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21 July 2009 : Column 1219W—continued
Information for 2004-05 is as follows:
Information on costs for ministerial cars and drivers for 2005-06 and 2006-07 was published in a written ministerial statement on 26 July 2007, Official Report, columns 109-11WS; for 2007-08 in a written ministerial statement on 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 116-18WS; and for 2008-09 in a written ministerial statement on 16 July 2009, Official Report, columns 79-80WS.
Information for earlier years is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Additional information to answer parts (b) to (f) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Driving: Licensing
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many people successfully applied for a provisional driving licence for motorcycles only in each year since 1997. [288276]
Paul Clark [holding answer 20 July 2009]: The information requested is not held. Provisional driving licences are not issued with motorcycle entitlement only. Since 1 February 2002, all provisional licences automatically include motorcycle entitlement. Prior to this date, drivers who wanted provisional motorcycle entitlement had to request that it was included on their licence; it was then limited to two years.
Driving: Training
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent providing training courses on road safety offered to drivers who would otherwise be fined for speeding; and if he will make a statement. [288378]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is not responsible for the funding of courses offered to drivers as an alternative to a fixed penalty for a speeding offence. Speed awareness courses are run by the police and designed to be self-funding with the client fee covering the costs involved.
East Coast Railway Line
Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, column 93W, on the east
Coast Railway Line, what information his Department holds on the operating surplus made by Intercity services in each of the last 10 years during which British Rail operated those services; if he will commission research to establish the proportion of that surplus which was attributable to the Intercity services run on the East Coast Main Line; and if he will make a statement. [287815]
Chris Mole: Further to my answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, column 94W, the Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, column 93W, on East Coast Railway line, if he will set a target for the surplus of income over operating costs to be met in relation to services on the East Coast Main Line during the period that those services are in public sector management; and if he will make a statement. [287865]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport will be considering ways of incentivising the East Coast Main Line company to operate efficiently.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when his Department plans to begin the pre-qualification process for invitations to tender for the Inter-City East Coast franchise. [289205]
Chris Mole: In the event that a state company takes on responsibility for the inter-city east coast services later this year, the Department for Transport will consult on a new franchise specification with a view to issuing an invitation to tender in the summer of 2010.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed public ownership of East Coast Main Line services on open access operators on this route. [289206]
Chris Mole: The operation of the East Coast Main Line franchise under public ownership should have no impact on open access operators on the route.
While the East Coast Main Line franchise is under public ownership, it will abide by the same industry schemes, mechanisms and regulatory regimes as are currently applicable under the National Express operated franchise. These same regimes are generally applicable to open access operators.
East Coast Railway Line: Finance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether funds have been allocated from (a) the current rail budget for Control Period 4 and (ii) other transport budgets in respect of the cost of (i) the public company set up to run services on the East Coast Main Line and (ii) re-letting the Inter-City East Coast franchise. [289199]
Chris Mole:
The Government will seek to recover the costs of setting up the public company to run services on the East Coast Main Line and the costs of re-letting the Inter-City East Coast Franchise from the performance
bond in the National Express East Coast franchise, and as such, no funds have currently been allocated from the Control Period 4 rail budget or other transport budgets.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of running National Express East Coast rail services under (a) a management contract with a private operator and (b) a Government-owned company set up by his Department. [289200]
Chris Mole: Due to timescale and procurement issues, the Government concluded that running services on the east coast main line under a management contract with a private sector operator was not a practical option. Work is in hand on developing a costed business plan for the publically owned company that has been created by the Department for Transport to take over the operation of services on the east coast main line as and when National Express East Coast cease to operate those services.
Eurostar
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2009, Official Report, column 1162W, on high speed trains, if he will make it his policy to sell Eurostar UK by competitive auction. [288056]
Chris Mole: Negotiations are well under way with our international partners to facilitate the development of the Eurostar partnership by merging the UK, French and Belgian operations into a single incorporated UK-based company.
The aim is to create a Eurostar that is financially stable, can develop its services for the benefit of passengers, can meet the challenge of competition for international rail passengers from 2010, and is free from future Government support.
