To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK service personnel are stationed at each location overseas. (249731)

Data on the number of UK Regular service personnel stationed at each location overseas as at 1 October 2008 are available in TSP 10 ‘UK Regular Forces Stationed Location’, Table 1.1. This can be found at:

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/apps/publications/pubViewFile.php?content=1800.1&date=2009-02-23&type=html&PublishTime=09:30:00

Copies of TSP 10 are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the need to provide for hearing specialists at Camp Bastion hospital to treat servicemen and women whose hearing has been affected by explosions or the use of munitions. (262185)

[holding answer 10 March 2009]: The medical facilities at Camp Bastion already include the means of examining the hearing of personnel who have been exposed to explosions or the use of munitions, and medical staff at Camp Bastion already institute hearing conservation measures when audiometry indicates that it is appropriate to do so for an individual.

The Ministry of Defence takes the issue of Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) seriously and we are continually looking at ways of monitoring and mitigating the risk in operational scenarios, including the development of improved hearing protection, while not hampering the operational effectiveness of combat personnel. A study is currently under way to determine the numbers of personnel that have been affected by acute acoustic trauma, the results of which will help to inform future policy on treatment and the provision of specialist support. I have met with The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) to discuss how they can further assist us and it has been agreed that they will have a representative at the Surgeon General’s Working Group on Hearing Loss.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 20W, on armed forces: housing, if he will make an assessment of the reasons for the changes in numbers of houses at grade (a) one and (b) four for charge between 2005 and 2007. (264226)

Given the way Grade for Charge data are collated officials need to identify and analyse information to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms are in place for the granting of home leave to (a) recent recruits and (b) personnel under the age of 18 in the armed forces. (263454)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: All service personnel have the same basic allocation of leave although recent recruits, including under-18s, may have leave restricted according to the stage of training they are undertaking. Compassionate leave, however, is always accessible on a case by case basis. It should also be noted that under-18s must provide evidence that they will be suitably accommodated while on leave.

Personnel in the first three years of full-time service are entitled to Get You Home Early Years Scheme which provides assistance (rail warrants or mileage claim) with leave travel up to four times a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the UK has in (a) supporting and (b) participating in the work of the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence; and if he will make a statement. (263181)

The United Kingdom is fully supportive of this Estonian-hosted Cyber Defence initiative and their endeavours in this important area. However, given the need to co-ordinate Cyber Defence with a number of other Government Departments and Allies, the MOD’s preferred means of support is via virtual participation rather than attach personnel permanently to Estonia. The United Kingdom is not a founding signatory nation to this Centre of Excellence (CoE) but this position will be kept under review.

Both the Head of the MOD Defence Security and Safety Assurance organisation and a senior officer from the MOD’s Joint Security Co-ordination Centre (JSyCC) have visited the Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD CoE) and have subsequently provided additional assistance to its development over the past two years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what IT security strategy his Department has in place; what steps are being taken to ensure the strategy is being followed; what policy is in place on the use of encryption when data are sent externally; and what sanctions are in place for use should the policy not be followed; (259003)

[holding answer 26 February 2009]: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.

The Department is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security and assurance. Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended and (c) dismissed for (i) losing and (ii) deliberately disclosing (A) data stored on departmental equipment and (B) confidential information in each year since 1997. (263650)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 December 2008, Official Report, column 333W, to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex, of 6 November 2008, Official Report, column 676W, on the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, when he expects a decision on the integration of future weapons capability to be made. (244618)

In order to provide Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) with an initial baseline air to air and precision air to ground capability, a decision has already been made to integrate Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile and Paveway IV on to the aircraft. We plan to make decisions on the integration of the weapons systems in good time before the introduction to service of the JSF.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the Shareholder Executive as part of the Government’s Trading Fund Review in advance of the 2009 Budget. (263880)

As part of the Department’s Owners Advisory Council for each of its trading funds, Defence Ministers were briefed by a Shareholder Executive official on both the Trading Fund Assessment study, and on the Asset Management Strand of the Operational Efficiency Programme. I discussed the subject separately last November in a meeting attended by a Shareholder Executive official.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of relocating ships’ personnel and their families from Plymouth to (a) Portsmouth and (b) Faslane in each of the last 10 years. (263989)

