| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Freeman : No. It would not be right to impose an arbitrary restriction of this kind. Each case must be treated on its merits.
Horse Riders (Headgear)
15. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Act 1990 to be brought into force ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I intend to make the Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Regulations this month so that they will come into effect before 1 July 1992.
Heathrow Airport
16. Mr. Jessel : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government intend to take further to reduce aircraft noise nuisance around Heathrow airport.
Mr. Norris : Between 1974 and 1989 there was a 70 per cent. reduction in the number of people living around Heathrow who are exposed to aircraft noise likely to cause annoyance. The phase-out of older, noisier aircraft over the next decade will bring further significant improvements. The United Kingdom has played a leading role in securing international agreement to this.
Severn Bridge (Tolls)
17. Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek to take powers to enable him to reduce toll charges on the Severn bridge.
Column 30
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : We have no plans to seek any powers in relation to the bridge beyond those contained in the Severn Bridges Act 1992.
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in 1992 about (a) toll increases on the Severn bridge and (b) interruptions to travel across the bridge ; on how many days since 1 January travel has been (i) wholly prevented and (ii) impeded by repairs or weather conditions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My Department has received this year some 40 letters about the toll increases provided for in the Severn Bridges Act 1992. We have had a smaller number of letters about delays on the bridge.
The bridge has not been closed to traffic at any time this year. High winds have caused operating restrictions on five days. Delays to traffic in excess of 10 minutes due to strengthening and resurfacing work have occurred on five days.
The Severn bridge provides substantial benefits to users and to the Welsh economy. The early provision by the private sector of a second crossing will reinforce those benefits. I know that Severn River Crossing plc attaches much importance to minimising delays at the existing bridge.
Southend (Train Service)
18. Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an official visit to Southend on Sea by train on the Fenchurch Street line to assess its standard of service.
Mr. Freeman : I am pleased to see that the service provided on the Fenchurch Street line has improved substantially in recent months and that the line has exceeded its passengers charter standard for punctuality by a considerable margin. I hope to take an early opportunity to use the line to visit Southend.
Jubilee Line
19. Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the future of the extension of the Jubilee line.
Mr. MacGregor : I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier in response to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes).
26. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the future of the Jubilee line extention into London docklands.
Mr. Norris : I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave earlier in response to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes).
Traffic Calming
20. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he is doing to take forward his policy to promote traffic- calming measures ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Government support was given to the private Member's Bill on traffic calming which
Column 31
received Royal Assent on 16 March. We propose to bring forward regulations later this year. The Department is continuing to provide technical guidance to local authorities on the introduction of traffic-calming measures generally, and to encourage the introduction of 20 mph zones.We are making good progress with bypass demonstration project launched in January ; we have published jointly with the Department of the Environment a new version of design bulletin 32 on residential roads and footpaths ; and we are aiming very shortly to publish an interim report from a joint working group with the County Surveyors Society on the control of traffic speeds through villages.
Roads, West Cumbria
22. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has reached for further roads development in west Cumbria.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : There are currently 18 schemes in the road programme for Cumbria either under construction or in preparation with a total estimated cost in excess of £200 million.
Five of these schemes are in west Cumbria. There are no proposals to add to this programme at present.
Channel Tunnel
23. Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he anticipates that the proposed channel tunnel fast link will be operational.
Mr. Freeman : It is too soon to say. No decision has yet been made on when construction may start.
Municipal Airports
24. Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the privatisation of municipally owned airports.
Mr. Norris : We wish to see the local authority airports develop and prosper. But as pressure on public sector spending continues, they will have to look increasingly to the private sector to share in the successes and the risks associated with continued expansion.
Peakes Parking Project
25. Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to announce his decision on phase III of the Peakes parking project following the public inquiry of March 1991.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A decision on the Compulsory Purchase Order and Side Roads Order, submitted by Humberside county council, in respect of the Peakes parkway road scheme will be issued shortly.
London Traffic
27. Mr. Keith Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to reduce the volume of traffic on London's roads.
Mr. Norris : Our approach is set out in the consultation document "Draft Traffic Management and Parking
Column 32
Guidance for London" published on 11 March. It states that some modernisation in the growth of demand will be achieved by providing through traffic with good alternative routes around London, such as widening the M25, and by encouraging a switch to public transport by improving and extending London's rail networks, making bus travel more attractive and encouraging local authorities to adopt appropriate parking policies and parking standards associated with new development. We are keeping an open mind on the benefits or otherwise of road pricing pending the results of the study now under way.East Coast Rail Line
28. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the electrification of the main east coast rail line will be completed.
Mr. Freeman : Electrification of the east coast main line to Edinburgh was completed in July 1991. British Rail has at present no plans for further electrification of the line north of Edinburgh.
London Underground
29. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the chairman of London Underground to discuss improvements to the underground rail network.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend and I shall be meeting the chairman of London Underground on a regular basis to discuss various matters, including improvements to the underground.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the annual level of capital investment needed to avoid any further deterioration of the London Underground ; and what level of subsidy from Her Majesty's Government is proposed for such capital investment.
Mr. Norris : In evidence to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission last year, London Underground Ltd. said that an average expenditure of £700 million to £750 million needed to be maintained over the remainder of the decade in order to provide an acceptably modern underground. The grant provision announced in the autumn statement is sufficient to allow for this level to be attained in 1993-94.
Rail Electrification
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail about its electrification programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : When particular routes need to be re-equipped, British Rail consider on a case-by-case basis whether electrification is justified. It is for BR, in the first instance, to assess the case and to determine priorities within its investment programme.
Sexual Offences
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cases of serious sexual offences against men have taken place on the London Underground in the last year.
Column 33
Mr. Norris : There has been one serious incident on the London Underground involving an indecent offence against a male reported in the last year.Cycling
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has of the change in the amount of use of cycles as a normal means of transport to work, shopping, and so on ; and what contacts his Department has with organisations representing (a) the manufacturers and retailers and (b) the users of cycles.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Recent analysis of the 1988-89 national travel survey reveals that the number of cycles used has doubled since the mid-1970s to about 15 million. Somewhere between 4 per cent. and 5 per cent. of the population use bicycles as transport to work.
Officials of the Department have continuous contacts with organisations representing cycling interests. These comprise formal meetings, correspondence and telephone conversations.
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department has taken since 1987 to encourage the use of cycles as an environmentally friendly means of transport, including encouraging local authorities to provide dedicated routes for cyclists ; and what studies his Department has carried out of the practice in other European Community countries with a view to (a) encouraging the use of bicycles and (b) ensuring the rights of pedestrians are respected.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Over the last five years we have carried through the cycle routes programme of research commenced in 1983. This was undertaken to measure the effects of continuous cycle routes in urban areas, particularly on cycle safety and levels of use. The aim was to acces the value and practicality of such schemes for general application. Preliminary results were reported at the international Velo City conference in Milan in 1991, and a final report is due to be published later this year.
We take careful note of devoloping practice in other EC countries, in addition to the continuing programme of research which we have undertaken in the United Kingdom. Our extensive series of traffic advisory leaflets and local transport notes on cycling encourage local authorities to provide facilities for cyclists, including the establishment of cycle routes. We also stress the importance of taking full account of the rights of pedestrians when introducing features to help cyclists.
Car Owners' Details
Mr. Sherman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 to remove the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's power to supply the name and address of car owners routinely on the payment of £3.50.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The provision which permits the disclosure of the names and addresses of vehicle owners in certain circumstances is well established and has been of considerable assistance to road users over the years. We have no plans to remove it.
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had from women's
Column 34
organisations regarding the willingness of the driver and vehicle licensing centre in Swansea to supply the name and address of a motorist-vehicle owner routinely for payment.Porous Asphalt
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his assessment and evaluation of porous asphalt as a road surface material.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I refer the hon. Member to my statement during the recent debate on noise and spray benefits of porous asphalt-- Official Report, 15 May 1992, column 915.
Networker Trains
Mr. Gale : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investment approval he has given to complete the Networker build for Kent link services.
Mr. Freeman : The then Secretary of State gave approval for the 188 Networkers necessary to complete the replacement build for Kent link services on 19 June 1991. That approval was amended on 20 March 1992 in the light of updated tenders and an order for those vehicles was placed on 10 April.
British Rail
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what countries he intends to visit in furtherance of information about his proposals for British Rail ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend and I are considering visits to a number of countries, to gain first-hand knowledge of private sector rail operations ; details are yet to be finalised. I am sure that this will prove useful in the detailed implementation of our policies for restructuring British Rail.
M3
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters he has received calling for the M3 Bar End-Compton to be put into a tunnel under Twyford down.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Department has received a number of letters about the M3 Bar End-Compton scheme including some suggesting that it should be put in a tunnel under Twyford down.
Orange Badge Scheme
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place a copy of the amending regulations to the orange badge disabled parking scheme which came into effect on 2 March in the Library.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Copies of the amending regulations to the orange badge disabled parking scheme which came into effect on 2 March 1992 have been placed in the Library.
Column 35
Motorway Service Areas
Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Trust House Forte in connection with his consultation document on motorway service areas and their contract for the M11 services area.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Forte restaurants have responded to the consultation document. Their comments are now being considered along with the replies we have received from some 200 other consultees. The chief executive of the company informed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 6 March that he was postponing further work on construction of the M11 service area at Birchanger until future policy on motorway service areas is clarified following the consultation exercise.
Train Carriages
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment the railway inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive has made of the safety implications of the locking of one in four carriages on trains on the Fenchurch Street and Southend line via Tilbury.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail decided to lock the guard's compartment and the saloon immediately adjacent to it to safeguard passengers when an electrical fault occurred in the transformers on some trains. I understand that this is a short-term precaution pending resolution of the problem and affects only 17 coaches of the 106 units currently in service.
British Rail has taken measures to reduce possible overcrowding including the provision of additional stock from other lines. I understand that Her Majesty's railway inspectorate has kept closely in touch with British Rail about this matter since this fault developed. It is satisfied that the measures taken will have no adverse effect on safety. British Rail is seeking an early resolution to these problems and hopes to have all the coaches fully available for passenger use as soon as possible.
