| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
14 Jun 2010 : Column 290W—continued
Departmental Official Cars
Ian Austin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the use by Ministers in his Department of cars allocated from (a) his Department's pool and (b) the Government car pool which are manufactured
in the UK; whether Ministers in his Department are entitled to request the use of a car manufactured in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [2423]
Mike Penning: Most Departments have no car pool of their own. The sole exceptions are the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence.
The Government's policy is that Ministers may make use of the Government Car Service (GCS) under the terms of the recently announced ministerial code. This states that
"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service pool as needed".
Departmental Ministers without an allocated car will be expected to make use of the Secretary of State's allocated car, if there is one available, before calling on the car pool.
UK manufactured cars make up a relatively small proportion (around 16%) of the current GCS fleet, most of which is comprised of low carbon emission hybrid vehicles manufactured abroad. Changed rules for allocation of cars and the need to reduce the cost of operating the Government Car Service mean that vehicle replacement is likely to be restricted in the immediate future, necessarily limiting the options for reconfiguring the fleet without incurring additional cost. For reasons of efficient and economic fleet management, it is not practical for Ministers to specify a particular vehicle or type of vehicle for a journey in a pool service car.
Departmental Public Appointments
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) political appointments and (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse. [363]
Mr Philip Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010, Official Report, column 99W.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding per capita his Department has allocated to each region for the next 12 months. [1084]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 8 June 2010]: My Department does not allocate funding on a per capita basis. Part of the available funding is allocated on a regional basis and other funding is allocated to specific projects according to national priorities.
Driving Tests
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to undertake a review of all driving test centre closures. [1996]
Mike Penning: We have no plans to undertake a general review of all driving test centre closures.
We are committed to operating a public service for driver testing that offers good value for money and reasonable access to candidates.
The location of particular centres will continue to be determined by the operational suitability of the location, the local demand for the service and the cost of operating there.
Midland Main Railway Line
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future funding of improvements to the Midland Main Line to reduce journey times between London, St Pancras and Sheffield. [1254]
Mrs Villiers: Network Rail currently has plans to make substantial improvements to the line by 2014. The plans include measures to enhance the capability of the infrastructure on the Midland Main Line to deliver faster journey times.
Railways: Construction
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include within the High Speed Two Exceptional Hardship Scheme consultation people affected on tunnelled stretches of the proposed route. [2154]
Mr Philip Hammond: The Government are currently consulting on an Exceptional Hardship Scheme in relation to the proposed high speed line from London to the west midlands. The consultation is due to end on 17 June and we have received a number of responses from people living over or near tunnelled sections of the route. We will look carefully at the suggestions made by all respondents in deciding how to proceed.
Road Traffic: Harlow
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of levels of traffic congestion in Harlow constituency in each year from 1997 to 2009. [2008]
Mike Penning: Estimates of congestion are available for local authorities, but not at lower levels of geography such as parliamentary constituencies.
Estimates are available for the county of Essex, which includes Harlow constituency, but excludes the Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.
These estimates show that in 2008-09 the average vehicle journey time during the morning peak on key local authority routes was unchanged from 2007-08, at 2 minutes and 11 seconds per mile.
Estimates prior to 2007-08 are not available, but more information and estimates for all local authorities in England are available on the Department's website at:
Shipping: Minimum Wage
John McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made by the working group convened by his Department to consider the
respective legal advice received by the Department and trade unions on applying the national minimum wage to seafarers working on non-UK registered vessels travelling between UK ports; and if he will make a statement. [2261]
Mike Penning: There have been no meetings of the working group mentioned. I wish to look afresh at the issues and evidence presented before taking further steps.
Speed Limits
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has considered the responses to his Department's speed limit consultation of December 2009, with particular reference to 20mph zones; and if he will produce a revised speed limit circular in accordance with the proposals in the consultation. [1987]
Mike Penning: I am considering the previous Government's proposals on local speed limit guidance, and responses received to those proposals. We will set out our position on road safety and speed policy over the coming months, including how we will work with local authorities on implementing these policies.
Traffic Management Act 2004
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to bring into force each of those provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004 which have not yet been brought into force. [1988]
Norman Baker: I am considering the appropriateness and timing of the implementation of the remaining Traffic Management Act 2004 provisions, in the context of the Government's fundamental review of regulations.
