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24 Nov 2009 : Column 60W—continued
M6: Walsall
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) whether the chief executive of the Highways Agency plans to visit residents of the parts of Walsall borough affected by works on the M6 when he visits the sites in the borough where work is being undertaken; [300244]
(2) with reference to the letter of 13 November 2009, from the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to the hon. Member for Walsall North, on what date the Chief Executive plans to visit Walsall to inspect the work being undertaken on the M6. [300683]
Chris Mole [holding answer 23 November 2009]: The chief executive of the Highways Agency has agreed to visit the site of the Managed Motorways work on the M6. I have asked the chief executive to notify my hon. Friend when details are finalised.
Motor Vehicles: Safety
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make it his policy to oppose any proposals from the European Commission which would require existing vehicles to use daytime running lights. [300575]
Paul Clark: We have argued successfully against mandatory European rules on the use of dipped headlamps during daylight hours by existing vehicles (except when required by conditions, eg fog) and are not aware of any new proposals along these lines.
Special, dedicated, low-wattage daytime running lamps will be required by early 2011 for all new types of passenger car/light van and by summer 2012 for all other new types. We are not aware of any proposal to retro-fit such lamps to existing vehicles.
Public Transport: South East
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the level of violence and abusive behaviour on public transport in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) the South East. [300275]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport (DFT) does not routinely assess regional public transport crime or antisocial behaviour data.
The British Transport police collect crime data for crime committed at rail stations and on trains, as well as London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, Glasgow Subway, Croydon Tramlink and the Midland Metro tram system.
Crime committed at bus stations and on buses may be collected by the bus operator, local authority, Passenger Transport Executive and/or local police. These data are not collated or assessed at a national level by DFT.
Railway Network: Finance
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what account his Department takes of local authorities' growth point status when determining the level of funding for new railway infrastructure. [300317]
Chris Mole: Local authorities are best placed to determine the transport requirements arising from any growth point in their area. They can fund railway infrastructure through the Community Infrastructure Fund and prioritising the use of Regional Funding Allocation for investment in such an area. The Department for Transport also takes account of population and employment growth when determining future capacity requirements of the railway funded through the High Level Output Specification.
Railways: Closures
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his policy is on the (a) promotion and (b) facilitation by his Department of the reopening of closed railway (i) lines and (ii) stations. [301246]
Chris Mole: It is for local authorities and regions to determine whether or not a re-opened railway or a new station is the best way to meet local or regional transport needs. They can fund a scheme from the regional funding allocation if it is a priority and demonstrates value for money. The Department for Transport is prepared to work with promoters of new lines, services and stations to help and advise them on how their objectives can be achieved and to facilitate their implementation through changes to franchises.
Where investment requires the provision of new or enhanced services, the policy is that a subsidy required should be funded by the promoter for at least the first three years. Following that period, if the service is successful and demonstrates value for money, subject to funds being made available, the Government would consider funding it thereafter as part of the national rail network.
Railways: Finance
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent on (a) consultancy fees and (b) other aspects of the Intercity Express programme to date. [301245]
Chris Mole: From 2005 to October 2009, the Department for Transport has spent £21 million on the Intercity Express Programme. This resource has included financial, procurement, programme management, technical, legal, industry, business case and other specialist advice required to ensure the successful delivery of a project of the scale of the Intercity Express Programme. This figure should be considered in the context of the Intercity Express Programme contract value of £7.5 billion.
Rolling Stock
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many of the 1,300 extra carriages referred to in the Government's Rail White Paper of July 2007 have been ordered; and on which lines they will be operating. [300346]
Chris Mole [holding answer 23 November 2009]: As I set out in my answer of 14 October 2009, Official Report, columns 895-96W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin), so far there have been 543 new rail carriages ordered by the following train operators:
| TOC | Class | Type | Number of vehicles |
On 23 July, the Government announced a major new electrification programme which radically affects the requirements for train rolling stock over the next decade. In particular, there will be far less need for diesel trains and a greater requirement for electric trains. The Department for Transport will publish a new rolling stock plan in the autumn, setting out a revised strategy.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to issue the rolling stock statement which the Secretary of State indicated in July would be published in the autumn of this year; and whether this statement will cover both the Intercity Express programme and the 1,300 extra carriages referred to in the Government's Rail White Paper of July 2007. [300348]
Chris Mole [holding answer 23 November 2009]: As set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 26 October 2009, Official Report, columns 12-13W, on 23 July the Government announced the electrification of the Great Western Main Line between London and Swansea, and the line between Liverpool and Manchester via Newton-le-Willows. This electrification programme radically affects the requirements for rolling stock over the next decade. We will publish an updated rolling stock plan, taking account of these changes and setting out a revised strategy in the autumn.
