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TRANSPORT
Ticketing
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set up an impartial information and advice service to provide guidance to the public about ticket prices and through ticketing availability; and if he will make a statement. [1756]
Mr. Watts: Impartial advice on ticketing is already a requirement of the licences issued to train operators by the independent rail regulator. The regulator has all the powers he needs to ensure that train operators comply with their licence obligations.
Passenger Travel Statistics
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public transport passenger miles were travelled in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.[1861]
Mr. Watts: The following table summarises the available figures:
| Year | Buses and coaches(8) | Rail(9) | Air(10) | All public transport(11) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 46 | 40 | 5 | 91 |
| 1991 | 44 | 38 | 5 | 87 |
| 1992 | 43 | 38 | 5 | 86 |
| 1993 | 43 | 37 | 5 | 85 |
| 1994 | 43 | 35 | 5 | 83 |
| 1995 | 43 | 37 | 6 | 86 |
(8) For buses and coaches, changes are estimated by deflating passenger receipts by the most appropriate price indices available. This method can only give a broad guide to trends.
(9) Rail data given for financial years. Comprises British Rail, former British Rail companies and urban rail systems.
(10) Revenue passenger kilometres on scheduled and non-scheduled services. Includes Northern Ireland and Channel Islands. Excludes air taxi services, private flying and passengers paying less than 25 per cent. of the full fare on scheduled and non-scheduled services.
(11) Excludes travel by taxi, for which figures are not readily available.
Exhaust Emissions
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned regarding the device being developed by Dyson for removing particulates from the exhaust emissions of diesel engines; and if he will make a statement. [1837]
Channel Tunnel
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of incursions into restricted zones at (a) the international channel tunnel rail terminal and (b) the tunnel site since the sites became operational. [1509]
Mr. Watts: At Waterloo international terminal there have been 27 incursions, including illegal immigrants, into the restricted zones. At Ashford international terminal there have been a further two incursions. At the tunnel site there have been four incursions into the restricted
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zones; two at the Cheriton site and two at Dollands Moor. In all cases the incursions were identified promptly and dealt with appropriately.
Drivers' Hours
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to promote legislation which will allow drive hours records to be handed over to vehicle inspectorate staff. [1504]
Mr. Bowis: The Government will consider what further clarification of the powers of inspectors to inspect and remove tachograph charts is necessary and, if appropriate will propose amending legislation in due course.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors underlay his Department's decision not to reduce the maximum number of drivers' hours; and what research his Department evaluated in this area. [1506]
Mr. Bowis: In the absence of any research evidence to suggest that the existing European Union limits on maximum driving time and minimum rest requirements are in themselves a cause of accidents, the Government have no reason to doubt that the existing drivers' hours rules strike a reasonable balance between road safety and operational flexibility.
Domestic Drivers
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects his Department to make an announcement on the abolition of domestic drivers' hours rules. [1503]
Mr. Bowis: It is too soon to say.
Bridges
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bridges have been identified as unable to bear 40 tonne vehicles, to date. [1447]
Mr. Watts: Of those that have been assessed, there are three bridges supporting trunk roads in England which are unable to carry 40 tonne vehicles at the present time. These are:
M1 Junction 2 slip road viaduct in north London;
A13 Movers Lane flyover in east London; and
A40 Golden Valley flyover in Gloucestershire.
A number of bridges carrying local roads are also unable to bear 40 tonne vehicles. It is for the local highways authority concerned to decide whether improvements are required.
Transec
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those train operating companies inspected by Transec to ensure compliance with security standards and regulations; [1510]
- (2) if he will list the number of covert inspections undertaken by Transec on each mainline London railway station for each of the last three years. [1507]
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Mr. Watts: Railtrack oversees the security system for the national railway network, with the close involvement of the British Transport police. This system is mandatory on all train operating companies through their operating licences. Transec has not so far carried out any security inspections of train operating companies or of Railtrack.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each of the last three years the number of covert inspections undertaken by Transec staff on (a) the Port of Dover and (b) the channel tunnel.[1434]
Mr. Watts: Most inspections are unannounced but cannot in their nature be covert. All tests are covert. Transec staff also observe operations on other occasions, including when they are undertaking security audits.
