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30 Mar 2010 : Column 875W—continued
Although the overall number of reported pedal cycle casualties increased slightly in 2008, this is against a background of a general upward trend in cycling traffic.
Measures to make roads safer for cyclists include providing better infrastructure, funding cycle training, improved training and testing for motorists and encouraging cyclists to protect themselves, by making themselves conspicuous and by wearing a safety helmet.
Other initiatives such as anti drink/drug-drive and speeding campaigns, the provision of 20 mph zones and new measures on goods vehicles mirrors can also contribute to cyclist safety.
Departmental Internet
Jenny Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many complaints his Department received regarding difficulties using its website in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [325190]
Chris Mole: The primary channel for receiving and addressing complaints and inquiries about all aspects of the Department's website is the:
webmasterdft@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Inquiries received through the webmasterdft@dft. gsi.gov.uk email account are not categorised-they typically include requests for help to locate particular content, to assist with the downloading and use of files, including binary files and broader policy enquiries which are sent on to the appropriate policy official for response.
Further sorting and classifying of enquiries to identify specific and direct complaints during the period 2008-10 cannot be done without incurring disproportionate costs. Data is not retained prior to 2008.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on external website design consultants in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [325208]
Chris Mole: Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing websites operated over the last three years and how much has been spent on external website design consultants for website design work. Costs provided are total external costs and do not include internal staff costs.
Where costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the site has not existed for the past three years; the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs.
The Department for Transport measures website costs in line with the guidance issued by the Central Office of Information, 'Measuring website costs (TG128)', starting in this financial year 2009-10, with collation of data at year end.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the five most expensive hospitality events hosted by his Department and its agencies were in the last three years; and what ( a) the cost and (b) purpose of each was. [324661]
Chris Mole: The information requested cannot be answered except at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Senior Civil Servants
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many grade 2 civil servants are employed in his Department. [325055]
Chris Mole: Grade 2 as a description of staff level is no longer in general use. Senior civil servants in similar sized roles are now referred to as being in pay band 3 and usually have the job title of director general. The Department for Transport has six full-time equivalents currently employed at this level.
East Coast Railway Line
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the Secretary of State decided not to impose penalties on National Express as a consequence of its defaulting upon the East Coast rail franchise. [325082]
Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 March 2010, Official Report, column 760W.
As a consequence of an event of default under its contract, the National Express East Coast rail franchise was terminated on 13 November 2009. In terminating the franchise, the Secretary of State exercised his contractual rights under the Franchise Agreement with National Express East Coast.
The termination of this franchise also created a default under the terms of National Express East Anglia franchise and the Secretary of State notified National Express East Anglia on 25 November 2009 that its franchise would terminate on 31 March 2011. Without this default, it could have been extended to 2014.
Network Rail: Industrial Disputes
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what date (a) he and (b) departmental officials last held discussions with Network Rail on its trade dispute with the RMT union. [325257]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport receives regular progress updates from Network Rail on a range of issues including its trade dispute with the RMT union.
Network Rail: Manpower
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the effects on (a) efficiency and (b) safety levels of its planned (i) staff reductions and (ii) new working practices. [325256]
Chris Mole: Staffing is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail is required by the independent Office of Rail Regulation to deliver substantial efficiency savings and improvements for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the network over the next five years.
Ministers have been advised of Network Rail's proposed restructuring of its maintenance function in the course of routine meetings with the company. Network Rail will seek to minimise compulsory redundancies, and to achieve most job losses through targeted voluntary redundancies and redeployment of existing staff into other roles of the business-as part of revised working practices.
The Office of Rail Regulation is responsible for assessing that Network Rail's activities and change programmes do not put at risk the safety of passengers and the workforce. Ministers have regular discussions with the Office of Rail Regulation, which includes these subjects.
The Office of Rail Regulation is also responsible for monitoring Network Rail's delivery of its regulated requirement to improve the safety of the railway by 3 per cent. by 2014.
