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31 Jan 2011 : Column 522W—continued

Departmental Libraries

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) certified and (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since its creation. [37646]

Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate change has not employed a certified or chartered librarian since its creation.

Departmental Marketing

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost to the public purse was of the manufacture and distribution of Department-branded drinks coasters in the last financial year for which figures are available. [37243]


31 Jan 2011 : Column 523W

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change spent nothing on Department-branded drinks coasters in the financial year 2009-10.

Electricity Generation

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 3.3.14 of the Revised Draft Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) doubling and (b) tripling the total installed capacity for electricity generation envisaged as being required by 2050. [37277]

Charles Hendry: In July the Department published the 2050 Pathways report, which as well as presenting the assumptions lying behind the 2050 Calculator, calculated high-level costs in the large scale power generation sector for six illustrative pathways. The analysis set out cost figures for the physical capital; fixed and variable operating costs; fuel; nuclear decommissioning and waste; and infrastructure (such as the electricity transmission and distribution network). It does not consider the cost of financing, carbon, electricity imports, research and development, behavioural change or wider macro-economic impacts. Each of these pathways showed a marked increase in electricity demand, up to a doubling in some cases.

Compared with a 'no effort' pathway, average annual undiscounted fuel costs are £5-12 billion lower in low carbon generation pathways over the period to 2050, while average annual capital costs for the same period are £7-17 billion per year higher. The relative costs of the high and low carbon pathways were heavily dependent on the assumptions made about technology costs and fossil fuel prices.

As promised in the July publication, the Department is continuing to explore this area in further detail, and will publish an updated version of the Calculator including costs data later this year. Respondents to our Call for Evidence in October indicated strong public support for this course of action.

Further detailed analysis looking at the cost of electricity generation in the short- and medium-term is being carried out in conjunction with the electricity market reform project, which is to report later in the year.

Energy: Prices

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are experiencing difficulties in paying their energy bills; whether he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to assist such persons; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [36717]

Gregory Barker: The Department holds information on the total number of fuel poor who are long term sick or disabled. This information is not broken down by specific medical condition.

The Department continues to engage closely with interested parties on the issue of fuel poverty, most recently in relation to persons diagnosed with a terminal
31 Jan 2011 : Column 524W
illness. The Department has worked closely with interested parties, including with Macmillan Cancer Support, during the Warm Home Discount consultation process.

Fuel Poverty

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to prevent persons diagnosed with a terminal illness from living in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [36718]

Gregory Barker: The coalition Government are committed to helping those living in fuel poverty.

The Department continues to engage closely with interested parties on the issue of fuel poverty, most recently in relation to persons diagnosed with a terminal illness. The Department has worked closely with interested parties, including with Macmillan Cancer Support, during the Warm Home Discount consultation process.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of people were living in fuel poverty in each (a) region, (b) local authority and (c) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [37563]

Gregory Barker: The following table shows the number and the proportion of households in fuel poverty by Government office region in 2008, the latest year for which this information is available.

Number of households in fuel poverty (thousand) Percentage of households in fuel poverty

East midlands

359

19

East of England

292

12

London

328

11

North-east

236

21

North-west

531

18

South-east

342

10

South-west

339

15

West midlands

500

23

Yorkshire and the Humber

407

18


Fuel poverty data at a local authority and parliamentary constituency level are currently available for England in 2006 and are available on the DECC website at:

Fuel poverty is a devolved statistic, with each separate Administration of the UK having their own policy targets, measurement and outputs. In 2008, there were 332,000 fuel poor households in Wales, equivalent to 26% of all Welsh households. There is no further regional breakdown on the Welsh fuel poverty data.

In 2009, there were 770,000 fuel poor households in Scotland, equivalent to 33% of all Scottish households. Fuel poverty data at a local authority level are available for Scotland and can be found in Table 8.10 via the following link:


31 Jan 2011 : Column 525W

Renewable Energy: Heating

Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to announce details of the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive. [37482]

Gregory Barker: We expect to be in a position to announce the details of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme shortly and to be open for business from 2011.

Warm Front Scheme: Halifax

Mrs Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in Halifax have participated in the Warm Front scheme in the last five years. [36906]

Gregory Barker: Warm Front has assisted 4,214 households in the constituency of Halifax in the last five years(1).

Warm Home Discount

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many persons responded to his Department's consultation on the Warm Home Discount; and if he will make a statement. [36705]

Gregory Barker: 1,800 responses were received which call for terminally ill people to be included in the core group. 47 responses were received to the consultation as a whole.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish the results of his Department's Warm Home Discount consultation; and if he will make a statement. [36706]

Gregory Barker: A consultation on the Government's proposals for the Warm Home Discount closed on 14 January. The responses to consultation are currently being considered and the Government will publish a response in due course.

