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Stevenage Railway Station (Incident)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Health and Safety Executive's inspectorate has to publish the report into the incident which occurred at Stevenage railway station on 10 and 11 August 1996. [4502]
Mr. Watts: The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate is currently investigating these two incidents. At present, the HSE has no plans to publish a report.
Barking to Gospel Oak Line
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the visit of the Minister for Railways and Roads to the Barking to Gospel Oak line on 28 October, what conclusions he has reached in respect of the ability of the line to produce an improved passenger service; and if he will make a statement. [4666]
Mr. Watts: My visit confirmed my view that the franchising of North London Railways, the operator of the Barking-Gospel Oak branch, will not only safeguard the current level of service on the line, but will bring about major improvements in its performance. My hon. Friend the Minister for Transport in London gave details of the
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franchising director's plans for the franchising of NLR in his oral answer to the hon. Member on 28 October, Official Report, columns 324-25.
Not least among the benefits of franchising will be the replacement of all the rolling stock currently operating on the branch by the year 2000. I understand that Railtrack is to embark on a strategic study of the Barking to Gospel Oak route, to assess the scope for further developing its use by passenger and freight traffic.
A1 (North London)
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the (a) traffic volumes, (b) traffic speeds and (c) bus speeds on the A1 (Archway road) to Upper street, Angel, N1, (i) before it attained red route status and (ii) at present. [4667]
Mr. Bowis: Comprehensive surveys carried out for the Department of Transport on the section of the A1 from Archway road to the Angel showed the following:
| Volume pcu(4)/hr/ | Traffic speed | Bus speed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| direction | km/hr | km/hr | |
| Before red route surveys October 1990 | 1,160 | 16.7 | 12.9 |
| After red route surveys October 1991 | 1,250 | 20.1 | 14.7 |
(4) pcu = passenger car unit.
No further surveys of an equivalent nature have been carried out.
Plymouth-Heathrow Flights
Mr. Jaimeson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances he would be prepared to ring-fence the slots for flights between Plymouth airport and Heathrow. [3947]
Mr. Bowis [holding answer 14 November 1996]: The Government do not consider it appropriate to ring-fence airport slots for domestic routes, as this would distort the aviation market.
Dartford River Crossing
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the value of the public sector cost comparator for the Dartford river crossing (a) before and (b) after adjustment for risk transfer considerations; and on what dates these figures were first calculated. [4547]
Mr. Bowis [holding answer 18 November 1996]: I have asked the chief executive of Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours, dated 19 November 1996:
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The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent question about the value of the public sector comparator for the Dartford River Crossing.
A separate public sector comparator was not necessary in this case because bids to design, build, finance and operate the new Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and to operate and maintain the existing Dartford Tunnels were invited on the basis of both public and private procurement methods.
Rail Routing Guide
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints have been received about the routing guide recently published by the franchising director and the Rail Regulator. [4548]
Mr. Watts [holding answer 18 November 1996]: Since the routing guide became operational on 29 September, 36 complaints have been received by my Department, the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and the Office of the Rail Regulator. The guide has been improved experimentally for a period of eight months, and may be amended in the light of experience.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 November. [3520]
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 November. [3519]
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable Development
14. Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his assessment of the desirability of issuing planning policy guidance on the subject of sustainable development based on the recommendations made in agenda 21. [3131]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Planning policy guidance has been progressively updated to take account of sustainable development. My Department is also preparing a better practice guide on how to implement sustainable development more effectively through the planning system to be published next year.
Rio Treaty
17. Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the measures the Government have taken to implement the Rio treaty of June 1992. [3134]
Mr. Clappison: The UK has met its commitments in full under the action plan initiated by the Prime Minister following Rio and agreed by European and G7 colleagues.
Local Authority Housing
18. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what policies exist for maximising investment in local authority housing. [3135]
Mr. Curry: In 1996-97 under the housing investment programme £1.2 billion was allocated to local authorities in a competitive process which directed resources to those
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authorities best able to make use of them. This competitive system encourages local authorities to consider all available mechanisms for the provision of social housing in their area and increase the contribution made by private finance.
27. Mr. Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities transferred (a) all and (b) part of their housing stock to new landlords in the last year. [3144]
Mr. Curry: The 1995 large-scale voluntary transfer programme included 11 local authorities which transferred all or part of their housing stock to 12 registered housing associations. Of these, four were partial transfers. In the current--1996--programme two local authorities have transferred their housing stock to two registered housing associations. One of these was a partial stock transfer and the other a whole stock transfer. A further three authorities propose to transfer all their stock by the end of this financial year.
Rough Sleepers Initiative
19. Mr. Couchman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to further extend the rough sleepers initiative. [3136]
Mr. Curry: In answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Mr. Merchant) on 31 October, Official Report, column 187, I described the Government's plans to expand the rough sleepers initiative in London, extend it to Brighton and establish a new rough sleepers revenue fund. Together with the extension of the rough sleepers initiative to Bristol earlier this year, these measures demonstrate the Government's commitment to ensuring that there is no necessity for people to sleep rough.
Local Authority Spending
20. Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met local authority leaders to discuss the Government's contribution to local authority spending. [3137]
Sir Paul Beresford: My hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met the leaders of the local authority associations at the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 16 October to discuss the prospects for the 1997-98 settlement. He is also due to meet the chairman of the local authority associations this afternoon, 19 November, and the 1997-98 local government finance settlement will be one of the items on the agenda.
Private Finance Initiative
21. Sir John Hannam: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to encourage local authorities to bring forward projects under the private finance initiative. [3138]
Mr. Gummer: On 31 October we relaxed the capital finance rules to promote the private finance initiative in local government. We also issued guidance on those relaxations and associated arrangements for revenue support for PFI projects.
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