House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jun 1992

Road Safety Schemes

Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what road safety schemes his Department is currently supporting ; and how much funding is allocated to these schemes.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A total of £31 million was earmarked for local safety schemes in the 1991-92 local roads capital settlement. A total of £43 million has been provided for this purpose in 1992-93. Information on individual schemes executed by local highway authorities using the funds is not readily available, but the average cost of a local safety scheme is about £10,000.

The Department of Transport spent £10 million on about 300 safety schemes on its trunk roads in 1991-92. That rate of expenditure is expected to continue in 1992-93.

Cars

Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received on the hazards of electric windows in cars ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I have reports of two cases of electric windows in vehicles causing fatalities to children over the past six years, including the recent tragedy. Both accidents were caused by the children inadvertently actuating switches. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has now asked its members to review their designs and will shortly be meeting to discuss further action. I have asked to be kept informed of the outcome of these discussions. The vehicle inspectorate has also now examined the car involved in the recent tragedy, to determine whether there were any defects in the particular vehicle. It will shortly be reporting its findings to me.

Goods Vehicle Drivers

Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many light goods vehicle drivers have been unable to follow their employment as a result of the revocation or suspension of their licences by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency medical branch ; and if he will introduce a proper compensation scheme for such drivers for their loss of income during the suspension or revocation period.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No information is available to the Department on the number of LGV drivers who have been unable to follow their employment as a result of revocation of their licences on medical grounds by the DVLA.

Drivers have a right of appeal through the magistrates courts against a decision to revoke their licence. If compensation is awarded, the Department has a legal obligation to pay. Proven cases of maladministration may justify an ex gratia compensation payment.

Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many LGV drivers have had their licences

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revoked or suspended in each year since 1988 for (a) heart problems, (b) epilepsy and (c) other medical conditions ; how many of these drivers have subsequently had their licences restored ; and what is the average time period involved.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Information on the number of LGV drivers who have had their licences revoked on medical grounds is available only from September 1991. Since that date, 541 drivers have had their licences revoked because of heart problems, 97 because of epilepsy and 577 because of other medical conditions.

Five LGV drivers have had their licences restored following appeal to the courts since April 1991, the cases taking between one and five months to resolve.

Commuters

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he proposes to institute a London travel survey in order to ascertain the main reasons for commuters travelling in and out of London at particular times ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Norris : A major survey of travel in London was conducted during 1991--the London area transport survey. This will provide comprehensive information on journey purposes and times for each mode of travel. For respondents living in the area bounded by the M25 and who usually arrive at work between 8 am and 9.30 am, the survey also asked whether they could change their hours to avoid travelling during the peak period. The results of the survey will be available by summer 1993.

In addition, as part of the London road pricing research programme, the Department intends to commission a small survey to assess how motorists, including commuters, would adjust their times of travel in response to charges. The survey is likely to take place this summer.

A10

Mr. Heald : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the latest position as regards the consultation study of Travers-Morgan Associates on the A10 Hoddesdon-Cambridge section as outlined in "Roads to Prosperity."

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is currently awaiting the consultant's report and recommendations. We expect them shortly.

A1

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether tenders have been received for works to the A1 to upgrade to motorway standard between Wetherby and Boroughbridge ; and what is the programme of works.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No. The necessary preparatory works are not yet sufficiently advanced to enable tenders to be invited. The proposed upgrading of the A1 to a motorway along the stretch in question is covered by two schemes in the roads programme. The first and more advanced is the Walshford to Dishforth scheme which was taken to public inquiry in March 1992. Subject to the satisfactory

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completion of statutory procedures, and the availability of funds, tenders could be invited next year. The other is the Wetherby to Walshford scheme for which the preferred route was announced in September 1991. The next stage is publication of draft orders under the Highways Act 1980.

