House of Commons Hansard Debates for 28 Nov 1988

New Roads (Environmental Damage)

68. Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to minimise the environmental damage of new roads.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We minimise the impact of new roads on the environment by careful design. We fit schemes into the landscape, plant trees and screen traffic. We take special measures to protect wildlife. The Department's publication "Transport and the Environment" gives examples of the measures that we employ.

Road Accidents (Cost)

69. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest available figure for the annual cost of road accidents to the National Health Service.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : It is estimated that the cost of road accidents to the National Health Service due to hospital treatment in 1987 was £146 million.

Fatalities have a low medical cost but an incalculable family cost.

Common Shipping Policy

70. Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in the Council of Ministers of the European Community in determining and then implementing a common shipping policy.

Mr. Portillo : In December 1986, under United Kingdom Presidency, four regulations were adopted which set the foundations for a common European shipping policy. The United Kingdom is continuing to press hard for progress towards liberalising the cabotage trades of six member states. We also await details of the

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EC Commission's proposals for positive measures to tackle the decline of the European fleets and to improve their competitiveness in world shipping markets.

Road Traffic Speed (London)

72. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to speed up London traffic ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We are improving trunk roads to help orbital traffic and to replace bottlenecks. We are supporting similar borough schemes with grants. We have given traffic management guidance to the boroughs. We are using new technology to improve traffic signalling. We support autoguide. We are encouraging effective parking controls. We are promoting attractive public transport systems.

A31 (Stoney Cross)

73. Mr. Patrick McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to announce his final decision regarding the Stoney Cross intersections of the A31 in Hampshire.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We hope to publish a revised compulsory purchase order shortly. Our final decision will depend upon whether it is opposed and whether a further inquiry is necessary.

Railways (Overcrowding)

Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has received to relieve overcrowding on the railways.

Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received and approved several investment proposals to relieve overcrowding on Network SouthEast and London Underground. British Rail has also put on additional trains to meet increased demand on other parts of the rail system.

M40

Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to announce his decision on the Waterstock to Wandlebury section of the M40.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We are giving urgent consideration to the complex issues in the inspector's report. We hope to be able to make an announcement early next year.

Ports (Roads Financing)

Mr. Stern : To as the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to change the method of financing roads to or around ports.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : No. We will however consider seriously any well-based proposals for involvement of private funds in this or any other part of the road network.

Cars (Computerised Guidance System)

Mr John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when and where the first pilot scheme on a computerised guidance system for cars is expected to be in operation ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Peter Bottomley : We hope shortly to invite private sector proposals for a London autoguide pilot scheme. The area of operation and timing of implementation will depend on the proposals submitted and on parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation.

Yachts (Light Dues)

Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the likely revenue if yachts are required to pay light dues.

Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such estimates. He has, however, invited the British Ports Federation to undertake a study of the feasibility of charging light dues on pleasure craft. It is too early to say what conclusions might emerge.

New Roads

Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new road have been built since 1979.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : Over 850 miles of new and improved trunk road have been built since 1979.

M25 (Traffic Flow)

Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the need to improve traffic flow on the M25.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We have received a number of representations about traffic problems on the M25. A review of the whole motorway is in hand which will identify the problems and suggest solutions. The results of the review are expected in the new year. The Freight Transport Association survey shows that 97 per cent. of operators valued the M25.

Southend--London

Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what informaton he has received from transport undertakings and other bodies about the increase in the numbers of persons travelling from Southend to London and back daily over the past five years.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : The information is not available within the Department.

Traffic Congestion

Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for alleviating traffic congestion ; what are his investment priorities ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We seek to alleviate congestion through road improvements, investment in rail facilities and traffic management measures. Investment priorities for roads are set out in the White Paper "Policy for Roads in England 1987" and for public transport in British Rail's corporate plan 1988 and the London Regional Transport annual business plan 1987-88.

Settle-Carlisle Railway

Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the Settle to Carlisle railway.

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Mr. Portillo : Not yet. We are waiting for advice from the Transport Users' Consultative Committees and representations from the local authorities.

Severn Bridge

17. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to start on a second Severn bridge ; and when he estimates it will be completed.

Mr. Channon : We are on course to provide the bridge by the mid- 1990s, if traffic justifies that. The private sector will be given the opportunity to fund the bridge. Promoters will be asked to indicate possible completion dates and the toll levels associated with them.

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many objections he has received to his proposal to increase tolls on the Severn bridge from (a) Gwent, (b) Wales and (c) England.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : We have received 86 objections from persons living in Gwent, 15 from other parts of Wales, 26 from England and four from national organisations.

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why he chose Bristol as the location of the inquiry into the proposed increase of tolls on the Severn bridge in preference to a location in Wales.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : Experience with previous inquiries has shown that the Bristol area is a convenient location.

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many objections he received to his previous proposal to increase tolls on the Severn bridge from (a) Gwent, (b)

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Wales and (c) England ; and how many from each area gave (i) oral and (ii) written evidence to the previous inquiry.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : Of the objections received to the previous proposals to increase tolls at the Severn bridge, 36 were from Gwent, seven from other areas in Wales, and 37 from England. A further seven were from national organisations.

The number of persons from each area who gave evidence to the 1984 inquiry was as follows :


                       |Gwent                 |Other areas in Wales  |England               |National Organi-sation                       

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i) Oral               |10                    |7                     |6                     |10                                           

(ii) Written           |3                     |4                     |5                     |9

Six members of the Department of Transport also gave evidence.

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the latest traffic counts for all transport modes crossing the Severn bridge and the percentage of the journeys that originate from : (a) Bristol, (b) west of England, (c) Gwent and (d) Wales.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : The annual average daily flow of traffic over the Severn crossing for the 12 months ending 31 October 1988 was 46, 912. Heavy goods vehicles accounted for about 17 per cent., light goods 7 per cent. and buses and coaches 1 per cent. The approximate percentage of westbound journeys originating in Bristol and Avon is 53 per cent. and from the rest of south-west England 10 per cent. The approximate percentage of eastbound journeys orginating in Gwent is 30 per cent. and from the rest of Wales 62 per cent.

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