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27 Oct 2009 : Column 220W—continued
The figures shown do not include staff numbers from Transport for London, the Department for Transport's co-sponsor in the scheme, or at Crossrail Limited (formerly Cross London Rail Links), the Project Delivery Body.
Departmental Manpower
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many officials in his Department have worked on matters relating to (a) road works, (b) traffic lights and (c) parking enforcement on private property in each year since 2000. [294768]
Mr. Khan: A wide range of officials in the central Department for Transport and its agencies have contributed to policy developments and projects relating to these matters. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many officials in his Department have worked on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project in each year since 1997. [294770]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not have records of the number of officials who have worked on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project as far back as 1997. However we do have figures for the number of full-time equivalents from 2002 as follows:
2002 to mid-2005 inclusive: Five
Mid-2005 to 2007: Three
2008 to date: Two.
These figures relate to the delivery phase of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years. [294985]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport and its agencies do not operate any helplines.
First TransPennine Express: Standards
Graham Stringer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to improve the TransPennine peak time train service between Manchester and (a) Sheffield, (b) Stockport, (c) Stalybridge, (d) West Yorkshire, (e) Salford, (f) Bolton and (g) Warrington. [295581]
Chris Mole [holding answer 26 October 2009]: The Government's plans for further electrification of the network will lead to the introduction of additional electric trains. This will in turn allow the redeployment of existing diesel trains to provide additional capacity on TransPennine services and it is anticipated that this will occur by 2014.
Heathrow Airport
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what changes to the flight paths of aircraft (a) taking off from and (b) landing at Heathrow Airport there have been in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [295101]
Paul Clark: According to the Civil Aviation Authority there have been no changes to the airspace structure or arrival/departure procedures associated with London Heathrow in the last 12 months.
Parking
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has assessed the effect of restrictions on off-street parking spaces in new residential developments on the (a) availability and (b) accessibility of on-street parking. [294899]
Mr. Khan: There is extensive research on car parking. In May 2007 for example the Department of Communities and Local Government published residential car parking research, which addressed the availability of on- and off-street parking in residential developments and the efficiency of allocating spaces to dwellings. It concluded that well-designed on-street parking in residential areas can make a valuable and flexible contribution to the overall supply of parking.
The full report can be found at:
The 'Manual for Streets' also explains the efficiency benefits of unallocated car parking and the need to meet at least some of the normal demand on the street. This can be found at:
Railways: Freight
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned research into the likely consequences of the introduction of a freight subsidy for the quantity of goods carried by rail. [295812]
Chris Mole: The current rail environmental benefit procurement scheme has two components that provide revenue support for rail freight based upon the amount of lorries removed from the roads. The Department for Transport has reviewed both of the rail freight support schemes over the last two years. Consequently we are continuing with the well established freight facilities grant scheme and have secured European state aids clearance for the introduction of a revised revenue support scheme from April next year called mode shift revenue support. Both of the schemes are designed to help rail freight compete more effectively with road transport and to increase the quantity of goods transported by rail.
Railways: Penalty Fares
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will place (a) in the Library and (b) on his Department's website copies of his Department's correspondence with (i) Passenger Focus and (ii) London Travel Watch relating to his Department's consultation with the rail industry on penalty fares. [295953]
Chris Mole: Correspondence with Passenger Focus and London TravelWatch on the Penalty Fares Rules and Penalty Fares Policy will be published on the Department for Transport's website and placed in the Libraries of the House after the consultation process has been completed.
Railways: Staffordshire
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the average number of passengers on rail services in Staffordshire in each of the last two years. [296252]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Office of Rail Regulation does however publish regional passenger flows in the National Rail Trends Yearbook editions, which are available in the House Libraries or from their website:
Road Signs and Markings: Research
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department conducts regular research on public awareness and understanding of traffic signs and symbols. [294710]
Mr. Khan: Familiarity and understanding of traffic signs are an integral part of the theory and practical driving test.
The Department for Transport last conducted research on wider understanding of traffic signs in 2003. An earlier study was carried out in 1985. The results of the
most recent study were published in a report entitled "Increasing Understanding of Traffic Signs" in March 2004. A further research project has been agreed to inform the ongoing traffic signs policy review. We plan to commission this work later this year.
Road Signs and Markings: Reviews
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when his Department last conducted a review of traffic signage rules. [294709]
Mr. Khan: The last review of traffic signing rules resulted in the current Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, which came into force in January 2003. In September 2008 the Department for Transport announced the start of a root and branch review of traffic signing policy in Great Britain. The ongoing review has already led to a number of proposed regulatory amendments, on which we are currently consulting. We expect one of the final review outcomes to be a comprehensive package of revised regulations.
Road Traffic Control
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what sanctions have been applied to highways authorities found to be in breach of the duty to ensure the expeditious movement of traffic under the Traffic Management Act 2004. [294708]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 16 September 2009, Official Report, column 2281W, which informed her that no intervention notices under section 20 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 have been issued. Therefore, the associated intervention powers provided by that Act have not been applied to highway authorities.
Roads: Accidents
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport in what proportion of motorway collisions driving too close to the vehicle in front given the speed of the vehicle has been a factor in the cause of the collision in each of the last five years. [294714]
Paul Clark: Contributory factors data in reported road accidents are only available since 2005. The information requested is given in the table:
| Percentage( 1 ) of reported road accidents on motorways, where "Following too close" was attributed as a contributory factor, Great Britain, 2005-08 | |
| Percentage of accidents | |
| (1 )Includes only accidents where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported. | |
Roads: Finance
Mr. Spring: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent per capita on (a) highways and (b) other roads in (i) Suffolk, (ii) the East of England and (iii) nationally in each of the last five years. [294604]
Mr. Khan: The information is not available in the form requested.
Funding for investment, maintenance and operation of strategic roads is the responsibility of the Highways Agency (HA). The HA's reporting systems do not record actual expenditure for local authority areas; expenditure is recorded by project and activity. Estimates are compiled for regional expenditure to supplement data reported in the Department for Transport's annual report. Details of Highways Agency expenditure are included in their annual report which is available in the Library of the House.
The development and improvement of non-strategic roads in England is the responsibility of the relevant local transport authority. The Department allocates block funding to local transport authorities outside London for capital investment in transport improvement and maintenance projects. This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities.
There is additional funding available for detrunked roads and road safety schemes. The following table shows the allocations for England (excluding London), the East of England and Suffolk in each of the last five years for these categories.
| £ million | ||||
| Capital funding for non strategic roads | Funding for road safety and detrunked roads | Total funding | Per c apita spend (£) | |
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