§ Lord Teviotasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the gross annual costs of the Public Carriage Office and the London Taxicab Enforcement Office respectively; and what proportion of those costs is offset by licence fees received in respect of London black taxis and their drivers. [HL682]
§ Baroness HaymanThe estimated gross annual cost of the Public Carriage Office in 1997–98 by each of its constituent sections is:
£ The Public Carriage Office 2,001,900 Cab Rank Liaison Officer 22,400 Lost Property Office 307,600 Cab Enforcement Section 278,900 Total 2,610,800 The cost of the Public Carriage Office itself is entirely recovered from fees charged for taxi driver licences, taxicab licences and lost badges. The other costs are met from the Metropolitan Police Fund.
§ Lord Teviotasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many persons are employed in the Public Carriage Office and the London Taxicab Enforcement Office. [HL683]
§ Baroness HaymanThe number of persons employed in the Public Carriage Office by each of its constituent sections at 18 February 1998 was:
Public Carriage Office 65 Cab Rank Liaison Officer 1 Lost Property Office 12 Cab Enforcement Section 5 Total 83
§ Lord Teviotasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the gross cost to the Public Carriage Office and the London Taxicab Enforcement Office of the extra staff and resources needed to regulate private hire passenger vehicles under the current provisions of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Bill. [HL684]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Explanatory and Financial Memorandum to the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Bill estimates the overall annual cost of administration and enforcement at about £4 million. Further work is being done on costs, but there must be uncertainty about any estimate, as there are no reliable statistics as to how many operators, drivers and vehicles there are in the London private hire vehicle trade. It is intended that the costs of administration of the London private hire vehicle licensing system and its enforcement by Public Carriage Office staff should be met by licence fees authorised by provisions in the Bill.
84WA
§ Lord Teviotasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of the income from passengers using London's black taxis is derived from plying for hire, as distinct from bookings made in advance of the journey. [HL685]
§ Baroness HaymanThis information is not available.