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has engaged any (a) actors, (b) musicians and (c) other performers to support its initiatives over the last five years. (264063)

Many actors, musicians or performers have worked to support MOD initiatives either voluntarily or having been engaged by a third party.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's estimate in its risk assessments of the probability of a British nuclear submarine colliding at sea with a foreign nuclear submarine was prior to 3 February. (262628)

My Department was satisfied that the estimate of the risk of a collision at sea between a British SSBN and a foreign nuclear submarine prior to 3 February was extremely low.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics what representations she has received from Tearfund on fair trade products and the 2012 Olympic Games. (263544)

We can find no record of representations from Tearfund on fair trade products for the London 2012 Games.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is his Department's policy to offer staff (a) additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping and (b) Christmas bonus payments. (262807)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not offer its staff Christmas bonus payments or additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much in Heritage Fund grants has been made available for the preservation of historic churches in the last 12 months. (263872)

The Heritage Lottery Fund advises that, for the financial period 2007-08, the fund awarded £30,013,041 to conserve the fabric of 531 historic churches and chapels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake in respect of its policy on (i) economic competitiveness and (ii) quality of life for residents of seaside towns in England with specific reference to sporting and cultural activities and amenities. (262990)

At the tourism summit convened by VisitBritain on 8 January this year, we considered ways to help support the industry, including that in seaside towns, through the economic downturn and beyond. We will continue to work with our NDPBs and the industry to maximise the economic competitiveness of our sectors, and people's quality of life through the provision of sporting and cultural activities and amenities, in seaside towns and other communities across the country.

The Department also has a programme specifically for seaside towns, known as Sea Change. It places culture at the heart of efforts to regenerate England's seaside resorts through investment in arts, public space, cultural assets and heritage projects. The scheme, which will run for three years from 2008-11, and which will dispense £45 million in total, will encourage new visitors to coastal areas and help to support and enrich existing communities. It is being delivered through a partnership involving Arts Council England, the Big Lottery Fund, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and the regional development agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on (a) 2 February 2009 and (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost due to such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on these days. (260475)

The offices of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport were closed at 3 pm on 2 February owing to a lack of security staff caused by travel restrictions caused by the extreme weather. On 3 February 2009, we estimate that around 40 per cent. of staff attended the office. We do not hold central records of absence or the hours worked by staff on the relevant days and are not able to make an estimate of (i) the cost to the Department nor (ii) the number of working hours lost.

On the days in question, staff were able to access information about whether the offices were closed on the internet and recovery phone line.

Further guidance was issued on 5 February, reminding staff that when DCMS buildings are open staff are expected to take all reasonable steps to get into work without endangering themselves; that if they cannot get to the office they must notify their line manager that morning; and that if they do not notify their line manager they will be expected to take any days out of the office as annual or unpaid leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with which banks his Department has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09. (262762)

The Department has held an agreement with Goldman Sachs for the provision of financial advice in connection with the possible sale of the Tote.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department (a) were disciplined and (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months. (262247)

No staff in my Department have been disciplined or had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record over the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. (263122)

During the period 1 March 2008 to 28 February 2009 the following items were lost or stolen.

During the period 1 March 2008 to 28 February 2009 the following three works of art have gone missing from the Government Art Collection and are still missing.

GACL90—‘Monument to Balance’, 4/30 print by Ernest A. Dunn

Reported missing from British consulate-general, Sao Paulo, July 2008

Estimated cost of replacement: £100

GAC12775—‘The Wording of Police Charges’, 37/150 1970 print by R. B. Kitaj

GAC1275— ‘Plague’, 37/150 1970 print by R. B. Kitaj

Both reported missing from British embassy, Baku, July 2008

Estimated cost of replacement: £500 each.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in respect of which projects each of his Department’s non-departmental public bodies will receive ring-fenced funding in each of the next three years; and what the cost of each such project will be. (255930)

At the conclusion of Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 negotiations, only funding to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and funding to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLAC) for Renaissance in the Regions and the Government Indemnity Scheme, were depicted as being ring-fenced. ODA funding, which represents the maximum expected cost to the Exchequer, is broken down as follows:

This answer does not include the funding amounts for MLAC, which were detailed in my answer on 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 2276-78W, to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt).

