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26 Oct 2009 : Column 6W—continued
Speaker: Pay
Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2009, Official Report, columns 1039-40W, on the Speaker, for what reason the remuneration to be paid to the special adviser to Mr. Speaker is commercial in confidence. [295665]
Nick Harvey: The House does not disclose financial arrangements under commercial contracts in order to preserve its competitive negotiating position with other similar potential contractors.
Speaker: Recruitment
Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what interviews were conducted with the person contracted to provide services as Mr. Speaker's special adviser in the course of the House's procurement process. [295666]
Nick Harvey: Separate interviews were conducted by the Speaker and Professor Michael Horsman, an independent member of the House's Senior Pay Panel.
Electoral Commission Committee
Political Parties: Finance
Mr. Pickles: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent progress the Electoral Commission has made in its investigation into the permissibility of donations by Fifth Avenue Partners Ltd; and what recent discussions the Electoral Commission has had with the City of London Police on that matter. [295487]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it aims to conclude the investigation as quickly as possible but that its priority must be to ensure that the process is fair and thorough. The Commission further informs me that it continues to liaise with the City of London Police. It would not be appropriate to provide further details of a continuing investigation.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many full-time equivalent staff are working on the Electoral Commission's investigation into the permissibility of donations by Fifth Avenue Partners and Mr. Michael Brown; what the cost of that investigation has been; when that investigation began; and when that investigation was (a) suspended and (b) resumed. [295488]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it began inquiries in May 2005 into the donations from 5th Avenue Partners Ltd. to the Liberal Democrats and that those inquiries were suspended in March 2007 pending the outcome of criminal proceedings. Upon conclusion of the proceedings in November 2008, the Commission resumed its investigation. The Commission informs me that it sought access from the City of London Police to relevant documents from the proceedings, obtaining these on 14 May 2009.
The Commission further informs me that it currently has five full-time staff in its party and election finance enforcement team which is responsible for investigations and case reviews. The number of staff working on a particular case at any one time varies and members of the team may work on a number of cases concurrently. There are currently two full-time equivalent members of staff working on the case with input also being provided by senior managers and the Commission's in-house legal team.
The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not record the precise direct and indirect costs associated with any particular case.
Transport
Accidents: Yorkshire and the Humber
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) serious travel related accidents there have been in (i) the City of York and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1996-97. [295222]
Paul Clark: I understand after clarification from the Member's office, information requested is for road accidents only.
The number of reported fatal and serious personal injury road accidents in the City of York local authority and the Government Office Region of Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1996 are given in the table:
| Number of reported personal injury road accidents | ||||
| (i) York unitary authority | (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber | |||
| (a) Fatal | (b) Serious | (a) Fatal | (b) Serious | |
| (1) In April 1996 the City of York local authority became a unitary authority and increased in size. | ||||
Charities
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. [292657]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport's General Ledger has not been configured to identify the business sector in which a grant recipient operates. The Department is therefore unable to identify what grants have been made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years.
Cycling: Helmets
Mr. Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what date he expects to publish his Department's interim research paper on cycle helmets. [294956]
Paul Clark: I refer to the answer given on 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 1904W.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Excise Duties
Mr. Spring: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency spent on the (a) collection and (b) enforcement of vehicle excise duty in each of the last five years. [294605]
Paul Clark: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, on behalf of Her Majesty's Treasury, collected £5.5 billion of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in the last financial year. The following table shows the cost to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to (a) collection and (b) enforcement of vehicle excise duty in each of the last five years:
| £000 | ||
| Financial year | Collection of VED | Enforcement of VED |
First Great Western
Mr. Sharma: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will take steps in collaboration with First Great Western to relieve congestion through (a) bringing into service as soon as possible new trains ordered for 2011 and (b) other measures. [294998]
Chris Mole: On 23 July the Government announced a major £1 billion programme of rail electrification on the Great Western Main Line. This radically affects the requirements for rolling stock over the next decade.
Long-distance services will now be operated by a new fleet of predominantly electric-powered Super Express Trains, offering faster journeys as well as improved capacity and passenger comfort. Electric trains will also be provided for commuter services. Following the procurement of new Thameslink rolling stock, Great Western electrification will allow four-carriage electric trains currently operating Thameslink services to replace three-carriage diesel trains currently operating on the Great Western Main Line. In addition, once completed, Crossrail will provide significantly increased capacity on Great Western services into London.
In view of Great Western electrification, the procurement by the Government of new diesel trains, some of which would have entered service on the Great Western Main Line, has been superseded. The Government will publish a new Rolling Stock Plan in the autumn, taking account of the changed circumstances.
Lorries: Accidents
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many fatalities occurred as a result of collisions with the side or rear of a heavy goods vehicle in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [293686]
Paul Clark: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Fatal casualties resulting from reported accidents involving side or rear collisions with heavy goods vehicles( 1) , Great Britain: 2004-08 | |
| Number | |
| (1) All heavy goods vehicles over 3.5t | |
Lorries: Safety
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether heavy goods vehicles are required to be fitted with class V mirrors. [295012]
Paul Clark: All large goods vehicles, above 3.5 tonnes gross mass, first used after 1 January 2000, are required to be fitted with a class V (close proximity) mirror on the passenger side. There are some exemptions but only for those vehicles where the class V mirror cannot be fitted at least 2 metres from the ground.
Motor Vehicles: Lighting
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to publish the Government's response to the consultation on amending the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations, which closed on 9 October 2008. [295492]
Paul Clark: The response to the consultation will be published at the same time as the statutory instrument amending the regulations is laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the end of the year.
Motor Vehicles: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many domestic vehicles in each vehicle excise duty band were registered to addresses in York in the latest period for which figures are available. [295221]
Paul Clark: The following table provides the total number of privately owned cars and light vans that were licensed on the 30 June, 2009 in the City of York council.
Cars that were first registered before 1 March 2001 have their vehicle excise duty band based on engine size. Cars that have been first registered since this date have their vehicle excise duty band based on CO2 emissions.
As some vans (light goods vehicles weighing no more than 3,500 kilograms) may be used for domestic purposes, all privately owned vans registered in the City of York council have been included in the table.
Details on the vehicle excise duty rates application to each band are available at:
| Percentage of total private cars | |||
| Tax band (CO 2 emission g/km( 2) ) | Number in City of York | City of York | Great Britain |
| (1) Applies to cars first registered on or after 23 March 2006 (2) Applies to cars first registered before 23 March 2006 (3) Goods vehicles weighing no more than 3,500 kg | |||
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