House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Feb 2004 (pt 30)

Train Services (Lancashire)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent figures are for (a) reliability, (b) punctuality, (c) public performance measures and (d) complaints for each train operator operating services in Lancashire. [153499]

Mr. McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) measures train performance by the Public Performance Measure (PPM), which combines reliability and punctuality. It is published, by train operator, in the SRA's quarterly National Rail Trends (NRT). The latest publication covers performance to the year ending 30 September 2003 and is placed in the Library of the House.

Until March 2003, complaints data, by train operator, were published in the SRA's six-monthly "On Track" publication. Copies of "On Track" are placed in the Library of the House. In future, complaints data, by

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train operator, will appear annually in Quarter 4 of NRT, which will also act as an annual compendium of statistics. This will be published in the summer.

Transatlantic Air Services

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress between the European Commission and the United States Administration on liberalisation of transatlantic air services. [153795]

Mr. McNulty: The next round of EU/US negotiations is to be held in Washington on 17 to 19 February. Some good progress has been made at earlier rounds, but major issues remain unresolved.

Transport and Works Act

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the decision-making process for applications made under the Transport and Works Act 1992; and if he will make statement. [149987]

Mr. Jamieson: My Department consulted publicly last September on a package of measures designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the TWA process and we are currently considering the comments received with a view to implementing improvements during the course of the year. A key feature of our proposed changes is that they are designed to secure better and fuller information at an earlier stage. This will, in turn, help to ensure that we can reach decisions more quickly upon receipt of an inspector's report. We also intend to consult in the next few months on changes to the model clauses for TWA Orders, which will help to ensure that applications are in better shape when they come in.

Transport for the Elderly

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effect of the availability of transport on the well-being of elderly people. [153997]

Mr. McNulty: The Department has a wide-ranging research programme looking into the transport needs of older and disabled people as well as other vulnerable groups in society. We recognise that a lack of mobility can prevent older people from participating in social activities and lead to low morale, depression and loneliness. It can also impact upon others, such as carers, social services and health agencies. A recent—January 2001—study indicated that the requirements of older people are similar to those of other members of society and major concerns include accessibility of vehicles, safety, reliability and cost.

We are making significant headway in all these areas, in particular in the provision of accessible public transport vehicles—for example, over a third of buses used on scheduled services are now fully accessible—and have introduced a provision under the Transport Act 2000 that guarantees pensioners and disabled people an entitlement to at least half-fares or better on local bus services, with the travel pass being free of charge.

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Vehicle Excise Duty

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which vehicle excise duty reflects the environmental impact of different models of vehicle. [152069]

Mr. Jamieson: The graduated Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) regime, which was introduced in March 2001, is designed to encourage motorists to choose less polluting vehicles by giving clear signals to them about the environmental impacts of their car purchasing decisions. Its primary aim is to incentivise the purchase of the most fuel-efficient cars, as a way of helping to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from the transport sector. It is also designed to reflect the different emissions of local air pollutants from diesel, petrol and alternatively fuelled cars. As with all taxes, the Government keeps VED under review, and since the introduction of the scheme we have introduced a number of modifications to give greater incentives to those who purchase the most fuel-efficient vehicles. As the Chancellor announced in his Pre-Budget Report in December 2003, the Government is currently considering how the effectiveness of the scheme might be further improved.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the level at which vehicle excise duty is charged. [152070]

Mr. Jamieson: During the last 12 months my department dealt with 265 pieces of correspondence concerning VED from Members of Parliament the public and organisations.

Most of the correspondence dealt with two matters:

(a) enforcement of VED, and

(b) whether existing exemptions from payment of VED might be extended to particular groups of motorists or classes of vehicle.

Very little of this correspondence deals with the level of VED charged. Where it does however, it tends to be by way of suggestions that certain, generally larger vehicles, should be taxed more heavily.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on vehicle excise duty. [152071]

Mr. Jamieson: Vehicle Excise Duty is a tax on mechanically propelled vehicles. It raises about £4.5 billion annually and has two purposes in addition to the raising of revenue:

(a) Through the licensing process it ensures checking of insurance and MOT documents, and;

(b) It provides an opportunity to influence vehicle purchase e.g. on environmental and road friendliness grounds.

Cars registered since 1 March 2001 are taxed mostly according to their CO2 emissions, with VED set for the lowest emitting petrol cars at £55, ranging up to £165 for the highest emitting diesel cars. UK lorry rates are related to vehicle weight and configuration and are some of the lowest in Europe.

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There are a number of concessionary VED rates and exemptions which are sometimes subject to discussion with the various interest groups. While there will always be room for debate at the margins, the Government believes the balance is broadly right between those paying VED at the normal rate for the vehicle, those paying at concessionary rates and those who are exempt from VED.

We have considerably tightened the enforcement of VED through the "continuous registration" package of measures. By introducing continuous registration and using modern technology, we are improving the accuracy of the register to the benefit of law enforcement and the honest motorist. To deal with short term evasion we have introduced fines for those over a month overdue with relicensing, while tackling those vehicles already outside the system of registration and licensing with enhanced enforcement using wheel clamping and ANPR cameras.

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This should enhance the quality of the DVLA vehicle register so assisting the police in the fight against crime, and also assist local authorities track down and enforce costs against those who abandon vehicles.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will re-introduce the rolling 25-year rule for exempting vehicles from excise duty; and if he will make a statement. [153366]

Mr. Jamieson: The Chancellor of the Exchequer takes decisions on transport taxation, including vehicle excise duty, on a Budget-by-Budget basis, taking a range of economic, social and environmental factors into consideration. The Government acknowledge the role historic vehicle enthusiasts play in maintaining that part of the country's history and heritage, but need also to recognise the poorer environmental performance of older vehicles. The current exemption for vehicles constructed before 1 January 1973 is designed to strike the right balance between environmental and heritage needs.

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HOME DEPARTMENT

Tagging

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are tagged for the purpose of a curfew order. [151780]

Paul Goggins: At midnight on 31 December 2003, a total of 8,733 people were currently tagged for the purpose of a curfew.

Anti-social Behaviour

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what advice he has given to (a) police and (b) local councils on (i) the need to liaise with each other, (ii) the protocols for publishing intentions in the local press and (iii) operational protocols in respect of anti-social behaviour legislation; [152427]

(a)

(b)

Ms Blears: We have issued a "Together Campaign Pack" which provides information and tools for local authorities, police and other practitioners to run campaigns against anti-social behaviour in their area. It encourages practitioners to keep the public and partner organisations informed and involved in the work they are doing to tackle anti-social behaviour.

We have also issued Home Office Circular number 04/2004 describing the owers to disperse groups contained in Part 4 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. The circular provides information to assist the police and local authorities in the use of the new powers. The National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) has been asked to produce further guidance on these new powers. We hope to publish the guidance later this year.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a code of practice for police operations in respect of recent anti-social behaviour legislation. [153077]

Ms Blears: We have published "A Guide to the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003", copies of which were sent to all Chief Constables in England and Wales and Members of Parliament. In addition, we have produced some detailed guidance on the measures in the Act for practitioners, including the police. Examples of these include:

Notes of Guidance to Accompany Part One of the Act, The Power to Close Premises' where drugs are used unlawfully.

Home Office Circular 04/2004 on the use of the powers to disperse groups contained in Part 4 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

Home Office Circular 01/2004 on the purpose and effect of the firearms provisions contained in Part 5 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

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Information on when further guidance will be issued on other measures in the Act is contained in the Guide to the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

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