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VAT (Bus Fares)

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what study he has made, or proposes to make, of the effects of VAT on bus fares in relation to bus use ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman : I have received representations from the Bus and Coach Council, and others, which estimate the effect on bus fares and patronage of imposing VAT. Decisions on taxation are a matter for the Chancellor but in reaching these he will be aware of the likely transport implications.

A51 Bypass

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make an announcement of his decision on the A51 Burford and the Green proposed bypass.

Mr. Key : I hope to be able to announce the preferred route next spring.

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Column 348

Private Bus Operators

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the private bus operators which operate more than 100 buses.

Mr. Freeman : For licensing purposes, bus operators are not distinguished from coach operators. According to records held centrally in October 1993, the following private bus and coach operators, listed alphabetically, are licensed to operate more than 100 vehicles in Great Britain :

Badgerline Ltd.

Barton Buses Ltd.

Bayline Ltd.

Beeline Buzz Co. Ltd.

Bluebird Buses Ltd.

A. E. and F. R. Brewer Ltd.

Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Co. Ltd.

Bristol Omnibus Co. Ltd.

British Airways plc

Busways Travel Services Ltd.

Cambus Ltd.

Capital Citybus Ltd.

Capital Coaches Ltd.

Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Chesterfield Transport Ltd.

City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd.

Cleveland Transit Ltd.

Clydeside 2000 plc

County Bus and Coach Co. Ltd.

T. Cowie plc (Grey-Green)

Crosville Wales Ltd.

Derby City Transport Ltd.

Devon General Ltd.

East Kent Road Car Co. Ltd.

East Midland Motor Services

East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd.

Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Eastern National Ltd.

Eastern Scottish Omnibuses Ltd.

Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd.

Gateshead and District Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Grampian Regional Transport Ltd.

Highland Scottish Omnibuses Ltd.

Keighley and District Travel Ltd.

Kelvin Central Buses Ltd.

Kentish Bus and Coach Co. Ltd.

Lincolnshire Road Car Co. Ltd.

London Coaches Ltd.

London and Country Ltd.

Lowland Omnibuses Ltd.

Luton and District Transport Ltd.

Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd.

Mainline Group Ltd.

Merseyside Transport Ltd.

Midland Bluebird Ltd.

Midland Fox Ltd.

Midland Red (North) Ltd.

Midland Red (South) Ltd.

Midland Red (West) Ltd.

North Western Road Car Co. Ltd.

Northern General Transport Co. Ltd.

Northumbria Motor Services

O K Motor Service Ltd.

PMT Ltd.

Preston Bus Ltd.

Provincial Bus Co. Ltd.

Q Drive Buses Ltd.

Red and White Services Ltd.

Ribble Motor Services Ltd.

Shearings Ltd.

South Coast Buses Ltd.

South Wales Transport Co. Ltd.

Southern National Ltd.

Southern Vectis Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Stagecoach (Northwest) Ltd. (Cumberland Motor Services) Stagecoach (Scotland) Ltd.

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Stagecoach (South) Ltd.

Stevensons of Uttoxeter Ltd.

Strathclyde Buses Ltd.

Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd.

Sunderland and District Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Suansit Ltd.

Thamesway Ltd.

Trent Motor Traction Co. Ltd.

United Automobile Services Ltd.

United Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Wallace Arnold Coaches

West Midlands Travel Ltd.

West Riding Automobile Co. Ltd.

Western National Ltd.

Western Scottish Buses Ltd.

Wilts and Dorset Bus Co. Ltd.

Yorkshire Rider

Yorkshire Traction Co. Ltd.

Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co. Ltd.

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the number of private bus operators and (b) the estimated number of bus users in major conurbations.

Mr. Freeman : (a) For licensing purposes, bus operators are not distinguished from coach operators. In March 1993, there were an estimated 1,300 private bus and coach operators based in London and the English metropolitan areas, out of a total of 6,800 in Great Britain as a whole. Of these, about 300 operated local bus services during 1992-93, out of a total of about 1,900 in all Great Britain. (b) The number of bus users is not available ; however, it is estimated that passengers made a total of 2,514 million local bus journeys during 1992-93 in London and the English metropolitan areas, out of a total of 4,483 million local bus journeys in Great Britain.

Motorways

Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are for major motorway works in 1994-95 and for lighting schemes and additional service areas.

Mr. Key : There will be an announcement about major motorway works in the new year. It is expected that about 16 miles of motorway will be equipped with lighting for the first time during 1994-95. Following a change of policy in August 1992, proposals for new motorway service areas-- MSAs--are now a matter for the private sector. Nevertheless, three MSAs proposed by the Department before the change in policy are expected to open during 1994-95 : they are at Birchanger on the M11 and Barn Hill and Cherwell Valley on the M40.

Motor Cycles

Mr. Robert Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to vote at the EC Council of Ministers against the proposal for a 100 brake horse power limit on motor cycles.

Mr. MacGregor : The Council of Ministers is expected to convene a conciliation meeting on this issue with the European Parliament. The United Kingdom's position is that there is no evidence to link motor cycle power with the level of accidents. We hope that a conciliation meeting will successfully resolve the issue.

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Motorway Lavatories

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will state the number of lavatories adjacent to motorways in Britain in October 1992 and the number at the present date distinguishing between male, female and disabled :

(2) if he will list new toilets adjacent to motorways in Britain on which building work has commenced since October 1992 and those for which planning permission has been given, distinguishing between male, female and disabled.

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