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M25
20. Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when work will commence on the M25 spur to the A12 at Chelmsford.
Mr. Atkins : Our programme provides for award of the design commission later this year and announcement of a preferred route in 1993. Progress after that will depend on the outcome of the statutory procedures, including a public inquiry if one proves necessary.
British Rail
21. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail ; and what matters were discussed.
24. Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail to discuss investment for Network SouthEast.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend last met the chairman of British Rail on 17 January to discuss a range of subjects.
29. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by which date he intends British Rail to be ready for privatisation.
Mr. Portillo : We have taken no decisions yet on British Rail privatisation.
36. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail ; and what matters were discussed.
53. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will next meet the chairman of British Rail ; and what matters he proposes to discuss.
Mr. Portillo : I refer the hon. Members to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, Moorlands (Mr. Knox) earlier today.
64. Mr. Gow : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on investment in the line between Waterloo and Southampton.
Mr. Portillo : Since 1988 the main line from Southampton to Waterloo has been served by a fleet of modern class 422 Wessex electrics which cost £46 million. Network SouthEast has carried out numerous station improvements in the Southampton area often with funding contributions from local authorities. Eastleigh station was recently rebuilt at a cost of £1.8 million. The £16 million Portsmouth-Southampton electrification scheme is due for completion in May.
67. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the Government grant of money to the Sheffield-St. Pancras midland line for each successive year since 1979.
Mr. Portillo : The public service obligation grant is not based on an allocation between routes, and it is not possible to specify the sums paid in respect of services on the Sheffield-St. Pancras midland line. No grant has been paid for Inter-City services on any line since April 1988.
Air Traffic Control
22. Mr. Watts : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to ensure better co-ordination of European air traffic control systems.
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Mr. McLoughlin : The Government have launched various initiatives through Eurocontrol and the European civil aviation conference to promote integration of European air traffic control systems. I am glad that good progress is being made.37. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on proposals by the Civil Aviation Authority to increase the number of air traffic controller cadets in 1991.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Civil Aviation Authority is embarking on an enhanced programme for training air traffic controller cadets and is aiming to increase its recruitment from 80 in 1988 to 240 by 1991.
50. Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much the Civil Aviation Authority's new en route air traffic control centre will increase air space capacity.
Mr. McLoughlin : The new en route centre is expected to increase airspace capacity, in the en route sectors over England and Wales by at least 40 per cent. when operational in 1996.
65. Mr. Wood : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much will be invested by the Civil Aviation Authority to improve air traffic control over the next three years.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Civil Aviation Authority plans to spend £260 million over the next three years on civil air traffic
control-related projects.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what length of training is now required before full qualification as an air traffic controller and what was the period of training undertaken before qualification in 1980.
Mr. McLoughlin : A simple comparison between the length of training now and the length of training in 1980 is not possible. I am therefore asking the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to reply to the hon. Member with detailed information.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of persons out of the last intake commencing training as air traffic controllers, whose training has now been completed successfully completed their training course and qualified as air traffic controllers.
Mr. McLoughlin : The last intake which completed its training to qualify as air traffic controllers had 13 successful members out of 18 who commenced ; of the five who were unsuccessful, three had their training terminated due to failure and two resigned.
Freight Transport
23. Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase freight transport by the waterways to ease the demand by heavy goods transport on the roads ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : It is for customers to choose the mode of transport best suited to their needs. The role of Government is to ensure that fair conditions of competition exist between the modes.
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M1, Leicestershire
25. Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent measures he has taken to improve the flow of traffic on the M1 in Leicestershire.
Mr. Atkins : A number of measures are being prepared, some for imminent implementation. Junction improvements and widening of the M1 in Leicestershire were announced in the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" in May 1989. In the meantime, improvements to assist traffic flow at junctions 21 and 24 are planned for this year.
Railway Investment
26. Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will arrange to meet his West German counterpart to discuss railway investment.
Mr. Parkinson : I am looking forward to seeing all my European colleagues at the next EC Transport Council meeting on 29 March.
Channel Tunnel
27. Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement on plans for the high-speed railway link to the Channel tunnel.
Mr. Portillo : British Rail is continuing negotiations with its joint venture partner on a detailed agreement. The aim remains to introduce a Bill for the project later in the year.
31. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has discussed with British Rail its proposed levels of freight and passenger service between the north-west and the prospective Channel tunnel.
Mr. Portillo : Ministers had the chance to see a presentation from British Rail very shortly before it published its proposals for passenger and freight services in its section 40 plan on 14 December.
38. Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further consideration he has given to the proposals of the Ove Arup partnership with regard to the route of the Channel tunnel rail links ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave on 4 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter), Official Report, at columns 87-88.
49. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the latest plans by British Rail for the Channel tunnel line through London.
51. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the current situation regarding British Rail's plans for a high-speed rail link to the Channel tunnel.
Mr. Portillo : I refer to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath (Mr. Townsend).
56. Mr. Livsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the current arrangements for the Euro tunnel.
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Mr. Portillo : The Channel tunnel is a private sector project, to be constructed and operated in accordance with the Channel fixed link treaty, the Channel Tunnel Act and the concession agreement between the United Kingdom and French Governments and Eurotunnel. Eurotunnel and TML, the construction group, have recently reaffirmed 15 June 1993 as the target date for completion. British Rail announced in December its plans for international rail services for the United Kingdom.
Bus Services (Privatisation)
30. Mr. Soames : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of privatisation of the bus services.
Mr. Portillo : Privatisation of all 72 subsidiaries of the National Bus Company was completed in April 1988. Eight local authority bus companies have also been privatised and other sales are in the pipeline. Privatisation of the Scottish Bus Group is to begin shortly. I intend that privatisation should also occur in London.
Traffic, London
32. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters he has received in response to stage two of the east London assessment study.
45. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses he has received to the "Traffic in London" discussion paper.
Mr. Atkins : As of today, 59. The consultation period expires on 28 February.
55. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has commissioned into the effects of traffic restrictions and measures in London.
Mr. Atkins : My Department studies a wide range of measures aimed at easing congestion in London, and these have included a preliminary study of the possible implications of introducing electronic road pricing in London.
71. Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses he has so far received to the London assessment studies consultation.
Roads
33. Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road schemes have been completed since 1979.
Mr. Atkins : Since April 1979, 282 trunk road schemes, totalling 970 miles and including 107 bypasses and relief roads, have been completed.
Marchioness
34. Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a decision as to whether a public inquiry will be held to investigate the Marchioness collision.
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Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will decide whether to order a formal investigation into the Marchioness accident when he has received the report from the chief inspector of marine accidents.
Road Pricing
35. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to publish proposals on road pricing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : My Department has no proposals to introduce road pricing at present.
Driving Instructors
39. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to change the regulations governing the qualifications of people supervising learner drivers.
Mr. Atkins : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Sumberg) on 20 December 1989, Official Report, Vol. 164. c. 278.
Association of Chief Police Officers
40. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Association of Chief Police Officers to discuss matters within his responsibilities ; and what subjects were discussed.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has regular contacts with ACPO and with individual chief constables. These discussions cover all aspects of road, vehicle and driver safety. I met the chairman of the ACPO traffic committee on 8 November for a general discussion on all these matters.
Road Repairs
43. Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the value of penalties for late completion of repair works to trunk roads received in the last year.
Mr. Atkins : Penalty charges are payable under lane rental contracts for late completion of major maintenance works. In 1988-89 there were 12 lane rental contracts and, while no penalty charges were incurred by contractors, an estimated £6 million in delay costs to road users were saved when compared with doing the work under conventional contracts, which would have taken longer.
Road Casualties
44. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to achieve the projected reduction in road casualties by a third by the year 2000.
Mr. Atkins : The steps that we are taking to reduce road casualties are outlined in the reply to the hon. Member on 9 January columns 584-85 . These are set out more fully in the second annual progress report "Road Casualty Reduction", a copy of which is in the Library.
MV Marine
46. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he proposes to take regarding the loss of the MV Marine.
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Mr. McLoughlin : As the Marine is a Bahamian registered vessel, the investigation into its loss is being conducted by the Bahamian authorities. However, as all the six crewmen were British, the marine accident investigation branch has asked for, and been promised, a copy of the Bahamian administration's report.Severn Crossing
47. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about progress on the proposal to build a second Severn crossing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) on 17 January, Official Report, column 241.