Funding for 2011-12 for the Department’s non-departmental public bodies falls outside of the current spending review period, and will be the subject of detailed negotiation at a later date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on (a) administration and (b) staff salaries in each of the last five years; and what proportion of each has been spent on the Government Olympic Executive. (263982)

The information requested is set out in the table. As the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) was formed in 2005, the table does not show data for the years prior to that.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on promoting (a) national lottery games and (b) Olympic lottery games in each quarter since the launch of the Olympic lottery. (264036)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: Under the terms of the licence to operate the national lottery, Camelot is required to spend a minimum amount per annum on marketing national lottery games for the benefit of good causes. The annual levels are calculated according to a formula laid down in the licence. The minimum marketing expenditure (MME) for each financial year from 2005-06 is given in the following table.

As the commercial operator, it is at Camelot's discretion to spend in excess of the MME as required to ensure the effective promotion of national lottery games. Camelot have advised that quarterly breakdowns of promotional expenditure on national lottery games is considered to be a matter of commercial sensitivity and should not be released.

Camelot have advised that it is not possible to disaggregate expenditure on promoting Olympic lottery games from the rest of the portfolio as they consider that this information would be commercially sensitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much has been spent by the national lottery promotions unit in 2008-09; (264037)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: Between 1 April 2008 and 31 December 2008, the national lottery promotions unit (NLPU) spent £1,609,351 delivering public relations campaigns that enable the public to access information about lottery funding and the difference it is making to their communities.

All work is independently evaluated and assessed and in the period 1 April 2008 to 31 December 2008 it was estimated that the NLPU had delivered activity with a value of over £54,407,032 which represents a return on investment of 33:1. Figures for the last three months of the financial year are not yet available.

For the current financial year the national lottery promotions unit has a budget of £2,667,121.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has engaged any (a) actors, (b) musicians and (c) other performers to support its initiatives over the last five years. (264053)

The Department and its non-departmental public bodies regularly draw upon the talents of individuals within the sectors that fall under the Department's responsibility, but a list is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the Government's response to the findings of the Community Pubs Inquiry report. (263698)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: The recommendations in the Community Pubs Inquiry report cover the policy interests of several Government Departments. Consequently it has taken time to collate a Government response. However, our report is being finalised and we hope to respond shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what revenues have been raised by the Royal Parks Agency in each Royal Park from (a) car park charges, (b) fixed penalty notices, (c) other fines and (d) other revenues in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (263809)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: The Royal Parks (TRP) advise that there are visitor parking facilities in five of London's eight Royal Parks: Hyde park, Regent’s park, Greenwich park, Richmond park and Bushey park.

TRP advise that there is no charge at present for parking in Richmond or Bushey parks, but parking charges have applied in Hyde park and Regent's park since 1994 and in Greenwich park since 2000. Revenue received by TRP from parking charges over the last five financial years is as follows:

The figures shown above include income from excess charge notices (penalties for failing to display a valid parking ticket), which break down as follows:

TRP does not receive any revenue from fixed penalty notices or other fines, but receives revenue from catering and other concessions, from fees for events, permits and licences, and from rents. Over the past five years these revenues, park by park, were as follows:

These figures exclude grants for agency-wide projects, which are managed centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what date he expects the Sport England Strategy for 2008 to 2011 to have been implemented. (261466)

[holding answer 6 March 2009]: Sport England’s new strategy runs between April 2008 and March 2011, and implementation is ongoing during this period.

A key element of the strategy is Sport England’s investment in national governing bodies of sport (NGBs). 46 NGBs have been commissioned to deliver specific outcomes over four years, contributing to the outcomes Sport England has committed to achieving, including 1 million more people engaged in sport by 2012-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months. (260643)

My Office has not provided voice coaching for staff in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months. (260642)

The Northern Ireland Office has not provided voice coaching for any employees in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of sex offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years. (260136)

The information requested is as follows:

(a) The data are not in the format requested as only case-based data are available. As several persons may be involved in a crime and only one person is required to clear a crime that has been committed, it is only possible to give the number of cases of sexual offences that were cleared by means of a charge or summons. This information is documented in Table 1 for the years 2002-03 to 2007-08.

