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Mr. McLoughlin : The first phase of the project has been completed and a second phase is being considered.
Coastguard Service
21. Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek additional means to improve the efficiency of the coastguards and other search and rescue services along the north Devon coast and the Bristol channel.
Mr. McLoughlin : Following the closure of the coastguard centre at Hartland in December 1988, a number of measures have been taken in order to ensure that there is adequate provision of resources for maritime search and rescue in the area. The facilities available to Her Majesty's coastguard as the co-ordinating authority are equal to those in other areas of the United Kingdom
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coastline. The enhanced watch levels at Swansea have been maintained since the closure of the Hartland centre. Swansea now has a greater staff level than some centres which handle a larger number of incidents per annum.London Regional Transport
22. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the chairman of London Regional Transport ; and if he will discuss matters of safety.
Mr. Parkinson : I frequently meet the chairman of London Regional Transport and discuss various matters including safety.
32. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of London Regional Transport ; and what subjects were discussed.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend last met the chairman of London Regional Transport on 21 December. A range of issues was discussed.
London Buses
23. Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on plans for the deregulation of buses in London.
Mr. Portillo : We are committed to the deregulation of bus services in London in the 1990s.
Marchioness
24. Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement regarding progress of the inquiry into the collision involving the Marchioness and Bow Belle dredger on the River Thames.
Mr. McLoughlin : The inquiry into the collision involving the Marchioness and the Bow Belle has reached an advanced stage. It is expected that the inspector leading the inquiry will be in a position to submit his findings to the chief inspector of marine accidents very soon. The report of the chief inspector will then be published at the earliest practicable date.
Tyneside
25. Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to visit Tyneside.
Mr. Atkins : My right hon. Friend visited Tyneside on 24 November 1989. I last visited it on 26 October 1989. We have no plans for further visits in the near future.
Motorway Delays
26. Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department measures the finiancial cost of delays on motorways ; and what is the figure for the latest year.
Mr. Atkins : There is no way of making accurate estimates of the overall cost of delays on motorways. The Department does, however, use computer programs to assess the cost of traffic delays on particular stretches of motorway under specific conditions.
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Underground Services (South-East London)
27. Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning future plans for new underground railways serving south-east London.
Mr. Portillo : The Jubilee extension to docklands will improve accessibility to Southwark and Bermondsey. London Regional Transport is also considering further the case for extensions of the East London line and the docklands light railway to parts of south-east London.
Thames Riverbus
28. Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the reduction in the Riverbus service on the Thames and on the levels of Government subsidy offered for this service.
Mr. Portillo : The Government have made a grant of £500,000 available to the consortium responsible for the riverbus service. The revisions to the service, which come into operation today, are intended, in the light of operating experience, to tailor the service more closely to demand. I am pleased that the plans are for a fast, frequent and reliable riverbus service on the River Thames.
Railway Stations
30. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a special grant to enable British Rail to staff rail stations that are currently unstaffed.
Mr. Portillo : No. Decisions on the staffing of individual stations are management matters for the board in the light of the overall objectives set by the Government and local requirements. Decisions on staffing levels at stations in the metropolitan counties are a matter for the local passenger transport executives. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has written to the hon. Member on this matter.
Traffic (London)
31. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any proposals to relieve traffic congestion in London.
Mr. Atkins : I refer the hon. Member to the statement my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made to the House on 14 December 1989.
39. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on consultation to date following publication of the London assessment studies proposals in December 1989.
Mr. Atkins : Full public consultation is currently under way. The deadline for comments is 28 February 1990.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has sent copies of the London road assessment studies to the leaders of local community road action groups, as promised by him when he met the London Labour group of hon. Members ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Copies of the consultants' reports have been supplied free of charge, to all representative local organisations which so far have been identified by hon. Members as being based within their constituencies.
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Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy on sending an official from his Department to meetings called by a borough council or a local community roads action group to explain his road option preferences ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has informed each borough council that officials are able to attend one local authority-controlled meeting in their area and has asked them to nominate the venue. That programme is now being firmed up with the local authorities concerned.
