House of Commons Hansard Debates for 15 Feb 1990

TRANSPORT

Vehicle Excise Duty

61. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he anticipates will be the revenue from vehicle excise duty on cars in 1989-90.

Mr. Atkins : The Department's estimates of revenue in 1989-90 from vehicle excise duty on cars in the United Kingdom is £2,050 million.

Motorists (Eyesight)

Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many learner drivers fail their driving test as a result of poor eyesight.

Mr. Atkins : In 1988-89, the latest year for which information is available, 592 out of over 2 million candidates failed their test because they did not meet the statutory eyesight requirements.

Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has any plans to introduce compulsory eye tests and regular tests for motorists over the age of 50 years ;

(2) if he has received any representations from (a) motoring organisations and (b) chief constables regarding the eyesight standards of motorists ; and if he will make a statement ; (3) what estimate he has of the number of motoring accidents caused by the defective eyesight of motorists.

Mr. Atkins : We have in the past received representations from the police and motoring organisations regarding the eyesight standards of motorists. Research studies have not identified poor eyesight as a significant cause of accidents. I therefore have no plans to change the current requirements, which fully meet the standards

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proposed by the European Commission in the draft second directive on driver licensing and which are supported by the College of Ophthalmologists.

City Routes

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he provides any guidelines to highway authorities responsible for major city routes such as Whitehall on hours of night working, penalties for overrun and ways of minimising disruption.

Mr. Atkins : The programming of highway works on local roads and form of contract employed are matters for the local highway authority concerned. Last autumn the local authority associations sent a report to their members, commending the use of lane rental contracts as a financial incentive to contractors to shorten the period of occupation of the road during works on busy traffic routes.

Vehicle Licences

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the rates of vehicle licences for each of the member states of the European Economic Community.

Mr. Atkins : The information requested is not readily available. I shall write to my hon. Friend.

Motorway Safety

Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many injury accidents involving road vehicles have occurred in each of the last five years within motorway service areas ; and what action he is taking to reduce such risks.

Mr. Atkins : The Department does not keep records of accidents within motorway service areas (MSAs). Police reporting of road accidents excludes accidents within MSAs, because the roads there are not roads within the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Three operators, responsible for 29 MSAs used by about 75 million vehicles a year, have confirmed that personal injury accidents within MSAs are rare ; those consulted recalled two accidents in the last five years.

The Department seeks to reduce accidents on MSAs by careful design of roads and by separate parking for cars, coaches and HGVs, and good signing and lighting. It inspects MSAs annually. The Department also considers safety matters when examining requests for MSA operators to make structural alterations.

Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an appraisal of the implications for safety, particularly for vehicles legally prohibited or practically unable to travel at speeds exceeding 50 mph., of the present arrangement for vehicles joining the M42 from the M40 in the offside fast lanes.

Mr. Atkins : The present layout where the M40 and M42 link roads join allows traffic at different speeds to adjust and merge. It is operating satisfactorily and safely with present traffic flows. No vehicle complying with the construction and use regulations and permitted to travel on a motorway is legally prohibited from travelling in excess of 50 mph there.

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Channel Tunnel

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority annual report for the year 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989 was published ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Hargreaves) on 15 January, Official Report, column 45.

Traffic Lights, Chiswick

Sir Barney Hayhoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) at what time the traffic lights failed at the Hogarth roundabout on the A4 at Chiswick on 10 February ; and at what date and time they were repaired and functioning normally again ;

(2) what action was taken to limit danger to vehicles emerging from Church road and Chiswick lane while the traffic lights were not working at the Hogarth roundabout on and after 10 February ; (3) what emergency arrangements exist for dealing with traffic problems when the traffic lights are out of action at the Hogarth roundabout on the A4 at Chiswick ; and when these were implemented in respect of the lights failure on 10 February ;

(4) what emergency road signs were set up to warn drivers on the A4 of the need for extra care at the Hogarth roundabout at Chiswick while the traffic lights were not functioning on and after 10 February ;

(5) what steps he is taking to improve the liaison and co-operation arrangements between the Metropolitan police and those responsible for the functioning of the traffic lights at the Hogarth roundabout on the A4 at Chiswick.

