| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 Apr 2010 : Column 1168W—continued
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Anne Milton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on (a) road building and (b) road maintenance in the latest year for which figures are available. [325396]
Mr. Khan: In 2008-09 the Department for Transport allocated £246 million to local authorities for local major road schemes. The Highways Agency (an agency of this Department) spent £725 million on road building.
In 2008-09 the Highways Agency spent £914 million on maintenance of the strategic road network. The Department does not directly maintain local authority roads. However, it provides capital maintenance funding to local authorities (outside London) as part of the Local Transport Plan settlement; and funding as part of the private finance initiative. Information about the amounts allocated can be found at:
Sea Rescue: Flamborough Head
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the works required to make Flamborough Head coastguard station compliant with safety regulations. [325706]
Paul Clark: Following a recent inspection by the local fire and rescue service, the estimated cost to improve safety in the Flamborough Head property is £4,200. The cost to install an external fire escape to the three- storey property is in the region of £20,000.
Thameslink Railway Line
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of the provision of more than one additional train maintenance depot for Thameslink stations. [R] [325778]
Chris Mole: The Thameslink Programme will enable the operation of a high-frequency service through central London to destinations both north and south of London. In recognition of this, the train maintenance strategy is based on there being two new depots, one north of London and the other south of London. A two-depot strategy will provide the most efficient means of servicing the new Thameslink fleet.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the introduction of the new Thameslink trains of the time taken to construct the additional train maintenance depots. [R] [325779]
Chris Mole: The current programme for the introduction of the new fleet of trains shows the first trains entering passenger service in early 2014. Our plans assume that at least one of the two new depots proposed for this new fleet of trains will be operational before this date. There will therefore be sufficient depot servicing facilities in time for the introduction of these first trains by this date.
There will be a point in the production cycle for the new fleet of trains when the second new depot will be required. Our plans assume that the second depot will be operational before this production cycle milestone is realised.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether (a) a local authority and (b) other organisations have powers to block the development of additional train maintenance depots for the new Thameslink rolling stock. [R] [325781]
Chris Mole: Network Rail has commenced the process for progressing planning consents for the two new train maintenance depots for the new Thameslink rolling stock with the relevant local authorities.
It would be inappropriate to comment on the outcome of these discussions at this stage.
Transport: Sustainable Development
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many representations he has received in response to the draft guidance to regions on his Department's Delivering a Sustainable Transport System programme. [325444]
Mr. Khan: A number of responses to the consultation on Delivering a Sustainable Transport System in spring 2009 referred to the draft guidance to regions, including two specifically relating to the guidance. The Department for Transport published a response to the consultation on 28 April 2009 at:
The final guidance issued to the regions last July may be found at:
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of progress in his Department's Delivering a Sustainable Transport System programme; and if he will make a statement. [325445]
Mr. Khan: Details of the regional study programme for Delivering a Sustainable Transport System are on the Department for Transport website at:
and details on the national studies are at:
The Department is monitoring progress closely through representation on all study steering groups. It is anticipated that a full interim assessment of the work to date will be reported to Ministers in the summer of 2010.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with representatives of (a) Shropshire council and (b) Advantage West Midlands on his Department's review, "Delivering a Sustainable Transport System". [325490]
Mr. Khan: I meet the chair of Advantage West Midlands (AWM) from time to time to discuss "Delivering a Sustainable Transport System" and other matters.
Officials from my Department and from Government offices also meet regularly with representatives of both AWM and Shropshire council.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Birmingham
Richard Burden: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure that Birmingham obtains a legacy from the London 2012 Olympics. [325284]
Tessa Jowell:
The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement
and to maximise the legacy for London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to maximise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 games. Some examples of how Birmingham and the West Midlands region are benefiting from the games are given as follows.
Both the American and Jamaican track and field teams will be based in Birmingham in the run-up to the games.
West Midlands businesses are already benefiting from the games. To date, 213 businesses in the region have won contracts through CompeteFor. To date 53 businesses have won direct contracts with the Olympic Delivery Authority. This includes a contract for the construction of the Olympic Park's primary sewer and pumping station, and for the manufacture and installation of the security fence and gates around the park.
The region has been awarded 20 Inspire Marks, the non-commercial brand for programmes inspired by the games. So far, the West Midlands region has also had over 1,046 schools register on 'Get Set', LOCOG's domestic education programme for London 2012.
Over £6 million worth of funding has been secured to support an extensive programme of events and cultural activity across the West Midlands region in the run-up to 2012 including £2.2 million from the Legacy Trust to fund programmes to bring people together for community activities of all kinds.
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether ballot arrangements for tickets for events in the London 2012 Olympics will prioritise allocations to (a) UK taxpayers and (b) UK residents; what obligations there are upon the organisers in respect of EU citizens and ballot arrangements; by what mechanism priority in ticket allocation will be given to those who have provided funding for the Games; and if she will make a statement. [324992]
Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd. (LOCOG) is responsible for ticketing for the London 2012 games. LOCOG's ticketing plan will ensure that it raises the funds to stage the games and that it provides affordable and accessible tickets to deliver full venues.
Under EU competition law, LOCOG must ensure that all EU citizens, including UK residents, are given fair and equitable opportunities to purchase London 2012 tickets.
LOCOG has committed to making 75 per cent. of London 2012 tickets available via a public ballot process. The ballot will be open to all residents of the EU but LOCOG's promotional work around ticketing will be focused on the UK. LOCOG has already launched 'Sign-Up' encouraging all UK residents to register their details to receive information on ticket opportunities in advance of tickets going on sale in 2011. I hope all Members of the House will encourage their constituents to sign up to receive this information and to enter the ballot in 2011.
Prime Minister
Trade Unions
Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister which staff in Downing Street work on policy relating to trade unions. [324542]
The Prime Minister: The staff in my Office work on a wide range of policies with a range of institutions.
YouTube
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 1897W, on the Internet, for what reason the decision was taken to disable the function on the YouTube channel to allow comments; and if he will amend the functionality to allow the public to post comments on its YouTube channel. [324200]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 1897W.
Women and Equality
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2010, Official Report, column 644W, on departmental communications, if she will place in the Library a copy of each document provided by APCO Worldwide to the Equality and Human Rights Commission on its campaign programme and awareness campaign. [324300]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent and manages its own affairs; the following is based on information it has provided.
APCO Worldwide produced a campaign book for the EHRC. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library as requested.
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Hotels
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip Northwood of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 1008W, on hotels, for what dates each of the five-star hotels were booked; and the name of each of the senior officials in whose name the bookings were made. [319746]
Maria Eagle: The dates of stays in five-star hotels are shown as follows.
| Date of stay | Number of nights |
The names of the staff are confidential but the grades of the staff staying and number of bookings were as follows:
| Number of bookings | |
Rape: Criminal Proceedings
Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government Equalities Office plans to take in response to the recommendations made in the Stern Review of how rape complaints are handled by public authorities in England and Wales. [324089]
Maria Eagle: The Government welcome Baroness Stern's report and have recently published an interim response to her recommendations. Her report poses a number of challenges, as well as 23 recommendations, which need to be carefully considered before a fuller response is issued later this year.
Leader of the House
Members' Staff: Pensions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Leader of the House what the total monetary value of employer contributions towards the pensions of staff of hon. Members was in the most recent financial year. [325721]
Barbara Keeley: The total pension contributions paid by the House in the 2009-10 financial year to the Portcullis Pension Plan for staff of Members was £5.49 million.
In addition, pension contributions totalling £254,453 were paid by the House to individual pension arrangements for staff of Members.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |