HC Deb 04 March 1994 vol 238 cc81-3W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated cost to date of running the vehicle registration office review in the DVLA; and what budget has been set aside for the whole review.

Mr. Key

The sums are £66,000 and £115,000, including VAT.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total running cost of the voluntary redundancy scheme in the DVLA last year; what were the numbers and grades of the staff taking advantage of the scheme; and from which budget the money originated.

Mr. Key

There were no redundancies. Some 194 staff left DVLA under a voluntary early retirement scheme in March 1993:

Grade Numbers
Support grades 2 22
Support grades 1 2
Adninistrative assistants 51
Administrative officers 66
Executive officers 26
Higher executive officers 11
Senior executive officers 3
Grade 7 4
Medical officer 1
Typists 5
Personal secretary 1
Typing manager 1
Chief typing manager 1
Stores officer Gd D 1
194

The total running costs of the scheme, including advance funding of the principal civil service pension fund, amounted to some £3 million from the agency's voted running costs provision.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many grade 7s and above in the DVI,A received bonus payments and what was the total cost of those payments, in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

Mr. Key

The figures are as follows:

Number of payments Total Value
1990–91: 1 £400
1991–92: 5 £2,500
1992–93: 1 £2,250

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each visit made by the chief executive of the DVLA to the Department of Transport Headquarters in Marsham street in the last six months.

Mr. Key

Between, August 1993 and January 1994, the chief executive visited the headquarters on 3 August, 2, 17, 22, 27 and 28 September, 12, 22, 27 and 28 October, 4, 5, 12, 23 and 29 November, 7 and 15 December, 10, 12, 13, 17 and 30 January.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much additional funding was made available this financial year to vehicle registration office staff to clear unactioned reports; and from which budget this money came.

Mr. Key

Some £100,000 was made available in November 1993 for selected offices to recruit casual staff or work overtime until 31 March 1994 to meet very high receipts of offence reports from police and traffic wardens. This sum was made available from in-year efficiency savings on other activities of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the figures for travel and subsistence made by the chief executive of the DVLA in the last six and 12 months.

Mr. Key

Expenditure on the chief executive's travel and subsistence over the periods requested were:

Six months August 1993 to January 1994 £3,530
12 months February 1993 to January 1994 £8,100

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why additional funding was made available to the DVLA to clear unactioned reports this financial year; and whether extra funds will be made available for the same purpose next year.

Mr. Key

Some £100,000 was made available to deal with specific problems of high levels of unactioned reports. The extra funding is expected to produce 10,000 more successful cases this year worth £640,000 in additional revenue.

The targets and budgets for next year have yet to be decided.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of the official car supplied to the chief executive of the DVLA; what was the cost of purchase; and what are then actual running costs.

Mr. Key

The chief executive does not have an official car.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each visit made by the chief executive of the DVLA to vehicle registration offices, London enforcement offices and DVLA area offices in the last six months.

Mr. Key

During the period August 1993 to January 1994, the chief executive visited:

  • Stoke on Trent vehicle registration office, 5 August.
  • Birmingham vehicle registration office, 6 August and 28 January.
  • Edinburgh vehicle registration office and the area office, 18 November.
  • Dundee vehicle registration office, 18 November.
  • London enforcement office, Great Marlborough street, 13 December.

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