(b) Table 2 documents those convicted of a sexual offence for the calendar years 2001 to 2006 (the latest years for which data are available). Data are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

It is not possible to compare the data provided in the two tables as those relating to Table 1 are case-based while those relating to Table 2 are person-based.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission in which incidents (a) police officers, (b) armed police officers and (c) security officers have been injured in the course of their work in (i) the Palace of Westminster and (ii) the parliamentary estate in each of the last five years for which figures are available; at which location each injury occurred; whether any person was subsequently (A) arrested and (B) convicted of causing injury; and if he will make a statement. (263242)

There are two relevant incidents recorded within the last five years:

25 February 2008: Security officer apprehended a youth apparently stealing a bicycle (on Millbank). During the course of this incident the security officer sustained a grazed knee. There was insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution of the suspect.

8 October 2006: A police officer was spat on (at Carriage Gates Entrance). The suspect was cautioned at Charing Cross police station for assault of a police officer.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what steps are being taken to increase the number of sockets providing access to the Parliamentary network for network users in (a) 1 Parliament Street and (b) other parts of the parliamentary estate to allow all computers in hon. Members' offices to access the network at the same time. (263860)

There are no proposals to increase the number of sockets available in Members’ offices across the estate; nor, so far as I am aware, is there any demand for such an increase. Any individual cases would be looked at on their merits, including the costs involved and the capacity of the system in the area.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many cases of theft from inside (a) the Palace of Westminster and (b) each other building on the Parliamentary estate were reported in each of the last five years; what items were reported stolen; what the estimated value of each was; and if he will make a statement. (261478)

The recorded statistics for thefts from the parliamentary estate are:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Crown Estate plans to renew the lease for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's use of No. 1 Carlton Gardens. (263507)

This matter has not yet been decided.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average annual proportion of UK tax paid by non-domiciled UK residents which is accounted for by payment of UK air passenger duty. (263419)

The information to make an estimate is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms are in place to compensate people for financial loss incurred as a result of fraud in relation to retail banks. (264227)

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme will compensate persons who are eligible to claim under its rules in the event that a UK authorised bank is unable, or likely to be unable, to pay claims against it, including where the bank is unable to pay claims as a result of fraud.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met the (i) British Brands Group and (ii) Anti-Counterfeiting Group in each of the last five years; and which subjects were discussed on each occasion. (263856)

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors. This forms part of the Department's processes for policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what resources have been provided to Capital for Enterprise Ltd for the additional workload required for implementation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme. (259157)

The Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme has been implemented within the existing 2008-09 budgeted resource provision for Capital for Enterprise Limited (CfEL). The Department is currently reviewing the resource requirement going forward through discussion with CfEL.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. (263106)

The following items of HM Treasury property were reported lost or stolen during 2008:

The total cost of replacement is estimated at £1,000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 103W, on departmental surveys, if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of his Department's most recent annual staff survey. (263400)

The most recent annual staff survey was conducted in December 2008. As in previous years the survey suppliers are providing a summary of the results to be put on the HM Treasury public website. This will be made available by the end of March 2009.

I will place a copy of this summary in the Library once it is available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of suppliers of systems integration services to the Financial Services Authority completed projects on time and on budget in each of the last five years. (264229)

This is an operational matter for the FSA. The FSA will respond to the hon. Member directly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of levels of procurement of office supplies from UK-based businesses by Government Departments. (263478)

The information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Oxford, East of 24 February 2009, Official Report, column 530W, on non-profit making associations, if he will discuss with the Office of Government Commerce the scope for accelerating its work. (263350)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 105W, on Public Sector: Procurement. An update on the progress in implementing the Glover recommendations will be provided at Budget 2009.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of cutting VAT to 15 per cent. which is accounted for by expenditure by households in each income decile. (262311)

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 10 March 2009, Official Report, columns 262-63W.

In addition, table 14 in “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Incomes, 2006-07”, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/07_08/downloads/ELMR_Jul08_Jones.pdf, presents information on spending on VAT, on average, accounted for by households in each income decile.

