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Subject Access Requests
Lord Ashcroft asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether government departments are achieving the time limits set under the Data Protection Act 1998 for responding to subject access requests. [HL2162]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. There is no obligation for departments to record whether they are achieving the time limits in question.
Transport: Heavy Goods Vehicles
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Mr Tom Harris, on 15 January (Official Report, 1090W), why carbon dioxide emissions from heavy goods vehicles have risen from 817 kilotonnes per billion kilometres in 1991 to 920 in 2005; what are the equivalent figures per billion tonne/kilometres of goods carried; and what steps they are taking to ensure that carbon emissions from heavy goods vehicles will be reduced. [HL2194]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The GB and NI traffic census data used to provide HGV kilometres does not record tonnes of goods lifted. It also includes types of heavy vehicles which do not carry goods, therefore it is not possible to derive an equivalent value of tonne kilometre of goods carried.
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The variation in tonnes of CO2 per billion vehicle kilometres between 1990 and 2005 in the previous answer is a result of changes to the composition of the vehicle fleet and increases in the amount of goods carried. Changes in European standards on emission limits for wider air quality benefits may also have resulted in small increases in fuel consumption. Increasing the load on a vehicle will increase its fuel consumption and resultant CO2 emission, but the overall effect is to increase efficiency and reduce the amount of CO2 emitted per tonne kilometre travelled.
The Government will continue to work with the logistics industry to encourage and support the use of appropriate modes of transport and provide practical advice and guidance in the form of the “Freight Best Practice and Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving” schemes to minimise CO2 emission.
Trespass
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much has been spent on court proceedings against individuals trespassing on government property in each of the past 10 years; and in respect of which sites have such proceedings been brought; and [HL2213]
How much has been spent obtaining injunctions against individuals trespassing on government property in each of the past 10 years; and in respect of which locations have such injunctions been obtained. [HL2214]
The Attorney-General (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Waste Management: Landfill Tax
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much was paid in landfill tax in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the past five years (i) in total and (ii) by local authorities; and what are the projected amounts for the next three years; and [HL2368]
How much of the landfill tax that has been raised in the past five years in (a) England and (b) Wales has been returned to local authorities; by what mechanisms; for what purposes; and what are their proposals in this regard for the next three years. [HL2369]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Landfill tax receipts data does not provide a regional breakdown for landfill tax paid in England and Wales or provide information on how much revenue is received from local authorities. This is because registered landfill site operators pay the tax to HM Revenue and Customs and pass on the cost to their customers through the disposal charges they set. The origin of the landfilled waste is not recorded on the tax return.
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Latest landfill tax receipts for the UK are published by HM Revenue and Customs at www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulllandfill.
Forecast landfill tax receipts for 2008-09 are published in Table B8 of the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/F/9/pbr_csr07_annexb_305.pdf.
The Government have always recognised the impact of the landfill tax on local government. The costs of landfill tax, including the increase in the landfill tax escalator, were taken into account when agreeing the size of the revenue support grant for local government CSR settlement.
Welfare to Work
Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that the new commissioning arrangements from private sector
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The aim of the new commissioning strategy is to bring a distinctive approach to service delivery based on specialist knowledge, skills and experience using the private, public and third sectors. This approach will harness the innovation and expertise of the private and voluntary sector to help us improve the service we deliver to our customers. In doing this, we will support the development of the wider market to ensure that high-quality, high-performing, specialist providers are involved in our contracts.
We have made it clear that, in assessing bids from potential prime contractors, we will look for evidence that demonstrates a specialist understanding of sources of disadvantage, and strategies to overcome them for all customer groups. This will include homeless people.
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