§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the Health and Safety Executive's employees based in offices outside London travel to work by car; and how many HSE offices have green travel plans in place. [176720]
§ Jane KennedyThe information about travel to work is not available.
There are no green travel plans in place at present for any of HSE's offices. A green travel plan for HSE's London Headquarters will be published shortly. A plan will be put in place at HSE's Merseyside Centre when HSE moves to its new PFI building next year. Further travel plans for HSE field offices will be implemented thereafter.
§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the capital cost is of the new headquarters of the Health and Safety Executive in Bootle; what the anticipated revenue costs in its first full year of operation are; and what the current building's annual revenue costs are in Bootle. [176721]
§ Jane KennedyThe capital cost of the new headquarters of the Health and Safety Executive in Bootle, procured under the Private Finance Initiative, is £58.3 million (2003 prices) comprising £57 million on construction which is being met by the contractor and £1.3 million land purchase. The anticipated revenue costs in its first full year of operation from 2005 are £7.4 million (2005 prices). The annual revenue costs of current buildings in Bootle are £4.4 million (2004 prices).
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§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Health and Safety Executive North West region spent on casual staff in the region in financial year 2003–04. [176723]
§ Jane KennedyExpenditure on agency staff in the financial year 2003–04 in the North West Division was £143,352.
§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals the Health and Safety Executive will be bringing forward to introduce workplace-based parking charges. [176726]
§ Jane KennedyThe Health and Safety Executive has no current proposals to introduce workplace-based parking charges.
§ Andrew BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make the Health and Safety Executive deputising allowance and day subsistence allowances inflation-proof; and what these allowances are(a) per hour and (b) per day at present. [176727]
§ Jane KennedyIt is not the Health and Safety Executive's policy to directly link deputising allowance and day subsistence to inflation.
Deputising allowance is paid at a rate of 6 per cent. of the maximum of the pay range for the relevant higher job band, converted to an hourly rate. Pay range maxima are subject to annual negotiation with HSE Trade Unions. The rate of inflation influences the negotiations.
Day subsistence is a flat rate allowance based on the levels of average expenditure incurred by members of staff when they are away from their office on official business. These rates are reviewed annually with HSE Trade Unions.
The rate payable depends on the duration of absence:
£4.90 for over 5 hours£9.30 for over 10 hours£14.20 for over 12 hours.