The Treasury has made no such assessment, but from these proportions it is possible to infer the estimated annual cost of the VAT rate reduction by income decile (although such estimates would be unreliable).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of reducing the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. accounted for by households where the head of the household is aged (a) 25 or under, (b) 26 to 30, (c) 31 to 35, (d) 36 to 40, (e) 41 to 45, (f) 46 to 50, (g) 51 to 55, (h) 56 to 60, (i) 61 to 65, (j) 66 to 70, (k) 71 to 75, (l) 76 to 80 and (m) over 80. (264202)

No such estimate has been made.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the annual (a) revenue cost and (b) cash flow impact on the Exchequer of making value added tax (VAT) cash accounting available to all VAT-registered traders. (255052)

It is estimated that making cash accounting available to all VAT-registered traders would have an accruals and cash cost to the Exchequer of £1.6 billion in the first year and negligible cost thereafter. The cash accounting threshold was doubled in 2007 and is already as high as is permitted under the UK's derogation from EU law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a pilot scheme for concessionary bus travel for young adults between the ages of 17 and 25 years. (263564)

[holding answer 13 March 2009]: There are no plans to make concessionary travel a statutory entitlement for young people. At present 48 per cent. of young people walk or cycle to school and there is a risk that a blanket England-wide concession could encourage young people who currently walk or cycle instead to take the bus.

Local authorities can use their existing powers to offer local concessionary travel to young people and many do offer some kind of concession. We believe local authorities are best placed to make this decision, based on their own assessment of needs and circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have registered for the DART-Tag scheme for the Dartford Crossing. (261777)

There were 91,684 accounts with 250,979 DART-Tags on 4 March 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with which banks his Department has or has had contracts for the provision of financial advice, for the financial year 2008-09. (262755)

The Department for Transport has had contracts in place with UBS Ltd., Merrill Lynch International and Citigroup Global Markets Ltd. for the provision of financial advice in the financial year 2008-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which new policy areas for which his Department has acquired responsibility have resulted in headcount additions in his Department agreed with the Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce in the last two years. (262940)

The Department for Transport has not acquired any new policy areas which have resulted in headcount additions agreed with the Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce in the last two years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's criteria for approving overseas business travel for senior civil servants. (262938)

All official travel in the Department for Transport is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code. The Department does not publish any separate criteria for senior civil servants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many visits (a) he, (b) other Ministers and (c) departmental officials made abroad in 2008. (262458)

Ministers of the Department for Transport made 13 visits overseas in 2008. Of these, five were by the Secretary of State and eight by other Ministers.

The Department does not record the travel undertaken by officials by numbers of visits and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been paid into the Consolidated Fund from each type of fine on motorists in each year since 1997. (262420)

Fixed penalties and certain other enforcement income in respect of non-payment of vehicle excise duty is paid to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The amounts remitted by DVLA to the Consolidated Fund in recent years are given as follows.

The Department for Transport does not collect information on fines imposed by magistrates or Crown courts or by the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009, Official Report, column 1726W, on Heathrow Airport: air pollution, on what date Ministers concluded that air quality limits had been met in relation to the (a) third runway and (b) mixed mode scenarios consulted on in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation; and if he will make a statement. (263862)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: Further to my answer on 5 March, Ministers received advice in September 2007 confirming the position and subsequently agreed this for the purposes of consultation. Final decisions in the light of consultation responses were taken shortly before the announcement on 15 January 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes to transport infrastructure will be required to accommodate the new high speed railway tracks by 2013. [Official Report, 25 March 2009, Vol. 490, c. 3MC.] (263878)

“Britain’s Transport Infrastructure: High Speed Two”, published on 15 January and available on the Department for Transport’s website and the Libraries of the House, sets out what we expect High Speed Two to deliver.

The remit of the company is to consider and to provide advice to the Government on the costs and benefits of:

(a) A proposed route between London and the west midlands with any options as appropriate;

(b) Options for a “Heathrow International” interchange station on the Great Western main line with an interchange also with Crossrail;

(c) Options for access to central London and the other cities served;

(d) Options for linking with HS1 and the existing rail network, including the potential for services to continental Europe;

(e) Financing and construction proposals.