On 3 March the Office of Rail Regulation announced the outcome of its review of Network Rail's proposals for the restructuring of its maintenance function. It made clear that it supports Network Rail's goal of introducing greater efficiency into its maintenance practices in ways that sustain and improve safety.
Railways: Accidents
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) collisions and (b) near misses between trains and road vehicles on level crossings have resulted in disruption to rail services in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [325149]
Chris Mole: Collisions between trains and road vehicle on the railways are reported to the independent Office of Rail Regulation under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95).
The Office of Rail Regulation has provided the information shown in the following table:
| Collisions between trains and road vehicles at level crossings 2005-08 | |
| Number | |
| (1) Information not yet published | |
Near misses are not reportable under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Office of Rail Regulation data on service disruption resulting from railway incidents would include disruption due to pedestrian-train collisions, acts of vandalism and cable theft, and cannot be disaggregated to the level of detail requested. However, it is likely that all collisions between trains and road vehicles at level crossings will have caused some degree of disruption to rail services.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) drivers and (b) passengers of (i) trains and (ii) vehicles have been (A) injured and (B) killed in collisions on level crossings between trains and road vehicles in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [325151]
Chris Mole: Accidents and incidents on the railways are reported to the independent Office of Rail Regulation under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95).
The Office of Rail Regulation has provided the information shown in the following table:
| Persons injured/killed in road vehicle-train collisions on level crossings 2005-08 | ||||||
| Trains | Road vehicles | |||||
| Drivers | Passengers | Road vehicle occupants( 1) (passengers/drivers) | ||||
| Injured | Killed | Injured | Killed | Injured | Killed | |
| (1) Road vehicle occupants are not categorised as driver or passenger. (2) Information not yet published | ||||||
Railways: Bus Services
Willie Rennie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to train operating companies of rail replacement (a) buses and (b) coaches in each of the last five years. [325137]
Chris Mole: The costs of providing rail replacement buses and coaches are not specifically monitored by the Department for Transport. These costs form part of train operating companies' normal operating expenditure, and are not individually reported.
Railways: Chesham
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of properties in Chesham and Amersham constituency likely to be affected by the proposed High Speed Two route. [322675]
Chris Mole [holding answer 16 March 2010]: The effects of the recommended route on properties will be made available as part of the Appraisal of Sustainability (AoS), on which work is continuing. The AoS will be published later in the year in order to inform the formal public consultation which we expect to launch in the autumn. The Government will write to the owners of relevant properties at this time. Additional design work will be required to refine HS2 Ltd.'s proposals, and this would be likely to reduce the number of properties affected.
Railways: Construction
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to his contribution of 23 March 2010, Official Report, column 60WH, on High Speed 2 (Buckinghamshire), what steps his Department has taken to try to address concerns of individuals and organisations needing financial assistance to respond to the consultation; and what means his Department has established for such concerns to be raised. [325085]
Mr. Khan: Pursuant to my answer during that debate, at which I said we would try to address any such concerns raised directly with the Department for Transport, I can confirm that we have not yet received any such representations from individuals and organisations needing financial assistance to respond to the autumn consultation.
HS2 Ltd. has been asked to carry out pre-consultation engagement with a range of stakeholders, such as local authorities and representative groups, to inform effective communication of the autumn consultation and its materials, particularly in areas that are likely to be affected by the development proposals. This will provide further opportunity for these bodies to raise issues with the Department.
Roads: Accidents
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many pedestrians have been (a) killed and (b) injured in accidents on roads in Greater London in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009 and (iv) 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement. [325310]
Paul Clark: The number of pedestrians killed and injured in reported road accidents in London in 2007 and 2008 are shown in the following table. Data are not available yet for 2009 and 2010. Data for 2009 will be published in June 2010. Similarly, data for 2010 will be published in 2011.
| Killed and injured pedestrian casualties in reported road accidents: London, 2007-08 | |||
| Killed | Injured | All casualties | |
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