Communities and Local Government

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the payment of £5,000 from the Audit Commission to the Institute for Public Policy Research in April 2010; and what the title was of the associated conference. [36896]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:


31 Jan 2011 : Column 526W

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the payment of £1,083 from the Audit Commission to De Vere Whites in May 2010; and how many officials attended the event for which the payment was made. [36898]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission has paid to GymWorld Ltd. in the last 24 months; and for what purpose. [36900]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the meeting in the City Inn Westminster funded by the Audit Commission at a cost of £466 in April 2010; and how many officials attended the meeting. [36901]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the expenditure of £4,813 by the Audit Commission on the Royal Horseguards Hotel in June 2010; and how many officials attended the associated function. [36904]


31 Jan 2011 : Column 527W

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose was of the expenditure of £3,635 by the Audit Commission on the Holiday Inn Regents Park in June 2010; and how many officials attended the associated function. [36905]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission spent on external public (a) affairs and (b) relations in each of the last five years. [36940]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Consolidated Communications

£

2006-07

36,300.00

2007-08

56,319.16

2008-09

21,276.60

2009-10

-

2010-11

-


EMAP

£

2006-07

21,100.00

2007-08

21,156.00

2008-09

21,276.60

2009-10

22,425.36

2010-11

22,425.36



31 Jan 2011 : Column 528W
Connect Public Affairs

£

2006-07

-

2007-08

-

2008-09

27,594.88

2009-10

38,696.88

2010-11

-


Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission spent on alcohol in each of the last three financial years. [37027]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:

Council Tax

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to implement its policy on localising and reducing council tax benefit by 10 per cent. [36547]

Robert Neill: The Government are still working to formulate the new arrangements on council tax benefit as announced in the 2010 spending review.

Departmental Furniture

Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission has spent on office chairs in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the (a) make and model and (b) cost was of each type of chair. [36895]

Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.

Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 31 January 2011:


31 Jan 2011 : Column 529W

31 Jan 2011 : Column 530W
Supplier Make/model Quantity Type Unit price (£) Total (£)

Kinnarps

Monroe 966

12

Meeting Room Chairs

278.40

3,340.80

Bone

11

Meeting Room Chairs

562.36

6,185.96

MTE1A Stacking Chair

5

Meeting Room Chairs

206.40

1,032.00

Omni Swivel chair 4812

4

Meeting Room Chairs

854.40

3,417.60

Chair 5000CV 522

20

Meeting Room Chairs

177.60

3,552.00

Citra Chair 315

4

Meeting Room Chairs

99.00

396.00

Chair 5000CV 522A

16

Meeting Room Chairs

130.80

2,092.80

Naughtone

Track Bench 6 seater

1

Meeting Room Chair

1,962.00

1,962.00

Hush Chair on Sled Legs

2

Meeting Room Chairs

840.00

1,680.00

Godfrey Syrett

Ergo Plus Chair High Back Asynchro

125

Desk Chairs

201.57

25,196.85

Event

3

Meeting Room Chairs

234.00

702.00

Prime 1090/SL

12

Meeting Room Chairs

180.00

2,160.00

Xtreme Plus Costa Stacking Chair

8

Meeting Room Chairs

158.00

1,264.00

Posturite

RH Logic 300

1

Desk Chair

525.63

525.63

Total

53,507.64


Departmental Newspaper Press

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to reduce his Department's expenditure on (a) newspapers and journals and (b) external media monitoring. [36945]

Robert Neill: Since May 2010, the Department has consolidated the seven separate sets of national newspapers previously received by the ministerial and special adviser offices to a single shared set of papers, delivering over £15,000 of ongoing revenue savings.

In addition, the Department's Communications Directorate has undertaken a review that has led to a reduction in the number of magazines and journals it subscribes to and a move to a single supplier, realising further annual savings of approximately £6,000.

In September 2010 the Department's regional cuttings service was cancelled and the national cuttings service moved to an electronic only format with a limited list of recipients. Neither DCLG Ministers nor officials in the Department now receive hard copy press cuttings. Ministers have taken the view that an excessive and unnecessary amount of taxpayers' money was being spent on press cuttings. The Department estimates that the cancellation of the regional cuttings service and streamlining of the national cuttings service will save approximately £16,000 and £19,000 respectively in the remainder of this financial year.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010. [34489]

Robert Neill: This information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, all spending on goods and services over £500 is published by my Department's website.

Moreover, no ministerial photographs have been procured at public expense; this is in contrast to the £2,648 of taxpayers' money spent on ministerial photography from April 2006 to April 2010.

