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Written Answers to Questions
The following answers were received between Friday 16 September and Monday 3 October 2011
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of the visit of (a) the hon. Member for Bournemouth East, (b) (i) officials and (ii) special advisers of his Department and (c) James Murdoch to Afghanistan between 17 and 21 January 2011; what the purpose of the visit was; and if he will make a statement. [71441]
Dr Fox [holding answer 12 September 2011]: Neither the Ministry of Defence nor Her Majesty's Government have organised or paid for such a visit.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Afghan Village Stability Operations; and what support his Department has provided to such operations. [71211]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 9 September 2011]:UK forces do not provide direct routine support to Village Stability Operations, nor does the UK assess the overall effectiveness of Village Stability Operations.
Afghanistan: Police
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Afghan Local Police Programme; and what support his Department has provided to this programme. [71210]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 9 September 2011]: UK forces, in co-ordination with the Provincial Reconstruction Team and at the request of the Government of Afghanistan, have supported the establishment of seven Afghan Local Police (ALP) sites within central Helmand. UK support includes assistance with recruitment, training and mentoring.
We regularly review progress of these sites. The latest review concluded that progress is encouraging, with the capabilities and effectiveness of the ALP seeing steady improvement.
Armed Forces: Domestic Violence
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision he has made to tackle domestic violence in the homes of veterans returning from combat zones. [71042]
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Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has produced guidance on the handling of cases involving domestic violence for the chain of command and specialist staff. A copy of this guidance (Joint Service Publication 913) is available in the Library of the House. The MOD is represented on the Home Office's Delivery Board for the Government's Action Plan for violence against women and girls, and work is currently being taken forward to raise awareness in the armed forces.
Decompression is one element of the complete operational stress management package which improves the quality of homecoming by giving personnel the opportunity to rationalise, contextualise and talk through their experiences, as well as receive welfare briefings and time to unwind.
Welfare information and help is also available to families, drawing attention to what can be expected when their spouses return. Importantly, it provides signs of stress and behaviours to look for and how to get help if it is needed.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's Business Plan 2011-2015, how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually managed expenditure and (d) in total from the reduction of heavy artillery armoured vehicles (AS90) by around 35 per cent. [71298]
Dr Fox [holding answer 12 September 2011]: Total savings over the period 2011-12 to 2014-15 are expected to be in the region of £2 million, mostly Resource DEL. These savings reflect a reduction in AS90 numbers and track activity.
Mr Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Challenger main battle tanks are held in long-term storage in (a) the UK and (b) Germany. [71932]
Peter Luff: The number of Challenger 2 main battle tanks held in long-term storage in the UK and Germany is shown in the following table:
| Location | Number of tanks |
Baha Mousa Inquiry
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral statement of 8 September 2011, on the Baha Mousa inquiry, whether he is satisfied that his Department has the legal powers necessary to remove service pensions from any serving or former army personnel who are (a) convicted as a result of prosecution arising from Baha Mousa's death and (b) obstruct or fail to co-operate with investigations or prosecutions arising from Baha Mousa's death. [71593]
Dr Fox:
I am satisfied that in relation to a member or ex-member of the regular Army who is convicted of an offence connected to their service, where I as Secretary
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of State for Defence am satisfied that the offence was gravely injurious to the defence, security or other interests of the state, the Ministry of Defence has legal powers to withhold benefits in respect of a service pension.
The relevant provisions are contained in the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 (Part J) and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 (Part J) under which members and ex-members of the armed forces are entitled to a service pension. Whether any specific conviction connected to service satisfies the conditions must be judged on a case by case basis.
Convictions connected to service may include ones relating to obstructing an investigation or prosecution. However, if obstructing or failing to co-operate with an investigation or prosecution does not result in charges and a conviction, then the powers to withhold a pension will not be triggered.
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Departmental Manpower
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular military, (b) Territorial Army and other part-time military and (c) civilian personnel were employed by his Department in (i) total, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) North Yorkshire and (iv) City of York in each year since 1997. [71492]
Mr Robathan: The information requested is listed in the following tables—the symbol n/a denotes that information is not available for these years.
Total number of service personnel, voluntary reserve and Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilians as at 1 April each year is as follows:
| Table 1 | |||||
| Volunteer reservists | |||||
|
|
Regular service | Naval reserves | Territorial Army | Royal Auxiliary Air Force | Civilian |
The location details for volunteer reserve forces are not available. The following table lists the total number of service personnel, and MOD civilians, in Yorkshire and the Humber as at 1 April each year since 2001, the earliest date that figures are available:
| Table 2 | ||
|
|
Regular service | Civilian |
The location details for volunteer reserve forces are not available. The following table lists the total number of service personnel, and MOD civilians, in North Yorkshire as at 1 April each year since 2002, the earliest date that figures are available:
| Table 3 | ||
|
|
Regular service | Civilian |
The location details for volunteer reserve forces are not available. The following table lists the total number of service personnel, and MOD civilians, in the city of York as at 1 April each year since 2002, the earliest date that figures are available:
| Table 4 | ||
|
|
Regular service | Civilian |
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Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people at each (a) rank and (b) grade there are in his Department's Communications Department. [72063]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 15 September 2011]: The Directorate Media and Communication (DMC) is responsible for internal and external communications at the departmental level within the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
DMC staff fulfil various roles including press officer, public relations, internal communication, defence publishing (news and publications), photography, graphics and some internet services.
The following table lists by rank and grade the posts in DMC as at 31 March 2011 as well as the number of posts planned to be cut by 1 April 2012.
| Rank/grade | Posts as at 31 March 2011-10-03 | Posts planned to be cut by 1 April 2012 |
|
Officer Level (OF) 3 (e.g. Lieutenant Commander Royal Navy (RN)) |
||
In addition, the Defence Media and Operations Centre (DMOC) also falls within the line management chain of the Director Media and Communications. There are no cuts to DMOC posts planned for this financial year. DMOC co-ordinates, develops and delivers media training and education across the MOD. It also contains a team which provides media support in operational theatres.
