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Fife North East, on 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 48-49W, on white phosphorus, in which theatres of operation UK forces have used white phosphorus in the last 10 years; and whether his Department has taken steps to establish the long-term health effects of such usage on people exposed to the munitions. [278712]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: In the last five years, white phosphorus munitions have been used by UK forces in both the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres of operation. Information covering the last 10 years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
White phosphorus munitions are only used by UK forces to protect troops on operations by producing a smoke screen to provide cover in accordance with the Third Protocol of the UN Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the use of Certain Conventional Weapons, ratified by the UK in 1995, when it became illegal to use white phosphorus as a primary incendiary weapon under UK law. Training of UK forces in the use of white phosphorus emphasises that it should only be used for its intended purpose as an obscurant and not as an anti-personnel weapon. White phosphorus is always used in accordance with UK Rules of Engagement and UK forces will do their utmost to avoid civilian casualties, whatever weapons are being deployed.
The Ministry of Defence has not carried out any work on possible long-term health effects resulting from exposure to white phosphorous.
Transport
Air Travel Organisers Licence
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make an assessment of the merits of introducing a permanent increase in the level of the Air Travel Organisers Licence protection contribution. [287274]
Chris Mole: A written ministerial statement laid in the House on 16 July 2009 announced that the Secretary of State for Transport had approved the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) recommendation to increase the Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) Protection Contribution (APC) to £2.50 per passenger, with effect from 1 October 2009. The CAA intend to review the level of the APC before the Air Travel Trust Fund deficit has been repaid, projected to be by the end of March 2012.
Automatic Train Protection
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of the high-speed passenger network operates with automatic train protection. [289191]
Chris Mole: Automatic Train Protection (ATP) is currently provided on part of the Great Western Mainline, on High Speed One, Heathrow Express and part of the Chiltern route out of Marylebone (although the last two routes are not high speed). The Department for Transport has published on its website the deployment plan for the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which includes ATP. The Department's ERTMS deployment plan can be found at:
In the meantime, the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS)-a form of intermittent ATP-has been installed where appropriate across the entire rail network, and has resulted in a 85 per cent. fall in risk from Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs).
Aviation
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he plans to extend the scope of financial protection for air passengers. [287275]
Paul Clark: As set out in the consumer white paper 'A Better Deal for Consumers: Delivering Real Help Now and Change for the Future' published on 2 July 2009, the Department for Transport intends to consult on the reform of the Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) scheme in the autumn, with the aim of providing greater clarity for consumers about which holidays are covered by ATOL. There are no plans to extend financial protection to all air passengers. The Government rejected this option in 2005 as disproportionate to the risks involved and this remains our position.
Bus Services
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many guided bus schemes have been introduced in each year since 2000. [289190]
Mr. Khan: The following transport schemes which incorporate some element of guided busway have opened since 2000:
2001: A64 York Road/A63 Selby Road section of Leeds Superbus project
2002: Manchester Road Quality Bus Initiative in Bradford
2003: Crawley Fastway
Bus Services: Concessions
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the concessionary bus travel scheme on levels of bus usage by older people; and if he will make a statement. [288441]
Mr. Khan: The table shows that the number of bus passenger journeys in England increased by 6.5 per cent. in the year following the introduction of free local concessionary fares in April 2006 and by 3.2 per cent. in the year following the introduction of the national concession in April 2008. However, these statistics count journeys made by all passengers, whether or not they are eligible for the free travel concession:
| Bus passenger journeys: England, 2000-01 to 2008-09 | ||
| Local bus journeys (million) | Year-on-year percentage change | |
| Source: Bus and Light Rail Statistics: Q1 2009 | ||
The Department for Transport has commissioned research from the Institute of Transport Studies (ITS), which will consider the impact of the national and
local concessionary travel schemes on overall usage of bus services. The research is due to be published early next year.
Bus Services: Finance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to page 92 of Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, for how many years his Department plans to allocate £2.5 billion a year in support of bus services. [289225]
Mr. Khan: Based on current assumptions and projections central and local government support for bus services is expected to be around £2.5 billion this year and over the next two financial years. Decisions on funding for bus services from the years from 2012-13 will be made when departmental budgets are allocated as part of normal Government-wide processes.
Car Clubs: Environment Protection
Colin Challen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent assessment is of the environmental benefits of car clubs. [288070]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport endorses car clubs and sponsors Carplus, an organisation which promotes car clubs nationally.
Carplus publish an annual survey produced in conjunction with the Transport Research Laboratory which shows the environmental benefits of car clubs. The most recent, for 2008-09, was published in April this year. This can be found on their website at:
Car Clubs: Greater London
Colin Challen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his policy is on the expansion of the car clubs infrastructure in London as promoted by Transport for London; and if he will make a statement. [288069]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport believes that car clubs have an important role to play where they are likely to be well used, such as London.
It is, however, a matter for Transport for London to make a statement specifically about the car clubs infrastructure in London.
Cycling: Finance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to page 92 of Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, for how many years his Department plans to make £60 million per annum available for cycling. [289223]
Mr. Khan: Cycling England's current three-year budget of £140 million is allocated as follows:
£20 million in 2008-09;
£60 million in 2009-10; and
£60 million in 2010-11.
Decisions on funding for cycling for the years from 2011-12 will be made when the Department for Transport's overall budget is allocated as part of normal Government-wide processes.
Cycling: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department allocated for cycle safety training in (a) Test Valley borough and (b) Southampton for each of the last five years. [288894]
Mr. Khan: We have provided grants for National Standard/Bikeability cycle training to a number of local highway authorities in Hampshire since 2008-09. All bids were met in full. No bids for grant from Hampshire authorities were received prior to the 2008-09 bidding round. Details of the grants awarded are set out in the following table:
| Local authority cycle training grants | ||||
| £ | ||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
In addition to the above funding the Wavell School in Hampshire (Farnborough) received a School Sports Partnership cycle training grant from the Department of £12,000.00 in 2006-07.
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