Mr. Atkins : The failure of these signals was reported to the traffic control systems unit by the local police at 0808 hours. The unit's maintenance contractor was on site within five hours but was unable to make a quick repair because the fault is in a main underground cable which must be replaced. The contractor placed signs warning of the failed signals before each signalled junction. As the Church street and Chiswick lane junctions are not signalled, no warning signs were provided there.

Work is in hand to replace the damaged cable, it is hoped without the need to excavate the carriageway, as quickly as possible. The traffic control systems unit manages all London's traffic signals as agent for the Department. It relies on the reporting of faults by the police, the public and, increasingly, automatic reporting systems. It operates a system of priorities for dealing with faults and works in close liaison with the police, the highway authorities, and the maintenance contractor.

I regret the inconvenience to travellers, but I am satisified that there was no breakdown in liaison in this case.

Light Dues

Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions he has taken about light dues in 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Parkinson : Continuing progress in containing costs will permit me to make a further reduction in light dues

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this year. The present buoyancy of the general lighthouse fund liquid reserves will also permit me to return some of the benefit of this in 1990-91 in the form of a "bargain break" to payers in the cargo sector who have contributed to the strength of the liquid reserves in past years. This will take the form of a reduction, for 1990-91 only, in the maximum number of chargeable voyages (from seven to six voyages). I am also introducing a further round of reforms to the light dues system to remove some remaining anomalies and to bring into charge certain vessels which have hitherto gained exemption. In broad terms these changes are equivalent to a reduction of about 14 per cent. in light dues and will mean that light dues have been roughly halved in real terms since 1981. I am grateful for the efforts of the general lighthouse authorities which have made this possible.

In summary the main changes are :

1. A 2 per cent. reduction in the voyage tariff.

2. Waiving of dues in 1990-91 for ships making a seventh liable voyage.

3. Increasing the half rate tariff for sailing and towed ships to the full rate, together with introduction of a new exemption for sail-training ships.

4. Ending the exemptions for dredgers, hoppers, visiting foreign racing yachts and commercial sailing ships and towed craft between 20 and 100 net registered tons.

5. Making tugs liable on the basis of registered length in place of net tonnage (which hitherto had in practice exempted most tugs from charge).

6. Re-defining the ballast exemption to exclude from it ships which are engaged in commercial revenue earning activities other than the carriage of cargo or passengers.

7. Increased minimum charges per voyage.

8. Introduction of flat rate charges for pleasure craft in place of tonnage based charge. (This change affects only those pleasure craft over 20 net registered tons liable to light dues. The British Ports Federation is conducting a separate feasibility study into extending light dues to smaller pleasure craft ; its report is expected shortly.)

9. Ending the former "uplift" charge for ships registered in countries which have no reciprocal tonnage agreement with the United Kingdom.

10. Removal of the remaining distinctions between ships in the former "home" and "foreign" trades and (as already announced last year) extending to all ships which pay per voyage the option to pay dues on no more than two voyages a month.

Following representations from the shipping and port industries, I have decided to retain the present exemptions for ships genuinely in ballast or calling into port for their own purposes. I have concluded that ending these exemptions, while offering a simplification of the rules, would have had disproportionate redistributive effects. I have also considered further the remaining major reform recommended by the 1988 light dues working party, that light dues paid per voyage should be assessed on ship's gross rather than net tonnage. There appears to be general agreement that this reform would be a fairer basis of charge, and the remaining question is one of timing. I have concluded in principle that this change should be made in 1994 in conjunction with the full implementation of the new tonnage measurement system introduced by the international tonnage convention 1969. Subject to determination of the appropriate level of charge at the time, I envisage a single change to a gross tonnage basis with effect from 1 April 1994. Announcement of this now will allow time for those concerned to prepare for the change.

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After the 1989-90 adjustment of the payment period for fishing vessels, to bring it into line with the standard financial year for light dues, the 1990-91 charge for fishing vessels is being held at its 1988-89 level, representing a reduction in real terms of over 10 per cent.

These changes represent a continuing reduction of the burden of light dues combined with a further round of constructive reforms to the light dues system. The necessary order will be laid shortly. This is the third successive year in which light dues have been reduced in cash as well as real terms, and forecast movements of costs suggest that an increase in dues at least in line with inflation may be necessary in 1991. Tight control costs will none the less be maintained.

Aircraft Terminals

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to seek powers to limit noise and other forms of pollution from aircraft at existing and future aircraft terminals ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport already has such powers under the Civil Aviation Act 1982 and the Airport Act 1986.

