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London Transport (Investment)
24. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the level of London Transport's investment in 1993-94.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about London Transport's investment plans for 1993-94 and subsequent years. These have included letters from hon. Members, local councillors and members of the public.
M1 (Lighting)
25. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to extend the lighting on the M1 motorway.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : It is proposed to extend the lighting on the M1 between junctions 40 and 42 and to light the M1/M62 interchange. Further lighting is expected on sections of the M1 as they are widened to four lanes.
Waterloo-Exeter Line
26. Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when British Rail expects to introduce the proposed new trains on the Waterloo-Exeter line.
Mr. Freeman : The first new train for the Waterloo-Exeter line was delivered to British Rail on 23 January. It will enter passenger service shortly. The remaining trains should be in service by July.
Public Transport (London)
28. Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's budget for London is spent on public transport.
Mr. Norris : The Department does not have a separate budget for expenditure in London. But, in the current financial year, London Transport and Network SouthEast are expected to invest in total about three times the amount which the Department will be spending on the construction and capital maintenance of roads in London.
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London Underground
29. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has received from London Transport on capital investment for the modernisation of London Underground.
Mr. Norris : My Department regularly receives investment proposals from London Underground. Spending plans for 1993-94 and following years have not yet been finalised.
The Minch
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Minch is designated by Her Majesty's Government as an internal sea or an internationally recognised navigable strait ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : By virtue of the United Kingdom Territorial Water Order in Council 1964 the area known as the Minches is within the internal waters of the United Kingdom.
By virtue of article 5 of the UN convention on the territorial sea and contiguous zone 1958, ratified by the United Kingdom on 14 March 1960 there exists a right of innocent passage through that area.
Rail Freight
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the results of his review of section 8 grants.
Mr. Freeman : I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's speech during the Second Reading of the Railways Bill on 2 February Official Report, columns 164-65.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the section 8 grant budget.
Mr. Freeman : This will depend on demand and other calls on public expenditure. The budget is kept under review and to date no schemes have been turned down through lack of funds. The need for additional funding will be considered in the light of the proposals put forward by my right hon. Friend on 2 February, Official Report, columns 164-65.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list what information he has of individual items of traffic transferred from rail freight distribution and train load freight to roads since July 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : This is a commercial matter between British Rail and its customers.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the operational and infrastructure cost savings he expects for the rail freight sector following privatisation.
Mr. Freeman : Privatisation and open access to the network will transform rail freight from a public sector monopoly into a competitive privately owned industry. Operators will need to improve constantly to stay ahead of their competitors. They will be free from public sector constraints on finance and will be able to benefit directly from the cost and service improvements they make.
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Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the report by Mercer Management Consultants into the future of the rail freight industry.
Mr. Freeman : No. The report will contain commercially confidential information. We will be publishing proposals on the future of British Rail's freight businesses after we have studied Mercer's report.
MV Braer
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his written answer of 1 February, Official Report , column 1 , what evidence the marine accident investigation branch has now taken or plans to take in respect of the progress of the steps that were being taken by the owners of the MV Braer at the time of its accident to renew the insurance cover of the vessel.
Mr. Norris : The conduct of the inquiry into the Braer accident is a matter for the inspector, and I cannot discuss the evidence which is being obtained in the course of the investigation.
M66 A664 (Report)
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the report of the public inquiry into the M66 junction A664 ; and if he will make a statement.
Eastgate Cement Works
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government funding has been spent on providing freight facilities at Eastgate cement works since 1975 to help transfer freight from road to rail.
Mr. Freeman : There has been no Government assistance towards facilities at Blue Circle's Eastgate cement works. However, a 50 per cent. freight facilities grant under section 8 of the Railways Act 1974 was awarded in January 1984 towards the provision of modern wagons, for the movement of cement from Eastgate to northern destinations, and for work at two of the reception depots. The award led to a total grant payment of £728,000. In common with all awards the traffic has continued to be monitored annually and the results have shown that the original grant has been more than justified.
Passengers Charter
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend the passengers charter so as to require British Rail to offer a full discount on fares on InterCity trains which arrive at their destination one and half hours or more late.
Mr. Freeman : Under the passengers charter, a full refund is available if the train a passenger planned to catch is cancelled or delayed, and the journey is not made. In addition, British Rail offer vouchers of 20 per cent. or more of the fare paid if a journey, or any leg of it, is delayed by more than an hour. Where delays are particularly serious, the compensation offered can be as much as 100 per cent. I believe that these arrangements provide reasonable recompense to those who are seriously inconvenienced.
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Shipping Routes
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are being made for the submission of evidence to Lord Donaldson's inquiry into possible measures to protect United Kingdom coastlines from pollution by merchant shipping.
Mr. MacGregor : Lord Donaldson held a preliminary hearing at Church house, Westminster on 29 January at which he invited written submissions to the inquiry to reach the secretariat by the end of February. Lord Donaldson emphasised that although his Inquiry was set up in reaction to the Braer accident, he will not be investigating that accident. It is already the subject of investigations by the marine accident investigation branch and the Liberian Government. Nor does his inquiry cover the ecological effects of the Braer oil spill, which will be assessed by the ecological steering group appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. Lord Donaldson said he would consider any issues within his terms of reference which appear to him to be relevant but he expects to concentrate on finding answers to four questions :
What incidents could occur in the future which could cause damage to the coastline of the United Kingdom? The inquiry is likely to concentrate on oil pollution but other pollutants will be considered if they appear to be relevant.
How might such incidents arise?
What practical steps can be taken to make such incidents much less likely to arise?
What practical steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate the adverse effects of such an incident if it does arise?
At this stage, the following topics have been identified as ones which the inquiry expects to consider :
Navigational issues, including routeing, weather forecasting and position finding.
Vessel structure, including design, classification by the classification societies and standards and systems of maintenance. Vessel operation including who takes crucial decisions, whether the responsibility of ships masters is being eroded, training officers and crews and communications.
Effectiveness of existing national and international legislation, and possible improvements.
Lessons from worldwide experience of accidents and near-accidents. Insurance and compensation, as they influence decisions taken in potentially dangerous situations.
Salvage and whether present and traditional arrangements are satisfactory in the context of a hazardous cargo.
Treatment of pollution, including means of preventing pollutants reaching the coast, treatment of pollutants which do reach the coast and contingency planning.
Lord Donaldson hopes that a very wide range of individuals and organisations with relevant expertise will send written submissions on these matters to the inquiry. These should be sent to : The Secretary to Lord Donaldson's Inquiry
Room 3/2, Sunley House
90-93 High Holborn
LONDON
WC1V 6LP
Freight
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow private sector freight interests access to British Rail's operational and infrastructure accounts.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail does not produce separate operational and infrastructure accounts at present.
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British Rail (Accounts)
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct British Rail to produce accounts separating infrastructure accounting from operations, in accordance with the relevant EC directive.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail is already making preparations for the implementation in its accounting year 1993-94 of the provisions of Council directive EEC 91/440 requiring that the accounts for business relating to the provision of transport services and those for business relating to the management of railway infrastructure are kept separate.
Northern Ireland Railways
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what property, rights or liabilities of Northern Ireland Railways are affected by the Railways Bill.
Mr. Freeman : It is not the intention that Northern Ireland Railways should be affected in any way by the provisions of the Railways Bill.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what property, rights or liabilities of British Rail relate to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Freeman : That is a matter for British Rail, but I understand that the board has no significant property, rights or liabilities in Northern Ireland.
Regulations
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a list of all the regulations for which his Department is currently responsible with a descriptive title for each individual regulation.
Mr. Norris : A provisional list of regulations that impact on business has recently been put together. Consideration will be given to placing the list in the Library once it has been fully checked for accuracy and consistency of definition.
Darlington-Bishop Auckland Railway Line
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the present apportionment of costs between British Rail sectors for the Darlington to Bishop Auckland railway line ; and what will be the change in apportionment of track costs following withdrawal of cement trains later in the current year.
Mr. Freeman : This is primarily a matter for British Rail. The route between Darlington and Bishop Auckland is Regional Railways sponsored. In such cases, freight flows are charged only incremental costs and there is not, therefore, likely to be any effect.
Rail Track Costs
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation inhibits the public payment of rail track costs for freight operators ; and if he will seek to revoke that legislation.
Mr. Freeman : The proposed new grant towards track changes would be paid under EC regulation 1893/91,
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subject to the designation of the Secretary of State as the competent authority for that purpose. It would take effect when Railtrack is established and when the new regime for track access and charging commences.Forth Bridge
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requests for funding he has received from British Rail for the maintenance of the Forth bridge ; and if he will make a statement.
MVs Derbyshire and Tribulus
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will contact the European Shipping Commissioner and Mr. Alex Underwood of Salmond street, Gateshead to collect further evidence about the MV Derbyshire and the MV Tribulus.
Mr. Norris : My Department is in frequent contact with the EC Commissioner responsible for shipping matters.
If anyone has information about the MV Derbyshire which they regard as "new and important" evidence under the terms of section 57 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970, it should be sent to my Department for consideration. Any information about the MV Tribulus accident in 1990 should be sent to the Isle of Man marine administration, with which the ship is registered.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reconsider his decision not to order a full public inquiry into the sinking of MV Derbyshire.
Mr. Norris : A formal investigation into the loss of the MV Derbyshire was held between October 1987 and March 1988. I have no plans to order a further public inquiry.