A40

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the A40 through Cheltenham to be detrunked ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The time scale for the detrunking of the A40 in Cheltenham is dependent on the Department's proposals to provide a southerly alternative trunk road route. This consists of Brockworth bypass on the A417, including a new junction with the M5, together with any improvements that may be required to bring the A436 from Shipton Solers to Air Balloon up to a trunk road standard. Given a favourable outcome from the recent public inquiry, and subject to the continuing availability of funds, the construction of Brockworth bypass might be completed by the mid- 1990s. A feasibility study into the improvements necessary on the A436 route will be undertaken shortly. A decision on detrunking the A40 in Cheltenham will be made in the light of that.

Severn Crossing

Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a second Severn river crossing will be completed.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The second Severn crossing is due to be completed in spring 1996.

Railway Passenger Services

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals for railway passenger services franchising as they relate to the Uckfield service.

Mr. Freeman : Our proposals are for the private sector progressively to take over the operation of passenger services under franchises, including services on the Uckfield line, while British Rail will retain responsibility for track and signalling. We intend to publish a White Paper shortly which will set out our proposals in more detail.

York Ring Road

Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the outline plans for the dualling of the northern section of the York outer ring road ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I expect outline plans to be published later this year showing proposals for the improvement of the trunk road section of the York northern bypass, between the A19 of Rawcliffe and the A64 at Hopgrove. That will follow the completion of work carried out by the appointed consulting engineer on alternative solutions to the problems on that stretch of road.

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Noise Insulation

Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the report of the interdepartmental committee which is considering the extension of the noise insulation scheme in the vicinity of civilian airports to schools, hospitals and other institutions.

Mr. Norris : I still await the report from the working group led by my Department. Further detailed consultation at official level is required, and is taking longer than expected. I hope that the report can be finalised within the next few months.

Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the terms of reference and the composition of the interdepartmental committee which is considering the extension of the noise insulation scheme in the vicinity of civilian airports to schools, hospitals and other institutions.

Mr. Norris : There are no "terms of reference" as such. The Department of Transport agreed to investigate the costs and practicability of a scheme for insulting schools and hospitals and to report back. It was decided that the report should be submitted to the Department of Transport and the Ministry of Defence for ministerial decision. The group comprises representatives from the highways and civil aviation divisions of the Department of Transport, and from the Department of the Environment, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Treasury.

Driving Licences

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the cost of obtaining a medical examination was taken into account in raising the fee for a heavy goods vehicle driving licence ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Large goods and passenger-carrying vehicle licence fees are set to recover the administrative costs of licence issue. No account is taken of the cost of obtaining the medical report required by law at initial application for or subsequent renewal of a licence.

Hazardous Chemicals

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the European Commission to ensure that the Hazchem system of marking hazardous substances is retained for all transportation of these substances in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Norris : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) on 12 June 1992 at column 299.

Motorway Construction

Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average cost of providing one kilometre of motorway in a rural area, broken down into (a) cost of land purchase and (b) cost of construction.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 11 June 1992] : Construction costs of roads vary substantially depending on factors such as location and the need for structures. In view of that, the Department does not prepare information on the average cost of road construction per kilometre.

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"Trunk Roads : England into the 1990s" contains full details, including estimated works costs, of all schemes in the trunk road programme.

Motor Cycles

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many EEC member states have adopted stage 1 noise limits under the relevant noise limits directive for motor cycles ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 15 June 1992] : Our understanding is that all member states have taken legislative or administrative action to implement the stage I noise limits in EC directive 87/56.

A12

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the role of his Department's officials who attended the Suffolk county and Waveney district joint members' and officers' meeting in Lowestoft on 9 June about the A12 proposals within Lowestoft ; and what information the officials were to deliver to the meeting about timing.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 15 June 1992] : The meeting was one of a series of regular exchanges of information and views on transport issues. The Department's officials were able to report that public consultation on alternative routes for the improved Pakefield to Kessingland section of the A12, the Lowestoft relief road scheme, was planned for later this year.