Empty Properties

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of long-term empty properties following the announcement of his planned reforms to empty dwelling management orders. [36678]

Andrew Stunell: The coalition agreement commits us to exploring a range of measures to bring empty homes back into use. As part of that, we have recently completed a consultation on the New Homes Bonus which includes the option of including empty homes within the scheme. This could provide local authorities with a powerful financial incentive to tackle empty homes as part of their overall approach to meeting housing need.

We will also provide £100 million for housing associations and local authorities to bring over 3,000 empty homes back into use as low cost housing. This will enable local authorities and housing associations to tackle the most difficult properties by providing renovation works and management support.

Our proposals to reform to Empty Dwelling Management Orders will allow local authorities to take action against genuinely derelict housing which blight neighbourhoods, whilst respecting the rights of responsible home owners.

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) private, (b) council-owned and (c) registered social landlord dwellings were recorded as being empty for longer than six months in each local authority in each of the last four years. [36680]


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Robert Neill: A table showing the total number of dwellings recorded as being empty for longer than six months, and the numbers of dwellings owned by local councils and registered social landlords recorded as being empty for longer than six months in each English local authority in each of the last four years has been placed in the Library of the House.

The number of registered social landlord dwellings that are empty and not immediately available for letting is used as a proxy measure for vacancy of more than six months duration. Figures on council owned dwellings show the number of vacant dwellings owned by each local authority regardless of in which local authority area they are located. Reliable data on the numbers of privately owned dwellings that are empty are nut held centrally.

Local Authorities: Powers

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements he plans to put in place to monitor the use of powers proposed to be given to local authorities under the provisions of the Localism Bill. [36910]

Greg Clark: We intend to undertake a post implementation review of the key provisions in the Localism Bill within three to five years of them being commenced. Post implementation reviews examine the extent to which the policy has achieved its objective, assess the costs and identify whether there have been any unintended consequences.

Local Authorities: Standards

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on formulating a code of recommended practice for local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [36617]

Robert Neill: We are currently considering the Communities and Local Government Committee report, published on 27 January, on our proposed publicity code. We intend to lay a new code before Parliament and publish the Government response to both the consultation and committee's report shortly.

Local Government: Christmas

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have notified his Department that they do not plan to organise events to mark the festival of Christmas in 2010. [32086]

Andrew Stunell: Local authorities are not required to tell my Department how they are celebrating Christmas as this is a local matter. However, the Secretary of State has received approximately 60 letters supporting his stance on the celebration of Christmas.

Members: Code of Conduct

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take in cases where a local authority does not introduce a voluntary code of conduct for elected members. [36536]


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Robert Neill: None. It will be a matter for each local authority, democratically accountable to its own electorate, to decide whether or not to introduce a code of conduct for its members. In taking this decision, a council will have regard to the duty, provided for in the Localism Bill, to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by its elected members. The Bill will make it a criminal offence to deliberately withhold or misrepresent a personal interest.

New Homes Bonus

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to make proposals arising from his consultation on the New Homes Bonus. [36526]

Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus will commence in April 2011. A consultation on the scheme design closed on 24 December 2010 and we are considering the responses. We will make an announcement on the final scheme design as soon as possible.

Planning

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure that enforcement of planning regulation is strengthened in relation to unauthorised development. [34314]

Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 503W.

Planning Permission

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications his Department (a) called in and (b) otherwise recovered for decision from each local authority in each of the last three years. [36685]

Robert Neill: A table setting out planning applications called in and planning appeals recovered for the Secretary of State's decision have been placed in the Library of the House.

Publicity Code

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish proposals arising from his Department's consultation on the publicity code. [36535]

Robert Neill: We are currently considering the Communities and Local Government Committee report, published on 27 January, on our proposed publicity code. We intend to lay a new code before Parliament and publish the Government response to both the consultation and Committee's report shortly.

Referendum

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of holding a referendum relating to council tax increases for the average (a) county, (b) district and (c) unitary local authority; [36550]


31 Jan 2011 : Column 533W

(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of holding a referendum on a local issue for the average (a) county, (b) district and (c) unitary local authority. [36551]

Robert Neill: The provisional figures in my Department's impact assessment for the council tax referendums consultation paper published on 30 July 2010, show that the estimated costs was around £70,000 to £250,000. This would be around £1.50 per elector, or around 50 pence per elector if a local referendum was held at the same time as an election in the area concerned. The impact assessment is available to view on the departmental website:

An impact assessment, on the Localism Bill covering referendums' costs will be published in due course.

We believe our referendum proposals will be more democratic, especially since the right to veto excessive council tax increases will replace the top-down system of council tax capping by Whitehall, which gives no say to local residents.

Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Public Appointments

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to appoint a representative of the London borough of Tower Hamlets to serve on the Board of the Thames Gateway Development Corporation; and what the reason is for the time taken to make this appointment following the submission of the borough's nomination. [36807]

Robert Neill: I hope to make an appointment shortly. My officials are currently consulting the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments on the process to be followed in appointing a representative of the London borough of Tower Hamlets as a member of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. While this consultation takes place, arrangements have been made for a representative of the borough to attend and speak at all meetings of the corporation.

Transport

Airports: South East

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on airport capacity in the South East. [35480]

Mrs Villiers: We have made clear that we do not support the construction of additional runways at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.

We have established the South East Airports Taskforce with key players from across the industry to explore the scope for measures to make the most of existing airport infrastructure and improve conditions for users of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

We are also committed to producing a new policy framework for UK aviation which supports economic growth and protects Heathrow's status as a global hub,
31 Jan 2011 : Column 534W
as well as addressing aviation's environmental impacts. We will issue a scoping document in March 2011, setting out the key strategic questions we are seeking to answer, followed by publication of a draft policy framework for consultation in March 2012.

Bus Services: Disability Aids

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of requiring the introduction of audio and visual information systems on all new buses. [35999]

Norman Baker: Research has been commissioned to assess the costs and benefits of installing audio visual systems on buses. The research project has brought together a cross section of stakeholders, including Guide Dogs, Royal National Institute of Blind People and Royal National Institute for Deaf People.

We will take account of the results of this work in considering any changes to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR).The project is due to report shortly.

Bus Services: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2011, Official Report, column 29W, on bus services: finance, what definition of impact on services he uses. [35173]

Norman Baker: The term "impact on services" in the answer given on 10 January 2011 relates to the estimated percentage reduction in bus mileage in each of the specified areas.

Departmental Pubic Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many (a) women and (b) men have been appointed to public duties by his Department since May 2010; [35395]

(2) what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled. [35415]

Norman Baker: Information on key public appointments made since May 2010 is published in individual press releases. These should include information on remuneration. Press releases are available at

In addition, information on the gender of those serving on the boards of public bodies is published annually. Information for the 2010/11 period will be published in due course.

Driving Instruction: Training

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of expenditure by the Driving Standards Agency on the design, promotion and implementation of the programme of continuing professional development for driving instructors in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [35388]


31 Jan 2011 : Column 535W

Mike Penning [holding answer 24 January 2011]: The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) can provide the answer in full only at disproportionate cost.

Continuing professional development (CPD) for driving instructors was developed as an element of the agency's modernising driver training (MDT) project and is being promoted on a voluntary basis.

Since 1 April 2008, DSA has spent £111,532 on the design and promotion of voluntary CPD within the driving instructor industry.

DSA is, at this time, unable to readily identify other costs relating specifically to CPD, such as the cost of implementing it, as it is only one element of the wider MDT project.

Driving Standards Agency: Cardiff

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he took the decision to close the Driving Standards Agency office in Cardiff. [34976]

Mike Penning: I was first made aware of the intention of chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency to close the agency's office in Cardiff on 13 December 2010.

Further work needed to be done before details of the proposal could be finalised and the chief executive advised DSA staff of this on 15 December.

The final decision was announced on 18 January 2011.

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent (a) discussions and (b) correspondence Ministers and officials of his Department have had with the Wales Office on the closure of the Driving Standards Agency in Cardiff. [35075]

Mike Penning: The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Wales, on a range of issues affecting Wales including the restructuring of the Driving Standards Agency.

We will continue to have such discussions regarding the proposed closure of the Cardiff DSA office throughout the consultation period.

Eurostar

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the chief executive of Eurostar since 1 December 2010; what the outcomes were of such discussions; and if he will make a statement. [35867]

Mrs Villiers: Department for Transport's Ministers have not had any discussions with the chief executive of Eurostar since 1 December 2010. However, officials in the Department continue to hold regular discussions with the company.

I spoke to the chairman of Eurostar, Richard Brown, by phone in December.

Great Western Railway: Electrification

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the (a) cost and (b) benefits of the electrification of the Great Western Main Line between London and Oxfordshire. [33828]


31 Jan 2011 : Column 536W

Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State announced on 25 November 2010 that the line between London, Oxford, Didcot and Newbury will be electrified over the next six years. Switching to electric trains will speed up journeys, improve reliability and reduce the impact on the environment. The exact costs and benefits of the scheme will depend on the full extent of electrification beyond Didcot, and a further announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

High Speed 2: Public Consultation

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the forthcoming consultation on High Speed 2 will be open to responses from constituencies not only directly along the line of the proposed route, but also those adjacent to such constituencies; and if he will make a statement. [35677]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 24 January 2011]: All interested parties will be welcome to respond to the consultation regardless of their geographic location or any other factor.

