Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Transport
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr. Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) over-60 year olds and (b) disabled people in Nottingham North constituency made use of free off-peak bus travel in the latest period for which figures are available. [309025]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport does not maintain records of how many people in local authorities are in receipt of a concessionary bus pass as concessionary travel is administered locally by travel concession authorities (TCAs).
The last information held by the Department was that as of 17 April 2009, 69,597 of the new smartcard concessionary passes had been issued in Nottingham. This includes applications from disabled people as well as those aged 60 and over.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department spent money on art works in the last 12 months. [308580]
Chris Mole: During the last 12 months the Department spent £1,804 on art works and associated equipment. A list of acquisitions has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Other works of art displayed in the Department for Transport London HQ buildings are from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions.
Information in respect of the Highways Agency can be provided only at disproportionate cost as it would require a full review of all claims and invoices. However, the Highways Agency have advised that they would not normally approve the spend of their funds on the procurement of works of art.
No works of art have been purchased by the other six Department for Transport Executive agencies during the last 12 months.
Departmental Billing
Jenny Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what proportion of invoices submitted to his Department have been paid within 10 days in each month since October 2008; and if he will make a statement. [307963]
Chris Mole:
Information on the proportion of invoices paid within 10 days of receipt for the Department for Transport and its Agencies is only available from January
2009 as set out in the following table. Figures from January 2009 to May 2009 exclude Vehicle Certification Agency invoices.
| Invoices paid | Invoices paid within 10 days | Percentage paid within 10 days | |
Current data on prompt payment are regularly updated on DfT website at:
Departmental Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0870, (b) 0845 and (c) 0800 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls were received to each number in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case. [305208]
Chris Mole: The details for the Department of Transport and its Agencies are as follows: (all lines listed are operated, none are sponsored).
Departmental policy is to now use 0300 numbers wherever possible.
Driving: Young People
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent educational programmes his Department has developed which are directed at young drivers; what steps his Department is taking to encourage the wearing of seat belts by young persons; and if he will make a statement. [308227]
Paul Clark: The THINK! road safety campaigns target all drivers including young drivers on topics such as driving under the influence of alcohol, drug driving, speeding, motorcycle awareness, seat belt wearing and mobile phone use.
A new seat belt campaign was launched in November 2008, designed to warn drivers and their passengers that without a seat belt they can be killed even at low speeds on short local journeys.
This followed research showing that people are least likely to wear a seat belt in these situations as they believe that they can either brace themselves or be saved by an airbag. The campaign ran on TV, radio, posters, petrol pumps, car park barriers and Youtube. It will be repeated between 1 and 28 February 2010 in the same media excluding Youtube.
Floods: Finance
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much of the £23 million committed to Gloucestershire county council, Sheffield city council, North Lincolnshire council, East Riding of Yorkshire council, Barnsley metropolitan borough council, West Berkshire council, Shropshire county council and Rotherham metropolitan borough council following the 2007 floods to repair roads and bridges has been (a) paid to and (b) spent by those authorities. [309281]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport's policy in respect of its emergency capital highway maintenance funding for the 2007 floods, was to settle claims on an interim and final estimated cost basis. This allowed authorities to expedite their planned programme of repairs.
The funding transferred is set out as follows.
| £ million | |||
| Funding allocations made | |||
| Authority | March 2008 | July 2008 | December 2008 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |