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30 Nov 2009 : Column 499W—continued
Driving
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive (a) a vehicle for which (i) his Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) his Department and (B) one of its executive agencies have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated. [302163]
Barbara Follett: The mechanisms covering staff who drive in the course of their employment for Communities and Local Government or one of its Executive agencies are as follows:
Communities and Local Government
Where Communities and Local Government staff need to drive their own vehicle as part of their official duties they are required to demonstrate they have a valid driving licences, appropriate insurance, a current vehicle excise disc and a current test certificate. General advice on road safety is available to all staff via the Department's intranet system and line managers are required to monitor compliance with this guidance. In
addition, staff who claim for mileage expenses must certify they meet the necessary requirements. The Department does not operate a fleet service.
In addition to any appropriate notification of a road traffic accident to the police and/or their insurer, staff working for Communities and Local Government are required enter a report on the Department's accident reporting system in the event of a road traffic accident while driving on departmental business. Any formal investigation into a report of a road traffic accident would be carried out by the relevant police force.
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
The QEII Conference Centre does not require any staff to drive as part of their official duties.
The Planning Inspectorate request copies of an individual's Driver licence, insurance certificate showing use for business purposes, V5 and MOT certificate (if required) before they are permitted to drive for the agency. All drivers have been issued with a drivers handbook which includes information and advice regarding their vehicle, the driver and the journey. The booklet also advises what to do in the event of an accident. The Planning Inspectorate are piloting on-line training, which includes a module and quiz on 'Managing Occupational Road Risk' and this will be rolled-out to all staff. Training will be at regular intervals and completion can be monitored electronically.
Staff working for the Fire Service College who requisition an official college vehicle are required to declare that they hold a valid driving licence; that they will take reasonable care when driving the vehicle; and that they will report any accidents that occur while driving in the course of their official duties. Such accidents will then be investigated.
Fire Service College travel policy requires staff to officially declare that, when using a private vehicle for official duties: they hold a valid driving licence, they have appropriate insurance and are authorised to use the vehicle for business purposes. Staff are not specifically required to notify the college of any accidents that occur while driving a private vehicle in the course of their official duties.
Floods: Cumbria
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what date local authorities have to complete works necessitated by the recent floods in Cumbria; and whether under the Bellwin Scheme repair works started but not completed by that date will be eligible to claim full funding under the Scheme. [302371]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Under the Bellwin scheme local authorities are required to complete all eligible works for which they claim Bellwin grant within two months of the incident. They have a further month from the end of this period in which to submit their claim.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which budget the £1 million fund to help those affected by the recent floods in Cumbria will be drawn; what the fund will be spent on; and what the timetable for such expenditure is. [302372]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The costs of the Community Recovery Fund following the Cumbria floods will be met from the departmental budget of Communities and Local Government. We are working with local authorities affected by the floods on how the £l million fund should be used, but as local authorities are best placed to assess their local priorities it will be up to them to decide how best the money can be spent.
We are also in discussion with local authorities on the timing of the payment of the Fund. Our aim will be to make it available to local authorities as soon as possible.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will be able to claim for capital expenditure on (a) road and (b) bridge repairs necessitated by the recent floods in Cumbria under the Bellwin Scheme. [302373]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Local authorities need not apply for assistance under Bellwin because they can submit a claim under the Department for Transport's emergency capital highway maintenance scheme to support capital expenditure required to carry out repairs to roads and bridges damaged by the recent floods.
Homes and Communities Agency
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which HomeBuy agents were appointed by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor in each of the last three years; and how much was paid to each agent in each such year. [300449]
John Healey: A network of 23 HomeBuy Agents (HBAs) were separately contractually appointed following competitive recruitment processes, by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation to provide an advice service and to screen all applicants for low cost home ownership assistance from April 2006 to March 2009. The organisations appointed were:
| Area | HBA Name |
|
Staffordshire and Shropshire, Birmingham, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton | |
Table 2 illustrates payments made to the (HomeBuy Agents) HBAs.
| (£) | ||||
| HBA Name | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | Totals |
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