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23 Mar 2010 : Column 174W—continued
Teachers: Licensing
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on the proposals contained in his Department's White Paper, Your child, your schools, our future, to introduce a system for the re-licensing of teachers every five years. [322299]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 15 march 2010]: We have received representations via correspondence from MPs, teachers' unions and members of the public about our proposals to introduce the licence to practise.
We are continuing discussions with teachers' unions through our social partnership and with the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) to ensure that we design a licensing system which will bring real benefits to the profession.
Subject to the passage of Children, Schools and Families Bill, we remain committed to holding a public consultation on our detailed proposals for the licensing arrangements which will be set out in draft regulations in the spring.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Food
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that the meat and dairy products procured by his Department
and its non-departmental bodies are free range or produced to standards equivalent to those of the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme. [323065]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) takes account of advice received from the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when establishing procurement arrangements for the purchase of food.
The Department receives procurement services from Central Procurement Division in the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP). DFP also published guidance in 2008, 'Integrating Sustainable Development into the Procurement of Food and Catering Services', which aims to develop the partnership between the public sector in Northern Ireland and its food suppliers as part of the procurement process.
Guidance produced by DEFRA under the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative also encourages and shows public sector bodies how they can specify higher animal welfare standards, including farm assurance schemes and higher level schemes such as the RSPCA's Freedom Food standards.
Transport
Airports: Security
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he plans to take to improve airport security. [323979]
Paul Clark: Following the incident on Christmas day, the Government have directed airports to introduce explosive trace detection equipment at all UK airports by the end of the year. We have also brought into force new restrictions which tighten up security screening for transit passengers. Alongside this body scanners have been deployed at Heathrow and Manchester airports with further deployments expected.
We also continue to work within the European Union context to drive up standards in aviation security across Europe.
The threat to aviation and the responses and measures in force are kept under ongoing review and measures are reviewed and amended as needed.
Bus Services: Lancashire
Mr. Pope: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to announce his decision on whether to proceed with the proposed Pennine Reach bus service. [322815]
Mr. Khan: I expect to announce a decision on the bid for Programme Entry very soon.
Channel Tunnel Railway Line: Construction
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of construction jobs that were created by High Speed One; and how many and what proportion of those employed were (a) UK nationals, (b) nationals of other EU countries and (c) non-EU nationals. [323713]
Chris Mole: Surveys of contractors and subcontractors employed by London and Continental Railways (LCR) to develop the High Speed 1 railway suggest that the project created about 8,000 jobs and an estimated 50 million man hours were worked during the ten year construction period.
The surveys indicate that some 22 nationalities were employed during the course of the project. However, a further breakdown of this figure is not available because most of the work force was not employed directly by LCR.
Departmental Location
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on the relocation of staff from posts in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point constituency in each of the last five years. [321425]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport (central) and five of its agencies (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Government Car and Despatch Agency, Highways Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Vehicle Certification Agency) have not relocated staff from Essex or Castle Point constituency in the last five years. The Driving Standards Agency does not record such relocations separately and could only provide the information at disproportionate cost. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency spent £11,259.74 relocating staff from Essex in 2005-2006, £59,267.34 in 2006-2007, and nothing in subsequent years. Further detail could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Driving: Licensing
Chris Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2010, Official Report, column 1364W, on driving: licensing, how many people were disqualified from driving in each category of disqualification in the last two years for which figures are available. [323475]
Paul Clark: The information requested is not readily available and would incur disproportionate costs to gather. The Ministry of Justice publish a comprehensive breakdown of offences and disqualifications. This can be found at:
Heathrow Airport: Aircraft
Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average daily aircraft movement rate was at Heathrow Airport in each year from 2000 to 2009. [323779]
Paul Clark: The following table shows the average daily aircraft movement rate at Heathrow airport in each year from 2000 to 2009.
| Average daily aircraft movements | |
| Source: Civil Aviation Authority-airport statistics 2009, table 3.2. | |
Heathrow Airport: Passengers
Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of air passenger journeys made to Heathrow Airport by (a) underground, (b) rail, (c) car and (d) taxi in each year from 2000 to 2009. [323782]
Paul Clark: The following table shows the mode of transport used to get to/from Heathrow airport by terminating passengers in each year from 2000 to 2008. Data for 2009 are not available.
| Tube (percentage) | Rail (percentage) | Private car (percentage) | Taxi/minicab (percentage) | Other (percentage) | Total terminating passengers (million) | |
| Notes: 1. These results are based on a survey of departing passengers only; that is those flying from Heathrow and excluding transfer passengers. It is assumed that arriving and departing passengers share the same modal characteristics. 2. Where there is more than one mode of transport used, the final mode is presented in this table. 3. 'Other' includes bus/coach, hire car, and other modes of transport. Source: Civil Aviation Authority's Passenger Survey | ||||||
Heathrow Airport: Railways
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the statement of 11 March 2010, Official Report, columns 446-50, on high speed rail, if he will place in the Library a copy of the remit that has been given to Lord Mawhinney to advise the Government on a high speed station at Heathrow Airport. [323810]
Chris Mole: A copy of a letter from the Secretary of State for Transport to Lord Mawhinney setting out the terms of reference of the review of high speed rail access to Heathrow airport has been placed in the Libraries of the House and is also available on the Department for Transport's website at:
Immobilisation of Vehicles
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has provided guidance to local authorities on procedures for towing away wrongly-parked vehicles. [323052]
Mr. Khan: Chapter 8 of the Department's 'Operational Guidance to Local Authorities: Parking Policy and Enforcement (March 2008)' provides detailed advice on removal of vehicles that are deemed to be parked in contravention.
Maidstone East Railway Line
Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the evidence from the loading records (a) referred to in the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 24 February 2010 , Official Report, column 132WH on Hastings Rail Service and (b) used to determine that running eight-car trains on the Maidstone East line, as proposed in the Kent route utilisation strategy, would be sustainable. [323663]
Chris Mole: Loading data are the intellectual property of the train operating company concerned. Requests for information should be directed to the managing director of Southeastern as follows:
Mr. Charles Horton
Southeastern
Friars Bridge Court
41-45 Blackfriars Road
London
SE1 8PG.
Motorcycles: Driving Tests
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations he has received on recent changes to the motorcycle test procedures. [323659]
Paul Clark: Since the new test was introduced on 27 April 2009, the Driving Standards Agency has received representations from the public and interest groups-primarily about the number of Module 1 test delivery points especially in rural areas, and incidents occurring during the Module 1 test. Some have asked for details of the test design to be reviewed.
In October 2009, the Transport Select Committee took evidence about the new motorcycling test. The Committee's report has been published today.
Driving Standards Agency staff have also been engaged with motorcycling and other interest groups through stakeholder forums and public consultation exercises.
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