In response to a letter dated 13 February from Sir David Rowlands, Chairman of High Speed Two, my noble Friend the Minister responsible for rail wrote to the company on 10 March setting out in more detail what the Government expect by the end of the year. Both letters have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Lichfield Trent Valley railway station will be (a) refurbished and (b) provided with disabled access to the platforms serving the southbound West Coast Main Line and the eastbound Birmingham line; and if he will make a statement. (263523)

There are currently no plans to carry out work at Lichfield Trent Valley under the Access for All or National Stations Improvement Programmes. However, London Midland are exploring options with the local authority to redevelop the whole site to improve station facilities, provide additional car parking and if possible, provide step-free access to all platforms.

If such a project can be developed, we would welcome an application for partial funding from the Access for All Small Schemes fund. An accessible ticket machine has recently been installed and improvements to the toilet and waiting facilities are due in the summer. Information points, customer information screens and a public address system are also planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what speed cameras the speed camera signs on gantries over the M1 motorway between junctions 8 and 9 relate; where such cameras are situated; how many speed cameras (a) are in place and (b) are to be put in place on the M1 motorway for the purpose of detecting the speed of vehicles; and where each is situated. (263391)

[holding answer 16 March 2009]: The signs that can currently be found between junctions 8 and 9 on the M1 are there to advise road users that speed enforcement is taking place over this stretch of the motorway.

Currently there are no fixed cameras in place between junctions 8 and 9, as they have not yet been installed, but fixed cameras will be installed over the coming months. Police also operate in this area and will continue to enforce the national speed limit on this and other stretches of the M1.

There are currently 11 gantries in each direction between junctions 8 and 9 of the M1. One gantry in each direction includes the equipment to enforce the speed limit. There will be cameras over every lane in each direction.

Plans for the location of cameras on other sections of the M1 which are planned to be improved will be agreed nearer the time that the improvements are due to open.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost of widening (a) junctions 16 to 23 and (b) junctions 27 to 30 of the M25; and how much of this sum he expects to come from the public purse. (261607)

Both of these widening schemes form part of the M25 design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract that is currently in the final stages of negotiation. The latest estimates of the cost of these widening schemes are based on the tendered prices submitted by the preferred bidder, Connect Plus. However, these are commercially sensitive until the contract is awarded.

The last estimate, prior to receipt of tenders for the DBFO contract, was made in July 2007. At that time the cost of widening junctions 16 to 23 was estimated at £697 million and junctions 27 to 30 at £583 million.

As these works are being procured through a private finance initiative (PFI) contract it is planned that they will funded by borrowings from the private sector which are recovered from the Highways Agency out of availability payments over the life of the contract. These payments are subject to contractor performance. In light of current financial circumstances the Government may elect to lend to the project if insufficient private sector funds are available. However, this is not yet determined.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the M62 motorway between Hull and the junction with the M18 to be clear of roadworks and lane closures in both directions; and if he will make a statement. (263535)

Current roadworks on the M62 between Hull and the M18 are the Balkholme to Gilberdyke major resurfacing scheme and the replacement of Addle Lane Bridge between junctions 37 and 38.

This work is planned for completion in June 2009 when traffic management and any lane closures on the M62 will be fully removed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) railway stations and (b) transport interchanges have local taxi facilities which are accessible to disabled people. (263008)

The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested as this is matter for local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009, Official Report, column 2132W, on railways: franchises, what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on assumptions about (i) economic growth and (ii) passenger volumes in the franchise agreements for these lines in the last 12 months. (261513)

The Department for Transport monitors revenues on all franchises, and forms an internal view about likely future trends as part of its routine monitoring of franchisees. The Department is also carrying out research looking at a large sample of passenger flows across England, Wales and Scotland in order to improve our understanding of how economic and other factors have influenced the growth in rail patronage in recent years. This is due to complete at the end of 2009, and will be used to inform the Department’s forecasting work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent in each region on rail freight grants in each of the last 10 years. (261888)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: There are two types of rail freight grants:

revenue support for the operation of rail services; and

capital funding for the construction of freight facilities.

In both cases grants are justified by the environmental benefits of removing lorry traffic from the roads.