High Speed Trains: West Coast Main Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of (a) the remaining capacity on the West Coast Main Line and (b) the maximum increase in capacity from upgrading the Chilterns Line if High Speed Two is not constructed. [36106]

Mr Philip Hammond: I have made no estimate of the remaining capacity on the West Coast Main Line. In December 2010, Network Rail published a draft West Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy for consultation which indicates that by 2024, the route, particularly at its southern end, will effectively be full.

The Department for Transport published a report by Atkins in March 2010 which reviewed options for upgrading the Chiltern line as an alternative to High Speed Two. This indicated that additional capacity could be provided with substantial investment in the route, but that the economic case for such expenditure would be poor. The report can be viewed on the Department's website at:

High Speed Trains: West Midlands

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an estimate of the likely economic benefits to (a) Tamworth, (b) Staffordshire and (c) the West Midlands from High Speed Two. [36019]

Mr Philip Hammond: The forthcoming consultation will include a detailed economic appraisal of the proposed line between London and the West Midlands and a higher-level assessment of the economic case for the 'Y'-shaped network. While it is hard to disaggregate these benefits for specific locations, Tamworth, Staffordshire and the West Midlands would each benefit from high-speed rail, including from capacity being released on existing lines.


31 Jan 2011 : Column 537W

Highways Agency: Telephone Services

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011, Official Report, column 83W, on the Highways Agency: telephone services, what proportion of calls to the Highways Agency public helpline were unanswered in each week of November and December 2010. [36817]


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Mike Penning: The following table shows the proportion of calls unanswered in each week of November and December 2010. Calls abandoned within 60 seconds are not counted as part of our abandoned call target as customers are given information in front end messages which may provide the answer required without the need to speak to an adviser. This is the agreed internal key performance indicator in line with industry standards.

Week commencing Received Answered Abandoned after 60- second wait P ercentage abandoned after 60- second wait

1 November

2,507

2,285

85

3.4

8 November

2,947

2,541

185

6.3

15 November

2,373

2,147

106

4.5

22 November

3,677

3,228

217

5.9

29 November

9,231

6,311

1,298

14.1

6 December

3,772

3,377

165

4.4

13 December

8,072

4,098

2,524

31.3

20 December

6,449

4,963

921

14.3

27 December

1,444

1,371

29

2.0


Large Goods Vehicles

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the acknowledged stopping time is for heavy goods vehicles travelling within each legal speed limit; and if he will make a statement. [35732]

Mike Penning: Stopping time and distance depends on a number of factors, including road conditions, driver-reaction time and also the condition of the vehicle including its tyres.

We would expect the minimum stopping time for heavy goods vehicles would be according to the following table:

Speed (mph) Time (seconds)

30

3.9

40

4.8

50

5.7

60

6.6


Large Goods Vehicles: Technology

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make anti jack-knifing technology such as anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, electromagnetic braking systems or manually operated trailer brakes mandatory for all freight vehicles on UK roads; and if he will make a statement. [37185]

Mike Penning: Legislation introduced in Great Britain in May 2002 requires all heavy commercial vehicles and their trailers, with a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500kg, to be fitted with anti-lock braking systems.

A large number of new heavy commercial vehicles and their trailers are also fitted with electronic braking systems. In addition, electronic stability systems will be required on new vehicles and trailers under a phased introduction starting in November 2011.

European wide legislation on vehicle and trailer construction standards is already in place. While there are no plans to mandate specific anti jack-knifing technology, the introduction of advanced stability and braking systems on new vehicles will help to reduce loss of control situations which can lead to vehicle jack knifing.

Network Rail: Contracts

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the monetary value was of contingent labour contracts funded by Network Rail in each of the last five financial years; [34797]

(2) how much funding Network Rail plans to allocate to (a) track maintenance, (b) overhead lines maintenance and (c) contingent labour in each of the next four financial years. [34798]

Mrs Villiers: These are operational matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's acting chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions:

Network Rail: Overcrowding

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with Network Rail and First Great Western steps to deal with overcrowding on weekday services to London Paddington departing from (a) Bristol Temple Meads at 06.00, (b) Oxford at 07.10 and (c) Reading at 07.42. [36286]

Mrs Villiers [holding answer 26 January 2011]: The Department for Transport is currently in discussions with First Great Western regarding steps to reduce overcrowding on its services.


31 Jan 2011 : Column 539W

Railways

Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the 10 rail services with the highest usage were in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. [36198]

Mrs Villiers: Passenger counts are currently collected from franchised train operators twice a year: in the spring and autumn. Count data held by the Department for Transport are classified as commercially confidential and the data are not normally released at a service level. However, a list of the 10 most overcrowded peak-time London commuter train services in autumn 2009 was released recently by the Department. A copy of this list has been placed in the House Libraries.