Transport Supplementary Grant
34. Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authority road schemes will be started next year with a transport supplementary grant.
Mr. Atkins : Local highways authorities have indicated that construction work on 74 major road schemes (each costing £1 million or more) which have been accepted for transport supplementary grant support will start in the financial year 1990-91.
A1
36. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the road safety benefits which could arise from dualling of the A1 throughout its length.
Mr. Atkins : Current traffic flows on the single carriageway sections of the A1 do not justify dualling throughout.
Road safety benefits are part of the criteria taken into account in the cost benefit analysis when decisions are made on which schemes to undertake. The safety and accident situation on the A1 in Northumberland, as with all trunk roads, is monitored continuously and checked.
M1 (Junction 21)
37. Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the disruption at junction 21 of the M1.
Mr. Atkins : I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave on 28 November 1989 at column 186. The Department has since received two further representations.
East London Assessment Study
38. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responses he has received to the east London assessment study stage 2 consultants' report.
Mr. Atkins : Comments are being received from a variety of sources, including right hon. and hon. Members, local authorities, interested groups, national organisations, and members of the public.
European Community Model Driving Licences
40. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the new-style European Community model driving licences will be introduced in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Atkins : The new-style European Community model driving licence will be issued from early April 1990 to drivers with a full ordinary driving entitlement due to come into force on or after 1 June 1990.
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Existing driving licences will remain valid after that date--there will be no need for drivers to exchange them for the new-style licences.Learner Drivers
41. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning changing the law governing the supervision of learner drivers.
Mr. Atkins : Over 200 representations have been received. These were taken into account in formulating the proposals contained in the consultation document to which I referred in my answer to a question from my hon. Friend on 20 December ( Official Report, Volume 164, column 278 ).
Road and Bridge Maintenance
42. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much spending on roads and bridge maintenance will increase in each of the next three years.
Mr. Atkins : For national roads, planned expenditure on the maintenance of roads and bridges for the current year and for each of the next three years is as follows :
|Capital |Current
|maintenance|maintenance
|£ million |£ million
------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |<1>337 |<1>99
1990-91 |412 |120
1991-92 |444 |127
1992-93 |448 |135
<1> Forecast outturn.
The Government no longer make plans for local expenditure on highway maintenance. However, the standard spending assessment for local highway maintenance for 1990-91 will be £1,578 million, compared with the needs assessment of £1,478 million used in the 1989-90 rate support grant settlement.
Investment
43. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much will be invested in road and rail over the next three years.
Mr. Portillo : The figures requested are as follows :
£ billion
|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|Total
-------------------------------------------------------------
National roads<1><2> |1.7 |1.8 |1.8 |5.3
Rail<1><3> |1.6 |2.1 |2.3 |6.0
<1> Local authorities also invest in road and rail,
including expenditure on structural maintenance of local
roads which falls within authorities' current expenditure
budgets. The level of investment undertaken is a matter for
the authorities concerned. For 1990-91 estimates of probable
investment in local roads and non-BR rail systems are over
£950 million and over £60 million respectively.
<2> Including structural maintenance.
<3> British Rail and London Regional Transport. Future
investment by London Regional Transport has not yet been
allocated between rail and non-rail expenditure (which is
currently running at £50 million per annum).
Priority Routes
44. Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions he proposes to apply to his proposed red routes ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Atkins : The basis of our proposal is that there should be no stopping on the red routes during peak periods. Stopping, loading and unloading may be permitted at certain times at some strictly limited and clearly marked places where the flow of traffic would not be impeded. Consideration will be given to legitimate interests of frontages, and to the case for exemptions, which will need to be minimised. Final decisions will be taken in the light of consultation and a pilot scheme starting in summer 1990.
45. Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road miles will be involved in the priority route network announced in December.
Mr. Atkins : The network proposed in the "Traffic in London" discussion document covers approximately 300 miles of roads.