The following table lists by rank and grade the posts in the DMOC as at 31 March 2011.
| Rank/grade | Posts as at 31 March 2011 |
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Procurement
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts issued by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) Wales in each of the last three years. [72005]
Peter Luff: No authoritative figures are available.
Information which we do possess relates only to contracts administered through our central system, and the limitations of data quality, particularly in relation to the size of the company and the geographical location of the contract, mean that figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Even if it were possible to produce them, these figures would exclude purchases made through the Government Procurement Card, miscellaneous transactions, and payments for goods and services made under local arrangements. In these cases, neither the location of work, nor whether a supplier is a small and medium-size enterprise (SME) is recorded.
Furthermore, the information would also exclude contracts and payments made to SMEs by the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s prime contractors through their supply chains, which are extensive and include a high proportion of SMEs.
However, noting this context, and based on an approximately 10% sample of the circa 6,000 new contracts placed directly by the MOD in 2010-11 across the UK, we estimate that 2,370 have been awarded to English-based SMEs, 50 to those in Scotland, 20 in Northern Ireland, and 60 in Wales. There is no central store of data which would allow the calculation of a separate estimate for agencies.
Our Equipment, Support and Technology Green Paper recognised the innovation and flexibility that small businesses bring to defence and security and sought views on ways to improve their access to contract opportunities. Our response will be set out in a White Paper before the end of the year but we have already established an SME forum to provide small companies and their representative bodies with regular and direct access to Ministers.
Public Expenditure
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) has been saved and (b) is projected to be saved in each financial year of the spending review period in (i) Resource DEL, (ii) Capital DEL, (iii) annually-managed expenditure and (iv) in total from contract renegotiations with defence industry. [71278]
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Dr Fox: Progress on commercial expenditure reduction relating to the Strategic Defence and Security Review has included the implementation of nearly 200 commercial saving options presented in the 2011 financial Planning Round. We are expecting the process of contract renegotiation to continue until 2012. Until this is complete, it is not possible to give the figures requested.
Our focus has been on the contracts and commercial options that will deliver the highest savings in the early years of the spending review period. The Ministry of Defence has already renegotiated around 30 contracts relating to the Nimrod and Harrier programmes.
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Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much is projected to be saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from implementing changes to service and civilian allowances in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [71280]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
These figures are planning assumptions, rounded to the nearest £5 million, and are subject to further work including consultation in the detail with the trade unions for civilian allowances. There are no capital or other DEL savings.
Operational allowances are not affected by the proposed changes to the level of entitlement.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the his Department's business plan 2011-15, how much is projected to be saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the reduction of the non-deployable administrative structure of the services in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [71291]
Dr Fox: Non-front-line costs, such as the non-deployable administrative structure of the services, are not routinely calculated. The Ministry of Defence is committed to saving at least £4.3 billion in activities which have been identified as non-front-line over the spending review period. Progress against this target will be reported in the Department's business plan.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department expects to save through administrative cost savings in respect of (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL and (c) AME in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [71693]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is revising its administrative costs regime upwards to reflect the outcomes of the strategic defence and security review. This work is ongoing. The MOD is committed to saving at least one-third of this new baseline by 2014-15, which will deliver at least £800 million of savings.
Recruitment
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising for civil service posts since May 2010. [71070]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 9 September 2011]: There has been a freeze on external recruitment to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) since May 2010, other than for business-critical posts and posts paid for in full by other parties, for example United States visiting forces and NATO support facilities.
The amount spent on recruitment advertising since May 2010 is £484,353.01. This does not include expenditure by the Trading Funds and Royal Fleet Auxiliary. A large number of posts are for Service Children's Education to provide teachers overseas but also covers critical medical posts (including doctors and nurses) as well as a number of senior civil service posts critical to driving forward our reform agenda.
Posts have been advertised across a range of specialist media. Jobs that are open to external applicants are also advertised on the civil service jobs website.
Redundancy
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) lowest and (b) highest redundancy payment was made to a civil servant in his Department since May 2010; [71043]
(2) what the largest lump sum redundancy payment was made to a civil servant in his Department since May 2010. [71044]
Mr Robathan: Information on early exit/redundancy compensation packages paid to civil servants under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme is contained in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts (ARA). The relevant table appears on page 86 of the 2010-11 ARA, which can be found on the following website:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReports1011/
A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.
The table presents the value of compensation packages in ‘cost bands'. During the period April 2010 to March 2011, the lowest values were below £10,000 and the largest single package was valued at between £300,000 and £350,000. The largest package includes ongoing
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and additional pension costs, not just a redundancy package, as the individual was a senior civil servant taking early retirement.
Figures for the period April 2011 to March 2012 will be published in next year's ARA.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on redundancy payments for its civil servants since May 2010. [71057]
Mr Robathan: Although the information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, the Department's annual report and accounts (ARA) includes details on early exit/redundancy compensation packages paid to civil servants under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. The relevant table appears on page 86 of the 2010-11 ARA which can be found on the following website:
www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/Corporate Publications/AnnualReports
A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.
The table includes the total resource cost of all paid releases made during the period of the accounts. This includes medical retirements as well as voluntary releases and redundancies. For the period April 2010 to March 2012 the total resource cost was £26.33 million.
It is important to note that this figure does not represent the in-year cost of payments but the capitalised cost and includes ongoing payments where compensation is made in the form of enhanced pensions. This figure therefore represents the full cost of liabilities incurred during the year.
The equivalent figure for 2009-10 was £53.42 million.
Ex-servicemen
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether armed services personnel receive advice on drug or alcohol use prior to leaving the armed forces. [71998]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 15 September 2011]: All service leavers receive a vulnerability assessment as part of their first line (within unit) resettlement briefing. Where an individual is identified as vulnerable to social exclusion, including early service leavers, they are directed to additional support available via the Career Transition Partnership contract.
