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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 21 May 1990

TRANSPORT

Pensioners (Travel Subsidy)

68. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to introduce a greater subsidy on internal travel for United Kingdom pensioners.

Mr. Freeman : No. Local authorities already have powers to provide for reduced fares or free travel for pensioners on local public transport services.

London Assessment Studies

Mr. Hanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish his Department's analysis of the public consultation response to the stage 2 options of the London assessment studies.

Mr. Atkins : The analysis has now been published. Copies are being placed in the Library.

Radiation

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has regarding the effect of gamma and neutron radiation upon food stocks on board Pacific nuclear transport vessels carrying spent nuclear fuel.

Mr. McLoughlin : Food is stored in the accommodation area situated at the stern of the ship, distant from the cargo. The design of these ships is such that there is no measurable difference in radiation from background levels where the food is stored.

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will commission a study into the short, medium and long-term health effects of gamma and neutron radiation upon seafarers working on United Kingdom registered ships carrying spent nuclear fuel ; (2) if he will commission a study of the potential adverse health effects of being crew members on board ships carrying spent nuclear fuel.

Mr. McLoughlin : My Department commissioned the National Radiological Protection Board to study the radiation doses arising from the sea transport of radioactive materials, including spent fuel. The study was completed in 1988, and the main results presented during an international symposium on the packaging and transportation of radioactive materials held last year. These showed that the doses to which seafarers were exposed were well below recommended limits.

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the emergency planning arrangements for ship-to-shore-to-ship communications in the event of a ship

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carrying spent nuclear fuel to the United Kingdom being involved in a serious incident involving the release of significant radiation.

Mr. McLoughlin : Adequate arrangements already exist for distress communications within the United Kingdom search and rescue region, for ship -to-shore-to-ship communication. We keep in close touch with BNFL's emergency planning arrangements and I have no reason to doubt the adequacy of the modern systems that would be used to communicate with any ship involved in a more distant incident of this kind.

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the radiation protection standards for workers handling spent nuclear fuel in transport in the United States of America.

Mr. McLoughlin : The radiation protection standards for workers worldwide are based on the recommendations of the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP) publication No. 26. I understand that these apply to all classes of radiation workers in the United States of America.

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the radiation protection standards for workers handling spent nuclear fuel in transport in Scotland.

Mr. McLoughlin : The Ionising Radiations Regulations and their approved code of practice apply to all workers handling radioactive materials and contain the requirements to ensure the necessary standards of safety.

A52 (Noise)

Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will specify the exact place where the measuring equipment was put within the curtilage of Arnold Lodge, Belvoir road, Bottesford, when his departmental survey into noise from the A52 trunk road was carried out in May 1989.

Mr. Atkins : The microphone was 1.0m horizontally from the face of the building, approximately midway along the south-facing side, and 1.2m above ground level.

Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what specific date or dates the survey was carried out for his Department in May 1989 on noise arising from the A52 trunk road by-pass around Bottesford, Leicestershire ; and what set of measuring equipment was used in each case.

Mr. Atkins : The noise survey was carried out between 8 and 23 May 1989. A CEL 162L environmental noise analyser was used throughout.

Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what means his departmental survey of noise from the A52 bypass around Bottesford differentiated between (a) noise arising from the concrete surface of the road, (b) engine noise and (c) overall air displacement by traffic movement ; and what allowances were made for variations in the direction of the prevailing wind.

Mr. Atkins : The survey did not differentiate between engine noise, noise from the road surface and air

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displacement. It measured actual noise levels. Wind conditions were monitored during the survey. Surveys were abandoned and repeated when wind conditions were outside those specified in "Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (1988)".

Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his officials at the regional office in Nottingham intend to reply to the letter sent to them on 12 March by Mr. Colin Love of Arnold Lodge, Belvoir road, Bottesford, relating to the noise survey of the A52 road.

Mr. Atkins : My hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) wrote to me on 28 February with a similar letter from his constituent, Mr. Love. I met my hon. Friend on 27 March to discuss noise from Bottesford bypass and agreed to write to him about whether any further action could be taken. The regional office did not reply to Mr. Love pending this exchange, but will respond shortly.

Marine Collision and Avoidance Systems

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of funding given by his Department to the polytechnic of the south-west in each of the last five years for research into marine collision and avoidance systems.

Mr. McLoughlin : The Department has not funded any research by the polytechnic of the south-west on marine collision and avoidance systems in the last five years. Research into collision avoidance costing £158,500 was, however, commissioned from another research organisation and completed in 1986. The Department is committed to a policy of funding research work through open tendering procedures.

Marine Pollution

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which marine pollution control unit ships were sent to the Rosebay incident ; and (a) at what time each was ordered in, (b) at what time each arrived at the scene of the spillage and (c) at what time each began clean-up operations.

Mr. McLoughlin : As part of the overall response to the spillage of oil from the Rosebay, arrangements were put in hand by the MPCU at 17.00 on 12 May to locate and charter from commercial sources the nearest specific types of vessel required to mount as soon as possible an operation to mechanically recover oil from the sea surface. Subsequently, a vessel to carry the recovery equipment, the Laila Viking, and a coastal tanker to receive recovered oil, the BP Warrior, located at Great Yarmouth and Milford Haven respectively, were taken on hire with effect from 00.01 on 13 May. A tug at Brixham, the Pendragon B, to deploy the boom associated with the recovery equipment, was taken on hire at 04.00 on 14 May.

The three vessels, which had to work together as a team, arrived at the scene of the incident at 08.10 on 14 May, special heavy duty ship- separating fenders necessary for the operation were towed out from Kingswear and fitted in position by 19.00 on 14 May and final adjustments were then made to the system. Recovery operations began at first light on 15 May.

