§ 19. Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what funding his Department has provided to implement the recommendations of the Midman multi-modal study. [49412]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe 10-year plan provides the funding for transport investment up to 2010, including schemes which are approved following a multi-modal study.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the estimated tax revenues are that would be generated if the road charging proposals in the DTLR Multi-Modal Study Infrastructure charging seminar summary papers were introduced; [49465]
(2) at what time the Multi-Modal Study Infrastructure charging seminar summary papers were published on the DTLR website on 9 April; [49461]
(3) what factors underlay the decision to publish the Multi-Modal Study Infrastructure charging seminar summary papers on 9 April; [49463]
(4) if he will deposit in the Library the complete versions of the DTLR Multi-Modal Study Infrastructure charging seminar papers. [49466]
§ Mr. Byers[holding answer 15 April 2002]: The papers are already available on the Department's website. However, I have arranged for them to be placed in the Libraries of the House. The papers do not reflect Government policy.
The papers were produced for an internal seminar. Although under no obligation to publish publicly a request for the papers was received from Transport 2000. It was agreed to provide them with the papers and to make them more widely available by posting them on the Department's website.
The website team were to post the documents in the week commencing 8 April. They tried to post the documents on Monday 8 April but were prevented by technical difficulties faced by our external contractors.
Further technical problems faced by the Internet Service Provider meant a delay of approximately two hours between website staff processing the documents for posting at 10.30 on 9 April and when they actually appeared on the website.
At no stage were Ministers involved in deciding any aspect of the timing of the posting of the papers on the website.
The Government has made no estimate of the tax revenues that might be generated.