Travel: Energy
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department had with the Energy Saving Trust on the environmental effects of the materials used in the Trust's marketing campaign promoting a free travel energy check. [1716]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not had any discussions with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) about this matter. EST has a corporate sustainability policy that looks to minimise the environmental impact of all marketing materials it commissions. The transport energy check materials have been printed on 100% recycled and chlorine-free paper which is sourced from paper mills with approved environmental systems.
Wales
Departmental Internet
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the URL is of each website managed by her Department. [2357]
Mr David Jones: The information is as follows:
Departmental Manpower
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff her Department employed on the most recent date for which figures are available; and what the annual staff cost was. [1572]
Mrs Gillan: As at 31 March 2010, 58 staff (of a total staff complement of 65) were employed in the Wales Office; and the annual staff cost was £3,641,984.
Departmental Meetings
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the Wales Trades Union Congress since her appointment. [2596]
Mrs Gillan: A meeting has been arranged for 15 June.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with CBI Wales since her appointment. [2597]
Mrs Gillan: I met CBI Wales in Cardiff on 28 May 2010. It has also been arranged for me to speak at the CBI Wales annual lunch on 18 June 2010.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the Federation of Small Businesses Wales since her appointment. [2601]
Mrs Gillan: My senior officials met the Federation of Small Businesses Wales on 11 June during which arrangements were set in motion for me to meet them in the near future.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the Welsh Local Government Association since her appointment. [2602]
Mrs Gillan: I met the Welsh Local Government Association on 28 May in Cardiff.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with the First Minister of Wales since her appointment; and what was discussed at those meetings. [2603]
Mrs Gillan: I have met the First Minister five times since my appointment and we have had numerous telephone conversations. We have discussed a wide range of issues.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times she has met with the Deputy First Minister of Wales since her appointment; and what was discussed in those meetings. [2604]
Mrs Gillan: I have met the Deputy First Minister on four occasions and had one telephone conversation with him. Discussions focused on a range of issues affecting Wales.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what meetings she has had with the Welsh Assembly Minister for Heritage since her appointment; [2605]
(2) what meetings she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Rural Affairs since her appointment; [2606]
(3) what meetings she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Housing since her appointment. [2607]
Mrs Gillan: I asked the First Minister if I could meet the Assembly Cabinet. This has been arranged for 5 July 2010.
Departmental Pay
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in her Department in 2008. [2182]
Mrs Gillan: In 2008 the total amount paid to civil service staff in bonuses was £8,150.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Armed Conflict: Diamonds
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in ensuring that trade in diamonds does not fund violence. [2075]
Mr Bellingham: Neither the Government nor the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) have formally reviewed the effectiveness of the KPCS in preventing the trade in diamonds from funding violence. However, compliance with KPCS requirements is monitored and evaluated through a 'peer review' system. Teams of experts representing KPCS Governments, civil society groups and industry visit selected KPCS states every year to review implementation of the KPCS and if necessary investigate reports of diamonds contributing to violence. Review reports are discussed by KPCS members at the annual plenary and intersessional meetings. Action can be taken against states shown to be persistently failing to implement the KPCS, including suspension. The June 2010 KPCS intersessional in Tel Aviv will include looking at ways the KPCS can be more effective. The UK is attending as part of the EU delegation.
Colombia and Peru: EU External Trade
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for the House to participate in the formulation of EU free trade agreements with (a) Colombia and (b) Peru. [1385]
Mr Jeremy Browne:
The negotiations for the EU Multi-Party Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru were concluded in March. The Agreement will now undergo legal scrubbing and will then be translated. It will have to be determined whether the final agreement will need to be concluded by the EU and ratified by national Parliaments. Once the final text is available European Council legal advisers will determine whether it needs to be concluded by the EU and ratified by national Parliaments. In any event the Council decision
on signature and conclusion of the agreement by the EU will be deposited for scrutiny with the EU Scrutiny Committee in both Houses.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010. [1250]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agencies paid 98.8% and 98.3% of supplier invoices within 10 days of receipt in March 2010 and April 2010 respectively.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |