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23 Jun 2010 : Column 240W—continued
Jobseekers Allowance: Young People
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what requirements 18 to 24 year-olds who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for more than 10 months and wish to continue claiming will have to comply with from April 2011. [3902]
Chris Grayling: Jobseeker's allowance customers are required to be available to take up full-time work immediately, and to be actively seeking work as their main activity. With certain exceptions, they must not delay their return to the labour market by restricting the type of work they are prepared to do or when they are prepared to return to work. In addition, customers must attend fortnightly jobsearch reviews, and must attend interviews with advisers and mandatory employment activity when required to do so.
By the summer of 2011, the Government aim to have the Work Programme in place nationally. When they enter the Work Programme, young people claiming jobseeker's allowance will be required to take up employment support as a condition of their benefit claim.
We are currently developing the specification for the Work Programme. However, the Government are committed to the principle that young people have access to the support they need, when they need it.
We are also planning further support for young people, including mentoring opportunities with small businesses and sole traders, more apprenticeships and more further education places.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council England
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the work of the Arts Council; and if he will make a statement. [3535]
Mr Vaizey: As part of the Government's work to address the deficit, the work of all public bodies will be looked at to ensure the most effective use of public funds.
Listed Events Review
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish the responses he has received in relation to his Department's consultation on the Davies Report on free-to-air sporting events; and if he will take steps to ensure that the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final remains a free-to-air sporting event. [3674]
Hugh Robertson: The Government are currently considering next steps in relation to the listed events review and will make a statement at the earliest opportunity. Subject to this decision the Government will then consider publishing the responses to the consultation on the Department's website.
Olympic Games 2012: Construction
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the landscaping of the London 2012 Olympics sites. [3410]
Hugh Robertson: To date, no representations concerning landscaping for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have been made to me or to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the locations which have been chosen by each country participating in the London 2010 Olympics and Paralympics for their training facilities. [3514]
Hugh Robertson: The Government do not hold records of agreements between potential training facilities and the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs). However, to date, I am aware of 36 agreements between facilities and overseas teams-as shown in the following table.
| Country | Location |
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2010, Official Report, column 20W, on Olympic Games 2012: tickets, how many tickets are being offered to government and other Games public sector delivery partners; and whether they are being offered at a lower price than those available to the public through the ballot process. [3447]
Hugh Robertson: There will be no free tickets. As part of its ticketing strategy, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will make available a very small number of tickets for purchase by the core Government Departments and public bodies responsible for delivering the games. These tickets will be purchased at face value-neither free, nor subsidised. The Government have not yet decided whether they will take up the offer.
Transport
A5: M1
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any work on construction of junction 11a of the M1 may be undertaken prior to the completion of the public inquiry on the A5-M1 link. [3829]
Mike Penning [holding answer 22 June 2010]: The public inquiry for the A5 M1 Link Road was due to commence on 29 June and immediately follow the inquiry considering the M1 J10-13 managed motorway junction improvements. However, the inquiry into the A5-M1 link road has been deferred pending the outcome of the spending review in the autumn.
It would be inappropriate to undertake any construction work for the proposed new J11a as this would pre-judge the outcome of the public inquiry for A5-M1 link road project.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the additional cost of building junction 11a of the M1 will be in circumstances in which it is not built at the same time as the automated traffic management works between junctions 11 and 12. [3834]
Mike Penning [holding answer 22 June 2010]: The public inquiry for the A5-M1 link road scheme was due to commence on 29 June and immediately follow the public inquiry into the draft orders for the M1 J10-13 managed motorway junction improvements. However, the inquiry for the A5-M1 link road has been deferred until the outcome of the spending review in the autumn.
The additional cost of not building J11a concurrently with the adjacent M1 J10-13 managed motorway scheme, is estimated at £7 million. This is based on deferral of one year.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate was made of the cost of the public inquiry into the A5-M1 link before that inquiry was postponed. [3835]
Mike Penning [holding answer 22 June 2010]: The public inquiry for the A5-M1 link road was due to commence on 29 June and was programmed for approximately four weeks. However, the inquiry has been deferred pending the outcome of the spending review.
The estimated cost for preparation and holding of the public inquiry for this project (based on a four week public inquiry) is £1.8 million.
The estimated £1.8 million costs include; preparation and publication of draft orders, legal costs, consideration of alternative routes proposed by objectors, meetings
with stakeholders, preparation and publication of public notices, preparation of evidence for the inquiry, cost of venue hire and the estimated cost for the inquiry inspector.
Arriva: Finance
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what annual public subsidy is awarded to Arriva for each bus route it operates on the Isle of Sheppey; and what factors are taken into account in calculating that subsidy. [3223]
Norman Baker: As an operator of local bus services, Arriva is eligible for Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG). BSOG is paid on the basis of fuel used by an operator on eligible services. Additional incentives apply if an operator: makes fuel efficiency savings; uses low carbon buses; or, from April this year, uses smartcard and or automatic vehicle location equipment (such as GPS). No further factors are taken into account in calculating the grant amount.
Claims for BSOG show which routes are eligible, but it is not possible to identify exactly what money is paid out for routes operating entirely on the Isle of Sheppey (as some routes will extend beyond the Isle). Our best assessment of the subsidy paid to Arriva for routes operating wholly or in part on the Isle of Sheppey is £128,000 (based on the latest year for which a certified claim is available - July 2008 to June 2009).
Some of the Arriva services are run on tender to the local authority and so there will be subsidy paid by the local authority in those cases. However, we are not able to say what payments are made as the arrangements are commercially confidential.
Bus Services
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to encourage greater partnership between bus operators and local authorities in the provision of local bus services. [R] [1366]
Norman Baker: We have seen good results in places where local authorities and operators work effectively in partnership to improve local bus services in England and Wales-such as in Brighton, Oxford, York and Cambridge, though there are areas where such effective partnership working is not occurring. We want to ensure best practice is spread much more widely to give bus passengers the services they deserve and expect. I am therefore talking with bus operators, local authorities and others to determine how this success can be replicated around the country.
The outcome of the Competition Commission's current inquiry into the local bus market in Great Britain outside London will be an important factor when considering the potential for partnership working, and I await its final report with interest.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Andrew Selous:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, column 35WS, on transport (local authority major schemes), in respect of
programmes for which there are alternative funding sources, whether alternative funding must cover the full cost of the programme in all cases. [3832]
Norman Baker [holding answer 22 June 2010]: The relevant section of the written ministerial statement concerned a small number of schemes being developed by local authorities at various stages of their statutory procedures. Officials have written to the relevant authorities stating that due to the urgent priority to tackle the UK's record budget deficit, the Secretary of State intends to defer various aspects of the statutory order process, unless the authority can provide evidence that alternative funding is available which would allow him to continue to make his decision. Such alternative funding would need to cover the total amount of Government funding sought by the authority for the scheme in question.
Only once the Government's spending review has been concluded will the Department for Transport be in a position to identify those transport projects for which central Government funding will be available.
Government Car and Despatch Agency
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by the Government Car Service (a) on 6 May 2010 and (b) at the latest date for which information is available. [2441]
Mike Penning: The Government Car Service, part of Government Car and Despatch Agency, employed 188 staff on 6 May 2010. On 11 June 2010, the latest date for which information is available, the Government Car Service employed 186 staff.
The Government Car Service is currently reviewing its headcount figures inline with business operational needs.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles the Government Car Service has disposed of since the Government came into office. [2442]
Mike Penning: Since this Government came into office the Government Car Service has disposed of two cars.
There are 10 vehicles in the process of being decommissioned for disposal, and a further 18 vehicles identified for decommissioning.
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