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22 Feb 2010 : Column 184W—continued

Gospel Oak-Barking Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the electrification of the Barking to Gospel Oak line; and if he will make a statement. [317848]

Chris Mole: None. I understand that Transport for London consider that further development work would be required for them to assess this project, but they are not currently funding this.


22 Feb 2010 : Column 185W

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment the Government Car and Despatch Agency has made of its environmental impact in each of the last five years. [316235]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) holds ISO 14001 accreditation-an internationally recognised environmental management system standard. GCDA gained (and has since maintained every year) this accreditation in 1999. Consequently GCDA's environmental performance is audited regularly. GCDA was awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in 2009.

GCDA's environmental performance is also measured against the Agency's Sustainable Development Action Plan agreed with Ministers at the Department for Transport under the framework of Sustainable Operations in the Government Estate (SOGE).

For example, in relation to its cars and drivers GCDA has adopted a number of different strategies to minimise its environmental impact, including:

GCDA's efforts to reduce its tailpipe emissions while growing the business have been particularly successful. The use of alternatively powered vehicles has meant that tailpipe emissions were cut from 232.03 g CO2/km in 2005 to 133.01 g CO2/km in August 2009-a reduction of 43 per cent., significantly beating the Government target three years early. We are close to meeting the Government's target of 130 g CO2/km by 2012 also three years early.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Government Car and Despatch Agency spent on (a) media monitoring, (b) advertising and (c) public relations in each of the last five years. [316247]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency does not undertake media monitoring.

The following table shows expenditure for the last five years on marketing. This incorporates elements of advertising and PR but it is not possible to disaggregate the component parts as they are purchased as marketing packages. To attempt to do so would incur a disproportionate cost.

Marketing/publicity advertising expenditure
Spend (£)

2005-06

5,000

2006-07

450

2007-08

0

2008-09

2,750

2009-10

0


22 Feb 2010 : Column 186W

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many journeys between Government buildings were taken by (a) Ministers and (b) officials using the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last three years. [316248]

Paul Clark: This information is not recorded at the level of detail requested. To obtain such information would incur a disproportionate cost.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which Departments used the services of the Government Car and Despatch Agency in 2008-09; and which Departments have used that service in 2009-10. [316254]

Paul Clark: All Departments used the services of the Government Car and Despatch Agency in 2008-09 and in 2009-10.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Government Car and Despatch Agency spent on vehicle insurance in each of the last five years. [316255]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency spent the following on vehicle insurance in each of the last five years.

£

2008-09

110,909.00

2007-08

153,853.00

2006-07

162,804.00

2005-06

168,110.00

2004-05

172,184.00


Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many Government Car and Despatch Agency vehicles were involved in road traffic accidents in each of the last five years. [316256]

Paul Clark: The number of Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) vehicles involved in road traffic incidents in each of the last five years is as follows:

Number

2005-06

155

2006-07

183

2007-08

143

2008-09

167

2009-to date

133


GCDA also operates an accident panel at which all incidents, no matter how minor, are investigated. Where agency drivers are found to be culpable, the panel's procedures permit referral for further training or other investigation or financial penalties.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many cars in the Government Car and Despatch Agency fleet are equipped with vehicle tracking equipment. [316257]


22 Feb 2010 : Column 187W

Paul Clark: None of the allocated cars in the Government Car and Despatch Agency fleet are equipped with vehicle tracking equipment. Green car drivers who operate the agency's environmental taxi-style service are issued with equipment which enables the dispatching team to identify the location of the driver to maximise efficiency.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether the Government Car and Despatch Agency has conducted a user satisfaction survey in the last three years. [316258]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency has conducted a customer satisfaction survey for 2006-07, 2007-08 and for 2008-09. The customer satisfaction survey for 2009-10 will be completed at year end. The results of these surveys are available in the agency's annual report, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much was spent by the Government Car and Despatch Agency on consultancy in each of the last five years; which companies were employed for such services in each such year; and how much was paid to each company for those services in each such year. [316259]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) employed the services and spent the following with consultancy companies over the last five years:

Expenditure (£)

2008-09

142,272.00

2007-08

100,272.00

2008-07

124,055.00

2005-06

89,356.00

2004-05

83,094.00


To identify the individual suppliers of consultancy services would incur a disproportionate cost.

GCDA uses consultants when specialist skills, knowledge or services are needed. Consultants on short-term contracts may represent better value for money than recruiting and retaining permanent staff for specialist, short-term roles.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) agency and (b) temporary workers were employed by the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five years; and how much was spent in respect of such employees in each such year. [316260]

Paul Clark: The expenditure on agency and temporary workers employed by the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five years is as follows:

Cost (£)

2009

313,304.00

2008

174,666.00

2007

268,603.00

2006

217,942.00

2005

73,245.00


22 Feb 2010 : Column 188W

GCDA appoints temporary staff from (recruitment) agencies to meet the peak demands of the business' needs and to buy-in expertise on a short-term basis to meet operational needs.

Retrieving the number of staff within each category could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many complaints were received by the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five years; and how many such complaints related to the use of relief drivers. [316261]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency monitors formal complaints through its ISO 9001 procedures. In the past two years there have been seven recorded formal complaints, five of which refer specifically to the provision of relief drivers. Records are not retained beyond two years.

The Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted each year invites customers to identify areas for service improvement. The provision of relief drivers is one of those areas identified.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the income was of the Government Car and Despatch Agency from the (a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last five years; and how much of that income from each sector was received in respect of the Government Car Service in each such year. [316262]

Paul Clark: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is a full cost recovery organisation: all costs incurred as a result of our operation are fully recoverable through charges to our customers.

The income of GCDA in each of the last five years, including the value of that income received in respect of the Government Car Service was as follows (as per annual accounts):

Income £000
Total Public sector (Government car service) Other (public sector) Other (private sector)

2008-09

21,260

14,906

6,073

281

2007-08

19,508

13,762

5,485

261

2006-07

18,861

12,673

6,183

5

2005-06

17,612

11,700

5,816

96

2004-05

16,743

11,301

5,329

113


Revenue is derived primarily from Government and the wider public sector within the UK working in accordance with the Agency's Framework Document.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many miles were travelled by Government Car Service vehicles in each of the last five years. [316263]

Paul Clark: The information requested is in the following table.


22 Feb 2010 : Column 189W
Miles travelled by Government car service vehicles

2008-09

2,631,000

2007-08

2,397,000

2006-07

2,189,000

2005-06

2,834,000

2004-05

2,394,200


Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average mileage was of a Government Car and Despatch Agency (a) car and (b) van on the latest date for which figures are available. [316264]

Paul Clark: The most up-to-date figure for the average mileage of a Government Car and Despatch Agency car is 30,652 and for a van is 79,826.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the total expenditure was of the Government Car and Despatch Agency in each of the last five years; and how much of that expenditure related to the Government Car Service in each such year. [316265]

Paul Clark: The expenditure of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) including that expenditure related to the Government Car Service in each of the last five years is as follows (as per annual accounts):

Expenditure £000
Total Government Car Service

2008-09

21,259

14,847

2007-08

20,106

14,014

2006-07

18,851

12,531

2005-06

17,602

11,578

2004-05

16,360

10,856


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