Further arrangements were started at 11.35 on 14 May to contract another coastal tanker to provide reserve

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storage space for recovered oil. Esso Tenby was taken on hire when she arrived on scene at 03.00 on 15 May ; to date, it has not been necessary to use this vessel in operations.

The Warren Spring laboratory research vessel, Seaspring, a small self- contained tank vessel with an MPCU oil recovery system on board, was activated at 19.38 on 13 May for inshore work. She arrived on scene from Ipswich at 07.45 on 16 May and commenced clean-up operations at 14.42 the same day.

Motorcyclists

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to introduce legislation to make it obligatory for motorcyclists to use headlights or running lights during daytime.

Mr. Atkins : I have no plans at present. I do strongly advise motorcyclists to use dipped headlamps and to wear fluorescent material during the day to help make them more readily seen. This recommendation is included in the highway code.

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the countries that now have legislation making obligatory the daytime use of motorcycle headlights.

Mr. Atkins : Comprehensive information is not readily available. However, I understand that the Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, West Germany, France and New Zealand have such a requirement.

Rail Electrification

Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ascertain how much grant could be paid by the European Commission towards the electrification of the Crewe to Holyhead main line.

Mr. Freeman : If an application for funds were made, yes.

Helicopters (Safety)

Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will introduce regulations regarding the wearing of survival suits (a) by passengers, and (b) by crew, on helicopters operating on North sea rigs and platforms ;

(2) whether he will introduce standards for survival suits to be worn by passengers in helicopters travelling to and from North sea rigs and platforms ;

(3) if he intends to introduce regulations to ensure a standard lifejacket to be worn by helicopter passengers on North sea rigs and platforms.

Mr. McLoughlin : The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority.

I am advised by the authority that provisions already exist in the Air Navigation Order for the wearing of survival suits by crew members. The authority has no jurisdiction to legislate for the wearing of suits by passengers though I understand that the suits are normally so worn.

The carriage of lifejackets for the use of passengers is governed by the provisions contained in the Air Navigation Order and such lifejackets must meet the standards specified by the CAA.

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Heavy Lorries (Pollution Control)

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response his Department is giving to the EEC proposed new emission standards for heavy lorries.

Mr. Atkins : The Commission has made a press announcement about the likely content of its proposals, but the final document has yet to be published.

From what I have seen, the proposals do not seem to go far enough. The Community's long-term aim should be to set a mid-1990s diesel standard based as closely as possible on the United States 1994 standard, both in limit values and test procedure. This is the strictest of all the diesel emission standards being considered worldwide. In particular, it would require substantial reductions in the amount of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulates emitted by new vehicles.

Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act

Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report those airlines that have been fined under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987, showing the number and total value of fines for the years for which statistics are available.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply.

Liability was incurred in 14,295 cases in the period from the introduction of the Act (4 March 1987) to 28 February 1990. This gave rise to charges totalling £14.295 million. The following carriers and agents incurred liability in that three-year period :

Adria Airways

Aer Lingus

Aero Leasing

Aero Transporti Italian

Aeroflot Soviet Airlines

African Safari Airlines

Air 2000

Air Algerie

Air America

Air Atlantis

Air Canada

Air Enterprise

Air Europe

Air France

Air India

Air Lanka

Air Malta

Air Mauritius

Air New Zealand

Air Seychelles

Air UK

Air Vendee

Air Zimbabwe

Air-Tours

Aircraft Management Consortium

Al-Anwae

Alitalia Airlines

American Airlines

American Transair

Anglo-Soviet Shipping Co. Ltd.

Aravco Ltd.

Arkia

Austrian Airlines

Austrian Charter

Aviaco Airlines

Aviogenex

Balkan Bulgarian Airlines

Bangladesh Biman

Barrie & Nairn Ltd.

Birgenair

Birmingham Executive Airways

Bogazici Airlines

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Braathens

Brantford Int. Agencies Ltd.

Britannia Airways

British Air Ferries

British Airways

British Island Air

British Midland

British West Indian Air

Brittany Air

Brittany Ferries

Burnett & Co. (Newcastle) Ltd.

CAAC Main Line China

Caledonian Airways Ltd.

Cameroon Airlines

Can Afrique

Canada 3000 Airlines Ltd.

Capital Airlines

Captain W. F. Taylor

Caribbean Airlines

Cathay Pacific

Christopher Massart-Weit

Clay Lacy Aviation Ltd.

Clearwater Holdings

Conair

Connect Air

Consolidated Contractors

Constantine Brantford Ltd.

Continental Airways

Cory Brothers

Crownair Canada

Cunard Line Ltd.

Currig Line Agents

Cutting & Co. (Humber) Ltd.

Cyprus Air

Czechoslovak Air

Das Air

DFDS Seaways

Dalla Avco

Dan Air

Dantata

Delta Air

Denholm Ship Agency

Egypt Air

El-Al Israel Airlines

Emirates

Escombe Group

Ethiopian Airlines

Eurocommander SA

Executive Aviation Services

Falmouth Fishselling Co.

Federal Express

Finnair

Forbes

Fred Olsen Lines

Funair

Gambia Air Shuttle Ltd.

Garuda Air

GB Airways Ltd. (Gibraltar)

Ghana Airways

Gulf Air

H. E. Kamal Adham

Hamble Agency

Handling Air

Heinz Ltd.

Highland Express

Hill Dickinson & Co.

Hispania Airlines

Holidair

Hoverspeed UK Ltd.

Iberia Airlines

Iceland Air

International Business Air

Interster SA

Iran Air

Iraqi Air

Istanbul Airlines

J. F. Marshall & Son Ltd.

Japan Airlines

John Cook & Son

KLM

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