Airports
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the percentage growth in passengers in the two years 1988 and 1989 in each United Kingdom airport handling more than 3 million passengers.
Mr. McLoughlin : The following is the information :
Millions of terminal passengers
|1988 |1989<1> |Percentage
(January- |(January- |increase
|October) |October)
-------------------------------------------------------
Heathrow |31.763 |33.472 |5.4
Gatwick |18.452 |18.763 |1.7
Manchester |8.527 |9.127 |7.0
Glasgow |3.166 |3.369 |6.4
<1> Full year figures not yet available. 1988 period
adjusted for comparison.
Source: Civil Aviation Authority.
Millions of terminal passengers
|1988 |1989<1> |Percentage
(January- |(January- |increase
|October) |October)
-------------------------------------------------------
Heathrow |31.763 |33.472 |5.4
Gatwick |18.452 |18.763 |1.7
Manchester |8.527 |9.127 |7.0
Glasgow |3.166 |3.369 |6.4
<1> Full year figures not yet available. 1988 period
adjusted for comparison.
Source: Civil Aviation Authority.
Hydrography
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the payments made to the hydrographers' department for charts for the last five years by his Department : and if he will list the number of charts ordered by his Department for the last five years.
Mr. McLoughlin : This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Vehicle Inspectorate Agency
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specific financial, efficiency and quality of service targets he has approved for the vehicle inspectorate agency for the current year and for the longer term.
Mr. Atkins : When the Vehicle Inspectorate became an executive agency on 1 August 1988 it was set a key performance target to improve the cost efficiency of its
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main activities by 3.7 per cent. over a two- year period from 1 April 1989. Full details of the inspectorate's 1989-90 financial performance and service targets are given in its business plan, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The targets for 1990-91 will be included in the next business plan, which should be available shortly. A copy of that plan will also be lodged with the Library.London Assessment Studies
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many invitations to speak at public meetings on the London assessment studies have been received by his Department ; and how many he has (a) accepted and (b) refused.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has informed each borough council that officials are able to attend one local authority-controlled meeting in their area and has asked them to nominate the venue. This programme is now being firmed up with the local authorities concerned. Groups asking for officials to attend other meetings are being referred to the local authorities concerned.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which voluntary organisations his Department has sent free copies of the appropriate London assessment studies.
Mr. Atkins : Copies of the consultants' stage 2 reports have been supplied free of charge, to all representative local organisations that have been identified by Members as being based within their constituencies. Further requests for free copies submitted in that way will be actioned as they are received.
The Road User and the Law"
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are being taken to implement the recommendations of the Government's White Paper "The Road User and the Law" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Responsible road user behaviour is fostered by effective and fair traffic laws. We are currently consulting on detailed aspects of the White Paper proposals with a view to introducing legislation as soon as time is available.
BBC Travel Information
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the British Broadcasting Corporation regarding the setting up and introduction of a national travel information service ; what action he intends to take ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : I plan to visit the BBC travel unit next month. My predecessor and officials from the Department have had several discussions with the BBC and with others involved in the provision of travel information about ways of improving the co-ordination and dissemination of information. Our aim is to facilitate more economical and efficient road travel by improving the quality of information available to drivers both while planning journeys and while on the road.
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Satellite Communications
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what storm warnings, distress warnings, urgency messages or other broadcasts on satellite communication in the Indian INMARSAT coverage area were received before, during and after Typhoon Gay in the Gulf of Thailand ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The promulgation of storm warnings is by coast radio stations. INMARSAT satellities are at present not used for such broadcasts. If INMARSAT was used for distress and urgency messages, they would not have been monitored by the United Kingdom Rescue Co-ordinating Centre.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies are being undertaken into the incidence of satellite communication failure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The question of communication failure is an operational matter for INMARSAT.
Oil Discharges (Liberian Ships)
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response has been received from the authorities in Liberia to three cases of possible illegal discharges of oil from Liberian ships in 1986 and 1988.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Liberian authorities have submitted a copy of their interim investigative report on one incident but the final outcome is not yet known. In the other two cases, we are advised that investigations have not yet been completed.
Greater Manchester Relief Road
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will arrange for public consultation for the Worsley section of the schematic route of the Greater Manchester western and northern relief road to be undertaken in advance of consultants having finalised any route options.
Mr. Atkins : We expect to consult the public next year. We shall need to indicate broad options. Detailed design would only follow the formal announcement of a preferred route.
Driver Licensing
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received over the EEC directive on driver licensing harmonisation from people providing community transport in rural areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Twenty-eight bodies interested in community transport responded to the consultation paper on the future strategy on minibuses published in August 1989. Since then representations on minibuses have also been received from 62 hon. Members some of which were concerned with the implications for community transport. The views expressed will be taken into account in the negotiations in the Council of the second directive on the driving licence.
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Rumble Strips
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy with respect to laying down of rumble strips on trunk roads to curb excessive traffic speed ; and what advice he gives to local authorities.
Mr. Atkins : The Department seeks to facilitate the safe and free flow of traffic on trunk roads. At places with a history of accidents caused by excessive speeds, rumble strips can be an effective measure, used either on their own or in combination with other measures. In or near built -up areas, the increased traffic noise which rumble strips generate has to be taken into account in devising appropriate measures.
Similar considerations apply to local authority roads. Advice to local authorities is published in "Roads and Traffic in Urban Areas" (HMSO) and DTp circular Roads 17/78, together with departmental standard TD 6/79, dealing with transverse yellow bar markings at roundabouts.
Chester Road, Manchester
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specific issues concerning traffic management on the A56 Chester road, Manchester between Longford bridge and Great Stone road have been raised with his Department by Trafford borough council ; and what was the response.
Mr. Atkins : The council's agents asked for our agreement to modify the timings at the pelican crossing here, and to set back the stop lines, instal overhead signal poles and increase the zig zag markings. We have already agreed to all those measures : formal authoritisations will be issued in the next few days. We have not agreed to the council's suggestion that the light source at this and other such crossings should be changed.
Yellow Lines
Mr. Couchman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to remove yellow parking lines in London.
Mr. Atkins : Responsibility for providing yellow lines rests with the local authorities on local roads and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on trunk roads. In "Traffic in London", published on 14 December 1989, the Government propose new marking and signing arrangements for a priority route network for London, which will comprise trunk roads and certain major local roads. We also propose that the local authorities in London review the provision of yellow lines on their other local roads in accordance with guidelines to be set by my right hon. Friend and the results of a study by the Department of Transport into more positive systems for designating kerbspace.
Channel Tunnel Safety Authority
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority will publish its first annual report.
Mr. Portillo : I understand that the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority has today published its first annual report, covering the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, and has arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.
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Vehicle Smoke Checks
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of (a) buses and (b) heavy goods vehicles, tested by his Department's Vehicles Inspectorate failed the visual smoke check (i) in the annual test and (ii) in roadside checks in the 1988-89 period ; and what is his estimate of the total number of vehicles producing excessive smoke in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 12 January 1990] : In 1988-89 1.42 per cent. of PSVs and 1.057 per cent. of HGVs failed the visual smoke check in the annual test. Information concerning vehicles found emitting excessive smoke at roadside spot checks is not available. A random survey of heavy goods vehicles carried out in May 1988 showed 3.6 per cent. were emitting excess smoke. If that were reflected in the vehicle fleet as a whole, approximately 20,000 heavy goods vehicles might be producing excessive smoke in Great Britain. The Department has no figures for Northern Ireland.
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles were (a) banned and (b) received vehicle rectification notices as a result of visual smoke checks in the 1988-89 period.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 12 January 1990] : Following is the information :
(a) Information is not available to identify the number of vehicles banned for smoke defects.
(b) The vehicle defect rectification scheme is administered by the police. The Department has no data on this.
Cyclists
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has in regard to the number of people who cycle to work in London and as to what proportion of the total number of commuters this constitutes.
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