Railfreight
48. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many container ship routes in Britain operated by Railfreight use non-British ships and crews ; and if he will make a statement on the usage of local labour on such routes.
Mr. McLoughlin : Railfreight does not operate any ships. I understand that it buys container space from operators on three routes from United Kingdom ports, all using non-British vessels and crew. The routes are : Ellesmere Port to Belfast, Holyhead to Dublin, and Harwich to Zeebrugge. The choice of operators is a matter for British Rail's commercial judgment. Crewing decisions are matters for the operators, subject to any requirements of the flag state or restrictions in charter agreements.
Regional Airports
52. Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to encourage the growth of regional airports.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Government encourage the maximum use of regional airports, both to meet local demand and to relieve pressure on the London airports.
Over the past decade more than £300 million of capital expenditure has been facilitated, through special borrowing approvals for the development of local authority airports. I announced on 9 January that special borrowing approvals totalling £59 million will be available for 1990- 91, facilitating investment which the airports concerned estimate could total some £117 million in that year. We also very much welcome the contribution to the development of local authority airports which the private sector already makes through direct investment and joint venture schemes ; and we look to the airports concerned and their local authority owners to take full account of the opportunities for private sector involvement as they formulate their plans for further expansion.
We are continuing to pursue liberalisation policies, both in the European Community and in bilateral negotiations, which increase further the scope for services from our regional airports.
Trust Ports
54. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the trust ports.
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Mr. McLoughlin : We believe that there are advantages in the main commercial trust ports being transformed into companies. So far we have not been able to make room ourselves for the legislation needed to bring about such a change. Meanwhile the Clyde and the Tees and Hartlepool port authorities have promoted their own private measures.
British Midland
57. Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Midland Airways Ltd ; and what subjects were discussed.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend met the chairman of British Midland Airways Ltd. on 29 January to discuss developments in the airline industry.
A1/M1, South Yorkshire
58. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects the proposed A1/M1 link started in south Yorkshire to be completed.
Mr. Atkins : The proposals for an A1/M1 link road in south Yorkshire concern county roads which are the responsibility of the local highway authorities, Barnsley and Doncaster metropolitan district councils. Decisions on timing are for the councils, but I understand that construction work has not yet commenced.
Bypasses
59. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses, for which his Department was responsible, were opened last year.
Mr. Atkins : Twelve bypasses were opened to traffic on trunk roads in 1989. Many other schemes, although not designated as bypasses, also took through traffic out of towns and villages.
Lockerbie Air Disaster
60. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received seeking a public inquiry into the Lockerbie air disaster.
Mr. McLoughlin : Since 15 December, when the Lord Advocate announced his decision to set preparations in hand for a fatal accident inquiry, representations have been made by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) and representatives of relatives of those who died in the disaster.
Environmental Protection
61. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what environmental protection measures his Department takes when constructing new roads.
Mr. Atkins : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Fearn) on 2 February. My right hon. Friend will make a further statement on the environmental treatment of trunk road schemes when the roads report is published shortly.
Roads, Essex
62. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial allocation has been made for road building in Essex over the next five years ; and what schemes have priority.
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Mr. Atkins : Detailed Government funding is for only one year at a time and depends on completion of statutory and other procedures, although there are forward programmes. The Department's expanded trunk road and motorway programme includes a number of important schemes in Essex, notably widening of M25 and the new motorway from the M25 to Chelmsford. The major A127 Rayleigh Weir junction improvement is already under way.For local roads Essex county council will in 1990-91 receive transport supplementary grant of £6.686 million towards capital expenditure, including work on the A120 Dovercourt bypass stage 2 and the A414 Caves lane improvement. This represents an increase of over 30 per cent. compared with 1989-90.
Motorway Lane Closures
63. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate how many lane closure days have been saved by motorway lane rental contracts.
Mr. Atkins : Since their introduction in 1984 lane rental contracts on motorways in England have saved over 2,000 days of lane closures compared with estimates of the length of time the works would have taken under conventional contracts.
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