§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many kilometres have been travelled on 179W his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by (a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91027]
§ Angela EagleThe information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. As published in the integrated transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999, and all other key buildings by March 2000.
We have completed green transport plans covering all our headquarters and main buildings —27 in all, which covers 33 per cent. of staff— and are developing plans for the other 363 buildings on the DSS estate in line with the targets set out in the White Paper. The plans include measures to reduce single-occupancy car use by employees for commuting, including the setting up of car-sharing registers and making travel by public transport more attractive. Staff are encouraged, wherever it is practicable, to share cars for business travel and also to use public transport, especially for longer journeys.