§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what green travel plans are in place for the(a) Public Record Office and (b) the Northern Ireland Court Service. [33721]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonI apologise for the delay in responding which was due to an administrative oversight.
(a) The Public Record Office does not have a formal green travel plan. However, in its publicity the PRO sets out the options for travelling to Kew and the Family Records Centre in Islington by public transport. The rapid development of online services means that the public are able to obtain much more information about PRO records via the internet, using computers at home or the nearest public library. A single rate motor mileage rate is paid to discourage the use of large engine vehicles, interest free loans are available for staff to purchase public transport season tickets and bicycles, and the PRO also provides facilities for its staff at Kew who wish to cycle to work, and these are currently being extended.
965W(b) The Northern Ireland Court Service does not have a green travel plan in place, but its motor mileage rates discourage the use of large engine vehicles and Northern Ireland Court Service policy encourages officers to travel together when at all possible.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what green travel plans are in place for(a) the Official Solicitor's Office, (b) the Council on Tribunals, (c) the Statutory Publications Office, (d) the Judge Advocate-General's Office, (e) the staff employed on Domestic Legal Services in her Department and (f) the Legal Services Commission. [33665]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonI apologise for the delay in responding which was due to an administrative oversight.
The Lord Chancellor's Department introduced a central green travel plan in March 1999 in respect of its main headquarters sites. There are a number of ways in which we promote greener transport, such as making interest free loans available for staff to purchase public transport season tickets and bicycles, making changes to our motor mileage rates to discourage the use of large engine vehicles, and incorporating a requirement to demonstrate vehicle journey planning and a well-maintained fleet within delivery contracts. These policies cover staff working in the Official Solicitor's Office; the Council on Tribunals; the Statutory Publications Office; and the Judge Advocate General's Office.
(e) It is not clear which organisation is envisaged in the term "Domestic Legal Services".
(f) The Legal Services Commission adopted an environmental strategy and policy statement in June 2001. The Commission is committed to reducing any harmful impact it may have on the environment, and in all its policy making and operational activities it has regard to sound environmental practices. It has in place a bicycle loan scheme, which provides a salary advance to full-time permanent staff in order to purchase cycle equipment and a bicycle to travel to work and/or use for business travel. Staff using a bicycle for company business may claim 20 pence per mile. The Commission also has a season ticket loan scheme to encourage staff to make use of public transport.