Bus Deregulation
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect bus deregulation has had on route coverage.
Mr. MacGregor : I refer to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) earlier today.
M1-M62 Link
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make plans for the proposed route of the M1-M62 link road publicly available in a larger scale than 1 : 1250.
Column 36
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 15 May 1992] : Larger scale plans would be prepared only much later in the design process should any of the options be developed further.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methods of assessment of visual impact or intrusion have been used by his Department in the development of proposals for an M1-M62 motorway link.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 15 May 1992] : Visual impact of the proposals has been assessed in accordance with the methods set out in the Department's manual of environmental appraisal.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Shellfish
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will specify which body is responsible for the regulation of the harvesting of shellfish in Northern Ireland coastal waters and beaches.
Mr. Hanley : Legislation to regulate the fishing industry is generally implemented on a United Kingdom wide basis by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland acting in concert. Under the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and the Diseases of Fish Act (Northern Ireland) 1967, however, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland also enjoys certain regulatory powers of its own. Gathering shellfish from the foreshore of Belfast lough west of Black head and Orlock point is prohibited under the Belfast Corporation Act (Northern Ireland) 1930 and responsibility for enforcing this lies with the local district councils.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide a table showing the amount of shellfish harvested by species in each of the last five years and their principal areas of extraction.
Mr. Hanley : The following is the information :
Farmed shellfish
Year |Pacific |Native |Mussels |Clams |Cockles
|oysters |oysters
|tonnes |tonnes |tonnes |tonnes |tonnes
---------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |98.720 |- |14.135 |- |-
1988 |125.650 |- |26.424 |- |1.000
1989 |199.711 |16.080 |104.040 |0.085 |1.700
1990 |152.110 |29.150 |386.620 |1.200 |2.750
1991 |169.620 |21.700 |1934.560|0.320 |2.800
Note: The principal areas of cultivation are Strangford Lough,
Belfast Lough and Dundrum Inner Bay.
Column 35
Wild Shellfish (Tonnes)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Newspapers
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial support is being given by the Local Enterprise Development Unit to assist the publication of the new weekly newspaper, The Cross Examiner ; where The Cross Examiner will be printed ; what are the implications for employment in the existing weekly newspapers in circulation in the Newry/Mourne areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : LEDU has offered The Cross Examiner financial support by way of employment grant totalling £16,000.
The Cross Examiner will be published in Northern Ireland but will initially be printed in Monaghan.
Before offering assistance towards the publication of The Cross Examiner LEDU assured itself that the new newspaper will have no significant adverse effect on employment levels in existing competing publications.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which weekly newspapers in Northern Ireland are to receive financial support from the Local Enterprise Development Unit during the current year.
Mr. Atkins : LEDU has made offers of assistance to the Derg and District News and The Cross Examiner which could result in both receiving financial support during the current year.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which weekly newspapers in Northern Ireland have received financial support from the Local Enterprise Development Unit in each of the past five years.
Mr. Atkins : The Northern Ireland Newspapers Group received financial support during 1987 and this support continued in 1988. Nuachtain received assistance in 1990.
Car Parks, Donaghadee
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals there are for additional car parks in Donaghadee ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : A recent proposal to provide a new central park in New street, Donaghadee was withdrawn as a result of local opposition. There are no other proposals to provide additional car parking at present.
Voting
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, pursuant to his answer 12 May, column 76, he will publish (a) the number of postal votes issued, (b) the number of postal votes returned and (c) the numbers of proxies appointed for each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland for the 1992 general election.
Mr. Hanley : The information is as follows :
Column 38
Constituencies |Postal |Postal |Proxies
|Votes |Votes |appointed
|issued |returned
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast East |486 |412 |195
Belfast North |374 |316 |241
Belfast South |675 |573 |181
Belfast West |443 |348 |271
East Antrim |706 |600 |296
East Londonderry |2,010 |1,864 |399
Fermanagh and South Tyrone |5,417 |4,910 |430
Foyle |1,285 |1,156 |246
Lagan Valley |844 |740 |260
Mid-Ulster |3,245 |3,057 |393
Newry and Armagh |3,384 |3,086 |195
North Antrim |831 |746 |201
North Down |755 |659 |293
South Antrim |676 |568 |286
South Down |4,166 |3,872 |1,192
Strangford |698 |579 |240
Upper Bann |1,587 |1,421 |266
|--- |--- |---
Total |27,582 |24,907 |5,585
DEFENCE
RAF Brawdy
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what financial contribution will be made by the United States naval facility at Brawdy to (a) estate and property management costs and (b) security by RAF personnel when flight training ends at RAF Brawdy, in financial years 1992- 93 and 1993-94 ;
(2) what was the financial contribution made by the United States Government towards the United States naval facility at Brawdy for (a) property and estate management and (b) security in financial years 1990-91, 1991-92 and the current financial year.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The United States naval facility at RAF Brawdy is subject to a bilateral agreement between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, the details of which are confidential.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimate of the total annual net pay of RAF personnel that will be based at RAF Brawdy after flight training ends in the financial year 1993-94.
| Next Section
| Home Page |