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29 Jan 2010 : Column 1110W—continued
Cycling: Helmets
Mr. Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety case for children to wear cycle helmets. [313813]
Paul Clark: The Department commissioned a research project on cyclists' road safety, which included a new review of cycle helmet effectiveness.
The review concludes that, assuming cycle helmets are a good fit and worn correctly they should be effective at reducing the risk of head injury, in particular cranium fracture, scalp injury and intracranial (brain) injury for users of all ages but would be expected to be particularly effective for children.
The full review of the evidence was published on 15 December 2009 and can be found online at:
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many layers of management reporting from the most senior to the most junior there are in his Department and each of its agencies; how many officials are employed in each such layer; and how much was spent on salaries and associated employment costs of staff at each such layer in the latest year for which information is available. [312821]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has nine layers of management reporting from Permanent Secretary down to Executive Officer. The table below shows how many officials are employed in each such layer and how much was spent on salaries and associated employment costs of staff at each such layer in the latest year.
| Management layer/grade | Staff numbers | Staff costs (£) |
| (1) Permanent Secretary also included in this figure | ||
Motorways: Road Traffic
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what modelling the Government has done on the use of hard shoulder running; and if he will place a copy in the Library of the outcomes of such modelling. [313002]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has modelled the use of hard shoulder running in its National Transport Model (NTM). The outcomes of this analysis were presented in "The Advanced Motorway Signalling and Traffic Management Feasibility Study" which, together with its technical annex, were published in March 2008.
These two documents are available on the Department's website at:
The key modelling impacts presented in this analysis were also published as part of "Road Transport Forecasts 2008: Results from the Department for Transport's National Transport Model", which is available at:
The Department announced the inclusion of a number of new hard shoulder running schemes in its major schemes programme on 15 January 2009 in "Britain's Transport Infrastructure Motorways and Major Trunk Roads".
This report, which also contains details of the modelling outcomes, is available on the Department's website at:
Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Official Cars: Diesel Vehicles
Colin Challen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of the Government Car and Dispatch Agency's diesel-powered vehicles are fitted with diesel particulate filters. [312850]
Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency operates 107 diesel powered vehicles of which 62 are cars and 45 are commercial vans. Of these, 25 cars and two vans are fitted with diesel particulate filters, representing 25.23 per cent. of the combined diesel fleets.
Railways: Fares
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what he estimates the cost to the public purse will be in 2010 of removal from train operating companies of the individual ticket price flexibility hitherto available to them in producing their overall retail price index +1 increase in regulated fares. [314164]
Chris Mole: Commercial negotiations are taking place with individual train operators to agree the level of compensation, if any, due as a result of this change to their franchise agreements. Any release of information concerning the assessment of the financial impact would be prejudicial to these negotiations.
Railways: Kent
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what financial penalties apply in respect of each franchised train operating company serving Kent when scheduled trains (a) are cancelled and (b) arrive late. [313429]
Chris Mole: Financial penalties are not applied on a per-train basis under the franchise agreement with Southeastern which operates passenger rail services in Kent.
However, penalties can be applied under the franchise agreement if Southeastern exceeds a threshold for overall delay or cancellations. These penalties are outlined in the Department's enforcement policy which provides for a range of actions that may be applied in the event of a contravention of a franchise agreement. These can include requiring an operator to put in place remedial plans, making performance-based payments, and ultimately an operator's franchise can be terminated.
The enforcement policy can be found on the Department's website at:
Rapid Transit Systems: Accidents
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which body has responsibility for (a) investigating accidents causing (i) injuries and (ii) fatalities on guided busways and (b) making recommendations for action in consequence. [312631]
Mr. Khan: It is the responsibility of the operator of a guided busway to satisfy itself that safety systems are appropriate.
The police would take the lead in any investigation of an accident involving guided buses in the same way as any other road traffic incident.
The police may refer cases or liaise with the Vehicle Operator Services Agency and the Health and Safety Executive where evidence indicates that serious health and safety management failures have significantly contributed to an incident and these cannot be addressed by road traffic legislation.
Roads: Lighting
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has contributed to funding for the renewal of street lighting in each year since 1997; what guidance his Department issues on criteria for the renewal of street lighting; and if he will make a statement. [313274]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport provides capital funding to local authorities for maintenance of their highways, which they can use for the renewal of their street lighting assets. The level of local transport plan funding to local authorities in England (excluding London) for highway maintenance for each year since its introduction since 2001, and its predecessor the Transport Supplementary Grant, is given as follows.
In addition this Department has provided PFI credits for local authority street lighting projects. 24 projects are operational with a further five in procurement. The table below lists the awards to local authorities in the year they reached financial close, including awards to London authorities.
| £ million | ||
| PFI allocation | TSG/LTP capital | |
Roads: Snow and Ice
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what criteria were used to determine the distribution of salt during the recent severe weather conditions; and if he will make a statement. [313931]
Mr. Khan: Recommendations to salt producers by the Salt Cell on prioritisation of deliveries take into account highways authorities' existing stocks; recommended reductions in gritting rates; planned deliveries from suppliers and mutual aid between authorities; and forecast weather, three to four days ahead.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many snow ploughs provided by his Department were in operation in Milton Keynes in December 2009 and January 2010. [313948]
Mr. Khan: The Highways Agency had four salt spreading vehicles equipped with plough-blades that were in operation through Milton Keynes in December 2009 and January 2010. Two of these vehicles operated on the A5 and the other two vehicles on the M1.
Winter service provision on local authority roads is a matter for Milton Keynes Council. The Department for Transport does not provide snow ploughs or other equipment.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in England on the sharing of road salt supplies so as to ensure that the areas worst affected have access to salt. [314400]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government have been regularly monitoring salt supplies and stock levels across Great Britain with the help of their agencies, local authorities and the companies which supply salt. The monitoring involved the Department and Government regional offices having regular discussions with local authorities.
The Government and the devolved Administrations with the support of the Local Government Associations for England, Wales, Transport Scotland and Transport for London decided that due to the exceptional weather they should work in partnership to advise salt suppliers on priorities for deliveries across Great Britain.
Solicitor-General
Departmental Pay
Mr. Scott: To ask the Solicitor-General how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in the Law Officers' Departments in each year since 2003. [306421]
The Solicitor-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 28 January 2010, Official Report, column 1014W.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the EU's military presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement. [314172]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The EU peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina was discussed at the EU Foreign Affairs Councils in November and December 2009, and in January 2010. In January, the Council agreed conclusions deciding to start providing non-executive capacity-building and training support within the framework of the operation, noting that the executive mandate will continue in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1895 (2009), and expressing the EU's readiness to maintain an executive military role beyond 2010, should the situation require it, under a UN mandate. The Government welcome these conclusions.
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