Dial-a-Ride

Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements have been made to fund the London dial-a-ride service for 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo : I am pleased to announce that the Government grant to London dial-a-ride services for 1990-91 will be £8.27 million, an increase of £1 million on 1989-90, or 6 per cent. in real terms. Next year's funding will be some 50 per cent. more in real terms than in 1985- 86, the last year in which it was funded by the GLC. In the same period membership has grown by over 80 per cent. The number of journeys made in 1989-90 is expected to be about 625,000, more than double those made in 1985-86. The additional £1 million for 1990-91, with a forecast improvement in the level of efficiency, should result in a 10 per cent. increase in the number of journeys to about 690, 000.

Roads, London

Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what form and degree of study and analysis his Department is undertaking of the responses of the London road assessment studies.

Mr. Atkins [holding answer 5 February 1990] : They are not road assessment studies. The consultants suggest improvements to both roads and public transport. All responses received by 28 February will be examined and comment on the various aspects will be considered carefully before decisions are taken.

EMPLOYMENT

London Borough of Newham

Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment for what reason the employment service classifies the London borough of Newham as an inner London borough.

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Mr. Eggar : The employment service classifies the London borough of Newham as an inner London borough in order that it may benefit from its range of inner city initiatives.

Employment Training

Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently undertaking employment training in the north-east of England.

Mr. Nicholls : On 26 January 1990, the latest date for which information is available, there were 23,700 people on employment training in the Training Agency's Northern region.

Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the planned level of employment training places and the anticipated level of filled places for each quarter of 1990 for Great Britain.

Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 12 February 1990] : Plans for the number of employment training places are for internal management information purposes only.

Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure on training bonus paid as part of employment training broken down by £50 to £100 and £101 to £200 between December 1988 and December 1989 for each of the standard regions, Wales, Scotland and Great Britain.

Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 12 February 1990] : The information is not available in the form requested.

Labour Statistics

Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the latest figures of the risk of unemployment by social class.

Mr. Eggar : It is not possible to publish a table as the information is not available. The monthly unemployment count provides information on age, sex, and length of time unemployed only.

Channel Tunnel

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the dates when representatives of the Health and Safety Executive visited the Channel tunnel construction site to assess safety levels and the outcome of the visits.

Mr. Nicholls : Information on the total number of visits made by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to assess health and safety levels at the Channel tunnel construction sites and the outcome is not readily available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Information which is available shows that between July and December 1989 inspectors based in HSE's South East area local office at Ashford, Kent made 86 visits to the Channel tunnel construction sites. Frequent visits have also been made by specialist inspectors from the technology division.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the industrial accidents notified to the Health and Safety Executive that have occurred

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during work on the Channel tunnel, giving dates, details of accidents and the outcome of any action taken by the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr. Nicholls : The information as requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, between March 1987 and December 1989, the latest date for which information is available, a provisional total of 327 accidents which occurred during work on the Channel tunnel were reported to the Health and Safety Executive. Action taken by the executive following accidents is appropriate to the particular circumstances of the incident.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive of the British consortium, contractors and sub-contractors building the Channel tunnel giving dates, details of the cause of accidents and where appropriate the nature of the serious injury or cause of death.

Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted the five constituent companies of Translink JV on two occasions. The prosecutions followed investigations by HSE into two incidents which were notified under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, neither of which resulted in injuries. The first incident occurred on 2 December 1987 when four 8-ton railway wagons ran 300 metres down an adit into the tunnel workings. The second incident occurred underground on 5 April 1988 when a cylinder of LPG was hit and punctured by a train.

Health and Safety

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria the Health and Safety Executive uses in deciding whether a project is under the supervision of Her Majesty's inspectors of mines and within the mines and quarries regulations or regulated by the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974.

Mr. Nicholls : Decisions about which inspectors supervise a particular project falling within the scope of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act are internal management matters for the Health and Safety Executive. If such a project is or concerns a mine as defined in the Mines and Quarries Act, it will be the exclusive concern of the mines inspectorate.

Radiation

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the new code of practice introduced on 5 February covering radiation exposure limits on the workforce.