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the timing of consultation, design and building he now expects to take place in fulfilment of commitments in the White Paper "Roads to Prosperity" for the A12 in Waveney, from Blythburgh to Kessingland, from Kessingland to Bloodmoor road, and from Bloodmoor road to Pleasurewood ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) what are his plans for keeping the hon. Member for Waveney informed about changes on planning, timing, consultation and construction he is proposing in the dualling of the A12 from Ipswich to Great Yarmouth since the publication of the White Paper, "Roads to Prosperity", and since statements made in the last Parliament by his predecessor.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 15 June 1992] : Schemes to improve the A12 are at different stages in their development. The present programme for consultation is :

Blythburg to south of Wrentham late 1993

South of Wrentham to Kessingland late 1992

Lowestoft inner relief road

Kessingland to Bloodmore road section late 1992

A preferred route was announced for the Bloodmoor road to Pleasurewood section of Lowestoft inner relief road in November 1990.

The timing of subsequent stages will depend on the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures and the availability of funds. The hon. Member will be informed as a matter of course at the key stages of public consultation, order publication, public inquiry, when the decision is announced following the inquiry and when construction is due to start.

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SOCIAL SECURITY

Disability Benefits

Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement concerning delays in the introduction of the new disability living allowance and the financial difficulties caused to those people who previously claimed disability benefit.

Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many applications for disability living allowance (a) have been referred for a medical examination by the adjudication officer in order to assess the claim and (b) have included a request from the claimant for a medical examination ;

(2) what was the number of applications received by his Department for disability living allowance where the form was completed through the benefits inquiry line completion service ; and what was the number and percentage of these resulting in an award of (a) higher-rate care component, (b) middle-rate care component, (c) lower-rate care component, (d) higher-rate mobility component and (e) lower-rate mobility component ; and how many were refused.

Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Widows

Ms. Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a widow's payment available to women widowed prior to 11 April 1988.

Miss Widdecombe : We have no plans to do so. The widow's payment of £1,000 replaced the widow's allowance from 11 April 1988. To pay widow's payment to those widows who received widow's allowance prior to April 1988 would be double provision.

Benefits, Doncaster

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list each of the benefits for which his Department is responsible in the Doncaster area during the current year, giving in each case (a) the total number receiving the benefit and (b) the cost in a full year of that benefit ; and if he will give comparative figures for (i) 24 months, (ii) 36 months and (iii) 48 months ago.

Mr. Scott : The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

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Market Testing

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all those functions and areas in his Department and associated agencies that have been identified for market testing in the wake of the White Paper "Competing for Quality".

Miss Widdecombe : Discussions are presently taking place with the efficiency unit at the Cabinet Office regarding proposals put forward by the Department. An announcement will be made in due course.

Invalidity Benefit

Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that invalidity benefit should be payable up to the same age for men and women.

Mr. Scott : The age limits for invalidity benefit coincide with the age up to which people can earn increments to their retirement pensions. This is 64 for women and 69 for men.

Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the differential rate of percentage increases of national insurance benefits, including invalidity benefit and retirement pensions and income support ; and what assessment he has made of how many pensioners are worse off as a result of these differentials.

Miss Widdecombe : Our policy is to maintain the value in line with prices of retirement pension and other contributory benefits for people over state pension age. This April they received an increase in line with the retail prices index. Less well-off pensioners on income support received increases nearly 3 per cent. higher than this. All pensioners therefore benefited from the uprating.

Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about the rule that if claimants are in receipt of the higher rate of income support, because of a previous entitlement to invalidity benefit, and if they lose that right to income support because of a rise in invalidity benefit, their claim is deemed to be interrupted and they lose any entitlement to the higher rate of income support, even though the income support may rise and they may again be entitled to claim it.

Mr. Burt : A person who is in receipt of invalidity benefit and makes a claim for income support will be eligible for the disability premium or higher pensioner premium--depending on age--whether or not they have been entitled to income support and eligible for the premium in the past. The hon. Member may wish to write to me if she has an individual case in mind.

Social Fund

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will show the social fund budgets for all offices in the Leeds metropolitan district for grants and loans for each year since 1988 both at real prices and at 1992 prices showing the percentage increase or decrease on the 1988 allocation.

Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the

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Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Claims (Processing)

Mr. Kevin Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what investigations he has made of the causes of the length of time taken to process claims for attendance allowance and disability living allowance ; and what plans he has to increase the funding of the Benefits Agency in order to reduce the time taken.