The number of tests and inspections carried out on port operations at Dover, excluding tests and inspections of shipping companies using the port, were:
The number of tests and inspections in relation to all channel tunnel services were:
1993-94: 10
1994-95: 15
1995-96: 11.
1993-94: None
1994-95: 126
1995-96: 293.
Rail Privatisation
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the amounts paid to contractors involved in rail privatisation in success fees, indicating the contractors to whom the fees were paid. [1516]
Mr. Watts: Neither the Department of Transport nor the Office of the Rail Regulator has paid any success fees to contractors involved in rail privatisation. The Office of Passenger Rail Franchising has paid a total of £2.25 million to HSBC Samuel Montagu and Kleinwort Benson Ltd. in connection with letting passenger rail franchises.
Rail Fares Database
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if staff at the national train inquiry bureau access to a computer database of national rail fares. [1520]
Mr. Watts: All staff working in rail telephone inquiry bureaux have access to the "National Railway Fares Manual", prepared by Rail Settlement Plan Ltd. which lists the fares charged by train operators. The majority of telephone inquiry bureau staff have access to this information through on-line computer systems.
Departmental Cash Limits
Mr. Carrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to change his Department's cash limits and running cost limits for 1996-97. [2434]
Sir George Young: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 306
- (i) the cash for class V vote 1--Highways Agency--will be increased by £21,113,000 from £1,641,172,000 to £1,662,285,000. The increase in the cash limit includes the take up £21,064,000 capital end year flexibility entitlement and £4,000,000 running costs end year flexibility entitlement as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report columns 326-31, offset by adjustments in running costs funding between this vote and class V vote 2, relating to the consolidation of the Highways Agency's role. Running costs provision for this vote increases by $4,468,000 from £71,516,000 to £75,984,000.
(ii) the cash limit for class V vote 2--Administration and Transport Services--will be increased by £25,869,000 from £129,008,000 to £154,877,000. The increase in the cash limit includes the take up £2,000,000 capital end year flexibility entitlement from vote 2; £2,000,000 capital end year flexibility entitlement from class V vote 4 and £4,997,000 capital end year flexibility entitlement from class V vote 5; and £15,834,000 running costs entitlement as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report columns 326-31; the transfers of funds to class V vote 1 for restructuring and streamlining in the Highways Agency and relocation of some of the agency's research and development work to the central transport group; transfers of funds between this vote and class V vote 5 for new London road studies and an emerging shortfall in receipts; transfer of funds to class V vote 6 for network services; the transfer of some census and survey work to the Office of National Statistics; and transfers relating to accommodation changes and security responsibilities from the Office of Public Service and the Security Facilities Executive agency. Running costs provision for this vote increases by £15,302,000 from £92,685,000 to £107,987,000.
(iii) the cash limit on class V vote 5 will be increased by £2,458,000 from £389,580,000 to £392,038,000. The increase in the cash limit includes the take up of £2,470,000 capital end-year flexibility--EYF--entitlement, as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report columns 326-31, offset by intervote transfers between this vote and class V vote 2 and class XVI vote 12 of the Office of National Statistics and internal transfers to allow payment of £1,458,000 for audit adjustments to metropolitan railway grant 1995-96 outturn.
(iv) the cash limit on class V vote 6 will be increased by £4,701,000 from £81,364,000 to £86,065,000. The increase is accounted for by a transfer of provision from the Ministry of Defence for payments to the Meteorological Office trading fund and a transfer for network services from class V vote 2. Running costs provision for this vote increases by £75,000 from £38,766,000 to £38,841,000.
(v) the Department of Transport local authority capital cash limit will be increased by £4,530,000 from £308,114,000 to £312,644,000. This partially take up the capital end-year flexibility entitlement as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report, columns 326-31.
(vi) the Department of Transport gross running costs limit will be increased by £19,845,000 from £376,078,000 to £395,923,000 as a consequence of the above changes, mainly for voluntary early retirements.
(vii) in addition the cash limit on class V vote 7--passenger rail services--will be increased by £137,000,000 from £1,650,668,000 to £1,787,688,000. The additional provision is required under British Rail's budget for the provision of passenger rail services in 1996-97.
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