§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 9 June,Official Report, column 315, if he will provide a breakdown of the cost of the Cones Hotline between April to September 1995. [4847]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe cost of operating the Cones Hotline in the period April to September 1995 is estimated at £20,000, broken down as follows:
£ Call-handling company's set-up costs 7,000 Call-handling company's operating costs 8,000 Highways Agency staff costs 5,000 Total 20,000 The figure for Highways Agency staff costs covers the transition from a contracted-out service to the in-house Highways Agency information line which began operation in September 1995.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place a copy of the Cones Hotline telephone log in the Library. [4848]
§ Ms JacksonThe records of calls to the Cones Hotline contain the names of callers and, in most cases, their addresses and telephone numbers. Personal information given in confidence is exempt from the commitment to provide information in the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 9 June,Official Report, column 315, how many calls to the Cones Hotline resulted in action by the Department or others to (a) alter the layout of road traffic cones, (b) improve signposting at roadworks, (c) review diversion routes, (d) re-paint road markings and (e) investigate road lighting at roadworks. [4806]
§ Ms JacksonThe records are not sufficiently detailed to give an accurate answer to this question.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 9 June,Official Report, column 315, (a) how many and (b) what percentage of telephone calls made to the Cones Hotline between June 1992 and September 1995 were specifically about traffic cones. [4849]
488W
§ Ms JacksonThis information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In its first year of operation (September 1995 to August 1996) the Highways Agency information line, which replaced the Cones Hotline, received 319 calls specifically about road traffic cones about 4 per cent. of all calls.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 9 June,Official Report, column 315, how many staff were employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time to run the Cones Hotline between March 1994 and September 1995. [4860]
§ Ms JacksonFrom March 1994 to March 1995 one member of staff worked full-time on the Cones Hotline during normal office hours. Weekend and out of hours cover was provided by the Department of Transport's duty officer. From April 1995 to September 1995 the Cones Hotline was staffed by an external contractor. From July to September 1995 transitional arrangements were managed by three staff in the Highways Agency.