Furthermore, all service leavers receive a discharge information package which contains various leaflets and information, including details of the National Drugs Helpline and the Government-sponsored Drinkline.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether former armed services personnel routinely receive a resettlement assessment during the first six months after leaving the armed forces. [71997]
Mr Robathan
[holding answer 15 September 2011]: It is mandatory for all service leavers to receive a resettlement assessment prior to discharge. Service leavers do not receive a further mandated resettlement assessment during the first six months after leaving but are entitled to access support during that period, which may include a
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resettlement assessment. For those who have served four or more years, support includes personal one-to-one consultancy advice on career and job finding for up to two years after leaving. For all service leavers, lifetime post-resettlement support is available from the Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) and Officers' Association (OA). Furthermore, all service leavers who use the Career Transition Partnership (those having served four or more years) are invited to complete resettlement questionnaires six, 12 and 24 months after leaving, depending on their length of service.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether armed services personnel routinely undergo a psychological assessment immediately prior to leaving the armed forces. [72000]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 15 September 2011]: Until now, service leavers have not been subject to a routine structured psychological assessment as part of their discharge medical examination. However, in his report on the mental health of the armed forces, “Fighting Fit”, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) recommended that a mental health assessment be included in the discharge medicals. The Defence medical services have recently concluded a three-month pilot of an enhanced mental health assessment in four units across the armed forces and are now evaluating the findings. The current intention is to begin rolling out the mental health assessment into discharge protocols later this year.
Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to publish the health audit of nuclear test veterans carried out by Miles and Green Associates. [71967]
Mr Robathan: We hope to be able to publish the Health Needs Audit Report later this year.
Medals
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 867W, on medals, for what reason the chairman and secretary are the only members of the Polar Medal Assessment Committee. [72101]
Mr Robathan: Further to the answer I gave on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 867W, the UK Polar Medal Assessment Committee (UKPMAC) is an independent committee that makes recommendations for the award of the polar medal to Her Majesty the Queen by the Secretary of State for Defence. In addition to the chairman and secretary, who are members of staff at the UK Hydrographic Office, the UKPMAC has an additional eight independent members. All UKPMAC members are experts in polar matters and nine of the 10 members are in their own right holders of the polar medal. The names of the independent members of the UKPMAC are not in the public domain to protect the integrity of the process.
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Military Bases
Mr Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the (a) Dreghorn and (b) Redford Barracks will close; [71980]
(2) which buildings at (a) Dreghorn and (b) Redford Barracks are listed buildings; [71981]
(3) when he expects the development of a new barracks at the Kirkliston Airfield to begin. [71982]
Nick Harvey: It is too early to say precisely how Kirknewton Airfield will be developed or when Dreghorn and Redford Barracks will close. Detailed planning work is being undertaken by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in conjunction with the Army and Royal Air Force.
The following buildings at Dreghorn and Redford Barracks are listed: Redford Cavalry Barracks with Officers' Mess, Balaclava House, Guard House Gates, Gatepiers, Sergeants' Mess Former Band Block, Education Block, Former Stables, Stores and other ancillary buildings, Dreghorn Barracks, Guard House, Barrack Block, Band Block and Battalion Headquarters.
RAF Leuchars
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on the cost effectiveness of Typhoon sorties of proximity to a diversion airfield at (a) RAF Leuchars and (b) RAF Lossiemouth; and if he will make a statement. [71631]
Nick Harvey: I refer my right hon. and learned Friend the Member to the answer I gave on 5 September 2011, Official Report, columns 84-85W.
The availability and proximity of diversion airfields was taken into account in the basing review. Both stations are able to use a range of airfields both nearby and further afield, depending on the circumstances.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 76W, on Air Force: military bases, what estimate he has made of the training value per flying hour of Typhoon (a) currently based at RAF Leuchars and (b) to be based at RAF Lossiemouth from 2014 in relation to (i) air/land integration training areas in the UK, (ii) other existing training areas and (iii) combined training with European partners. [71649]
Nick Harvey: The point of origin or destination does not determine the training value of the sortie and this is the same answer regardless of the specific type of aircraft.
RAF Leuchars: European Fighter Aircraft
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items of mission-specific Typhoon infrastructure have been installed at RAF Leuchars; and how much each such item cost. [71349]
Nick Harvey: The project costs of mission-specific Typhoon infrastructure installed at RAF Leuchars as at 12 September 2011 are detailed in the following table:
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Reserve Forces: Taxation
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tax-free bounties were awarded to reservists in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales in each of the last five years. [72004]
Mr Robathan: There are different types of bounty paid to reservists in all three services, and these are paid to entitled individuals who complete the specified annual training requirement.
The total number of service personnel who have received a bounty payment in the last five financial years is detailed in the following table.
| Financial year | Number |
| (1) The information held for financial year 2007-08 is incomplete due to difficulties associated with the Joint Personnel Administrative (JPA) system. Very few payments were processed using JPA in that year. (2) Up to 15 September 2011. | |
A breakdown by England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information prior to financial year 2007-08 was kept on the single service legacy systems and therefore could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Communities and Local Government
Dogs
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dog wardens are employed in England and Wales by each local authority. [71661]
Mr Paice: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not held centrally. Collating this information would incur disproportionate cost.
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Apprentices: Standards
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the robustness of quality assessment measures covering apprenticeships lasting six months or less. [70916]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 2011]: The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) sets the standards for the delivery of the apprenticeship programme to ensure successful outcomes for individuals and employers and demonstrate good value for money for Government investment.
The revised statement on the Quality of Apprenticeship Delivery Models, published by NAS in August 2011, gives increased clarity on what is acceptable in terms of the employment status of the apprentice, minimum hours worked, funding of wages and the length of apprenticeship programmes. It also includes a statement that the length of stay for an apprenticeship must be sufficient for the apprentice to have time to embed their understanding of the job role and be competent in applying the skills required.
Working alongside NAS, the Skills Funding Agency works closely with training providers, colleges and employers to monitor delivery of the apprenticeship programme and ensure standards set by NAS are met. Where apprenticeship provision does not meet the required standards, ultimately funding will be withdrawn.
As Minister responsible for apprenticeships, I meet regularly with the chief executive and chief operating officer of the National Apprenticeship Service to discuss the quality and delivery of the apprenticeship programme. Our most recent meeting focused on maintaining existing record levels of growth and ensuring a high quality experience for both the employer and the apprentice. At this meeting NAS described their work to ensure that quality standards and requirements for funding were clear and fully understood by the sector.
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial assistance is available to small colleges for the purposes of attaining accreditation by the Quality Assurance Agency to take non-EU students; and if he will make a statement. [70705]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 8 September 2011]: The UK Border Agency has recently revised its educational oversight requirements for colleges wishing to recruit non-EU students. Privately-funded colleges, which are not inspected by Ofsted, are now required to be vetted by either the Quality Assurance Agency (for colleges offering predominately higher education courses) or the Independent Schools Inspectorate (for colleges offering predominately further education courses).
There is no financial assistance available to privately-funded colleges for this process.
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Inward Investment
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage global business to invest in the UK. [71108]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 9 September 2011]: Recent steps to ensure the UK retains a strong flow of high value investment projects include:
the introduction of a more integrated national business model to support inward investment, offering tailored support and a single point of contact for overseas businesses;
investing heavily in the Research and Development base, despite public spending constraints;
adopting a genuinely cross-Government approach to our strategic relationship management of key global investors;
ensuring that the UK's tax regime and planning regulations build investor confidence;
ensuring our regulatory system is proportionate and encourages growth; and
encouraging specific infrastructure investment.
Learning and Skills Council: Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the (a) purchase date, (b) transaction amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry of each individual transaction undertaken by the Learning and Skills Council using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71701]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 15 September 2011]: This Government are committed to transparency and we believe the information regarding Government Procurement Cards (GPC) for this financial year is the most relevant.
The Skills Funding Agency will be publishing GPC transactions for this financial year. The information for April to June will be published on the agency's website before the end of September. In October the agency will publish July's transaction data and each month thereafter updated information will be made available.
The information supplied will give the description of the type of expenditure as used in the agency's accounting system.
The cost required to obtain, contextualise and report data for central Government Departments and their agencies from the last three years would exceed the cost limits of a freedom of information request or a parliamentary question.
Transport
Aviation
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on improving the regulation of aviation. [71803]
Mrs Villiers: The Government are currently undertaking a review of the existing stock of regulation with a view to removing over-burdensome regulatory legislation.
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As part of this process, next year the public and businesses will be invited to put forward ideas for regulations in the aviation sector that might be amended or revoked so as to reduce their burden on the industry or to the public.
Aviation: EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the potential additional costs to passengers of the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System. [71936]
Mrs Villiers: The impact assessment for ‘The Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2010’ estimated that the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS will increase average UK air fares by approximately 6% to 7% in the period between 2012 and 2020. This analysis is based on the assumption that airlines will pass on the additional costs of emissions trading to passengers. However, it was noted that there is significant uncertainty over the precise impact on all types of air fares.
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has undertaken into the effects on human health of emissions from commercial aeroplanes. [70633]
Mrs Villiers: While the Department for Transport has undertaken no work specifically into the impact of emissions on human health, it has funded wider research into aviation emissions and air quality. The Government take the health impacts of air pollution seriously and rely on expert groups such as the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution to advise on these impacts.
Aviation: Working Hours
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the Notice of Proposed Amendment on Flight Time Limitations. [72142]
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the Notice of Proposed Amendment on Flight Time Limitations. [72233]
Mrs Villiers: My officials have regular discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority about the development of European requirements on aviation safety including those on flight time limitations.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with the US Federal Aviation Administration on the issue of pilot fatigue. [72143]
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with the US Federal Aviation Administration on pilot fatigue. [72232]
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Mrs Villiers: At this stage in the development of the European requirements, neither the Department nor the Civil Aviation Authority has had any formal discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration on this subject.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the role of his Department is in establishing new flight time limitations for pilots; and if he will make a statement. [72144]
Mrs Villiers: The responsibility for establishing new requirements on flight time limitations for pilots rests with the European Commission, assisted by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The Department, taking account of advice from the Civil Aviation Authority, will put forward the UK's views on the proposed requirements. Ministers will determine how the UK will vote when a legislative proposal is made.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects new European flight time limitations for pilots to come into force. [72145]
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects European-wide flight time limitations for pilots to enter into force. [72234]
Mrs Villiers: We expect the Commission regulation giving effect to proposed requirements on flight and duty time limitations to come into force in the autumn of 2013. We expect that airlines will be given an additional period to transition to the new requirements.
Bus Services: Concessions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to permit the use of concessionary bus passes on community transport services. [72183]
Norman Baker: Some sectors of community transport, such as services provided under section 22 permits, are already eligible local bus services for the purposes of statutory concessionary travel, if they are sufficiently accessible to the public. Local authorities are also able to offer concessions on any form of community transport on a discretionary basis. There are no proposals to extend the scope of the mandatory bus travel concession further as this would have significant cost and operational implications.
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effects of the withdrawal of the coach concessionary travel scheme on (a) passenger numbers and (b) coach services. [69806]
Norman Baker [holding answer 7 September 2011]: Following the 2010 spending review announcement, National Express said they were already planning for the removal of the coach concessionary fares scheme in October 2011 and would announce new products aimed at the over 60s and disabled travellers in due course. National Express said that they believed the financial impact of the scheme's removal was manageable and would be mitigated by their own plans.
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A regulatory impact assessment relating to the ending of the Bus Service Operators Grant coach concession has been drafted and submitted to the Reducing Regulation Committee for clearance. The impact assessment will be published on the DFT website, and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House, when it is available.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on the (a) number of coach services available and (b) the cost of coach fares of withdrawal of the coach concessionary travel scheme. [70428]
Norman Baker [holding answer 7 September 2011]: Following the 2010 spending review announcement, National Express said they were already planning for the removal of the coach concessionary fares scheme in October 2011 and would announce new products aimed at the over 60s and disabled travellers in due course. National Express said that they believed the financial impact of the scheme's removal was manageable and would be mitigated by their own plans.
A regulatory impact assessment relating to the ending of the Bus Service Operators Grant coach concession has been drafted and submitted to the Reducing Regulation Committee for clearance. The impact assessment will be published on the DFT website, and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House, when it is available.
Coaches: Older People
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with coach operating companies on the future of coach services for elderly people; and if he will make a statement. [71940]
Norman Baker [holding answer 15 September 2011]: The Department has corresponded with coach operators who will be affected by the withdrawal of the Bus Service Operators Grant coach concession. Department for Transport officials have also held discussions with National Express—one of the operators affected by the phasing out of the concession.
The funding changes were announced as part of the 2010 spending review.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible since May 2010. [66317]
Norman Baker: The following table shows the number of people recruited by the Department for Transport, its non-departmental public bodies and seven Executive agencies since May 2010, and the number of departures under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1386W
|
|
Number of people recruited | Number of departures under CSCS |
| (1) Includes frontline posts, eg driving instructors. (2) 80 compulsory redundancies in non-departmental public bodies. | ||
Except as indicated, all departures were on a voluntary basis.
Driving: Mobile Phones
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to deter drivers from using mobile phones while driving. [72160]
Mike Penning: The Department increased the penalties for drivers using a mobile phone in 2007. More recently in the Government's Strategic Framework for Road Safety (May 2011), we propose to increase the fine levels for road traffic fixed penalty notices, including mobile phones offences, as a means of deterring drivers from using their mobile phones whilst driving, and to bring this in line with other fixed penalties.
The police continue to enforce mobile phone offences. In 2009, 126,000 fixed penalty notices were issued for the offence, a rise of 8% from the previous year.
The Department's observational survey in 2009 gives a national perspective and showed that 1.4% of car drivers were using hand-held mobile phones. This is a 17% reduction since the penalties were raised.
We remain committed to ensuring that all regulations are effective.
Electric Vehicles
Mr Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many electric vehicles he estimates that there will be in the UK vehicle parc by 2020. [69546]
Norman Baker: Electric vehicles, along with other ultra-low emission vehicles, play an important role in the decarbonisation of UK road transport. The rate at which both the electric and other ultra-low emission vehicle market develops will be determined by a range of factors, such as consumer acceptance and oil prices, which are difficult to predict. Independent forecasts suggest that hundreds of thousands of ultra-low emission vehicles could be on the road in the period running up to 2020.
The Government have made over £400 million available to support the research, development, demonstration and use of ultra-low emission vehicles over the life of this Parliament and are committed to developing the early market for these vehicles.
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress he has made in implementing the Plugged-In Places programme. [71764]
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Norman Baker: All eight Plugged-In Places projects are now up and running. The programme has more than trebled the number of recharging points in the UK. Over 4 million (15%) of drivers in Great Britain now live in local authority areas that have PIP-funded publicly accessible charging infrastructure.
Projects have made a number of major breakthroughs including installing the UK's first publicly accessible rapid chargers that can recharge vehicles in as little as 30 minutes. A number of the projects have also recently launched their membership schemes, e.g. ‘Source London', ‘Source East' and the Northern Ireland scheme.
In addition, thanks in part to market priming through the Plugged-In Places and a number of enabling steps set out in our June Infrastructure Strategy, a number of UK enterprises have recently announced plans to roll out additional infrastructure at sites across the country (eg Charge Master; and Ecotricity in Conjunction with Welcome Break).
We are putting in place systems to make the network easy to navigate and easy to access as set out in the strategy document published in June 2011.
Heathrow Airport
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the annual air traffic movements limit at Heathrow Airport. [71779]
Mrs Villiers: The current 480,000 air transport movement cap was set as a condition of the Terminal 5 planning consent in 2001. To change or remove the cap would require a planning application. The Government recently confirmed their intention to retain the cap in the context of their announcement on the conclusions of the South East Airports Taskforce.
High Speed 2
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on a direct link to Heathrow airport as part of the proposed High Speed 2 scheme. [71778]
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Mr Philip Hammond: The Government published “High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future” in February 2011. That set out proposals for a high speed rail network in a Y-shape from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester with a direct connection to Heathrow airport and a link to HS1. The Government believe that there is strong strategic case for such a network as it would boost economic growth, spread prosperity and provide an attractive alternative to domestic aviation. Following the end of consultation on 29 July, we are considering the responses to consultation and expect to announce a decision on the way forward later in the year.
Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to his Department's document, Road Vehicle Emission Factors 2009, what the (a) laden and (b) unladen full emissions profile per mile is of (i) diesel and (ii) petrol (A) 38 tonne heavy goods vehicles (HGV), (B) 44 tonne HGVs, (C) transit type vans and (D) family saloons. [68700]
Norman Baker: The Road Vehicle Emissions Factors 2009 research project provided recommendations on improving methodologies and some of the input data required to model national air pollutant emissions from road transport. To estimate UK average emissions profiles for different vehicle types requires these recommendations to be combined with UK fleet composition and total traffic activity data.
The following figures for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), particulate matter (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) and methane (CH4) emissions have been generated by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, which AEA Technology produce under contract to DEFRA. This combines the 2009 emissions factors with national fleet and traffic data to produce estimates of total UK emissions. The CO2 emissions figures are derived from DEFRA's greenhouse gas reporting guidelines, these use the 2009 emissions factors (along with fleet and traffic data) plus improved data on HGV CO2 emissions from DFT freight surveys.
| Gram s/mile | |||||||
| CO 2 | |||||||
| Vehicle | NOx | PM 10 | CO | NMVOC | CH 4 | Laden | Unladen |
The 2009 emissions factors reflect average vehicle loading and do not provide corrections to adjust for different vehicle loading states. However, the greenhouse gas reporting guidelines do provide data for different loading states for HGVs (figures for other vehicle types reflect emissions at average loading).
It should be noted that some of the vehicle categories are not necessarily directly compatible, e.g. petrol vans appear to have lower CO2 emissions than diesel vans suggesting that the petrol vans modelled are on average smaller and lighter than the average diesel vans modelled.
Motor Vehicles: Petrol
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department issues on and what other support it provides for the development of vehicles capable of replacing petrol and diesel fleet vehicles. [70979]
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Norman Baker: The Government have made provision of over £400 million for measures to promote the uptake of ultra-low carbon vehicle technologies. These measures include support for consumer incentives, development of recharging infrastructure, a programme of research development and demonstration work and the Green Bus Fund. Further details of these programmes can be found at the Office for Low Emission Vehicles website:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/sustainable/olev
Network Rail
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made a recent assessment of the requirement for a consumer champion for users of the rail network; and if he will make a statement. [71187]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Regulation are considering the options for achieving an increased role for the regulator in protecting passenger and public interests. We expect proposals to be published later this year.
The Department for Transport also considered the future of Passenger Focus as part of the Public Bodies Review and concluded that it should be retained but with substantial reforms to reduce its cost to taxpayers while maintaining its core role as the statutory independent complaints body and passenger champion.
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on steps to increase the commercial revenue earned by Network Rail. [71800]
Mrs Villiers: It is a priority for the Government to improve the value for money the railway offers for taxpayers and fare payers. To that end, we continue to encourage Network Rail to explore and exploit opportunities to maximise its commercial revenue. It is ultimately, however, for Network Rail to determine the best response, within the regulatory and incentives framework established for the company by the independent Office of Rail Regulation.
Network Rail: Compensation
Malcolm Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the proportion of compensation paid by Network Rail to train operating companies that reaches rail passengers entitled to compensation under passenger charters or the Delay/Repay scheme; and if he will make a statement. [71761]
Norman Baker: Ministers have received representations on this issue from another Member. Compensation arrangements between Network Rail and Train Operating Companies are governed by the track access agreements between the parties. Compensation payments relate to the overall level of performance over a period, and depend on the extent to which delays during that period were caused by Network Rail or train operators. The regime for compensating passengers depends instead on whether delays on a particular service exceeded the relevant threshold, and does not depend on the cause of that delay. For this reason there is no direct correlation between the two sets of compensation payments.
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Parking: Complaints
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has considered developing a non-statutory ombudsman-type complaint system for parking on private land. [69093]
Norman Baker: We fully support the establishment by the parking sector of an independent, sector-funded challenge body for parking on private land and are discussing a timetable for the establishment of such a body with the British Parking Association. We have made clear it that we will not commence the keeper liability provisions for vehicles on private land in the Protection of Freedoms Bill until an independent challenge body is in place.
Public Transport: Concessions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the legislation governing the provision of concessionary travel passes by local authorities. [72176]
Norman Baker: There are no proposals to amend the legislation governing the provision of concessionary travel passes. In the spending review last autumn the Government stated that they will protect the statutory entitlement for concessionary bus travel, ensuring that older people can maintain greater freedom and independence.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who applied for and received a concessionary travel pass but never used it in the latest period for which figures are available. [72178]
Norman Baker: The Department knows the proportion of eligible people who hold a concessionary pass—see the published National Travel Survey table NTS0619 at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/nts0619/
However we do not know the number of people who have never used their pass.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects of altering concessionary fare legislation to diversify funding options available to local transport authorities. [72182]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has no proposals to alter legislation regarding funding for the statutory travel concession. From 1 April 2011, funding is provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to local transport authorities through Formula Grant. Local authorities retain the discretion to enhance their concessionary travel schemes, if they choose to do so, funded locally from their own resources.
Railways: Fares
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of the proposed increases in rail fares. [70153]
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Mrs Villiers: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 10 November 2010, Official Report, column 334W.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on increases in rail fares. [71226]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 15 September 2011]: The Department for Transport regularly receives correspondence on rail fares including letters regarding the increase in regulated fares from January 2012.
Railways: Somerset
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to secure the future of the ticket offices at (a) Yeovil Pen Mill, (b) Crewkerne and (c) Yeovil Junction rail station; and if he will make a statement. [71260]
Mrs Villiers: It is for South West Trains and First Great Western to manage the operation of these ticket offices. There are existing industry processes in place which the operators must adhere to if they wish to alter current opening times.
Sir Roy McNulty's rail value for money study recommended that ticket office staffing levels be considered as a measure which would deliver savings. The Department is currently considering Sir Roy's report, but no decisions have been made.
Railways: Tickets
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions his Department has made on the recommendations in the McNulty report on closure of 675 railway ticket offices. [71274]
Mrs Villiers: Sir Roy McNulty's rail value for money study recommended that ticket office staffing levels be considered as a measure which would deliver savings. The Department for Transport is currently considering Sir Roy's report, but no decisions have yet been made.
Railways: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) open full, (b) average and (c) lowest advance purchase fare available to the general public was for rail travel between York and London in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available, expressed in (A) cash and (B) real terms. [71506]
Mrs Villiers: The information requested is set out as follows.
| £ | ||
| Fare type | 2010 | 2011 |
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1392W
Typically over 75% of long distance rail journeys such as York to London are made using discounted tickets. Under 20% of these longer journeys are made using anytime return tickets. The super off peak return between York and London is a regulated fare. The full list and present prices of all these fares is available on the National Rail Enquiries website.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to make utilities more accountable for interruptions to traffic attributable to their streetworks. [72064]
Norman Baker [holding answer 15 September 2011]:The Department is committed to reducing the disruption caused by street works and is proposing to increase overrun charges which are levied by highway authorities when street works take too long.
In addition to this, a consultation is under way on regulations to enable the introduction of lane rental schemes (where utilities would have to pay each day they occupy the highway).
South East Airports Taskforce
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 55WS, on the South East Airports Taskforce, what recent discussions he has had with BAA on its consultation plans with relevant local authorities, communities and other stakeholders throughout the process. [69221]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not had discussions with BAA on its consultation plans with relevant local authorities, communities and other stakeholders.
I have discussed BAA's plans for engagement with local communities and stakeholders with them as part of the work of the South East Airports Taskforce and related meetings.
I have asked the UK's independent aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to supervise the trial of operational freedoms at Heathrow and to report regularly on progress.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 55WS, on the South East Airports Taskforce, (1) when he plans to define the trigger mechanisms for the deployment of operational freedoms at Heathrow Airport; [69222]
(2) when he plans to define the safeguards to apply in relation to the deployment of operational freedoms at Heathrow Airport; [69223]
(3) what definition of particular disruption his Department uses; [69224]
(4) what his policy is on a cap on the number of operational freedom days at Heathrow Airport. [69225]
Mrs Villiers:
The trial of operational freedoms at Heathrow, which I announced on 14 July 2011, is currently being designed by the airport operator, BAA, under the
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1393W
supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority. BAA will engage with relevant local authorities, communities and stakeholders on the details of the trial once this process is complete.
The results of the trial will help define the circumstances in which the measures are deployed, including the requirement for safeguards and restrictions if the regime were to proceed beyond the trial stage to be adopted on a long term basis. The results will also form the basis for a consultation with local communities which will in due course inform the Government in deciding whether an operational freedoms regime should be adopted at the airport.
Thameslink: Rolling Stock
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many carriages will be delivered by the Thameslink programme in each year of the programme. [69488]
Mrs Villiers: The Department is currently conducting commercial discussions with Siemens Plc and Cross London Trains, and the precise numbers of carriages and their rate of delivery will remain under negotiation as the contract moves towards financial close.
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 718W, on Thameslink railway line: rolling stock, on what dates he received information from officials in his Department on the status of the procurement for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project. [69197]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has been kept informed of the status of the Thameslink rolling stock procurement on an ongoing basis.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of correspondence between his Department and the Prime Minister's Office on the Thameslink Rolling Stock contract which took place in (a) May, (b) June and (c) July 2011. [71522]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 15 September 2011]:The Department has received a request under the Freedom of Information Act to release the same correspondence. Any documentation released in response to this request will be published on the Department for Transport website.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of legal advice sought and received by his Department in respect of the review of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Contract project during (a) May, (b) June and (c) July 2011. [71595]
Mrs Villiers: Communications between the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and his legal advisers are subject to legal advice privilege.
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1394W
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the note of each meeting between Ministers and officials of his Department and representatives of (a) Siemens and (b) Bombardier in respect of the Thameslink Rolling Stock contract in (i) May, (ii) June and (iii) July 2011; [71596]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each (a) e-mail sent by and (b) document generated by officials in (i) his private office and (ii) the (A) rail and (B) legal sections of his Department which include the term Siemens and one or more of the words (1) TUPE, (2) TSSA, (3) RMT and (4) trade union; [71597]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of each (a) document and (b) e-mail held by his Department concerning the Thameslink Rolling Stock contract in which mention is made of comparisons between bids in relation to the impact of train weight on (i) track access charges and (ii) energy consumption and (c) the financial consequences for the project of the weight of the trains under consideration. [71598]
Mrs Villiers: Details of bids for the Thameslink rolling stock project are confidential to Siemens, Bombardier and the Department. To release this information could compromise their and the Department's commercial positions.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department plans to spend on rail procurement consultants in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013; and how much his Department expects to spend on consultants for the (i) Thameslink Rolling Stock programme and (ii) Intercity Express Programme. [71165]
Mrs Villiers: During the 2011-12 financial year, the Department for Transport plans to spend around £630,500 on procurement consultants for rail projects.
During the 2011-12 financial year, planned spend on consultants on the Thameslink Rolling Stock project is £7.3 million and on the Intercity Express Programme is £4.5 million.
Detailed spending plans for 2012 and 2013 have not yet been agreed.
Tilbury Town Station
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to commence at Tilbury Town station under the Access for All scheme. [72068]
Norman Baker: Network Rail currently plan to start on site at Tilbury Town during October this year with the work expected to last approximately seven months.
Transport Scotland
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when (a) he and (b) other representatives of his Department last met representatives of Transport Scotland. [68851]
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Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has had a number of telephone conversations with Scottish Transport Ministers. The Minister of State, Department for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), met the Scottish Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP, on 4 November 2010 and met the Scottish Housing and Transport Minister Keith Brown MSP on 6 September. I met Stewart Stevenson MSP on 26 October 2010 in his office in Holyrood. I have had a number of telephone conversations with Scottish Transport Ministers.
Many DFT officials have regular contact with their counterparts in Transport Scotland and other branches of Scottish Government dealing with transport issues. Officials take every opportunity to ensure that relationships between the two Departments are developed and understanding shared.
