here - United Kingdom Parliament

1225W
Written Answers
6 JUNE 2013
Written Answers
1226W
Norman Baker: All professional bus and coach drivers
are required to hold a Certificate of Professional
Competence (CPC) and to carry out 35 hours of periodic
training every five years. Although disability awareness
training is not compulsory, I have recently written to
operators to encourage uptake and it is estimated that
approximately 75 per cent of all bus and coach drivers
have completed some form of this training.
On the railways, while the Department for Transport
requires each licensed operator to have a Disabled Persons
Protection Policy and all passenger facing staff and
managers to attend disability awareness training which
may cover British Sign Language, there is no mandatory
requirement for training to do so.
The Driving Standards Agency allows theory test
candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing to request
the use of British Sign Language (BSL) images or a sign
language interpreter at no extra cost. Deaf or hard of
hearing candidates making telephone bookings are able
to use text relay.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency currently
has BSL trained staff in some local offices in addition
to a number of BSL videos that have been made available
on You Tube for deaf customers.
Telephone Services
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport
whether his Department receives any financial or nonfinancial
benefit from its telephone providers for telephone
lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for
which he is responsible operate, including but not limited
to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the
Department’s telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony
services for free or at a reduced price. [157743]
Norman Baker: The telephone services operated by
the Department for Transport and its Executive Agencies
are competitively tendered to ensure best value for
money for fee payers and tax payers, which will include
appropriate discounts and cost reductions. These are
included within the contract price and are not separately
identifiable.
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for
Transport what his Department’s budget for ministerial
travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private
hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f)
other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.
[157534]
Norman Baker: The table below sets out the ministerial
travel budget for the different modes of transport as
requested, for 2013-14. The budgets for 2014-15 and
2015-16 have not yet been agreed.
Mode of Transport Budget (£)
Government Car Service 220,000
Air Travel 17,000
Rail Travel 10,300
Taxis 2,900
Other (inc private hire) 700
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport
how much his Department spent on ministerial travel
by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles,
(c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in
each year of the current parliament. [157555]
Norman Baker: Information on Departmental spend
on the Government Car Service is published in the
annual written Ministerial Statement, details of which
can be found within the libraries of both Houses.
2010/11:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/
cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/
120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
2011/12:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/
cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/
121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
2012/13 will be published in due course.
The table below details expenditure by other modes
of transport for each financial year of the current
parliament. Prior to 2012, the Department did not
record expenditure on private hire vehicles, taxis, rail,
aviation and other means separately. As a result, the
only figures available for those years are those for
expenses incurred for travel within the UK and expenses
incurred on overseas travel.
It is important to note that these figures represent
spend for the Ministerial cost-centres and so include
not just the travel costs of Ministers but also the costs
incurred by staff accompanying Ministers, as these are
not recorded separately.
Mode of Transport 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 1 Total
Travel Expenses UK 22,759 32,363 — — 55,122
Travel Exp Overseas 7,708 23,337 — — 31,045
Air Travel — — 41,088 93 55,096
Rail Travel — — 33,629 1,327 34,956
Taxis — — 2,029 186 2,215
Other (inc Private Hire) — — 2,135 106 2,241
Total 30,467 55,700 78,881 1,712 180,675
1
April and May.
West Coast Railway Line
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of
State for Transport how much Virgin Trains has paid in
premiums to the Government in respect of the West
Coast Main Line in each year since the company was
awarded the franchise. [158132]