Railways: Industrial Disputes

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of 21 December 2010, Official Report, column 1302W and 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 4W, on railways: disputes, for what reasons the information is no longer released on grounds of commercial confidentiality; and if he will make a statement. [36162]

Mrs Villiers [holding answer 27 January 2011]: The answer to the question of 21 December 2010 covers a single payment, which would thus be identifiable. To release the information requested would constitute a breach of commercial confidentiality.

This contrasts with the answer referred to within the question on 14 March 2005, which provided aggregated information relating to a number of payments. In this case, disclosure of the total amounts paid did not provide information that was sufficient to identify individual payments or the operators to whom they were paid.

Railways: Overcrowding

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which 50 rail passenger routes showed the greatest excess of load over capacity in the most recent survey period for which figures are available. [36055]

Mrs Villiers [holding answer 25 January 2011]: Passenger counts are currently collected from franchised train operators twice a year: in the spring and autumn. Count data held by the Department for Transport are classified as commercially confidential and the data are not normally released at a service level. However, a list
31 Jan 2011 : Column 540W
of the 10 most overcrowded peak-time London commuter train services in autumn 2009 was released recently by the Department. A copy of this list has been placed in the House Libraries.

Railways: Public Expenditure

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of funding in his Department's Statement of Funds Available will be spent on railways in (a) England and (b) Wales as a result of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review. [34644]

Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold information which separates out the statement of funds available in England and Wales.

Road Traffic: Oil

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what price of oil per barrel his Department used in its estimates of congestion in the next five years. [34925]

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport forecasts changes in congestion using the National Transport Model (NTM). The most recent forecast report, "Road Transport Forecasts 2009: Results from the Department for Transport's National Transport Model", contains congestion forecasts for 2015, and is available at:

The oil price projections assumed in the above forecasts are those published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

DECC's latest forecasts of fossil fuel prices and a description of the scenarios are available at:

Roads: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving under-age drivers were reported in each police authority area in each of the last five years; and how many such incidents resulted in prosecutions. [37088]

Mike Penning: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one driver below the minimum legal age required to drive that vehicle is given in the following table:


31 Jan 2011 : Column 541W

31 Jan 2011 : Column 542W
Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one driver below the minimum legal age required to drive that vehicle( 1, 2) , by police force: Great Britain 2005 to 2009
Accidents
Police force code 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Great Britain

1,237

987

814

639

520

Avon and Somerset

44

32

19

25

19

Bedfordshire

20

17

9

3

8

Cambridgeshire

20

16

13

8

5

Cheshire

27

16

19

12

12

City of London

0

1

0

0

0

Cleveland

8

7

6

3

4

Cumbria

9

4

4

4

5

Derbyshire

15

17

10

13

15

Devon and Cornwall

72

51

41

28

28

Dorset

23

8

14

9

4

Durham

6

10

7

13

10

Essex

20

34

29

21

7

Gloucestershire

8

8

11

5

5

Greater Manchester

89

63

35

25

13

Hampshire

35

35

28

15

14

Hertfordshire

21

13

10

11

4

Humberside

34

12

13

9

12

Kent

43

44

24

21

18

Lancashire

40

21

25

25

22

Leicestershire

20

14

7

10

9

Lincolnshire

13

10

8

5

4

Merseyside

38

27

22

10

12

Metropolitan Police

101

76

61

63

43

Norfolk

9

10

9

10

3

North Yorkshire

12

9

8

2

8

Northamptonshire

12

8

4

9

5

Northumbria

29

21

20

17

15

Nottinghamshire

25

24

21

12

13

South Yorkshire

51

35

31

18

16

Staffordshire

17

26

20

7

4

Suffolk

10

7

5

14

8

Surrey

28

15

8

23

13

Sussex

38

24

27

17

13

Thames Valley

32

31

21

18

10

Warwickshire

11

12

7

11

6

West Mercia

17

7

10

4

17

West Midlands

62

33

36

23

20

West Yorkshire

44

58

49

31

30

Wiltshire

8

10

7

4

5

Dyfed-Powys

10

5

8

4

1

Gwent

10

10

9

2

6

North Wales

7

13

7

5

5

South Wales

20

18

22

11

10

Central

4

5

4

8

3

Dumfries and Galloway

4

3

2

1

2

Fife

1

1

3

4

1

Grampian

9

10

7

6

8

Lothian and Borders

10

14

23

13

9

Northern

7

8

0

5

1

Strathclyde

36

26

26

17

11

Tayside

8

8

5

5

4

(1 )Relates to drivers of a motor vehicle only.
(2 )Includes accidents involving motor vehicles of an unspecified type. In these cases the legal age to drive has been assumed to be 17.