The Government will retain the ability to sell their shareholding in the new business by competitive auction at a future date.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 June 2009, on Eurostar, by what means his Department intends to demonstrate value for money for the taxpayer by negotiating the incorporation of Eurostar UK into a single company in which the Government have a minority stake; what expressions of interest in Eurostar UK have been received; what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the provision of new services to Amsterdam and Cologne of the establishment of a single Eurostar company; and if he will make a statement. [288057]
Chris Mole: Deutsche Bahn indicated to the Government their general interest in Eurostar UK Ltd. (EUKL), but this did not result in a formal offer for the company.
The assessment of value has been based on a comparison between endeavouring to sell EUKL as an undertaking separate to its current successful partnership, and the benefits of an incorporation deal.
The Government believe that a sale of EUKL as a separate entity would be of uncertain value and considerable risk. In contrast incorporation offers an opportunity to shape the provision of Eurostar's cross-Channel rail services to the benefit of passengers, while creating a tradable shareholding in a future business that is more stable and certain than EUKL on its own.
Separately the Government remain keen to encourage competition on cross-Channel rail passenger routes to the benefit of the High Speed 1 business. We aim to sell a concession for High Speed 1 as soon as market conditions allow and the concessionaire will be incentivised to promote competition on the line-to Paris, Brussels and beyond. The newly incorporated Eurostar will be in a position to compete with any future competitors on a fair and equal basis.
Fisheries: Accidents
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps have been taken since 2000 to reduce the numbers of (a) fishermen and (b) other persons killed at sea. [289189]
Paul Clark: Since 2000 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Department for Transport and the Seafish Industry Authority, working in partnership, have:
Introduced Codes of Safety for Fishing Vessels of 15m to 24m in length, and under 15m in length;
Published 25 Merchant Shipping Notices (MSN) and Marine Guidance Notes (MGN) exclusively for the fishing industry, and 92 MSNs and MGNs intended for both merchant and fishing fleets;
Introduced a system of Risk Assessment for fishing vessels, so that skippers and fishermen can review their own operations and develop effective solutions to the risks faced;
Introduced Small Fishing Vessel Safety Guidance booklet to assist in their Risk Assessment process;
Ensuring a robust regime for all Fishing Vessels undergoing their renewal surveys and mid-term safety inspections by MCA surveyors;
Introduced a Prepare yourself for Survey booklet to assist fishermen in preparing their vessel for survey and for ongoing assessment of its condition by them;
Introduced a programme of inspection of small Fishing Vessels by local Coastguard Officers, who are able to deploy their local knowledge and the high regard in which the CG is held, to improve relations with local fishermen;
Further developed this programme of inspection with the use of surveyors on larger under 15m vessels and introduced, initially as a trial and now expected to be formalised dedicated inspection teams whereby trained inspectors can use higher technical skills and local knowledge to enhance safety of vessels and safety culture of fishermen;
Opened new Fishing Vessel Survey Offices in Brixham and Newlyn so that surveyors can be close at hand to large concentrations of Fishing Vessels;
Employed a skipper to conduct on board visits to vessels in Scotland to discuss safety with the crews;
Seafish has developed new standards for the hull construction and equipment of new Fishing Vessels under 24m;
New vessels are unable to Register as Fishing Vessels unless they are being built, surveyed and certificated to the Seafish Construction Standards. Vessels built prior to 2001 must also be surveyed by Seafish against the standards who then provide a report to MCA who then decide on the basis of this report whether the vessel can be registered;
Enhanced the mandatory training requirements for basic safety training in Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, First Aid, Health and Safety for all fishermen, focused in particular to ensure that young entrants to the industry receive sufficient basic safety training and experienced fishermen receive Safety Awareness training;
Developed new courses for skippers of smaller vessels in Navigation and Engine Room Watchkeeping and Stability Awareness, which lead to a Skippers Certificate;
Obtained grants from the EU Financial Instrument for Fisheries to allow the free provision of basic safety training in Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, First Aid, Health and Safety and Safety Awareness from 2001 to 2007;
Is providing funds from Seafish and DFT to provide free training in the Navigation and Engine Room Watchkeeping and Stability Awareness (between July 2008 and March 2009 the funding provided was £536,271); and
Conducted numerous safety campaigns with fishermen.
Further details of safety initiatives affecting other seafarers can be found in Annual Report and Accounts of the MCA submitted to Parliament each year and placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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