Passenger Services
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the increase in public service obligation grant that will be required to maintain passenger services at their present level following withdrawal of freight services.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail is in the process of preparing its budget for 1993-94, which will provide the basis for determining public service obligation grant for next year. The board's claim for grant will take account of the impact of any expected changes in the pattern of freight flows on the finances of the grant-supported businesses.
London Transport (Sub-contractors)
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to apply the policy of prompt payment of sub- contractors towards new developments by London Transport.
Mr. Norris : I am advised that London Transport has a policy of settling payments to all suppliers and contractors strictly in accordance with the terms agreed in its contracts with them. This applies equally to investment in the existing infrastructure and in new development.
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British Rail (Capital Investment)
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the capital investment at constant prices by British Rail in 1991-92, 1992-93, planned for 1993-94 and 1994-95, in the 1991 autumn statement and now proposed for 1993-94 and 1994-95, excluding spending associated with the channel tunnel.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail invested a total of £1,005 million in 1991-92, of which £751 million was spent on the existing railway. British Rail is planning to invest around £1.5 billion in 1992-93, over £1 billion of which is expected to be spent on the existing railway. BR is currently considering plans for future years as part of its 1993-94 budget and 1993 corporate plan.
InterCity (Timetabled Journeys)
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with British Rail concerning the lengthening of timetabled journeys on InterCity arising from track maintenance shortfall ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : It is for British Rail to plan its track maintenance programme within available resources. Prudent timetabling must have regard to the implementation of this programme.
West London Rail Links
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are for improvements to rail transport arrangements between Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Perivale, Northolt and Paddington ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Most stations in these areas will benefit from the £750 million upgrading of London Underground's Central line with new trains and signalling or from the £240 million modernisation of Network SouthEast's Thames and Chiltern division with new trains, signalling and station improvements.
Jubilee Line Extension
Sir Michael Neubert : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects construction work to start on the Jubilee line extension ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : That depends upon the settlement of detailed terms for the private sector contribution to the cost of the extension, upon which negotiations with the administrators of Olympia and York continue.
M1
Mr. Madel : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects junction 2 on the southbound section of the M1 to reopen ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Given reasonable weather conditions, the junction should be reopened before the end of March.
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PRIME MINISTER
Relate
Sir David Steel : To ask the Prime Minister what steps are taken to co-ordinate the work of the United Kingdom Departments and Scottish and Welsh Offices concerned with Relate ; and if he will make a statement on the grants for Relate for future years.
The Prime Minister : Consultations take place within government on this matter as necessary. The Home Office grant to Relate supports marriage guidance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The grant for 1993-94 of £1,530,000 is 38 per cent. higher than that for 1991-92. It is planned to increase the grant for Relate in 1994-95 by 4 per cent. over the 1993-94 level, subject to public expenditure constraints. The Scottish Office provides a grant to Marriage Counselling Scotland. In 1993-94 this will amount to £87,288, an increase of one and half times compared with 1992-93.
Coal Industry
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Prime Minister if he will undertake a comparative study of the employment effects of any tax or consumer subsidy for coal mining on the existing job in nuclear energy supply and in the offshore gas and oil industry.
The Prime Minister : The coal review being undertaken by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is considering, among other options, methods and costs of reducing the price of British Coal by providing support to the coal industry, for example by subsidy or levy arrangements, and the implications for other energy providers and customers. The effect of any measures on employment in other energy sectors is one of the factors being considered. Evidence on this has been submitted to the review from organisations and individuals within the nuclear, oil and gas industries, and is being given full consideration.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Vehicle-Taking Offences
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the current legislation to introduce stiffer penalties where death has occurred as a result of aggravated vehicle-taking offences ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : It is not our present intention to change the sentencing provisions of the Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act 1992. We have, however, made clear our intention to raise the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous or drink driving to 10 years as soon as a suitable legislative opportunity is available.
Drug Problems
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new strategies he intends to promote to tackle drug problems in Mansfield and in Nottinghamshire.
Mr. Jack : The Government's strategy for tackling drug misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and the
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demand for drugs. In Nottingham a local drugs prevention team has been set up under the Home Office drugs prevention initiative--DPI--and they will continue to work with the local community in finding effective ways of preventing the spread of drug misuse. As the work of the 20 local teams is evaluated and lessons are learnt from it, we aim to ensure that other areas of the country have the opportunity to benefit from the DOI's experience.Nottinghamshire, like other areas, will benefit from other aspects of the Government's drug strategy such as the measures in the Criminal Justice Bill to tighten the law on drug trafficking and money laundering, the assistance we are providing to other countries to help reduce the supply of drugs into this country and the tougher controls which we are introducing on precursor and essential chemicals.
At the national level, we are committed to bringing forward proposals to ensure that the control of drug misuse is co-ordinated effectively, and the Criminal Justice Bill which we hope to bring before the House shortly, further tightens the law on drug trafficking and money laundering.
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