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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Indonesia
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the World Bank concerning the conditions on which loans are made to the Government of Indonesia, or any other body in that country, for schemes that directly or indirectly involve land resettlement ; and if he will make a statement concerning Her Majesty's Government's policy on this matter.
Mrs. Chalker : My officials are in touch with the World Bank about a multi-purpose dam and irrigation project in central Java where difficulties have arisen over the resettlement of people displaced by the reservoir. Our understanding is that the bank is working closely with the Government of Indonesia on the formulation of a comprehensive resettlement plan. We shall continue to monitor the situation. The bank has recently produced guidelines for planning resettlement which we consider should be the standard against which to assess future bank projects.
TRANSPORT
British Rail (Accidents)
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have occurred on British Rail (a) during the past five years and (b) during the five years before that ; and how many fatalities occurred during the same periods.
Mr. Portillo : The information is not available in the form requested. The railway inspectorate maintains accident records for the preparation of the annual report on railway safety. These records show the number of casualties but not the precise number of accidents. The numbers of accidents to trains (collisions, derailments, fires and so on) are given in the following table, together with the numbers of fatalities, since 1979 (table B). These cover all railways : the numbers for BR cannot generally be isolated without a lot of research, although it has been possible to do so for the years since the records were computerised (table C).
Table A is a summary of accidents of all types for all railways during the 10 years ended 1988. Movement accidents are those which are caused to people by moving
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railway vehicles which are not train accidents, for example, an accident involving a carriage door of a moving train. Non-movement accidents are those which do not involve railway vehicles. The King's Cross fire is in this category.Table A Fatalities in all railway accidents 1979-88 Year |Train accidents |Movement accidents |Non-movement accidents|Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1979 |20 |74 |13 |107 1980 |7 |52 |10 |69 1981 |7 |58 |11 |76 1982 |11 |40 |6 |57 1983 |10 |53 |6 |69 1984 |30 |41 |5 |76 1985 |6 |55 |13 |74 1986 |27 |41 |4 |72 1987 |10 |57 |37 |104 <1>1988 |40 |53 |5 |98 <1>Provisional figures.
Table B Train accidents and fatal injuries-all railways Year |Accidents |Fatalities -------------------------------------------- 1979 |1,035 |20 1980 |930 |7 1981 |1,014 |7 1982 |998 |11 1983 |1,225 |10 1984 |1,359 |30 1985 |1,240 |6 1986 |1,171 |27 1987 |1,164 |10 <1>1988 |1,359 |40 <1>Provisional figures.
Table C Train accidents and fatal injuries-British Railways only Year |Accidents |Fatalities -------------------------------------------- 1979 |<2>- |<2>- 1980 |<2>- |<2>- 1981 |<2>- |<2>- 1982 |<2>- |<2>- 1983 |<2>- |<2>- 1984 |1,329 |28 1985 |1,213 |6 1986 |1,117 |27 1987 |1,121 |10 <1>1988 |1,287 |40 <1>Provisional figures. <2>Figures not available.
Road Safety, Silver Hill
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department was consulted about the construction of a tarmac access road and erection of a 15 ft by 10 ft sign just south of the bend at the top of Silver Hill on the A21 south of Hurst Green (Ordnance Survey 1/25,000, sheet TQ72 MR 737258) advertising a theme park ; and if his Department is satisfied that turning traffic would not constitute a hazard to traffic proceeding to Hastings.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has been consulted in the normal way by the local planning authority and is prepared to agree the access subject to the conditions. The recently installed access does not meet those conditions and does not comply with the Department's current design standards.
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Departmental Staff (Dismissal)
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his Department's employees have been sacked for incompetence since 1986.
Mr. Atkins : Since 1 January 1986, 26 employees of the Department have had their employment terminated on the ground of inefficiency, and 25 on the ground of limited efficiency. Seventy staff did not have their employment confirmed at the end of their probationary period.
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Railways
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the information he has for the railways in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France and (d) Italy on (i) the amount of profit/loss, (ii) the number of passengers, (iii)
passenger-kilometres and (iv) tonne-kilometres carried in (1) 1959, (2) 1969, (3) 1979 and (4) in the latest available year, together with the number of employees and the total amount in terms of local currency of the total state contribution and of total investment.
Mr. Portillo : I do not have information for the years 1959 and 1969. The information readily available is as follows :
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Million units local |GB(BR) |West Germany |France |<1>Italy
currency (cash)
|£ |DM |FF |L
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subsidy
1981 |831 |9,062 |15,408 |3,573
1985 |920 |9,317 |23,342 |6,798
Loss
1981 |37 |3,830 |2,863 |1,705
1985 |20 |2,909 |4,486 |2,119
Source:
EEC Transposed Accounts.
<1> Italian figures in billion lire.
Information on profit/loss and subsidy is available for 1985 and 1981. Comparisons between countries are misleading as accounting policies vary across Europe. For example, since nationalisation the Government have written off approximately £1.5 billion (cash) of BR debt. If
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interest still had to be paid on this amount, the grant would have to be much higher to achieve the same effect. Other railways have been treated differently : in particular I understand that the West German railway has a large debt burden.Column 1095
Million units local |GB(BR) |West Germany |France |<1>Italy
currency (cash)
|£ |DM |FF |L
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subsidy
1981 |831 |9,062 |15,408 |3,573
1985 |920 |9,317 |23,342 |6,798
Loss
1981 |37 |3,830 |2,863 |1,705
1985 |20 |2,909 |4,486 |2,119
Source:
EEC Transposed Accounts.
<1> Italian figures in billion lire.
The most recent investment comparisons my Department has are for 1989-90.
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£ |Great Britain (BR)|West Germany |France |Italy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Investment (million) |685 |1,662 |1,062 |n/a Investment per route mile (thousand) |66 |97 |49 |n/a Source: January 1989 International Railway Journal.
International comparisons of financial statistics must take account of the differences between the networks' geographical and operating conditions. A comparison of subsidy per route mile shows that the level of subsidy paid
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to British Rail, in relation to the size of the network, is marginally higher than for the French railways. This is despite British Rail's smaller network being more heavily used than those in France and West Germany. The current budget for British Rail investment is also higher than that planned by French railways when the size of the network is taken into account.Hunts (Trespass)
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct British Rail to prosecute in all cases where evidence is available of hunts trespassing on railway property, particularly where running rails are situated and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : Decisions on prosecutions are matters for the police and prosecuting authorities.
Greenhouse Effect
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy at the next Council of European Transport Ministers to take steps to initiate a research programme to combat the effects on greenhouse global warming from the transport sector in the European Economic Community.
Mr. Atkins : Following the June Council of Environment Ministers, the European Commission is already committed to looking into methods of controlling carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. There is also a wider intergovernmental panel on climatic change which is examining the greenhouse effect in a more global context.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to evaluate the recommendation made in the sixth report of the Energy Select Committee that a full study be made of the implications for the greenhouse effect of the present transport modes, and of increased road use by the year 2000.
Mr. Atkins : The Government will give a full response to the Select Committee's recommendations in due course.
London Assessment Studies
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many visits he has made to areas affected by the London assessment studies ; whom he met ; and on what dates the visits occurred.
Mr. Atkins : I have not yet had the opportunity to make any such visits.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total number of representations he has now received concerning the London assessment studies ; what proportion of these are opposed to all road building ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has received many representations about all aspects of the studies. To identify the proportion opposed to all road building would involve disproportionate cost.
Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will authorise his consultants for the west London assessment study to consider road pricing for London as a whole ; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that account is taken of both generated and diverted traffic effects arising from other road schemes including the M25 and Westway in assessing new road options.
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Mr. Atkins : I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply he was given on 28 June at column 474. The traffic models already take into account diverted traffic and an allowance will be made for generated traffic.
Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether information concerning rail freight over Barnes bridge is available to his consultants for the west London assessment study.
Mr. Atkins : The consultants for the west London assessment study have held numerous meetings with British Rail and have obtained information concerning use of the railway over Barnes bridge.
Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have signed the petitions presented to him opposing options contained in the west London assessment study.
Mr. Atkins : I have received several petitions about the west London assessment study. It is not possible without disproportionate cost to identify how many individuals have signed one or more of them.
Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are being made to take account of current transport studies including the central London rail study, the Heathrow and south west quadrant study and the Heathrow surface access study in the preparation of the west London assessment study.
Mr. Atkins : Co-ordination of the various studies is arranged by the Department's officials.
Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what general arrangements are being made for public participation on stage 2B of the west London assessment study ; what period is planned for this consultation ; which local organisations will be consulted ; how the public will be involved ; and under what terms the stage 2B report will be made available.
Mr. Atkins : An announcement on the arrangements for public participation on stage 2B of the study will be made in due course.
Road Accidents (Cyclists)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total number of road accidents involving cyclists in the past year ; what are the comparable figures for the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The figures requested are as follows :
All accidents
involving pedal
cyclists: 1983-1987
|Number
---------------------
1983 |31,236
1984 |31,586
1985 |27,482
1986 |26,641
1987 |26,616
Final figures are not yet available for 1988 ; provisional estimates show 25,800 pedal cycle casualties for the year. This compares with a figure of 30,600 for 1983, a decrease of 16 per cent.
While this fall is welcomed by the Department, we remain concerned at the high level of pedal cyclist casualties and are committed to reducing it further.
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Driving Licences
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many instances, in each of the last five years, he has exercised his powers to investigate the health of applicants for and holders of driving licences who are over the age of 70 years.
Mr. Atkins : This information is not available.
Drivers aged 70 or over are required to renew their licences at least every three years. Like all drivers, they are required by law to notify the DVLC of any relevant health condition when they apply for a driving licence, or if a condition develops or worsens during the currency of a licence.
Rail Transport (East London)
Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for improving rail transport in east London.
Mr. Portillo : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) on 26 July, Official Report, column 729.
Manchester Airport (Accident)
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has received any recent report from the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority on progress being made to implement the air accident investigation branch recommendations following the Manchester airport tragedy that (a) mandatory provision for smoke hoods in all passenger aircraft, (b) the development and introduction of water spray/mist systems, (c) the improved rules to facilitate evacuation rates and (d) the development of toxicity tests in cabin material specifications. ;
(2) if he will ask the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to review methods by which passenger jets are approved for air worthiness certification in light of the conclusions drawn by an expert from the Federal Aviation Administration on the subject of aging jets at a conference on aviation safety held in London in June.
Mr. McLoughlin : The safety regulation of civil aviation is wholly the statutory responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority. I understand that the expert referred to was explaining matters which have been for over a year the subject of discussion and action by, among others, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The most recent CAA report on the AAIB investigation is the "Follow-up Action on Accident Reports No. F. 5/89" issued on 13 March. This document covers all of the matters raised by my hon. Friend and I shall arrange for a copy to be sent to him.
Traffic Speed (London)
Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his best estimate of the likely average traffic speed in 10, 20 and 30 years' time on the basis of the information and assumptions included in "Transport in London".
Mr. Atkins : I would not expect average traffic speeds in London as a whole to change substantially.
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Fishing Vessels
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 26 July, he will set out the requirements of the 1988 Act which each of the 150 formerly registered vessels failed to satisfy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The 150 vessels did not meet any or all of the requirements of schedule 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 relating to the ownership, management and control of the vessel. Thirty-one of these vessels also could not have been registered because they did not have valid safety certificates.
M2 and A2
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the cost of widening the carriageway to three lanes of (a) the A2 between London and the commencement of the M2, (b) the M2, and (c) the A2 between the end of the M2 and Canterbury.
Mr. Atkins : The A2 already has dual three-lane carriageways from the London boundary to the start of the M2.
A scheme for widening the M2 to dual three-lanes between junctions 1 and 3 is programmed, at an estimated works cost of £28 million at November 1985 prices. Subject to detailed investigation, this scheme might also provide for the third southbound lane to continue some way beyond junction 3 as a crawler lane.
There are no present plans for widening the remainder of the M2, or the A2 between the motorway and Canterbury. Estimated costs are not, therefore available.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the improvement and maintenance programmes for the A2 and M2 roads were last reviewed at ministerial level ; and when he will next carry out such a review.
Mr. Atkins : The recent White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" (Cm. 693) announced the addition to the programme of the A2/A282 Dartford improvements scheme, and also the intention to carry out a study into possible future need for improvement along the section of A2 between Bean and the M2. The needs of the national trunk road network as a whole are kept under constant review by Ministers, and new schemes added when justified. We shall continue to watch the position on the A2/M2 route in the light of traffic developments.
Ministers review the national road maintenance programme annually, usually early in the calendar year. This covers all motorway and all-purpose trunk roads.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial and other criteria were used in determining whether or not to carry out maintenance work on the M2 and A2 roads north of Canterbury in each year from 1985 to 1989 ; and if he will publish the criteria.
Mr. Atkins : Maintenance priorities on all trunk roads are determined using engineering judgment, based upon the results of road condition assessment surveys and the need for timely intervention to minimise costs. Much of the A2/M2 has exceeded its design life and its condition gave it a high maintenance priority.
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The Department's methods for monitoring road condition and for assessing the needs for maintenance are already published. There can be no set criteria for the application of expert engineering judgment to survey results.British Rail (Privatisation)
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of privatising British Rail (a) as one national private railway company and (b) as individual regional private railway companies.
Mr. Portillo : These are among the privatisation options being considered.
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the proposal to privatise Network SouthEast, with its operational responsibilities to include the development and operation of a Channel tunnel rail link, as a separate railway company ; and what representations he has received from private sector parties interested in such a proposal.
Mr. Portillo : A range of privatisation options for British Rail is being considered, including privatisation by business sectors, of which Network SouthEast is one. Privatisation options will need to take account of the Channel tunnel rail link proposals, but I have received no representations from the private sector concerning privatisation of Network SouthEast and the rail link together.
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to announce his decision on the privatisation of British Rail.
Mr. Portillo : Not for some time.
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations British Rail has made to him with regard to the progress of discussions with parties from the private sector interested in investing in a Channel tunnel rail link scheme ; and when he expects to be able to announce the outcome of those discussions.
Mr. Portillo : The British Railways board keeps me informed of its progress in securing private sector involvement in the rail link scheme. An announcement will be made in due course.
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from potential bidders from the private sector interested in the private financing and future operations of a Channel tunnel rail link scheme.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend and I have received some representations on this subject. British Rail is currently discussing its proposals for the high-speed rail link with several private sector interests.
Thames Link Station (Camberwell)
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what applications for funding for a projected new Thames link station in Camberwell he has received from British Rail and Southwark borough council ; when
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applications were made ; for what sum was the bid for a Government grant ; and when he expects to be able to announce his decision on any such application.Mr. Portillo : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Public Transport Grants
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government grants are available for public transport investment where there are non-user benefits ; and if any such grants have been applied for, or awarded.
Mr. Portillo : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Provincial Railway Services
Sir Fergus Montgomery : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the British Railways board has responded to the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the board's provincial services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : The British Railways board has made an initial response to the report and I have today placed copies of that response in the Library of the House. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission has generally endorsed the achievements and strategy of the provincial sector and the board has accepted nearly all the commission's recommendations. I am grateful for the commission's work and I welcome the board's positive response. The commission endorses the board's considerable progress in reducing the costs of provincial services and raising revenue through better marketing. I attach great importance to that. But these services still require considerable public subsidy and they must be cost effective. I shall monitor the board's progress in following up the commission's recommendations and a further statement will be made to the House about that, probably early next year.
The commission's report makes recommendations about quality of service targets. Having considered the advice of the commission together with that of the central transport consultative committee and of the board itself, we have now asked the board to aim for the revised quality targets for provincial services which are set out in the table. We are expecting the targets to be met by each of the express/longer rural and urban shorter rural categories of service as a whole. However, we have asked the board to advise on the cost implications of meeting the targets on each route.
The new targets are more in line with the provincial sector's customer- oriented approach. They are consistent with the existing quality targets set for InterCity and Network SouthEast services. They establish reasonable levels of service for the board to provide for customers using provincial services without imposing exessive costs or fares. I very much welcome the recent appointment by the board of a provincial quality manager.
I commend the new targets to the passenger transport executives for the services they support. But they may of course choose different targets if they judge that the extra benefits justify a higher level of local support.
The board's response records that discussions are also taking place with my Department about recommendations that involve wider policy issues. Further announcements on these matters will be made in due course.
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British Rail provincial sector:
New quality of service targets
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Punctuality
Express |90 per cent. (0 to 10 minutes of right time)
Longer rural
Urban |90 per cent. (0 to 5 minutes)
Shorter rural
Trains run
Express |99.5 per cent. minimum
Longer rural
Urban |99 per cent. minimum
Shorter rural
Loadings
ExpressNo published targets
Longer rural
Urban |135 per cent./110 per cent. for sliding/slam
Shorter rural |door stock; maximum 20 minutes standing
Cleaning
Internal |100 per cent. daily
External |100 per cent. every two days
Telephone Enquiry |95 per cent. of calls to be answered within
Bureaux | 30 seconds
Ticket Office queues Maximum times of 5 minutes/3 minutes, in
| peak/off-peak
Drink-Driving
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of crashes involving more than one vehicle resulting in death or serious injury to individuals without alcohol in their blood are caused by drivers with illegal blood alcohol levels in (a) England and Wales and (b) Scotland.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 26 July 1989] : That information is not available in the form requested. Approximately 8 per cent. of fatalities in road accidents are of non-drivers in accidents where at least one of the drivers involved had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, but many of these would themselves have had alcohol in their blood. The corresponding figure for serious injuries is 3 per cent.
Lead-free Petrol
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has undertaken with the Petrol Retailers Association with a view to outlawing the practice of selling lead-free petrol through dual- purpose petrol pump nozzles.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 25 July 1989] : Petrol retailers have been given a temporary derogation by the weights and measures authorities to use dual-purpose nozzles. It expires on 1 April next year. The subject was discussed at the recent meeting of the unleaded petrol group, chaired by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment. The Petrol Retailers Association was represented at the meeting.
British Rail (Safety)
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list (a) the number of reports he has received from the railways inspectorate, (b) the
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