The court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice, contains information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Other than where specified in a statute, statistical information available centrally does not include the circumstances of each case. It is therefore not possible to separately identify from motoring offences proceeded against those which resulted in an accident.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving uninsured drivers were reported in each police authority area in each of the last five years. [37093]

Mike Penning: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Department for Transport.

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the number of accidents involving (a) motorcyclists, (b) cyclists and (c) pedestrians. [37252]

Mike Penning: We are aiming to publish the new strategic framework for road safety by April of this year and intend for the measures that it will set out to continue to increase road safety for all road users, including motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.


31 Jan 2011 : Column 543W

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recorded accidents on (a) A-roads and (b) motorways were attributable to escaped farm animals and horses in each of the last five years. [37706]

Mike Penning: The Department for Transport collates information on animals identified as carriageway hazards in reported personal injury road accidents. However, information on the types of animals involved in accidents and whether they were escaped farm animals or horses is not available.

The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving animals as hazards in the carriageway by (a) A-roads and (b) motorways in the last five years is shown in the following table:

Number of reported personal injury road accidents where an animal( 1) was identified as carriageway haza rd, by type of roads, Great Britain, 2005-09
Type of r oad

A-r oads Motorways

2005

473

36

2006

492

29

2007

450

33

2008

371

18

2009

354

25

(1) Except ridden horse.

Roads: Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set a precise date for the publication of his Department's new strategic framework for road safety. [36371]

Mike Penning [holding answer 27 January 2011]: The Department for Transport's business plan for 2011-15 sets out that the date for developing the new strategic framework for road safety is by April 2011.

Sole Bay

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors he took into account in reaching his decision that Sole Bay should be the only place where ship-to-ship transfers of oil can be made in UK coastal waters. [36348]

Mike Penning: I took into account the fact that these waters off the Suffolk coast are the only area where the Department's Maritime and Coastguard Agency currently allows ship-to-ship transfers (other than those in a harbour authority area) to be carried out, and that these waters are recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and by the industry as a suitable area for carrying out ship-to-ship transfers on navigational safety grounds. I also considered whether there was a demand from the industry for ship-to-ship transfers in other locations around the UK coast, and I considered the implications of introducing ship-to-ship transfers to waters where they are not currently carried out.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps is he taking to make speed camera data (a) in Sussex and (b) nationally more accessible to the public. [35729]


31 Jan 2011 : Column 544W

Mike Penning: We have made a commitment that information about cameras will be easily available to the public by April 2011. This could include data about accident rates at camera sites, vehicle speeds and the numbers of motorists prosecuted or offered training after offences recorded by cameras.

Public bodies should be accountable and if taxpayers' money is being spent on speed cameras then it is right that information about their effectiveness is available to the public. These proposals will help show what impact cameras are having on accident and casualty rates and also how the police are dealing with offenders. This is in line with our commitment to improve transparency of Government data so that the public are able to make more informed judgments about the work of local and central Government.

Train Operating Companies: Water

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances train companies are required to provide water to passengers free of charge. [36349]

Mrs Villiers: There is no legal or contractual requirement for train operating companies to provide water to passengers free of charge.

Transport: Costs

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in real terms of the cost of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus, (c) train and (d) domestic aeroplane since (i) 1981 and (ii) 1997. [35486]

Norman Baker [holding answer 21 January 2011]: Between 1981 and 2010 the real cost of motoring, including the purchase of a vehicle, declined by 10%, bus and coach fares increased by 56% and rail fares increased by 51% in real terms. These figures are based on the transport components of the retail prices index.

Between 1997 and 2010 the real cost of motoring, including the purchase of a vehicle, declined by 7%, bus and coach fares increased by 24% and rail fares increased by 17% in real terms.

The costs of travelling by air are not available from the retail prices index. However, the cost of the average UK one-way air fare, including taxes and charges, covering domestic flights fell by 35% in real terms between 1997 and 2008, the latest date for which figures are available.

Transport: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many major infrastructure projects his Department is committed to funding (a) in London and (b) elsewhere in England; and what the value is of each such project. [34167]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 17 January 2011]: My Department is committed to funding the following major infrastructure projects:


31 Jan 2011 : Column 545W

(a) London

Rail projects
Project Value (£ billion)

Crossrail

(1)4.7

Thameslink

c.4.0

(1) DFT contribution (total value c.£14.6 billion)

Other major transport infrastructure projects in London, such as investment in the London Underground network, are funded by Transport for London (TfL), drawing on financial support provided by the Secretary of State and on TfL's other sources of income, including fares.

