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Roads: M25
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What was the average daily volume of traffic on the M25 motorway (a) between junctions 26 and 27, (b) between junctions 27 and 28, (c) entering or exiting the M25 at junction 27, and (d) entering or exiting at junction 28, in each of the past 10 years. [HL4931]
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Lord Bassam of Brighton: The following tables show information which is readily available for the past five years, excluding times when flows would be affected by long-term road works.
The average daily volumes of traffic on the M25 (a) between junctions 26 and 27, and (b) between junctions 27 and 28 are shown in Table 1.
| Table 1 | ||||
| Year | J26-27(A carriageway) | J27-26(B carriageway) | J27-28 (A carriageway) | J28-27 (B carriageway) |
(c) Volumes of traffic entering and exiting the M25 at junction 27 are shown in Table 2 and (d) for junction 28 in Table 3.
| Table 2 | ||||
| Year | J27 Entry (A Carriageway) | J27 Entry (B Carriageway) | J27 Exit (A Carriageway) | J27 Exit (B Carriageway) |
| Table 3 | ||||
| Year | J28 Entry (A Carriageway) | J28 Entry (B Carriageway) | J28 Exit (A Carriageway) | J28 Exit (B Carriageway) |
Where data are missing, the Highways Agency will investigate other sources and any further information will be placed in the Library of the House during the Summer Recess.
Sierra Leone: Fishing
Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government:
(a) what progress they have made in helping fishermen in Sierra Leone eradicate illegal fishing; (b) whether a tracing scheme has been set up to track fish being exported to the European Union; (c) how much of the United Kingdom’s £15 million funding scheme announced in April 2007 has been released; and (d) when all of the scheme’s funding will have been released. [HL3589]
Lord Tunnicliffe: DfID currently provides financial support for the operations of the joint maritime authority, which polices the waters off Sierra Leone, and the British military forces in IMATT—the International Military Assistance Training Team—continue to provide
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The Government of Sierra Leone will set out their priorities in a forthcoming poverty reduction strategy paper (first draft expected July 2008). Depending on the weight given to the fisheries sector, DfID may engage the Government in further support. The fisheries programme is still subject to approval and thus no funding has yet been disbursed.
On product tracking, the Government, through DfID and Defra, are working closely with major UK and European processors and retailers in the development of traceability systems for fish products entering European Union markets. We recognise that the ability to trace products from hook to fork is an effective means of ensuring fish are sourced legally and sustainably, although consideration needs to be given to ensuring that any new measures do not act unintentionally as barriers to legitimate trade for developing countries.
Suicide
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 18 June (WA 164), what criteria coroners in Northern Ireland use to determine whether deaths should be classified as suicide; whether they record their decisions; whether those decisions are publicly available; and by what criteria coroners decide whether an inquest is merited in the case of suicide-classified death. [HL4852]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): A coroner will consider all the available evidence in determining whether a death was as a result of suicide. Where the facts surrounding a death are not clear the coroner may hold an inquest. It is normal practice for the coroner to consult the family of the deceased before reaching a decision on whether to hold an inquest.
Where an inquest is held and the cause of death is found to be suicide the finding will be recorded as “deceased died by his own act” and the medical cause of death will also be recorded. In reaching a decision on whether a death was as a result of suicide relevant factors are whether the act of the deceased was voluntary, what his or her intention was, and whether the death was in fact a consequence of his or her act.
Coroners’ findings are recorded and can be released on the authority of the coroner.
Telecommunications: Fibre-optic Ducting
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether the trial installation of fibre-optic ducting on the A14 for 20 miles between Catthorpe and junction 9 will be a trial of the procedure for installing the ducting or the below-ground termination chambers; and, if neither, what will be on trial. [HL4947]
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Lord Bassam of Brighton: The trial installation on the A14 is to develop a new telecommunications solution for delivering transmission services to roadside devices. The trial includes investigating a range of technologies and installation practices, including new standards for cable ducting, fibre-optic cable installation, cable jointing and the use of new types of active transmission equipment. The trial aims to deliver a cost-effective telecommunications solution for the all-purpose trunk road network.
Terrorism: Proscribed Organisations
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What steps they are taking, following the deproscription of the People’s Mujaheddin of Iran as a result of a judgment in the Court of Appeal, to remove the People’s Mujaheddin of Iran from the European Union’s list of terrorist organisations. [HL4961]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The UK informed EU partners of the POAC and Court of Appeal judgments, and of the courts’ view that the PMOI was not concerned in terrorism. The UK also informed the Council of the European Union when the PMOI was deproscribed on 24 June, and invited the Council to consider the implications of the UK deproscription on the current EU listing under Common Position 931/2001.
The Council has subsequently adopted a new decision (Common Position 586/2008 of 15 July), on the basis of a different national competent authority decision not associated with the UK proscription, to continue to list the PMOI. The Council has written to the PMOI, setting out in a revised statement of reasons why it has been retained on the list.
Tourism: Cruise Ships
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much each regional development agency with at least one port in its area spent on cruise liner tourism and marketing in the past five years. [HL4787]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Baroness Vadera):
| RDA | Total amount spent (£k) over past five years |
- 1. The high level of investment in this area by NWDA includes over £9,000,000 capital investment the cruise liner facility on Liverpool waterfront.
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