Figures in this answer relate to grants awarded by: the Department for Transport; the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR); the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR); and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

Revenue support grants fund services that could pass through a number of regions and therefore a region by region breakdown is not possible. The following table gives the budget for revenue grants for each of the past 10 years:

The allocation shown for 2007-08 and 2008-09 is provided through the Sustainable Distribution Fund. Of this £17 million was provided for rail resource grants in 2007-08 and our current forecasts show £19.4 million likely to be provided in 2008-09.

Capital grants awarded for facilities in regions of England over the past 10 years are shown in the following table. Grants provided for moveable assets are not included as a region cannot be assigned. The benefits of reduced lorry traffic as a result of a grant awarded will generally not be limited to the region in which the facility is located.

The SRA suspended the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) programme for most rail projects in 2003, although grants continued to be available for aggregate-based facilities through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. FFGs were reintroduced for all rail schemes by the Department in April 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rail datasets held by his Department supply data broken down by (a) constituency, (b) local authority, (c) county and (d) region. (262454)

The rail datasets held by the Department for Transport that can supply data by constituency, local authority, county and region are the National Rail Travel Survey (NRTS) and the national rail element of the 2001 London Area Transport Survey (LATS).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on shared space initiatives in the last five years. (262934)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today (UIN 262452).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average daily flow of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) other vehicles was on each section of the (i) A11 and (ii) A14 in Suffolk in each of the last five years. (263430)

A table providing annual average daily flows (AADFs) of (a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) other vehicles on each section of the (i) A11 and (ii) A14 in Suffolk has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

These figures give estimates of the number of vehicles travelling along individual sections of road on an average day of the year. Two sections of the A14 in Cambridgeshire have been included for continuity.

The figures provided in the table are for the period 2003-07. More recent data for 2008 will be released in June 2009. AADF data for individual motorway and ‘A’ road links for 1999 to 2007 are available on our website at:

www.dft.gov.uk/matrix

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on traffic initiatives designed to integrate road users via shared space initiatives. (262452)

In the late 1990s, the Department for Transport commissioned research into home zones and quiet lanes, which are forms of shared space in residential streets and rural roads respectively. The research involved evaluating pilot schemes to assist in developing subsequent legislation and guidance.

We have also evaluated shared space research, commissioned by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and home zones research, commissioned by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. Both projects identified the difficulties faced by some disabled people in these environments.

To better understand these difficulties the Department recently commissioned a major shared space research project. The two-year project started in February 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many road traffic accidents there were in each police force area in each year since 1997; (264231)

Tables showing the number of (a) accidents (b) fatalities and (c) injuries resulting from reported personal injury road accidents in each police force area in Great Britain from 1997 to 2007 have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) accidents and (b) deaths on rural roads involving uninsured drivers there were in each (i) local authority area and (ii) constituency in each year since 1997. (264274)

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 March 2009, Official Report, columns 598-99W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths on rural roads in each (a) local authority area and (b) constituency there were in each year since 1997. (264278)

Tables showing the numbers of deaths on rural roads in each local authority area and constituency resulting from reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain from 1997 to 2007 have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to support provision of an additional access road for Canvey Island for economic reasons. (263280)

Any proposed access road to Canvey Island is the responsibility for Essex county council, as local highway authority.

Should the council, in liaison with Castle Point borough council, decide to promote such a scheme, it would need to obtain the East of England region's agreement to prioritise the scheme for funding within its regional funding allocation for major transport schemes.

The council would then need to submit a detailed major scheme business case for the scheme, in line with Department for Transport guidance, for consideration and assessment by the Department.

Alternatively, the council could seek funding from its own or through third party sources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to assess the appropriateness of arrangements for stockpiling and distribution of salt and grit for use on roads in cold weather. (262242)

I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Transport's written ministerial statement of 12 March 2009, Official Report, columns 29-32WS, which advised that the UK Roads Liaison Group had been asked to review the lessons learnt in respect of the supply and stock holding of salt for use on roads during the recent period of adverse weather.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what road (a) safety, (b) user and (c) congestion datasets held by his Department supply data, broken down by (i) constituency, (ii) local authority, (iii) county and (iv) region. (262456)

The information requested is given in the following table: