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Mr. Lang [holding answer 22 May 1992] : Guidance on the implementation of schemes to fluoridate public water supplies was issued to health boards and water authorities in Scotland in June 1991. This included advice that the Scottish Office is prepared to consider assistance of up to 60 per cent of the capital costs of schemes.
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No schemes have yet been introduced in Scotland, but consideration is being given to the matter by health boards in many areas, in conjunction with water authorities to which decisions in relation to fluoridation ultimately fall.Whisky
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of people directly employed in the Scotch whisky industry in each of the regional authorities of Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 21 May 1992] : Employment figures are available only for plants manufacturing Scotch whisky as their principal product and employing 11 or more employees in 1990, the latest year for which figures are available.
Manufacturing employment in the whisky
industry in 1990 by
regional authority (rounded to the
nearest 100)
Region |Number of
|employees
------------------------------------------
Borders |0
Central |300
Dumfries and Galloway |0
Fife |1,100
Grampian |1,100
Highland |400
Lothian |1,600
Strathclyde |5,200
Tayside |600
Islands |100
Scotland |10,500
Source: The Scottish Office Industry
Department Scottish Register of
Employment.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the current breakdown of employment activity in the Scotch whisky industry by (a) maltings, (b) distilleries, (c) maturation warehouses, (d) blending and bottling plants, (e) distribution warehouses, (f) by-products, (g) offices, (h) visitor centres and (i) others ; and what was the comparable situation in 1982.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 21 May 1992] : This information is unavailable at the level of disaggregation requested. Employment figures are available only for plants manufacturing Scotch whisky as their principal product. Some or all of the activities given in the question may be included in employment for individual plants. The table shows manufacturing employment in whisky and other related industries in Scotland in plants employing 11 or more employees in 1982 and 1990, the latest year for which figures are available.
Manufacturing employment
in whisky and other
related industries
|Scotland
---------------------------
1982 |18,000
1990 |10,500
Source: The Scottish
Office Industry Department
Scottish Register of
Employment.
European Drugs Monitoring Squad
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria is to be used by the Scottish Office in recruiting staff to serve on the European drugs monitoring squad ; how many staff he expects to be recruited to serve in Scotland ; and what central resourcing will be made available.
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Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 21 May 1992] : Detailed negotiations about the establishment of a European drug monitoring centre are still under way and the final text of the required regulation has yet to be agreed with our Community partners. Once the modalities and structure for the centre have been agreed we will be addressing the issues of resourcing and staffing.Column 506
Drug Addicts
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest total number of registered drug addicts for each type of drug in each region in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 21 May 1992] : Information on addicts notified to the Home Office from Scotland is collected on a health board rather than regional basis. The total number of addicts notified to the Home Office by health board and by type of drug in 1991 is shown in the table.
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Drug addicts notified to the Home office during 1991 by type of drug<1> to which addiction was reported and Health Board<2>
Scotland Type of drug Number of persons
Health Board of |Heroin |Methadone |Dipipanone |Cocaine |Morphine |Pethidine |Dextromor- |Opium |All addicts
notifier |amide
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland |752 |714 |96 |27 |99 |9 |32 |1 |1,480
Argyll and Clyde |46 |7 |8 |1 |1 |- |4 |- |55
Ayrshire and Arran |24 |8 |2 |2 |4 |1 |1 |- |30
Borders |2 |3 |- |1 |- |- |- |- |5
Dumfries and Galloway{fill}15 26 5 - 1 - - - 35
Fife |41 |6 |2 |1 |2 |- |1 |- |48
Forth Valley |112 |84 |11 |3 |4 |1 |2 |- |191
Grampian |85 |86 |30 |6 |45 |1 |6 |- |170
Greater Glasgow |306 |31 |15 |4 |31 |1 |9 |- |352
Highland |3 |2 |2 |- |- |3 |2 |- |8
Lanarkshire |39 |7 |2 |- |1 |- |2 |- |46
Lothian |55 |292 |11 |7 |8 |1 |4 |1 |353
Orkney |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Shetland |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Tayside |24 |162 |8 |2 |2 |1 |1 |- |187
Western Isles |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
<1> As an addict can be reported as addicted to more than one notifiable drug the figures for individual drugs cannot be added together to produce totals.
<2> Where an addict was notified more than once in 1991, this refers to the health board of the doctor who made the first notification.
EC Cohesion Fund
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what measures his Department is taking to publicise the funds available for environmental projects and transport infrastructure through the EC cohesion fund ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what mechanisms are being put in place to allow regions in Scotland to take advantage of the funds that will be made available through the EC cohesion fund ; what representations he has received so far on the subject of the cohesion fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 22 May 1992] : No assistance will be available to Scotland through the cohesion fund which was agreed in principle at the European Council at Maastricht. Under the protocol on economic and social cohesion, the fund will assist EC member states whose per capita GNP is less than 90 per cent. of the Community average--Portugal, Spain, Greece and the Republic of Ireland--provided they meet certain macro-economic policy conditions. No measures have therefore been taken to publicise the cohesion fund in Scotland and no representations on this matter have been received.
TRANSPORT
Birmingham Relief Road
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the 1988 inquiry report on the proposal for a Birmingham northern relief road.
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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No. The draft orders which were the subject of the inquiry have been withdrawn.
Railways
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list his safety and regulatory powers under railways legislation.
Mr. Roger Freeman : The responsibility for running a safe and efficient railway is placed by statute on British Rail. The Secretary of State has safety powers under the Regulation of Railways Act 1871, the Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Act 1900, the Road and Rail Traffic Act 1933 and level crossing enactments. The powers relate to the approval and inspection of new works, the making of safety rules, and to the investigation of accidents. More detailed information is contained in appendix 11 of the 1990 annual report on the safety record of railways, copies of which are in the Library. Some of these powers are amended by the Transport and Works Act 1992.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the service provided by British Rail on the Fenchurch Street, Tilbury, Southend line meets the specified quality targets set by his predecessor in December 1989.
Mr. Roger Freeman : Between January and April of this year, the London, Tilbury and Southend line achieved, on average, the target set in 1989 for peak punctuality. This is most encouraging and reflects the efforts of British Rail staff on the line. Reliability remains a problems and was
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below target over the same period. BR has told me that the current £50 million resignalling programme is the key to improving reliability.Parking Spaces (Disabled People)
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will introduce legislation to enable an automatic fine to be imposed on motorists illegally occupying designated parking spaces for the disabled.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : It is already an offence for an able-bodied person to use a parking place reserved for an orange badge holder on the public highway or in a local authority off-street car park which has been designated by an order made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The offence carries a maximum penalty of £400. My Department has no jurisdiction over spaces in private car parks reserved for disabled people. It is for individual operators of these car parks to take whatever steps they consider necessary to see that these spaces are not misused.
Sea Freight
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the value of sea freight between United Kingdom ports in each year from 1983 to date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Data on the value of sea freight between United Kingdom ports are not available.
Press and Public Relations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979-80 and in each following year up to and including 1991-92 ; and if he will give an estimate for 1992-93.
Mr. Norris : The total expenditure on the Department's press and public relations office since 1984-85 is as follows :
Year |£ --------------------------- 1984-85 |339,426 1985-86 |354,393 1986-87 |363,446 1987-88 |389,473 1988-89 |437,950 1989-90 |451,214 1990-91 |517,905 1991-92 |587,665 <1>1992-93 |614,109 <1>Budget.
These figures cover the overall costs of running the press office, calculated using the ready reckoner for staff-related costs. Before 1984-85 the information division was a common service of the Departments of Transport and the Environment and the Property Services Agency.
London Taxis (Seat Belts)
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when London taxis first had fixing points for rear seat belts ; and what estimate he has of the number of London taxis with fixing points but without rear seat belts.
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Mr. Norris : From 1 April 1982 new London taxis were required to be fitted with anchorages for rear seat belts. All cabs manufactured since 1 April 1987 must be fitted with seat belts for forward-facing passengers.
Cabs licensed to carry four persons must be fitted with two inertia reel type seat belts and an additional lap type seat belt must be fitted to cabs licensed to carry five persons. Cabs manufactured prior to 1 April 1987 may be fitted with approved type seat belts, but they are not compulsory. Where there is provision for a wheelchair passenger, an approved type seat belt must be fitted. There is not available data on the number of London taxis with fixing points but without rear seat belts. However I understand that at present 8,250 London taxis are fitted with seat belts.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consult on requiring the fitting of rear belts to London taxis with fixing points ; if he will estimate the time and cost of fitting rear belts to a London taxi with fixing points ; and what tests are made of the safety standards of such rear belts in respect of the ease with which they can be drawn out.
Mr. Norris : I have no plans to require the fitting of rear seat belts to London taxis built between 1 April 1982 and 1 April 1987 which have fixing points. As for private cars, fitting rear seat belts to these vehicles is voluntary.
The cost, inclusive of VAT, of fitting rear seat belts to those taxis with fixing points is estimated as of the order of £130 asssuming approximately one hour's labour.
Seat belts are tested during the vehicle's annual inspection at the Public Carriage Office. Among the things checked are the security of fixture, condition, ability to extend and return and the locking mechanism. The examiners in addition check to ensure that the belts are not hidden behind the seats. The PCO also carries out spot checks at taxi ranks and so on. "Unfit" notices are issued if the belts are defective.
Land Compensation
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to offer ex-gratia payments for cases where the provisions of the Land Compensation Act 1973 cannot be waived.
Mr. Norris : The Secretary of State is not empowered to make payments under the Land Compensation Act 1973 other than in accordance with the provisions of that Act.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to vary the amount of compensation to be paid in cases where his Department admits to a careless error.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend is only permitted to make payments as prescribed in the statute, or on an ex-gratia basis in order to relieve hardship caused by official failure or unreasonable delay.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend the Land Compensation Act 1973.
Mr. Norris : I understand that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, who has responsibility for this matter, has no plans to amend the land Compensation Act 1973.
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Disabled Employees
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the total work force in his Department is registered as disabled ; what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of disabled people within his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The percentage of Department of Transport staff registered as disabled at 1 June 1991 was 1.3 per cent.--185. The Department is aware of a further 188 staff who have indicated that they have disabilities but who have not registered. The Department aims to provide access to a full range of recruitment and career opportunities for all people with disabilities. The Department also follows the civil service code of practice on the employment of people with disabilities by, for example, supplying appropriate aids and equipment for staff with disabilities.
Debt Payment
Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what distribution has taken place within this Department and the purchasing organisations for which he has responsibility of the Department of Employment's publication,"Making the Cash Flow--a Guide to the Payment of Commercial Debt for Buyers and Small Business Suppliers."
Mr. Norris : The publication has been distributed to all managers within the Department of Transport carrying responsibility for the authorisation of payments to suppliers.
Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what policy guidelines are currently in place within his Department and the purchasing organisations for which he has responsibility in respect of the prompt payment of commercial debt, particularly as it relates to small business suppliers.
Mr. Norris : The Department's policy, in line with the principles of the citizens charter, is to pay all invoices within the contracted period, unless delay is unavoidable because of a dispute or for some other legitimate reason. Where there are no specified terms the policy is to pay invoices within 30 days.
Learner Drivers
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to make it compulsory for all learner drivers to drive with qualified and registered instructors at all times ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No. Freedom to practice under the supervision of a friend or relative who is an experienced qualified driver widens the opportunity for learners to gain experience. Recent research indicates that learner drivers who supplement professional instruction in this way are better prepared for their driving test.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average waiting time for driving tests in (a) Paisley, (b) Scotland and (c) the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The average waiting time for driving tests at Paisley is six weeks, in Scotland five weeks,
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and in Great Britain five weeks. Driving tests in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment.Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that the high speed rail link from Ashford to central London will terminate at Stratford, east London, and will follow closely the route devised by Ove Arup ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The Government's preference remains that the rail link should approach London from the east, via Stratford, and terminate at King's Cross. The route is currently being refined on the basis of the broad corridor published last October.
Rail System, Wales
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to support investment for the improvement of existing freight railway lines in Wales so as to enable them to carry passenger traffic ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : This is a matter for BR and the local authorities concerned.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the level of investment by British Rail in rolling stock for the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth railway line.
Mr. Freeman : I understand most services on this line are operated by British Rail's flagship diesel unit, the class 158. The remaining services are also operated by modern diesel units--class 150/156s.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning the relative fuel efficiency of rail and road transport and the effect of increased use of rail travel on the natural environment of rural Wales.
Mr. Freeman : A comparison of CO2 emissions per kilometre is a useful indication of the relative fuel efficiency of various modes of transport. We have estimated that a typical regional railway service produces 80 to 85 per cent of the CO2 emissions of an average car per 100 person kilometres travelled. This figure reflects the very low levels of off-peak demand on some rural services which involve relatively long journeys. British Rail's regional railways business is currently undergoing a replacement of rolling stock which, when complete, should lead to a halving in fuel consumption. There is also substantial scope for increased fuel efficiency in road vehicles. The effect of increased rail travel on the natural environment of Wales would depend on the amount of traffic diverted from road and the extent to which new rail services and infrastructure were required.
Advertising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give separate figures for the spending by his Department on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year up to and including 1991-92 ; and what is his latest estimate for 1992-93.
Column 511
Mr. Norris : The spending by my Department on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising, and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year is as follows :
£'000
|Television|Radio |Newspaper |Other
------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |4,141 |62 |105 |1,532
1980-81 |3,502 |336 |129 |1,737
1981-82 |3,615 |6 |410 |1,457
1982-83 |2,319 |98 |816 |1,415
1983-84 |4,655 |22 |334 |1,488
1984-85 |1,723 |207 |476 |2,873
1985-86 |70 |858 |834 |4,026
1986-87 |72 |520 |738 |4,489
1987-88 |2,310 |50 |140 |3,010
1988-89 |1,867 |110 |365 |3,367
1989-90 |1,930 |233 |982 |3,289
1990-91 |3,122 |145 |833 |3,962
1991-92 |3,870 |176 |883 |4,593
Detailed decisions have not yet been taken on expenditure by media for 1992 -93, but the overall figure is expected to be approximately £10 million.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement regarding the possible suspension of air and road links to Yugoslavia.
Mr. Norris : The United Nations Security Council resolution adopted last weekend prohibits any flights of any aircraft coming from or destined for Yugoslavia. It does not extend to road links with Yugoslavia. But there is a total prohibition on the export of all goods to Yugoslavia, except, under certain conditions, food and medical products, and the import of all goods originating from there.
Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice his Department is offering to tour operators and scheduled operators who may be affected by any restricted access to Yugoslav airspace ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The United Nations Security Council resolution prohibits landing and take-off at Yugoslav airports. The resolution does not specifically deal with overflying Yugoslavia, but we are considering the implications of the resolution for overflying and the payment by carriers of overflying charges. At the moment our advice is that United Kingdom air lines should avoid overflying Croatia and Bosnia and airspace within 30 nautical miles of the Croatian border with Yugoslavia.
Light Dues
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list those EC member states collecting light dues after 1992 ;
(2) if he will publish his proposals for ending light dues after 1992.
Mr. Norris : Within the EC I understand that only the United Kingdom, Ireland and Greece have systems of light dues ; but that Denmark charges its own flag vessels for the use of its Decca radionavigation system. I am unaware of any changes in the position after 1992, and my right hon. Friend has no proposals to end light dues in this country.
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Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total contribution by the Exchequer to light dues charged by the Republic of Ireland in the last financial year for which figures are available.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish his conclusions on light dues, following his consultations with the British Ports Federation.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend is considering the proposals made by the British Ports Federation for extending light dues to pleasure craft, together with the responses to the widespread consultation which was undertaken about them.
Air Pollution
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 15 May, Official Report , column 228 , at what stage an assessment of changes in levels of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and low level ozone will be undertaken.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : If a route is selected for this proposed scheme for further development, an assessment of air pollution will be undertaken during the detailed design stage before publication of the environmental statement.
Cycling
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been done by his Department or commissioned by him to assess the significance of cycling from the perspectives of (a) environmental protection, (b) health and (c) energy efficiency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The cycling research projects undertaken by or on behalf of the Department in recent years have primarily been concerned with establishing means of improving traffic conditions for cyclists, particularly their safety. The three perspectives specified have not so far formed the subject of specific research projects.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those posts in his Department which have a specific remit to promote cycling (a) nationally and (b) at regional level ; and how many of them are currently filled.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Department aims to improve conditions for cycling, with emphasis given to making it safer. We do not have any posts with a specific remit to promote cycling, but a substantial number of staff at HQ, in regional offices and at the Transport Research Laboratory undertake cycling work of various kinds.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those areas where regional offices have advised on specific inclusion of safe cycle routes and of those list those which have received funding from his Department ; and what percentage these schemes are of the overall spending.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : This information is not held centrally, and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
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Ms. Walley : To ask the Secetary of State for Transport what response he has made to the representations of the Cyclists Touring Club.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Department has regular contacts with the Cyclists' Touring Club at official level. I would be pleased to agree to a request to meet CTC representatives soon.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce targets to raise the level of cycle use within all local authority areas.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No. Levels of demand for cycling, the need for facilities, and the resources, vary considerably across the country. Decisions on appropriate levels of provision for an area should be agreed by the relevant local authorities.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the number of traffic surveys carried out or funded by his Department over each of the last five years and say how many of those recorded cycling.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : This information is not available centrally, and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account has been taken of cycling in his Department's contribution to the United Nations Earth summit in Brazil.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Government recognise that cycling is an efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport. Agenda 21, an action plan to guide the world community towards sustainable development, which will be launched at the conference, recommends that all countries should encourage non-motorised modes of transport by providing safe cycleways and footpaths in urban and suburban centres as appropriate. The Government support this recommendation.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of journeys in the United Kingdom are currently made by bicycle ; and if he has comparable figures for the percentage of bicycle journeys in other European countries.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The 1985-86 national travel survey indicates that 2.3 per cent. of all journeys of 1 mile or more are made by cycle. We have no comparable data for other European countries.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what talks he has had with British Rail to require guarantees about reasonable cycle access to rolling stock ;
(2) if he will require all new orders for rolling stock to be built to a specification to incorporate cycle accommodation.
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