HC Deb 27 October 1995 vol 264 cc877-8W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the public appointments for which his Department is responsible in the county of South Yorkshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary. [39471]

Mr. Norris

The answers are as follows.

(1) My right hon. friend is responsible for the appointment of the north-eastern traffic commissioner and deputy traffic commissioners. The north-eastern traffic area includes the county of South Yorkshire. The present traffic commissioner was appointed in 1992, and a new appointment will be due in 2007 when the present incumbent retires. The current standard salary of a traffic commissioner is £43,836 per annum.

(2) Three deputy traffic commissioners have been appointed to assist the north-eastern traffic commissioner. The appointments are for a fixed term of three years and are due for review in November 1996, December 1996 and April 1997 respectively. Deputy traffic commissioners are paid a daily rate of £186.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for(a) the financial year 1994–95 and (b) the estimated figures for the financial year 1995–96, for each executive agency for which he is responsible. [39497]

Mr. Norris

Estimated outturn for 1994–95 and plans for 1995–96 for civil service manpower and pay bill are set out in my Department's annual report (Cm 2806), copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. A breakdown by grade and individual agency could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the non-departmental public bodies to which his Department makes appointments in the county of South Yorkshire, with the total annual budget for each body and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last four years. [39436]

Mr. Norris

The answers are as follows:

(1) My right hon. friend is responsible for the appointment of the north-eastern traffic commissioner and his deputies whose functions as tribunals classify them as non-departmental public bodies. The north-eastern traffic area includes the county of South Yorkshire. Traffic commissioners do not have a budget but the annual administrative budget for the office which supports the north-eastern traffic commissioner and his deputies in their work is £1.18 million.

(2) Four appointments have been made within the last four years. The present north-eastern traffic commissioner was appointed in October 1992, and deputy traffic commissioners were appointed in January 1994, April 1994 and October 1995.

(3) My right hon. Friend is also responsible for the appointment of the chairman of the north-east rail users consultative committee, after consultation with the rail regulator.

(4) The RUCCs were set up under the Railways Act 1993. They are sponsored by the rail regulator. Budgeting for the RUCCs is managed centrally, the total provision for 1994–95 was £1.119 million. The Secretary of State has appointed one chairman to the NERUCC, in 1995.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times in each month of the current year he has met personally the heads of the agencies which report to him to discuss the work of those agencies. [39864]

Mr. Norris

My right hon. Friend has met the chief executive of the Highways Agency on 11 occasions to discuss matters relating to the work of the agency and the chief executive has attended departmental meetings on five occasions when my right hon. Friend has been present. He has discussed the work of the Transport Research Laboratory with its chief executive on two occasions (July and September); and on one occasions he has discussed with the relevant chief executive the work of the Driving Standards Agency (July), the Marine Safety Agency (July), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (September) and the Coastguard Agency (September). To date, he has not discussed the work of the vehicle inspectorate or the Vehicle Certification Agency with their chief executives.