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13 Mar 2008 : Column 530W—continued
In addition to the above forms available to people who do not speak English, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency makes available in Welsh, all forms and documents for persons residing in Wales.
The Highways Agency also offers a translation service on request for all its published documents. Details of the service are provided in each publication. During 2007-08 there were no foreign language requests.
The Driving Standards Agency publishes the Welsh version of The Highway Code on behalf of the Department for Transport.
Information on translations provided by the Department’s non-departmental public bodies is held by the bodies themselves. This information is not held centrally.
Drinking Water
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on bottled water in the latest year for which figures are available. [189791]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department spent £102,834 on bottled water during the latest year for which figures are available. This includes spend on associated items such as cooler units and water provided to members of the public: by the Highways Agency Traffic Officer service during major incidents and driving test candidates at Driving Standards Agency driving test centres.
At our main London HQ buildings we will be ending the provision of bottled water for meetings as a priority and providing tap water instead. This will take a short time to arrange, as we use up existing stocks and purchase carafes.
The data exclude spend by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and regional offices of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency where spend is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Heathrow Airport: Noise
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration was given to the noise costs indicated by the attitudes to noise from aviation sources in England study in drawing up the financial estimates in the adding capacity at Heathrow consultation. [193689]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government said at the time of publication of the ANASE study they would take the findings into account in developing air transport policy. However, as the independent peer reviewers made clear, the study could not provide a reliable way of attaching a monetary figure to the impact of aircraft noise.
Consequently, and pending the availability of a better alternative, we applied existing valuations for road and rail noise in the cost benefit analysis for the adding capacity at Heathrow consultation.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Manpower
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were employed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at the most recent date for which figures are available. [194439]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There are 1,245 people employed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as on 11 March 2008.
Metronet: Finance
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Metronet's weekly cost to the public purse has been since it went into administration; and from what budget the costs are met. [189304]
Ms Rosie Winterton: On 6 February 2008, Official Report, columns 74-76WS, the Secretary of State made a written statement on the spending review settlement reached with Transport for London. This statement includes cover for costs arising from Metronet's administration.
It is now for Transport for London to manage their costs and priorities within their overall financial envelope.
Night Flying: East Midlands
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many night flights there were from (a) East Midlands Airport and (b) designated London airports in each of the last 10 years. [192417]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 10 March 2008]: Night flights at the three London designated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) are subject to restriction. With some exemptions, a movements and noise quota limit applies during the night quota period (11.30 pm to 6.00 am). The following table sets out the number of movements of aircraft subject to these controls. While there are restrictions on the type of aircraft that can be operated during the shoulder periods (11.00 pm to 11.30 pm and 6 am to 7 am) there are no limits on movements or quota during these periods.
| T otal number of movements in night quota period (11.30 pm to 6 am) | |||
| Heathrow | Gatwick | Stansted | |
| (1) i.e. Winter/summer. Note: The totals relate to movements covered by the Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted noise restrictions. They include some movements which were disregarded from movements limits because of delays to aircraft which were likely to lead to serious congestion at the aerodrome or serious hardship or suffering to passengers or animals; or because of delays to aircraft resulting from widespread and prolonged disruption of air traffic. | |||
No similar regime involving a night quota period is in place at East Midlands. Flights are recorded on a calendar year basis and on a night period basis (11.00 pm to 7 pm). Accordingly this data is not compatible with that provided.
| Total number of movements in night period (11.00 pm to 7 am) | |
| East Midlands | |
Railways: Brighton
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average loading is of the diesel train service between Brighton and Ashford (a) in peak hours and (b) across the working day. [193910]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department.
Road Traffic: Peterborough
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will (a) review and (b) estimate the likely traffic capacity of the (i) A47, (ii) A1139, (iii) A605 and (iv) A15 roads within the Peterborough city council area in the period up to 2020 consequent upon planned large-scale residential development; and if she will make a statement. [193682]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Reviewing and estimating traffic capacity at this local level is a matter for Peterborough city council in its development of local transport plans.
Southern: Rolling Stock
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2008, Official Report, columns 9-10W, on rolling stock: Brighton, what assessment (a) she and (b) Southern has made of the capacity of diesel rolling stock available to that company to accommodate passenger demand on the (i) Brighton-Ashford and (ii) other railway lines; and if she will make a statement. [193909]
Mr. Tom Harris: Train operating companies make decisions about the deployment of rolling stock to match customer demand.
The Department for Transport will continue to review train counts and train plans to check that resources are being deployed effectively.
The rail White Paper was published in July 2007. It sets out the resources we intend to make available to the rail industry and the increases in capacity, as well as safety and performance that we expect the industry to deliver in return.
Transport: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2757-58W, on housing: infrastructure, what work programmes have been evaluated for the infrastructure improvements needed to meet new housing developments recommended for the Bournemouth area. [193926]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The recommendations on housing developments for Bournemouth are those of an Independent Panel that examined the draft regional spatial strategy for the South West. As part of the Government’s consideration of the report of the Panel published in January 2008, the Departments for Transport and Communities and Local Government are considering the transport implications of the proposed levels of growth. No conclusions have been reached by the Government on any of the Panel’s recommendations.
Bournemouth borough council has not put forward proposals to the Government for new housing growth in its area. However, in relation to proposals for growth from Poole council, the Department is working with Poole and its neighbouring authorities including Bournemouth to examine the transport impact of the planned growth in the area.
The Departments for Transport and Communities and Local Government have provided £200,000 towards the cost of studies by Poole and its neighbouring authorities to assess the need for transport infrastructure improvements and to ensure that the proposed housing growth is sustainable and acceptable environmentally.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, column 2766W, on transport: finance, how much of (a) the £87 million regional transport budget and (b) the £173.7 million capital funding for the South West was allocated to Bournemouth. [193927]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is as follows:
(a) None of the regional transport budget for 2006-07 was allocated to Bournemouth borough council because the authority did not have any approved major schemes in construction during that year.
(b) Of the £173.3 million block capital funding for local authorities in the South West region for 2006-07, £2.691 million was allocated to Bournemouth borough council, consisting of an integrated transport allocation of £1.652 million and a highways capital maintenance allocation of £1.039 million.
Transport: East of England
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 3 March 2008, Official Report, columns 97-8WS, on rail and road capacity (east of England), what estimate she has made of the cost of the proposed (a) rail and (b) road improvements; and what contribution she expects to be forthcoming from BAA to each. [192367]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 7 March 2008]: The proposed work to look into capacity improvements on the M11 and the West Anglia Main Line will examine a range of potential options. At this stage, it is too early to provide any clear indications of scheme costs.
In line with the provisions in the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper, BAA will contribute to the costs to the extent that improvements are required to cater for airport-related traffic, subject to the necessary referral to the economic regulator and the planning process.
Transport: Kent
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which integrated transport projects undertaken by Kent County Council in North Kent have been financed by the proceeds of the Dartford River Crossing tolls; and in which constituencies those projects are located. [193046]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has made available £1 million per year extra since 2003 to Kent county council, to help deliver local transport projects. This is in recognition of the impact of the crossing on local residents.
This funding is provided as an addition to the local transport block capital allocation for Kent county council, which in 2007-08 totalled £36.737 million. Responsibility for allocating these funds is a matter for Kent county council, and the Department does not require the authority to provide detailed returns on its decisions.
Travel: Concessions
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities receive funding from central Government to fully cover the costs of implementing the national concessionary fares scheme. [193111]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are confident that the overall level of funding for the statutory minimum provision of concessionary travel is sufficient to cover the full cost.
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