Policy
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what explicit monetary value his Department assigns to the value of preventing a fatality calculation during the process of policy appraisal and evaluation. [203070]
Mr Goodwill: The value of a prevented fatality used in transport analysis is £1,632,892 (in 2010 prices and at 2010 incomes). The value is given in Table A4.1.1 of the WebTAG (web-based transport analysis guidance) data book:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/webtag-tag-data-book-may-2014
Guidance on using it, and related values, is given in TAG Unit A4.1 Social Impact Appraisal:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/webtag-tag-unit-a4-1-social-impact-appraisal
Railways: Franchises
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it mandatory for all new franchise agreements to provide free wi-fi on all trains. [203055]
Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport is committed to working with industry partners, such as Network Rail, in developing greater mobile connectivity for passengers. Our policy of awarding franchises on the basis of quality as well as price has seen franchises awarded on TSGN and Essex Thameside which included improvements in this area proposed by the winning bidders. In order to enable market led innovation and flexibility for bidders for franchises, the way in which greater mobile connectivity is delivered is not currently specified.
We are committed to improving access to mobile broadband for passengers. Monday's announcement that over £53 million due to be repaid to Government by Network Rail will instead be invested in new wi-fi equipment on trains is evidence of that commitment.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require all new franchise agreements to provide a minimum standard of mobile connectivity on trains. [203061]
Stephen Hammond: A minimum standard of mobile connectivity is not currently specified when letting rail franchises but the Department for Transport is committed to working with industry partners, such as Network Rail, in developing mobile connectivity and has recently awarded franchises on TSGN and Essex Thameside which included improvements in this area as proposed by the winning bidders.
7 July 2014 : Column 168W
Railways: Standards
Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to ensure that improvements in rail infrastructure in the South East are matched by improvements in the North West. [203333]
Stephen Hammond: The Government's £38 billion Rail Investment Strategy for the period 2014-2019 is set to benefit rail passengers throughout the country. Key projects that will transform rail services in the North West include the Northern Hub programme, the redevelopment of Manchester Victoria station, and electrification from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool, Preston, and Blackpool.
Rescue Services
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many coastguards have left the service since the Coastguard Reform programme began; and how many new entrants to the Coastguard service there have been in that period. [203793]
Stephen Hammond: Since the ministerial announcement of the new Her Majesty's Coastguard structure, on the 22 November 2011, 187 have left the organisation. There have been 128 new entrants to Her Majesty's Coastguard in the same period.
Rescue Services: Aberdeen
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether MRCC Aberdeen was staffed at below risk assessed levels on any shifts between 20 May and 22 May 2014. [202901]
Stephen Hammond: Aberdeen Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was fully staffed with five qualified officers during each of the day watches over the period 20 to 22 May 2014. On the night of 20 May, the watch was reduced to three qualified officers, and on the night of 21 May, four qualified officers. This had no impact on search and rescue operational capability for that period.
Aberdeen MRCC could also have called on further experienced and capable support from five other MRCCs, should this support have been required.
Roads: Accidents
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many serious and fatal road accidents there were in York Unitary Authority in each year since 2008-09. [202845]
Mr Goodwill: The number of fatal and serious reported personal injury road accidents in York Unitary Authority for each of the calendar years 2008 to 2013 are given in the following table; by severity:
Number of reported personal injury road accidents in York Unitary Authority, by severity: 2008-13 | ||
Fatal | Serious | |
7 July 2014 : Column 169W
Roads: Lancaster
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to Lancaster city council's Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-2031: Strategic Options for Land Allocations, what assessment his Department has made of the potential increased need for roads infrastructure that would arise under option 5 of that plan. [203501]
Mr Goodwill: The Highways Agency has not carried out any assessments of the possible impact on the strategic roads network of Lancaster city council's Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-31: Strategic Options for Land Allocations, Option 5.
The Local Plan is still in the consultation period which ends on 31 July 2014. It is the council's responsibility to assess the transport implications of its options and the Agency will work with it as part of this process.
Transport: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what transport grant was given to York Unitary Authority in each year since 2008-09. [202843]
Mr Goodwill: The Department for Transport provides grant funding to local highway authorities, including the City of York. Funding allocated to the City of York since 2008/09 for transport purposes that the Department has records of is listed below:
£ million | ||
Capital | Revenue | |
This funding is for Highways Maintenance, Integrated Transport, Local Sustainable Transport and Major Projects.
Since 2010 this Government have simplified funding arrangements to local authorities in order to provide them with greater flexibility in how the funding is spent to respond to local needs.
7 July 2014 : Column 170W
Travel: Concessions
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on concessionary travel spending in York unitary authority in each year since 2008-09. [202844]
Stephen Hammond: The total amount spent by York city council on concessionary travel, including the statutory concession and any relevant discretionary enhancements, is detailed in the following table:
2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
Figures for 2013-14 are still being collated.
Local authority formula grant has been the main vehicle for providing concessionary travel funding to local authorities since the current statutory concession’s introduction in 2008. Since this grant is unhypothecated it is not possible to provide a breakdown by authority.
In 2008 the Department for Transport provided English authorities with a total of £31 million to assist in the reissuing of concessionary passes, £130,972 of which was allocated to York city council.
Between April 2008 and April 2011 the Department made special grant payments to authorities, in addition to the formula grant they were already receiving, recognising the additional cost of the extension to pre-2008 concessionary travel arrangements. The following table indicates the amount of funding available to York in each of the three years during which special grant was paid.
2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
Valuation of Life and Health Inter-departmental Group
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures of the value of life and health were included in the evidence submitted as part of his Department’s work with the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review in 2008. [203077]
Mr Goodwill: In response to my right hon. Friend’s previous question on this matter, the evidence submitted as part of this review was placed in the Libraries of the House on 25 June 2014.