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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 16 July 1992
TRANSPORT
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department and his policies in helping small businesses over the last 12 months relative to the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. Norris : The Government continue to place a high priority on helping small businesses through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and through specific programmes of support and assistance. One of the aims of our transport policy is to provide the right infrastructure so that large and small businesses can operate effectively. Specific measures by my Department which have helped small business include the deregulation of local bus services. We expect the completion of the single market in aviation, agreed last month, to extend the benefits of a liberal aviation market, such as lower fares and a choice of services, already enjoyed by consumers in the United Kingdom, to the whole of the EC. This will benefit businesses as users of air services as well as offering increased opportunities to enter EC markets as operators. The abolition of the dock labour scheme has increased competition between ports and in many of them productivity has grown considerably.
A65 Ilkley Bypass
Mr. Waller : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a further announcement about the proposed A65 Ilkley bypass.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I hope to be in a position to make a further announcement on the development of this scheme before the end of year.
Noise
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation, regulations or guidelines exist to limit the impact of (a) aircraft noise, (b) vehicle noise or (c) other noise pollution.
Mr. Norris : I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to introduce regulations to control aircraft noise ; (2) what responses he has received from Northern Ireland-based individuals or organisations in response to the consultation paper "Control of Aircraft Noise".
Mr. Norris : The consultation paper "Control of Aircraft Noise" was published last August. More than 550
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responses have been received including one from Northern Ireland. The responses are being carefully considered and an announcement of conclusions will be made in due course.The United Kingdom has supported international agreements to phase out of operation older, noisier subsonic civil jet aircraft certificated to "chapter 2" standards. These aircraft will be phased out between 1995 and 2002 and regulations to that effect will be introduced in due course.
Civil Servants (Shareholdings)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance, other than the "Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code" and the "Establishment Officers' Guide", his Department provides relating to civil servants' shareholdings ; if he will list the number of occasions within the last five years on which civil servants have reported shareholdings to establishment officers in his Department ; what regulations apply to the staff of the next steps agencies within his Department ; what mechanisms are in place to prevent potential conflicts of interest ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Guidance for members of the Department and its executive agencies is in the departmental staff handbook. Staff are asked to consult with the Department's personnel management directorate if they are in any doubt about the propriety of holding shares.
In the last five years eight members of staff have reported that they have shareholdings.
Departmental Objectives
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the objectives of each division and branch of his Department.
Mr. Norris : This information is set out in the Department's management plan for 1992-95.
Transpennine Roads Study
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 13 July, Official Report , column 413 , about the transpennine roads study, when he intends to make a substantive reply to the second part of that question relating to publication of the study.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : As soon as possible.
Marchioness-Bowbelle Collision
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the action he has taken on each of the
recommendations contained in the marine accident investigation report of July 1990 into the collision between the Marchioness and the Bowbelle.
Mr. Norris : One of the recommendations in the Hayes report on river safety, announced by the Secretary of State for Transport on 7 July, was that the Department should publish annually an account of the progress made on the implementation of recommendations made after all major disasters. The Department accepted this recommendation. There were 27 recommendations in the MAIB final report on the collision between the Marchioness and the Bowebelle. Action has been completed in respect of
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recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4(b), 6-14 inclusive, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 and 27. Action will be completed this year in respect of recommendations 4(a), 5, 15, 17, 20 and 24. Further consideration is being given to recommendation 22. Full details have been placed in the Library of the House.Motorway Sound Barriers
Sir Michael Grylls : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to provide effective modern sound barriers to reduce the noise of the new feeder roads off the M25 between the M3 and M4 junctions.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Noise barriers are proposed at a number of locations adjacent to the proposed new link roads between junctions 12 and 15 of the M25. The type of barrier to be used has not yet been decided. A number of possible options are being considered.
Air Accidents
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures his Department has relating to the number of accident reports submitted involving (a) helicopters and (b) fixed wing aircrafts in British airspace over the last 10 years for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : In the past 10 years the Department's air accidents investigation branch has submitted a total of 73 formal investigation reports to the Secretary of State. Forty-seven of those reports were investigations into accidents to fixed-wing aircraft ; 26 related to helicopter accidents.
North Devon Link Road
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will authorise 60 mph speed restriction signs to be painted on the surface of the A361 north Devon link road.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No, but I am proposing other steps to encourage compliance with the speed limit. I will write to the hon. Member.
Trailers
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions are laid down regarding the separate registration of towing vehicles and their trailers ; and what exceptions exist for nuclear weapons convoys.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Motor vehicles for civilian use are registered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency under the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971. This does not extend to trailers. Military vehicles are registered by the Ministry of Defence. I am not aware of any exceptions applying to military vehicles in nuclear weapons convoys.
Cross-Thames Rail Link
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the north-south rail link across the River Thames in south-east London.
Mr. Norris : The report on the east London rail study phase 2, commissioned by London Transport and the
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London Docklands development corporation and pub-blished earlier this year, identified a number of possible extensions to the rail network including some that would cross the Thames. I understand that further work is being undertaken on certain of the options identified.East London River Crossing
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contribution he is seeking from the private sector for construction of the east London river crossing.
Mr. Norris : It is not our policy to seek contributions to the construction of strategic trunk road schemes in my Department's programme except in cases where additional traffic generated by new private development would cause us to provide facilities which are more extensive, or earlier, than otherwise needed.
The east London river crossing was included in the national programme in 1979, to complete the extension of the north circular road to the A2 as part of a coherent network for longer distance traffic within London. No additional facilities have been included in the plans since then to deal with specific development proposals and so no contributions are currently being sought from the private sector.
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current estimated cost of building the east London river crossing.
Mr. Norris : The total estimated cost at 1989 prices is about £300 million.
London Ring Rail
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from S. B. Tietz and Partners on proposals for the London ring rail ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend has just received a copy of the proposals for a London ring rail from S. B. Tietz and Partners and we shall reply to them shortly.
Jubilee Line
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution to decongestion in central London that the Jubilee line extension will make.
Mr. Norris : In net present value terms, at mid-1991 discounted to 1991, the road and rail decongestion benefits of the Jubilee line extension would be around £230 million and £275 million respectively.
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the estimated cost of extending further the proposed Jubilee line extension to Woolwich and Thamesmead.
Mr. Norris : London Transport has recently estimated that it would cost around £300 million or £330 million to extend the Jubilee line to Woolwich Arsenal taking a route north of the Royal Victoria dock, or £370 million taking a route south of the Royal Victoria dock. Extending beyond Woolwich Arsenal to Thamesmead would cost an estimated £160 million more. All estimates are in mid-1990 prices.
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Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish details of the cost benefit analysis carried out on the proposals to extend the Jubilee line (a) to docklands and Greenwich peninsula and (b) further to Woolwich and Thamesmead.
Mr. Norris : (a) The results, in present value terms, of a recent cost benefit analysis of the proposed Jubilee line extension from Green Park to Stratford, taking into account the quantifiable benefits conventionally used in the appraisal of rail transport schemes, are given in the table.
Mid 1991 prices discounted to 1991
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------
Capital costs |-1,505
Operating cost |-180
Additional revenue |340
|------
Funding gap |-1,345
Public transport user benefits |1,025
Road user benefits |230
|------
Net benefit |-90
Benefit:cost ratio |0.95:1
(b) No recent cost-benefit analysis has been carried out in respect of possible further extensions of the Jubilee line to Woolwich and Thamesmead. At the time of the east London rail study, published July 1989, however, it was clear that the costs of such extensions would far exceed the benefits.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Detling to Malling section of British Rail's previous southerly route for the channel tunnel rail link from which safeguarding has now been withdrawn is outside the preferred corridor referred to in his answer to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling of 9 June, Official Report, column 116.
Mr. Freeman : The Detling to Halling section of the originally safeguarded route was withdrawn on 5 November 1991 by the then Secretary of State because there was no common agreement to the west of Detling between the Ove Arup preferred route and that of British Rail. The Government preferred the Ove Arup approach which involves crossing the Thames near Dartford and arriving at King's Cross via Stratford. The Government have stated that the route indicated on the maps circulated last year was on the line of that put forward by Ove Arup, but have never suggested that the precise Ove Arup alignment could or should be definitive. West of Detling tal,the Government are committed to a preferred route corridor and not a specific safeguardable line. British Rail are considering carefully the cost, environmental and engineering implications of the route and will present to Ministers later this year any proposed diversions from this base reference. Any such diversions would have to be justified and in due course, if accepted, be subject to public consultations and planning approval.
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Railway Pensions
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give an assurance that when employees of British Rail transfer with their jobs to a new owner on privatisation their future pension entitlements will be no less than had they stayed as employees of British Rail.
Mr. Freeman : An assurance on pensions is given at paragraph 87 of the White Paper "New Opportunities for the Railways", Cm 2012, which was published on 14 July.
London Underground
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the inner London parliamentary constituencies which do not have a London Underground station ; and what plans he has to remedy this.
Mr. Norris : Of the 30 inner London parliamentary constituencies, nine do not contain a London Underground station. These are : Greenwich Lewisham,East
Woolwich Lewisham,West
Eltham Dulwich
Hackney, South and Shoreditch Peckham
Streatham
The location of parliamentary boundaries is not a factor taken into account by London Underground when putting together their investment programme. However, there are several schemes under consideration by LUL which would have the effect of increasing the number of parliamentary constituencies served by the underground.
Lorry Weights
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, under the Maastricht treaty, decisions to increase maximum lorry weights would be taken by unanimous decision or by qualified majority voting.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The existing legal provision for decisions relating to a common transport policy normally to be taken by qualified majority voting is not affected by the Maastricht treaty.