Maxwell Group

Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what steps he proposes to take to keep the House informed of progress over the state of the Maxwell pension funds ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) what target he has set for a timetable for the money removed from the Maxwell pension funds to be restored ; and if he will make a statement.

Miss Widdecombe : It is not yet clear how much of the missing pension fund assets will eventually be recoverable by the trustees. We have established a special unit to work alongside trustees and others seeking to secure the return of assets, and the unit will do all it can to help speed up this process. We shall keep hon. Members fully informed of developments.

Housing Benefit

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of households in Scotland are dependent on housing benefit ; and how this has changed since the current system of housing benefit was introduced.

Mr. Burt : The most recent estimate, for May 1990, is that 28 per cent. of households in Scotland receive some of their income from housing benefit (rent rebates and allowances). The corresponding figures for 1988 and 1989 are 29 per cent. and 28 per cent. respectively.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

BBC World Service

Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis his Department decides the languages and areas in which the BBC World Service should be funded to broadcast.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The languages and areas in which the BBC World Service broadcasts are regularly reviewed jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the World Service in the light of foreign policy objectives. Decisions are based on the political significance of a country or region and the extent of British and wider western interests ; the degree of openness in a society and of its people's access to objective news ; the range of means

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available, besides broadcasting, to project Britain and British views ; and in the case of existing language services, the size and profile of their audiences, their impact and influence, and their importance to bilateral relations.

Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the reasons his Department has decided not to fund BBC World Service broadcasts in Japanese.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Following a joint FCO/BBC world service review of broadcasting output in 1990, it was agreed to increase output in Russian, Mandarin and Vietnamese, as well as English programmes to a number of regions, and to end broadcasts in Japanese and Malay for which audiences were small and declining. Both services ceased at the end of March 1991. World Service programmes in English continue to both areas.

United Nations

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current level of funding for the United Nations ; by what date the United Kingdom was requested by the United Nations secretariat to pay dues to the United Nations for peacekeeping operations in 1992 ; on what date those dues were paid ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Member states' contributions to the 1992 United Nations regular budget will total £593,179,000, of which the United Kingdom share will be £28,260,695.

We estimate that the United Kingdom's assessed contributions to the United Nations for current peacekeeping operations for the United Kingdom financial year 1992-93 will total £70 million. As at today's date we had been asked to pay $81,178,625 towards those costs, and had paid $41,660,134. The discrepancy between the two amounts arises from an assessment in respect of UNTAC--the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia--which we have received but which has not yet fallen due. We aim to make all our payments in accordance with United Nations financial regulation 5.4, which states : "contributions shall be considered due and payable within 30 days (of receipt of the Letter of Assessment)".

Bahrain

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Bahrain Government about human rights violations ; and what meetings he has had with representatives of the Bahrain Government to discuss the treatment of political prisoners in Bahrain.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We keep a close watch on human rights issues world-wide and raise the subject with individual Governments when necessary. The Gulf states, including Bahrain, are well aware of the importance that we attach to the observance of international human rights standards throughout the world.

Data Protection

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many certificates have been issued under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984.

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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I am aware of none so far as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is concerned.

Entertainment Budget

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was his entertainment budget for 1991.

Mr. Goodlad : Expenditure by both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on entertainment in financial year 1991-92 is estimated at £7,102,000.

That figure includes the grant in aid to the Government hospitality fund, which meets the cost of ministerial entertainment and guest-of-Government visits for all Government Departments, and the cost of other official entertainment by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and by diplomatic missions overseas.

Market Testing

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all those functions and areas in his Department and associated agencies that have been identified for market testing in the wake of the White Paper "Competing for Quality".

Mr. Goodlad : We have considered a number of proposals for market testing arising from separate studies carried out on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration by Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte. A statement setting out areas of activity to be market-tested will be made once these proposals have been finalised.

Entry Applications

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current lists of applicants in each of the queues for (a) settlement and (b) visits at (i) Bombay, (ii) Dacca, (iii) New Delhi, (iv) Islemat, (v) Karachi, (vi) Nairobi and (vii) Dar-es-Salaam.

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