Mr. Nicholls : No new code of practice was introduced on 5 February 1990 to cover radiation exposure limits of the workforce. The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) published on that date a consultative document inviting comment on proposals for additional guidance on radiation protection. The proposals represent interim action recommended by the HSC to take account of revised estimates of risk from radiation. A copy of the consultative document has been placed in the Library of the House.

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Community Programme and Employment Training

Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of community programme participants and employment training trainees in each of the months July 1986 to December 1989, for each of the standard regions, Scotland, Wales and Great Britain.

Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 12 February 1990] : The information is not available in the form requested.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Accountancy Firms (Inspectors' Reports)

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if he will make it his policy that whenever he appoints an inspector from the accountancy firms criticised by an inspector's report he will make a statement to this effect to Parliament.

Mr. Redwood : No. My right hon. Friend does not propose to change the practice on announcement of appointment of inspectors as explained by my noble Friend Lord Young of Graffham, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in an answer to a written question from Lord Bruce- Gardyne in the other place on 11 May 1988, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 1209-12.

Disabled People (Employment)

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of companies which have failed to comply with schedule 7, paragraph 9 of the Companies Act 1985 to provide information relating to the employment of disabled persons ; and what steps he is taking to secure the future compliance with the Act.

Mr. Redwood : The statistical information requested is not available. Companies House staff carry out certain basic checks on reports and accounts, but the contents are not scrutinised in detail except in response to specific complaints. There have been no such complaints in recent years about non-compliance with the statutory requirement to which the hon. Member's question refers.

Accountants

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of qualified accountants in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the United Kingdom's major counterparts in the European Community.

Mr. Redwood : There is no generally agreed definition of a qualified accountant. The information requested is therefore not available.

Insider Dealing

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to hand over the power to investigate insider dealings to the Securities and Investments Board and the Stock Exchange ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Redwood : None, as I explained in my letter of 26 January to my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Mr. Warren), Chairman of the Trade and Industry Select Committee, a copy of which is in the Library.

EC Directives

Mr. Tom Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Commission directives under the 1992 programme are now in force throughout the Community.

Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Leighton), which appeared in the Official Report on Thursday 18 January 1990.

Companies Acts Investigations

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many cases of section 447 of the Companies Act or equivalent investigations further investigations were carried out under other sections of the Companies Acts since 1979.

Mr. Redwood : Between 1979 and 1989 three section 447 inquiries led to further investigations under other sections of the Companies Act. In addition one investigation under section 105 of the Financial Services Act 1986 led to further investigation under the Companies Act.

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many cases of section 447 of the Companies Act, or equivalent, investigations external advice or assistance was sought by his Department since 1979.

Mr. Redwood : Investigations under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985, and under its predecessor, section 109 of the Companies Act 1967, can be carried out only by officers of my Department. Those carrying out such inquiries are advised by departmental lawyers as appropriate and it is rarely necessary to seek external advice or assistance. No separate record is kept of the number of cases in which such advice is sought.

From 21 February, when section 63 of the Companies Act 1989 comes into force, the Secretary of State will be able to authorise competent persons who are not officers of the Department under section 447.

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many cases of section 447 of the Companies Act or equivalent investigations cases were referred to either legal, professional or regulatory bodies for further action since 1979.

Mr. Redwood : Since 1979 information obtained under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985 and its predecessor, section 109 of the Companies Act 1967, has been made available when appropriate to the police and prosecuting authorities. The power to disclose restricted information under section 447 of the 1985 Act to professional or regulatory bodies has been available only since November 1986. Records before 1987 are not readily available. Between 1 April 1987 and 31 December 1989, information obtained under section 447 was referred to either prosecution, professional or regulatory bodies outside my Department in 68 cases.

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Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total number of investigations carried out under section 447 of the Companies Act and the equivalent sections in preceding Acts since 1979.

Mr. Redwood : The total number of investigations under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985 started and completed between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1989 was 1,158.

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total number of investigations carried out under the Companies Acts since January 1979.

Mr. Redwood : The total number of investigations under the Companies Act started and completed since 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1989 was 1,194.

Financial Services

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many cases reports arising from section 177 of the Financial Services Act have been passed to professional bodies since 1979.

Mr. Redwood : Section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 (which confers power to appoint inspectors to investigate possible insider dealing offences) came into force in November of that year. All reports made by inspectors appointed under that section have been considered with a view to disclosing information in them as permitted by the Act. However, no such information has so far been disclosed to a professional body.

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