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3 Feb 2010 : Column 424W—continued
Transport
British Transport Police: Fixed Penalties
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much has been raised by each category of fixed penalty notice issued by the British Transport Police in (a) England and (b) Wales since 2006. [314346]
Chris Mole [holding answer 29 January 2010]: The British Transport Police (BTP) have powers to issue two types of fixed penalty, fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and penalty notices for disorder (PNDs). FPNs are primarily for road traffic offences; the BTP rarely prosecute for these offences and, where they do, they do so by summons rather than fixed penalty.
The amounts received by the BTP in respect of PNDs issued in England and Wales are as follows.
| £50 fines | £80 fines | Total | |
Information on the split between penalty notices issued in England and those issued in Wales is not held centrally.
Bus Services: Concessions
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how many national concessionary bus passes for those over the age of 60 years have been issued to residents of (a) Cleethorpes constituency, (b) North-East Lincolnshire local authority area and (c) North Lincolnshire local authority area in each year since they were introduced; [315240]
(2) how many national concessionary bus passes for people with disabilities have been issued to residents of (a) Cleethorpes constituency, (b) North-East
Lincolnshire local authority area and (c) North Lincolnshire local authority area in each year since such passes were introduced. [315241]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport is not responsible for issuing passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes individual authorities have issued.
Cleethorpes is part of the North-East Lincolnshire county concessionary travel scheme. The last information held by the Department was that as of 12 January 2010, the North-East Lincolnshire county scheme had issued 4,1667 smartcard concessionary passes. As of the same date, the North Lincolnshire county scheme had issued 32,903 smartcard concessionary passes. In both cases, this includes passes issued to disabled people as well as those aged 60 and over. The Department only holds headline figures for number of passes issued.
Consultants: Fees and Charges
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the likely level of spending by his Department on consultancy fees in the next five years; and what projects he anticipates employing consultants on. [314339]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not have an estimate of spending on consultancy fees in the next five years, as the Department's business plan for 2010-11 has yet to be finalised, and departmental budgets for 2011-12 onwards will be set at the next spending review.
However, the Department is committed to contributing to the Smarter Government savings announced in the 2009 pre-Budget report, which include cutting consultancy spend by 50 per cent. by 2012-13.
Departmental Billing
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the average length of time taken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies to pay invoices from (i) small and medium-sized enterprises and (ii) all creditors in the last 12 months. [315137]
Chris Mole: The Prime Minister announced in October 2008 that all central Government Departments will aim to pay invoices within 10 days. The Department and its agencies commenced reporting of 10-day payment performance in January 2009.
In January 2009, 61.19 per cent. of invoices were paid within 10 days. The latest available data are for December 2009, when 92.62 per cent. of invoices were paid within 10 days. This means that payment performance has increased by 31.43 per cent. points over this period.
We do not differentiate payments by supplier size as we have determined to pay all suppliers within 10 days.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
David Davis:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible
sell information on a commercial basis to (i) companies or individuals in the private sector and (ii) other organisations. [313270]
Chris Mole: Agencies/non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) that have Crown status, make most of their information available for free re-use under the PSI Click-Use Licence. Government trading funds are able under their trading fund status to charge for the services they provide in order to cover their costs. This covers information and its supply provided to other public bodies, commercial organisations and individuals. In common with other government policy, some information is sold as priced publications.
Following are details about selling of information by Department for Transport agencies and NDPBs:
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
The MCA does sell information to companies and members of the public. For example, on request, information from the MCA's Public Register of UK ships and information that relates to search and rescue incidents from the MCA's systems is sold, all in compliance with the Data Protection Act.
Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
VCA has the remit to meet its full costs from earned income, and operates in a competitive market. VCA sells type approval legislation and its associated interpretations.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
DVLA is a Government trading fund which has authority to charge for the services it provides in order to cover its costs. This covers information supplied to commercial organisations and individuals.
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA)
VOSA does not currently sell information on a commercial basis. Some information has been provided to the agency's commercial customers on a cost recovery basis. The agency is assessing the opportunity and business case for further use of its information assets.
Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA)
The GCDA does not sell information on a commercial basis to companies or individuals in the private sector and other organisations.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
DSA licenses its theory test item banks and hazard perception film clips to all sectors under the Information Fair Trader Scheme, regulated by the Office of Public Sector Information. The Stationery Office Ltd. (a private sector publisher) currently publishes DSA official learning materials and "The Official Highway Code". DSA receives a royalty on sales as part of the contract price.
The HA charges an access fee for video images and stills from the road network videos to various media companies, e.g. the BBC. The charge is minimal and is based on recovery of the costs of supplying the images.
Non-departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs)
The Department for Transport is also responsible for 12 NDPBs. Of these, four are advisory or tribunal bodies; four are Executive NDPBs which do not sell information on a commercial basis; four are classified as public corporations. These are the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA); the Northern Lighthouse Board and
Trinity House; Trust Ports. The public corporations receive most of their income from selling goods and services rather than from grant or voted supply.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies are in transition prior to being managed out; how long on average the transition window between notification and exit has been in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the salary costs of staff in transition in each such year; and what proportion of employees in transition were classed as being so for more than six months in each year. [313234]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport and its agencies has not managed out any staff in financial years 2005-06 to 2008-09 inclusive. In the financial year 2009-10 there are three staff in transition prior to being redeployed within the civil service. The average time for being in transition is two months. The average cost in this financial year is £28,640. There are no staff in transition over six months.
First Capital Connect: Industrial Action
Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will estimate the cost to commuters of the recent industrial action by drivers on First Capital Connect Thameslink services. [314242]
Chris Mole: This information is not collected by the Department for Transport.
Lorry Drivers
Ian Stewart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of heavy trucks and lorry drivers (a) employed and (b) self-employed in the UK; what estimate he has made of the average hours worked by each category of driver in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the average (i) hourly and (ii) weekly earnings of heavy truck and lorry drivers in the latest period for which figures are available. [314739]
Paul Clark: The following table gives the numbers of heavy goods vehicle (HGV(1)) drivers who are (a) employed and (b) self employed, their hours worked, and hourly and weekly earnings during September 2009 in the United Kingdom.
(1) In the 'Freight Transport by Road' industry class.
| HGV drivers( 1) | ||
| Employed | Self employed | |
| n/a = Pay information is only available for employees (1) This includes LGV drivers and other drivers under the SOC2000 (Standard Occupational Classification 2000) 8211 category. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey, July-September 2009 | ||
Railways: Bus Services
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department holds on the number of rail replacement bus services that have been in operation for longer than (a) one week, (b) one month and (c) one year; and what the cost has been of providing such services. [314347]
Chris Mole [holding answer 29 January 2010]: Rail services can be subject to amendment due to planned infrastructure improvements or maintenance works undertaken by Network Rail, especially at weekends and rail replacement bus services will often be provided as required to maintain passenger journey opportunities. Where substantial programmes of these works are being undertaken, these may, on occasion, take longer than one week.
Responsibility for the provision of these services lies with train operators and the Department does not hold detailed data on the numbers or costs of such rail replacement bus services.
There are a very small number of buses providing rail replacement services on the national network, as part of the specification for franchised passenger services provided by certain rail operators. The cost of these services are included within the overall financial settlement between the Department and the relevant train operator. The exception to this is the provision of a rail replacement bus service between Ealing Broadway and Wandsworth Road, which has been operated since December 2008. In relation to the monthly costs, I refer the hon. Member to the approximate January 2009 figures set out in the answer of 4 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1192-3W.
Railways: Franchises
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the financial costs incurred by his Department when re-tendering each rail franchise since 2005. [314278]
Chris Mole: The total costs incurred by the Department for Transport in designing and tendering rail franchises from 2005-09 were £33.8 million, which comprises the following:
Departmental staff, administration and non-franchise specific adviser costs for undertaking the specification, procurement and review of franchising documentation over this five year period was £15.3 million. To allocate such costs by franchise would incur disproportionate cost.
External adviser costs for the franchises let by the Department 2005-09 were as follows:
| £ million | |
| (1) Replacement initiated by the Strategic Rail Authority, concluded by the Department, the costs for which are identified. | |
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