This will happen in due course and will set out the Government's strategy in relation to rolling stock provision.
Rolling Stock: Procurement
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 26 October 2009, Official Report, column 12W, on rolling stock: procurement, by what date he expects to publish the updated rolling stock plan. [301048]
Chris Mole: As set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 26 October 2009, Official Report, columns 12-13W, on 23 July the Government announced the electrification of the Great Western Main Line between London and Swansea, and the line between Liverpool and Manchester via Newton-le-Willows. This electrification programme radically affects the requirements for rolling stock over the next decade. We will publish an updated rolling stock plan, taking account of these changes and setting out a revised strategy in the autumn.
This will happen in due course.
Thameslink: Rolling Stock
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2009, Official Report, column 639W, on Thameslink: Rolling Stock, when he expects to (a) announce the preferred bidder and (b) place the final order for the Thameslink rolling stock programme. [300312]
Chris Mole:
The identification of a preferred bidder prior to final award will depend on the progress of the evaluation and negotiations with the remaining bidders. As set in out in my answer of 12 November 2009,
Official Report, column 639W, the Department for Transport is currently planning to award the order around autumn 2010.
Communities and Local Government
Homes and Communities Agency
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on its National Consultancy Unit since the establishment of that unit. [300450]
John Healey: Since the National Consultancy Unit's establishment in 1 April 2004, staff costs (salaries) are estimated as £10,062,940.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on providing (a) signage and (b) security for the site at (i) St Clements Hospital, London and (ii) Castle College Northside, Sheffied; [300451]
(2) how much the Homes and Communities Agency spent in acquiring (a) St. Clement's Hospital, London and (b) Castle College Northside, Sheffield; and if he will make a statement. [300608]
John Healey: St Clements Hospital, London was purchased for £7 million on 11 June 2008. Since purchasing St. Clement's Hospital, the Homes and Communities Agency has spent:
£255,323 on security up to and including 31 October 2009; and
£504 on safety and warning signage.
Castle College Northside, Sheffield was purchased for £5 million on 16 July 2008.
The Homes and Communities Agency has not spent anything on signage or security on Castle College as the college are occupying the site until 2010.
Rent to HomeBuy Scheme
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to make a decision on the future of the pilot Rent to HomeBuy scheme. [300456]
John Healey: Rent to HomeBuy is proving successful in supporting first time buyers and providers of affordable housing, and will continue for the remainder of the 2008-11 National Affordable Housing Programme.
Christmas
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) lamb, (b) beef, (c) chicken, (d) pork, (e) turkey, (f) other meats, (g) vegetables, (h) fruit and (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [300879]
Barbara Follett: The Department does not fund staff Christmas parties and in respect of any other functions this question could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.
Although it is too early to show a trend, the report indicates that the amount of domestically produced food consumed by Government Departments in England is increasing. The proportion of domestically produced food procured by Communities has gone up from 59 per cent. in 2006-07 to 65 per cent. in 2007-08. We expect to publish a third report at the end of 2009.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) his Department, (b) the Homes and Communities Agency, (c) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy and (d) the Tenant Services Authority expects to spend on Christmas parties in 2009. [300448]
Barbara Follett: In relation to Christmas parties, the Department has interpreted this to mean internal, departmental Christmas parties. On this basis, the (a) Department can confirm that no official funds are planned to be spent on Christmas parties in 2009.
The Homes and Communities Agency (b), the Homes and Communities Agency Academy (c) and the Tenant Services Authority (d) can also confirm that there are no plans to spend official funds on Christmas parties.
Climate Change: Conferences
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants from his Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity. [300887]
Departmental Conferences
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) drinks receptions, (b) seminars and (c) conferences have been hosted by (i) his Department, (ii) the Tenants Services Authority, (iii) the Homes and Communities Agency and (iv) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy in each of the last 12 months. [300444]
Barbara Follett: The Department does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information in respect of the Tenant Services Agency, the Homes and Communities Agency and the Homes and Communities Agency Academy has been deposited in the Library of the House.
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