The funding agreement between the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London, available at:

sets out the level of financial support for the next four years. The Mayor has confirmed that this agreement will allow TfL to deliver the infrastructure projects listed at Annex B of the funding agreement.

(b) Elsewhere in England

Rail projects
Project Value (£ million)

Reading Station

c.850

Electrification to Newbury/Oxford

c.600


Other rail infrastructure projects are funded by Network Rail (NR), drawing on income from the Department for Transport and NR's own borrowing.

Road schemes
Existing schemes Value (£ million)( 1)

M1 junctions 10-13

460

M1 junction 19 Catthorpe viaduct replacement

25

M25 junctions 16-23

700

M25 junctions 27-30

590

A1 Dishforth-Leeming

330

A3 Hindhead

380

A46 Newark-Widmerpool

390

(1) These values are central estimates within a range estimate for each scheme.

Forthcoming committed schemes (due to start before 2015)

My Department has asked the Highways Agency to develop by spring this year an optimised programme for delivering the 14 schemes confirmed as going ahead in my announcement of 26 October 2010. This programme will deliver maximum efficiency savings across the programme. The programme was previously valued at £2.3 billion (the total of central estimates within a range
31 Jan 2011 : Column 546W
for each scheme). Given that the agency's work to develop an optimised programme for the schemes is not yet complete, and that the work involves commercial negotiations with the supply chain, it would not be appropriate to attempt to set out scheme estimates in more detail or against individual schemes.

Local authority major schemes
Local authority Scheme name DF T maximum contribution (£ million)

Luton

Luton-Dunstable Busway (formerly Translink)

80.3

Essex

A130/A13 Sadlers Farm Junction

63.5

Tees Valley

Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements

37.5

Nexus

Metro Ticketing and Gating

13.4

GMPTE

Metrolink Extensions Phase 3b (Ashton and E Didsbury)

123.1

GMPTE

Metrolink Extensions Phase 3a (Rochdale, Oldham and Chorlton)

273.3

Wirral/Merseytravel/HA

Bidston Moss Viaduct (M53 J1) Maintenance

(1)76.6

Stockport

Greater Manchester Highway Retaining Walls Maintenance

40.5

Blackpool

Blackpool and Fleetwood Tramway Upgrade

66.9

Cheshire

A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass

48.2

Liverpool

Edge Lane/Eastern Approaches

19.3

GMPTE

Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control (UTC)

13.5

Liverpool

Hall Lane Strategic Gateway

16.5

Kent

East Kent Access Phase 2

82.1

Kent

Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road

23.4

Dorset

Weymouth Relief Road

79.2

South Gloucestershire

Greater Bristol Bus Network

42.3

Dorset

Weymouth 2012 Package

9.1

Poole Borough Council

Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative

14.1

Somerset County Council

Taunton Third Way

5.4

Birmingham

Birmingham Gateway (New Street)

(2)160.6

WM Mets

West Mids Urban Traffic Control

26.6

Sandwell

A41 Expressway

22.2

WM Mets

West Midlands Red Routes Phase 1

23.0

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Interchange

15.6

Birmingham

Selly Oak New Road

31.5

Dudley

Burnt Tree Junction

11.8

Leeds

A65 Quality Bus Corridor

19.8

Nexus

Tyne and Wear Metro Upgrade

350.0

Surrey

Walton Bridge

23.9

(1) Total DFT contribution (HA plus major schemes)
(2) Excludes Network Rail funding


31 Jan 2011 : Column 547W
Local authority PFI projects
Operational LA PFI projects PFI credit (£million)( 1)

Carlisle Northern Development Route

158.0

A130 (Essex)

97.5

Doncaster Interchange

26.2

Nottingham Express Transit 1

174.2

Barnet

27.8

Blackpool

33.9

Brent

7.5

Coventry

64.3

Derby

35.7

Dorset

31.6

Ealing

25.3

Enfield

23.7

Hampshire

121.0

Islington

12.2

Lambeth

17.2

Leeds

94.6

Manchester

34.1

Norfolk

38.1

North Tyneside and Newcastle

44.4

Nottingham

44.6

Redcar and Cleveland

21.1

Southampton

25.9

South Tyneside

31.5

Staffordshire

18.0

Stoke

16.0

Sunderland

25.9

Surrey

73.9

Wakefield

16.2

Walsall

18.6

West Sussex

78.2

Birmingham HM

625.2

Portsmouth HM

121.0

(1) All figures given are PFI credits, which are allocated to projects when they become operational and are paid over the lifetime of the project (usually 25 years)

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the possibility of using tax increment financing to fund regional transport infrastructure projects. [35061]

Norman Baker: This is a matter for the Treasury. The Local Government Resource Review is assessing the implications of using tax increment financing and developing options for taking it forward through legislation.


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