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28 Jan 2010 : Column 995W—continued
Chris Mole: The in year budget is not set against Departmental Strategic Objectives. The spend to date is set out as follows:
| Annually managed expenditure 2009-10 | |
| Spend to date( 1) (£ million) | |
| (1) End December 2009. | |
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department (a) budgeted to spend and (b) has spent to date from the Departmental Expenditure Limit Budget on (i) Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO) 1, (ii) DSO 2, (iii) DSO 3, (iv) DSO 4 and (v) DSO 5 for 2009-10. [312559]
Chris Mole: The in year budget is not set against Departmental Strategic Objectives. The spend to date is set out as follows:
| Departmental expenditure limit 2009-10 | |
| Spend to date( 1) (£ million) | |
| (1) End December 2009. | |
East Coast Main Line
Mike Wood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which organisation will undertake the consultation for the new East Coast Mainline timetable; when that consultation will start and end; and where consultation responses should be sent to. [313629]
Chris Mole: Public consultation on proposals for a new East Coast Main Line timetable is being carried out by East Coast-the current operator of those services. I understand that consultation has already commenced and will run until the end of February. Details of the proposals and the address for responses are available on East Coast's website at:
Jim Cousins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the tendering process for East Coast rail services is likely to begin; and whether an option to continue Kings Cross to Glasgow via Newcastle services will be included in the tender. [313697]
Chris Mole: The Invitation to Tender for the new Intercity East Coast franchise will be issued in autumn 2010.
The Department for Transport is consulting stakeholders on the specification for the new ICEC franchise. The service specification will be based on the timetable
implemented in May 2011, which as currently proposed does include one service each way between Glasgow and King's Cross.
Under the proposed May 2011 timetable, most East Coast services to/from Scotland will operate to/from Edinburgh and Cross-country services between Penzance/Plymouth and Edinburgh will be extended to/from Glasgow, providing a two-hourly through service between Glasgow, Edinburgh, stations on the East Coast Main Line as far south as York, Leeds, Sheffield, the Midlands and south-west England.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the financial savings that would result from cancelling (a) the East Coast pilot fleet of the Inter-city Express Programme and (b) the Inter-city Express Programme East Coast depot. [314076]
Chris Mole: The 'pilot fleet' or Pre-Series Trains concept no longer applies.
The Department for Transport has appraised costs of East Coast Main Line depot provision. It is not appropriate to comment further as confidential commercial negotiations with Agility Trains are ongoing.
Green Bus Fund
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding from the £30 million of the Green Bus Fund announced in December 2009 has been provided to each recipient bus company; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs (a) created and (b) safeguarded (i) directly and (ii) indirectly through this expenditure. [314078]
Mr. Khan: The following table shows the Green Bus Fund's winning bidder organisations, the number of buses each organisation intends to purchase with fund grant and the amount of grant offered to each organisation, which includes both bus operators and local authorities, by the Department for Transport.
The Department estimates that around 1,000 jobs will be safeguarded in the bus manufacturing industries as a result of the Green Bus Fund investment. The Department does not have an estimate of the number of jobs which will be created by the fund.
Southeastern Railway: Standards
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which recent assessment he has made of the performance of Southeastern Railway in discharging its obligations under its franchise agreement. [312668]
Chris Mole: The franchise agreement specifies performance standards in respect of:
The number of trains arriving at final destination within four minutes and 59 seconds of advertised time;
The number of delay minutes caused by Southeastern;
The number of train cancellations caused by Southeastern; and
Provision of specified train capacity.
Department for Transport officials review Southeastern's performance against the standards set out in the franchise agreement periodically. At the end of Rail Industry Period 9, Southeastern was performing within the target levels for each of these performance standards. The PPM Moving Annual Average figure of 91.1 per cent. for the end of the period was the best ever achieved on the Southeastern network. Officials are currently reviewing performance against Rail Industry Period 10, which was severely affected by the recent adverse weather.
M25: Tolls
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how many bids have been received to purchase the M25 tunnels and bridge crossings of the Thames; [314092]
(2) on what date his Department sought expressions of interest for the purchase of the M25 tunnel and bridge crossings of the Thames; by what means it did this; by what date firm bids are required to be received; and if he will make a statement; [314094]
(3) how many expressions of interest have been received for the purchase of the M25 tunnel and bridge crossings of the Thames. [314095]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has not invited or received any expressions of interest or bids for the purchase of the Dartford Crossing.
As discussed in the Operational Efficiency Programme: Asset Portfolio published in December 2009, work to assess future capacity requirements and commercialisation options is ongoing.
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) Essex county council and (b) Kent county council over the proposed sale of the M25 tunnels and bridge crossing of the Thames; if he will ensure that a proportion of the proceeds of any sale will be given to (a) Essex county council and the unitary authorities of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea and (b) Kent county council; and if he will make a statement. [314093]
Chris Mole: At this early stage no formal discussions have been held with Essex county council and Kent county council on this specific issue.
Network Rail: Manpower
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that Network Rail maintains staffing levels adequate to maintain the railway system. [314083]
Chris Mole: Staffing is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail is required to deliver substantial efficiency savings for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the network over the next five years, set by the independent Office of Rail Regulation.
The independent Office of Rail Regulation has ultimate responsibility for assessing that Network Rail's activities do not put at risk the safety of passengers and the work force.
Rail Safety and Standards Board: Research
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research the Rail Safety and Standards Board is undertaking; and how much that research (a) has cost to date and (b) is estimated to cost in total on completion. [314077]
Chris Mole: The strategic research programme was launched by the Department for Transport in September 2008. Details of the research being undertaken are published on the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) website at:
The specific costs of research are a matter for the RSSB and the hon. Member should contact:
Len Porter
Chief Executive
Rail Safety and Standards Board
Block 2
Angel Square
1 Torrens Street
London
EC1V 1NY
The Minister announced that the cost to complete the strategic research programme is £15 million from spring 2009 and will run for five and a half years.
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