Transport: City of York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much local transport grant his Department has allocated to the City of York unitary council in each year since its creation; and what criteria are used to determine the grant allocated to each local authority. [71501]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has two funding streams that are provided to all local authorities in England (outside London) allocated by formula. These are integrated transport block and highways maintenance block, the funding is not ring-fenced. Funding allocated to the city of York for the financial years which the Department has retained accounting records are as follows:
| £ million | ||
|
|
Integrated transport block | Highways maintenance block |
| (1 )Post savings exercise. (2) The December 2010 settlement announced firm figures for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and indicative figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15. | ||
Prior to 2000 the funding was provided in the form of gross approved spending and funding allocated to the city of York for the financial years which the Department has retained accounting records are as follows:
| Total pre Local Transport Plan Funding Integrated Transport Block | |
|
|
£ million |
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1396W
The current formulae explanatory notes and raw data and allocations are on the Department's Local Transport Capital Block Funding webpage at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-transport-capital-block-funding/
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of a reduction in resources for Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency regional centres on the readiness of the UK to deal with outbreaks of animal disease. [71371]
Mr Paice: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) and its delivery partners retain their readiness to respond effectively to outbreaks of animal disease. Readiness and resilience is reviewed regularly and the impact of the current reduction in the AHVLA resources is considered to be very low. DEFRA's plans for responding to outbreaks of animal disease are contained in DEFRA's Contingency Plan for Exotic Notifiable Diseases of Animals:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13581-animal-disease-plan-110701.pdf
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what financial support her Department will provide to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency for its regional centres in each of the next four financial years; [71378]
(2) how many Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency regional centres will be funded by her Department in each of the next four financial years. [71379]
Mr Paice: As the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency is a net running cost agency, it is funded through service level agreements (SLAs) with the devolved Governments. The agency's financial support is acquired by delivering the services agreed in the SLAs. Support for the regional centres is not directly given by DEFRA, which only provides finances for services provided.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on testing for bovine tuberculosis of a reduction in resources for Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency regional centres. [71382]
Mr Paice: Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) staff carry out a small proportion of bovine TB testing in house each year. The majority of the testing programme is carried out by a pool of private veterinary practices authorised by AHVLA to carry out the testing. The TB testing programme is agreed with DEFRA and devolved Administrations each year and AHVLA do not foresee any change to the agreed programme of testing at present and have no current plans to reduce veterinary officer or lay testing resources in regional offices.
Mr Bain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1397W
the number of compulsory redundancies in each Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency regional centre in each of the next four financial years. [71380]
Mr Paice: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has only planned changes taking place in the next two financial years.
The proposed changes aim to reduce the numbers in its Laboratories and Regional Offices by 87 in 2011-12 and 52 in 2012-13. The number of compulsory redundancies will be significantly lower than 87 in 2011-12 and 52 in 2012-13 because the AHVLA expects a large proportion of employees to leave on voluntary release, as the terms for doing so are more favourable than leaving under eventual compulsory terms and the AHVLA will also seek to redeploy staff wherever possible. The 2012-13 figures are an estimate and have not been finalised.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much redundancies in Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency regional centres will cost in each of the next four financial years. [71381]
Mr Paice: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has only planned changes taking place in the next two financial years.
The maximum estimated cost of the Laboratory and Regional Office releases in 2011-12 is £3,021,000. It is our intention that this figure will be reduced as staff are redeployed within the civil service.
The estimated cost of the Laboratory and Regional Office releases in 2012-13 is £1,656,000. This figure is an estimate and has not yet been finalised.
Animal Welfare
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the development of animal health legislation. [70229]
Mr Paice: We continue to have regular discussions on a number of welfare issues with our European colleagues. As an example both the sow stall ban and the conventional laying hen cage ban were discussed at my recent bilaterals in Sweden and Denmark at which Ministers affirmed the importance of adhering to standards set at EU level.
Biofuels: Grasslands
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on the application of the EU Renewable Energy Directive to the production of biofuels crops on grasslands. [70641]
Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Transport plans to transpose the sustainability requirements of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) from 15 December this year through amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel, Obligation
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1398W
(RTFO). The RED does not allow the use of biofuels from feedstocks to contribute towards targets or benefit from incentives unless a 35% greenhouse gas saving compared with fossil fuels is achieved, including emissions resulting from any conversion of grassland. The Department will consult shortly on detailed guidelines for suppliers on how to demonstrate that their fuels meet these requirements.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to comply with the Bern convention in implementing the badger cull. [71632]
Mr Paice: We have considered the provisions of the Bern convention and are confident that our proposed policy complies with the requirements. The proposed policy contains a number of safeguards to ensure that culling does not lead to a detrimental impact on local badger populations. These include having a ‘closed season' over the badgers' breeding season during which no culling can take place, and limiting both the number of licences that may be granted in any one year and the number of badgers that may be removed in each licensed area. DEFRA will also commission independent monitoring that will assess annually badger activity in each licensed area. If badger activity is found to be very low, mitigation measures can be put in place to ensure there is no local disappearance in any licensed area (e.g. stopping activity under the licence for the remainder of that year, or stipulating areas of land where culling would not be permitted).
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her oral statement of 19 July 2011, Official Report, columns 811-24, on bovine tuberculosis, what mechanism she plans to use to derive culling targets. [71634]
Mr Paice: There is a range of data already available on badger populations from both national and local surveys. In addition to these sources of information, applicants for culling licences would be required to provide Natural England with information regarding the number of main setts on the land which forms part of the application. From these, Natural England will be able to advise applicants on the estimated range of the number of badgers they would be expected to remove during the six-week intensive cull.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investigations her Department has undertaken into the use of cattle ear tags to evade bovine TB controls. [71454]
Mr Paice:
DEFRA has not initiated any such investigations. However, we have supported some TB-related slaughterhouse surveys carried out by a small number of Trading Standards teams in 2010 and 2011. The surveys provided evidence that a small minority of farmers had been swapping official cattle ID ear tags so
3 Oct 2011 : Column 1399W
that they could retain TB reactors and send other less valuable cattle to slaughter in their place. It was because of these findings that we introduced in April 2011 an additional safeguard—DNA tags applied to TB test positive cattle—to ensure infected animals are not kept on farms.