River Safety
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, following the public reaction to the report of the Hayes committee on river safety and any representations made to him, he will consider publishing a Green Paper reviewing safety on rivers and waterways, other than the tidal Thames, and the ways in which safety can be improved thereon, including consideration that the statutory duty for co-ordinating the safety requirements become the specific responsibility of the relevant navigation authority.
Mr. Norris : As my right hon. Friend announced on 7 July, he is setting up district marine safety committees to review in each of their areas the way in which responsibilities for safety, rescue and accident prevention are currently distributed. Their remit includes safety on rivers and waterways. They will consider ways in which safety can be improved and ensure that improvements are implemented and sustained. It would not be appropriate to prescribe particular solutions at this stage ; we intend that the proposals should come from the individual committees and therefore reflect the circumstances of their area.
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Going Round in Circles"
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning his Department's response to the proposals contained in the publication, "Going Round in Circles", published by the Association of London Authorities in December 1991.
Mr. Norris : I have just received the publication to which the hon. Member refers, and I will be considering its contents.
Plutonium (Road Transport)
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the procedures for informing the local public of possible health risks associated with the accidental dispersal of radioactive plutonium in the event of a road transportation accident.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Information will be given by the local authorities on advice from the emergency services.
Crown Estate
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Crown Estate Commissioners in order to discuss those matters over which they control rights of public access and which affect movements of commercial vehicles and public transport.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend has had no such meetings.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider introducing legislation to remove ancient rights of ferry from the Crown Estate Commissioners where this affects any public ferry service.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek the agreement of the Crown Estate Commissioners to consult his Department and the relevant local authorities prior to them ordering a cessation of any ferry service over which they exercise ancient rights of ferry.
Mr. Norris : The terms under which the Crown Estate Commissioners grant or withdraw rights to operate ferry services are commercial matters between the commissioners and the ferry operators concerned. This Department has no locus to intervene.
Disability
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking during the Government's presidency of the Council of Ministers to promote EC legislation on making public transport accessible to disabled people ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : My Department is committed to promoting and encouraging improved access to public transport for people with disabilities. We are working closely with disabled people as consumers and with the transport industries on the most effective way forward.
The scope for EC action is limited by the subsidiarity principle, in so far as this does not apply, the Government will take forward measures to assist disabled people during the United Kingdom presidency.
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Road Maintenance
Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records his Department keeps of the cost of maintenance and repairs for individual sections of motorway and trunk road.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My Department keeps extensive records of the cost of maintenance and repairs ; these costs are being progressively entered into, and retained on, a number of computerised systems, so that information can be extracted for individual sections as required.
Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records his Department keeps of the historic maintenance requirements of different forms of motorway and trunk road construction.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My Department keeps extensive maintenance records. These are used, inter alia, to ensure that the standards required of new construction reflect current needs and accord with minimum whole- life costs.
It is a requirement under all major new construction and maintenance schemes for records of construction known as "as built drawings" to be recorded. Steps are under way to computerise these records.
Rail White Paper
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received since the publication of his White Paper on British Rail.
Train Failures
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what claims British Rail has against the manufacturers of the 225 trains for technical failure while in service.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail is ensuring that the manufacturer of the InterCity 225 trains complies with the terms of the contracts, which include warranty protections.
MoT Tests
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what instructions he issues as to whether an MoT rejection arising from a particular vehicle component can be reissued for different reasons once the rectification work has been undertaken.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 15 July 1992] : If a vehicle fails its test on what are classed minor items--for example, horn, indicators, headlamp aim, lamps, rear reflectors, seat belts, but not anchorages, windscreen washers and wipers, emissions--and providing the vehicle is brought back repaired to the station by the end of the next working day only the failure items are retested. However, if the vehicle is failed for other reasons and is brought back repaired regardless of when it is represented the vehicle must undergo another complete MoT test. It is possible that other defects may have occurred in the interim and would subsequently merit another refusal being issued. It is also possible that a retested vehicle may fail if a repaired component still does not meet the required standard.
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A565-M57 Link Road
Mr. Matthew Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will confirm the date of the public inquiry into Sefton borough council's proposal to build a link road between the A565 trunk road at Ince Blundell and the M57 motorway at Switch Island.
Mr. Baldry : I have been asked to reply.
I will write to my hon. Friend.
PRIME MINISTER
EC Expenditure
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if he will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the level of expenditure of the EC.
The Prime Minister : Yes. It was agreed by the European Council at Lisbon on 26 and 27 June 1992 that when the Council met again at Edinburgh it would address the Community's finances for 1993 and subsequent years.
Whaling
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields on 13 July, what response he received when he discussed the hunting of minke whales and the International Whaling Commission with the Prime Minister of Japan ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : The Japanese Prime Minister noted the concerns that I expressed to him. Mr. Miyazawa and the Japanese Government are well aware of the considerable opposition in this country to whaling.
Poland
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Prime Minister when the ratification process of the association agreement between the European Communities and the Republic of Poland will be completed ; and if he will make a statement.
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