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7 Jan 2010 : Column 500W—continued
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how many miles UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads in England in the last year for which figures are available; and what information his Department holds on the equivalent figures for (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland; [308561]
(2) how many miles UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on all roads in England in the last year for which figures are available; and what information his Department holds on the equivalent figures for (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland. [308562]
Paul Clark [holding answer 6 January 2010]: The Department for Transport does not hold figures on traffic or the country of vehicle registration for Northern Ireland, but the estimated miles travelled by UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on all roads in England, Scotland and Wales is shown in the following table.
| HGV traffic on all roads by registration and region, 2008 | |||
| Billion vehicle miles | |||
| Registered heavy goods vehicles | |||
| UK | Foreign | Total | |
| Sources: Traffic: National Road Traffic Survey. Registration: Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion Survey (June 2008). | |||
Due to small sample sizes, the estimates of miles driven in England, Scotland and Wales will be subject to a margin of uncertainty, and the sample size is too small to provide reliable estimates of the miles travelled by road class.
Northern Rail: Rolling Stock
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had on the future of Northern Rail's Pacer (Class 142) rolling stock. [309498]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has been in recent discussion with Northern Rail regarding their proposals for delivering additional capacity through the High Level Output Specification (HLOS). These discussions which are currently ongoing have included the totality of their rolling stock fleet including class 142s.
The recently announced electrification programme in the North West will also allow some class 142 Pacer vehicles that operate on these lines to be replaced with electric trains.
In addition, the Department meets with each of the Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs) on a regular basis to discuss their respective portfolio of rolling stock vehicles, which includes class 142 Pacer vehicles.
Railways: Franchises
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of operating rail passenger services in the public sector after each passenger franchise expires. [309324]
Chris Mole: Under current legislation, the Secretary of State has the ability to step in to secure continuity of train service provision only if a train operator becomes unable to meet the terms of its franchise agreement. However, this can only be a temporary arrangement as there is no provision for train services to be permanently retained in the public sector without a change to legislation.
Therefore the Department for Transport has made no assessment of the value for money of operating rail passenger services in the public sector on a permanent basis after each passenger franchise expires.
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 published in July 2007 are in operation on the network; and on which lines they are operating. [300347]
Chris Mole [holding answer 23 November 2009]: A total of 380 new and additional vehicles are already either in service or are being prepared for service subject to the train operator finalising service plans.
This includes 232 new vehicles currently in operation with the following train operators:
| TOC | Class | Type | Number of vehicles |
311 further new vehicles have been ordered and manufacturers are currently progressing their construction.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport who will decide whether the super express trains manufactured by Hitachi will have provision for (a) an operational safety role for a guard or conductor and (b) a restaurant buffet car. [309325]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has specified all Super Express Trains to be capable of operating either with a guard or in driver-only operation. This reflects the flexibility of train deployment on different route types, including long distance and commuter. As today, the mode of operation of services on specific routes will be managed by the train operating company.
Super Express Trains will offer suitable equipment to deliver on-train catering, ranging from at-seat trolley to full restaurant buffet car service. The catering provision will vary according to the service being operated and, as today, will be managed by the train operating company.
Communities and Local Government
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what complaints relating to council tax collection the Local Government Ombudsman has adjudicated in the last 36 months. [308258]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
Councillors: Codes of Practice
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the written ministerial statement of 5 November 2009, Official Report, column 56WS, on judicial declarations (freemasonry), whether he plans to amend the Code of Conduct for Councillors in respect of its declaration requirements. [308800]
Ms Rosie Winterton: While the Model Code of Conduct for councillors contains no specific provision on freemasonry, it does require members to include in their register of interests their membership of any charitable bodies; freemasons consider themselves such a body.
Departmental Advertising
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on (a) print, (b) online, (c) television and (d) radio advertising in each of the last five years; how much has been spent on advertising in 2009-10 to date; and what percentage of advertising expenditure in each year was managed by the Central Office of Information. [309900]
Barbara Follett: Information on the Department for Communities and Local Government expenditure on advertising is published every year in its Annual Report. Since 2008-09 this information has been published in a format which allows it to be broken down by the type of media used. However, the information is not available for previous years in this format.
For the financial year 2008-09 I refer the hon. Member to the information provided on the Department's website at:
For previous years I refer the hon. Member to the appropriate departmental Annual Report, available in the House Library.
The Department will publish a breakdown of advertising expenditure in 2009-10 at the time of its next Annual Report.
The Department does not hold data on the proportion of its advertising expenditure managed by the Central Office of Information.
Departmental Conferences
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference. [308822]
Barbara Follett: The Department does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Planning Inspectorate does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fire Service College does not hold this information centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre can confirm that have not had any expenditure on cancelled conferences.
Departmental Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) average and (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment was in cash terms for a senior civil servant in his Department in each of the last five years. [308246]
Barbara Follett: The following table shows the average and highest payments of non-consolidated variable payments awarded by CLG to the senior civil service over the last five financial years.
| £ | ||
| Average amount paid | Highest amount paid | |
Departmental Responsibilities
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what programmes and projects for which his Department is responsible have been cancelled in the last 12 months; and in respect of how many such programmes and projects funding has been reduced. [308424]
Barbara Follett: The Department's spending plans for 2009-10 were set out in the main estimates published on 18 June 2009 (HC 514) and the associated explanatory memorandum for the Communities and Local Government Select Committee published at:
Changes to those plans were set out in the winter supplementary estimates published on 24 November 2009 (HC 24), with further detail set out in the explanatory memorandum to the Select Committee, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Further changes will be published in the forthcoming spring supplementary estimates in February.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [305209]
Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government does not operate or sponsor telephone contact lines with the relevant prefixes. The departmental contact number is an 030 number which is reserved for public services and calls to this service are charged at national rate. No revenue is raised through this service.
Energy Performance Certificates
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 18 May 2009, Official Report, column 1193W, on energy performance certificates, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report commissioned from AECOM. [308740]
John Healey: The full evaluation of the EPBD is expected to be completed in mid-2010 when copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's most recent estimate is of the effect on the sale price of homes to which energy efficiency improvements have been made of the requirement to produce an energy performance certificate. [309401]
John Healey: No such estimate has been made.
However, the Department for Communities and Local Government is working with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and other stakeholders on a project to explore the extent to which energy performance is reflected in the value of a property and the effect on the market price of homes as a result of the installation of energy efficiency and renewable heat and energy technologies.
Government Office for London: Location
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards the relocation of the Government office for London; whether an alternative location has been identified; and whether he expects relocation to take place before the lease at Riverwalk House expires in 2011. [309492]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A relocation project is in progress, being run jointly by the Government office for London and the Communities and Local Government Estates Directorate, in line with the Government Estates Transformation Programme.
The project has identified Eland House, currently part of the Communities and Local Government Estate, as the most suitable location. The relocation project has an anticipated completion date of 31 December 2010, well in advance of the expiry of the lease on Riverwalk House.
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