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Sudan: Asylum Seekers
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Home Office received any complaints from lawyers of Darfuri asylum seekers with active cases and who had been interviewed by a Sudanese embassy official in Home Office facilities in March or April 2008. [HL5682]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The information requested could only be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the content of the disclaimers allegedly signed by Darfuri asylum seekers in March and April 2008, saying they agreed to be interviewed by a Sudanese official. [HL5683]
Lord West of Spithead: No disclaimers were used or signed by Darfuri asylum seekers in relation to the documentation interviews that took place between March and April 2007. A standard bio-data form was used where the applicants confirmed their bio-data. Publication of the content of the bio-data forms would breach confidentiality.
Transport: Heavy Goods Vehicles
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the fees payable under the Goods Vehicles (Authorisation for International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1576), having not been uprated since 2004, are increased for five licence types by fewer than 10 per cent, while two are increased by 14.3 per cent and one by 33.3 per cent. [HL5658]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The broad level of increase in the fees payable under the Goods Vehicles (Authorisation for International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1576), resulted because fees are normally rounded to the nearest pound to minimise the effects of customer
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Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the fees set by the Goods Vehicles (Authorisation for International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1576) were calculated; and what factors were taken into account in determining the increases. [HL5659]
Lord Adonis: The fees set by the Goods Vehicles (Authorisation for International Journeys) (Fees) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1576) are calculated in line with Treasury policy on fees and charges set out in Managing Public Money and qualified or supplemented by the Department of Transport (Fees) Order 1988 Schedule 1, Table II, item A, and Schedule 2, paragraphs 1 to 7.
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
After the proposed registrations come into effect, how many heavy goods vehicles will be on the roads of the United Kingdom which do not comply with the requirement to have an adequate display of mirrors to enable the driver clearly to see cyclists behind or alongside them. [HL5687]
Lord Adonis: Proposed national legislation which takes effect from March 2009 will require improved mirrors to be fitted to existing large goods vehicles first used from 1 January 2000. From the available vehicle registration statistics the Department for Transport estimates that around 100,000 vehicles will not be required to comply because they were registered prior to January 2000. None the less, we understand that some of these vehicles are already equipped with mirrors that will comply with the new requirements.
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the draft European Union regulation on further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo) will improve the accuracy and reliability of devices used by drivers of heavy goods vehicles. [HL5768]
Lord Adonis: Regulation 683/2008 on the further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes (EGNOS and Galileo) entered into force on 24 July 2008. It provides a financial and legal basis for Galileo, which will offer better availability and accuracy than the current generation of GPS. The regulation also provides for the operation of EGNOS, which is designed to enhance and assure the accuracy of GPS signals. It is expected that all users of satellite navigation devices, including drivers of heavy goods vehicles, will see significant benefit from the programmes once complete. However, the availability of specialist software for HGV routing is key and will be a matter for the commercial market to deliver.
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