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Government Departments: 0870 Telephone Numbers
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
What financial contribution, on a case-by-case basis, the use of 0870 telephone numbers makes to the budgets of government departments and agencies. [HL435]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Government Departments:Travel Expenditure
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much each government department spent on travel for its staff in the past two financial years, broken down by each method of transport. [HL577]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: There is no centrally held record of expenditure on staff travel either by department or by mode of transport.
Euro-Zone
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 3 November (WA 33), how many United Kingdom jobs are dependent on United Kingdom trade with countries outside the European Union; and upon what data their estimate is based. [HL562]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: H M Treasury estimates suggest that around 3 million jobs are linked to UK
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trade with countries outside the European Union. This figure is calculated on the same basis as previous estimates of how many UK jobs are linked to trade with the EU. The analysis uses ONS data of exports of goods and services to the non-EU, GDP in market prices, UK workforce jobs, compensation of employees, and UK input-output analytical tables.
Bank of England: Gold Sales
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much the 395 tonnes of gold sold by the Bank of England between 1999 and 2001 would raise if sold at the current price of gold as at 20 December. [HL575]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Attempting to sell 395 tonnes of gold over a short period of time would significantly distort the market price so it is not possible to give a meaningful estimate of what such a sale would raise. However, hypothetically, using the closing gold spot price on 20 December 2004 of 441.89 dollars per ounce, the value of 395 tonnes (32,105.747 ounces = tonne) would be 5.6 billion dollars or around £2.9 billion.
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Project
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD), in considering whether to grant cover for contracts forming part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, investigated whether the project complied with local law as defined by the host government agreements for the project; whether the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines on multinational enterprises formed part of the legal regime for the project; and whether the guidelines fell within the main criteria applied by the ECGD in making its assessment of the project. [HL541]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): ECGD carried out a full and thorough due diligence on all local law aspects in respect of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines on multinational enterprises did not form part of the local legal regime for the project. However, BTC Co is contractually committed to complying with the guidelines.
The OECD guidelines on multinational enterprises were not amongst the main criteria applied by ECGD in making its assessment of the BTC project. However ECGD reached its decision to provide cover only after a very thorough appraisal of all aspects of the project, including the environmental, social and human rights impacts.
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National Alcohol Strategy
Lord Chadlington asked Her Majesty's Government:
What funds are being made available for the implementation of the national alcohol strategy. [HL397]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Primary care trusts are responsible for providing their populations with healthcare and deciding how to configure local services to meet the needs of local residents. Overall expenditure plans for the National Health Service indicate an average annual increase of 7.3 per cent. in real terms between 2002-03 and 2007-08, a total increase of 42 per cent. in real terms over the period.
Disabled Persons' Parking Bays
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
What financial and non-financial support is available to schemes which help prevent misuse of designated disabled parking spaces by able bodied drivers. [HL580]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have offered their support to Baywatch, a coalition of the major supermarkets and disability organisations (including the Disabled Drivers' Association and the Disabled Drivers' Motoring Club), who are committed to encouraging more protection of disabled persons' parking bays in retail car parks from abuse by non-disabled drivers. The Department for Transport has provided funding for the campaign's recent initiative to raise awareness of disabled persons' parking bays in supermarket car parks. Officials have worked closely with representatives of the campaign and are considering a report on the initiative before discussing with them how best to take it forward.
In respect of the blue badge scheme of parking concessions for disabled people there are a wide variety of powers available to local authorities, who are responsible for administering the scheme, to tackle misuse of disabled persons' parking spaces and abuse of the badge itself.
In respect of disabled persons parking bays:
it is an offence under Section 47 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to park a vehicle which is not displaying a badge in a designated disabled persons' parking bay.
- to be misused by a non-disabled person, the maximum fine on conviction being £1,000;
local authorities have powers to withdraw a badge if the holder constantly misuses it or allows it to be misused by others.
The issues of misuse and abuse of badges were considered during a recent comprehensive review of the scheme, which concluded with 47 recommendations (including a number of enforcement measures) from DfT's statutory advisers, the Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee. The majority of the recommendations have been accepted by the Government and are being taken forward. The enforcement measures include an important power for the police, traffic wardens and local authority parking enforcement officers to inspect badges to check details and the photograph of the badge holder. Additionally, consideration is being given to the feasibility of establishing a national database of badge holders.
Provision for a power to inspect badges was included in the Traffic Management Act 2004. It will be implemented by commencement order this year. This will allow time for guidance to be prepared and issued to those who will be using the power. It has always been the Government's intention to implement all the changes at the earliest opportunity.
Newcastle International Airport
Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:
Where the waste from domestic and freight flights to Newcastle Airport was disposed of prior to February 2001; and where it is disposed of currently. [HL608]
Lord Davies of Oldham: I understand from Newcastle International Airport that its waste management contractors dispose of general waste from incoming aircraft at a number of landfill sites. For the period from May 1999 to May 2004 these included St Bedes, Holystone and Brenkley, but most such material currently goes to Houghton Quarry. Waste material from aircraft lavatories is disposed of via the foul sewer.
Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there were any direct passenger or freight flights to the United Kingdom from South Africa via Newcastle Airport between January 2000 and February 2001. [HL610]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Transport is not aware of any direct passenger or freight flights between South Africa and Newcastle Airport since January 2000.
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