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Column 600
Public Bodies
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will answer the questions from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton tabled for answer on 27 January regarding the appointments he makes to public bodies.
Mr. Hague : I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 9 February 1994 at column 364-65, 10 February 1994 at column 392-93 , and 11 February 1994 at column 497-98.
TRANSPORT
London Underground
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for the period January to December 1993, the number and length of station closures (a) exceeding 20 minutes during usual period for passenger travel, (b) exceeding one hour during usual period for passenger travel, (c) exceeding one day, (d) exceeding one week and (e) exceeding one month ; which stations closed during the above period have yet to be re-opened ; when each closed station will re-open ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : None of this information is held by the Department on a station-by-station basis. Line-by-line data for closures over 20 minutes and one hour are shown on the table. Longer station closures over the period in question have included Cannons Park station--closed between 9 August 1993 and 13 September 1993--Mornington Crescent station--closed since 24 October 1992--and a number of stations on the Central line which were open for ticket issue only between 24 and 29 November 1993.
Column 599
Station closures-including non attributable causes between 3 January 1993 and 1
January 1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for the past 12 months and as a total over the same period, the number of fire and smoke incidents.
Column 602
Mr. Norris : Figures on a line-by-line basis are shown in the table. The Department does not hold this data on a station-by-station basis.
Column 601
London Underground: Fire and Smoke incidents between 3 January 1993 and 1 January 1994
Period
Line |11 |12 |13 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |Total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category A
Bakerloo |1 |0 |1 |2 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |1 |1 |2 |11
Central |0 |2 |4 |1 |5 |2 |4 |5 |2 |3 |0 |3 |1 |32
Circle/H&C |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |4
District |2 |5 |5 |3 |2 |7 |4 |0 |3 |1 |1 |0 |0 |33
Jubilee/Ell |0 |0 |1 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |5 |3 |0 |0 |1 |13
Metropolitan |0 |0 |3 |1 |3 |5 |4 |4 |5 |1 |1 |2 |1 |30
Northern |2 |2 |1 |3 |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |2 |1 |16
Piccadilly |0 |1 |2 |2 |2 |2 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 |11
Victoria |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |5
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |5 |11 |17 |14 |17 |19 |16 |11 |15 |11 |5 |8 |6 |155
Category B
Bakerloo |2 |0 |2 |3 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |4 |1 |3 |1 |18
Central |8 |9 |5 |8 |9 |8 |11 |4 |9 |7 |3 |2 |6 |89
Circle/H&C |2 |1 |1 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 |4 |0 |2 |1 |13
District |1 |5 |6 |6 |2 |8 |1 |3 |5 |2 |3 |2 |4 |48
Jubilee/Ell |1 |1 |3 |3 |4 |2 |2 |0 |3 |1 |1 |1 |1 |23
Metropolitan |4 |3 |7 |2 |6 |7 |6 |7 |4 |2 |5 |7 |2 |62
Northern |4 |1 |6 |5 |2 |1 |1 |2 |2 |3 |3 |2 |1 |33
Piccadilly |4 |4 |1 |0 |3 |1 |1 |0 |2 |5 |2 |1 |3 |27
Victoria |0 |1 |1 |0 |1 |2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |8
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |26 |25 |32 |27 |27 |32 |24 |16 |25 |28 |19 |20 |20 |321
Overall Total
(A and B) |31 |36 |49 |41 |44 |51 |40 |27 |40 |39 |24 |28 |26 |476
Notes:
1. Category A incidents are where the presence of LFCDA or other fire brigade is required;
Category B incidents are those dealt with by London Underground staff themselves.
2. Period 11 commenced on 3 January 1993; each period is 4 weeks long.
3. H&C=Hammersmith & city.
4. ELL=East London Line.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for each of the past
Column 602
12 months and as a total over the same period, the number of employee lost time injuries ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Norris : Figures on a line-by-line basis are shown in the table. The Department does not hold this data on a station-by-station basis.
Column 601
London underground: lost time injuries between 3 January 1993 and 1 January 1994
Period
Line |11 |12 |13 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bakerloo |2 |3 |2 |3 |2 |3 |6 |7 |3 |6 |5 |3 |5 |50
Central |7 |5 |4 |5 |9 |6 |5 |9 |9 |8 |6 |7 |4 |84
Circle/H&C |0 |1 |2 |2 |4 |0 |5 |1 |3 |1 |1 |1 |1 |22
District |5 |8 |2 |2 |8 |3 |8 |3 |5 |6 |3 |6 |3 |62
Jubilee/ELL |1 |1 |1 |4 |2 |1 |0 |2 |1 |1 |0 |2 |2 |18
Metropolitan |3 |4 |2 |4 |3 |3 |5 |5 |2 |3 |5 |1 |4 |44
Northern |8 |6 |4 |11 |6 |17 |3 |5 |7 |5 |15 |9 |9 |105
Piccadilly |3 |3 |3 |5 |2 |1 |2 |5 |6 |8 |4 |7 |3 |52
Victoria |5 |5 |6 |1 |0 |2 |1 |0 |7 |3 |2 |0 |2 |34
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |34 |36 |26 |37 |36 |36 |35 |37 |43 |41 |41 |36 |33 |471
Note
Period 11 commenced on 3 January 1993; each period is 4 weeks long.
Column 603
London Underground
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for each of the past 12 months and as a total over the same period, the number of non-violent crimes broken down into (a) theft from the person, (b) theft from the vehicle and (c) sexual offences ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for each of the past 12 months and as a total over the same period, the number of violent crimes broken down into (a) assault and (b) robbery ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The Department does not hold this information in exactly the form requested. The table breaks
Column 604
down the 1993 crime figures on a line-by- line basis between crimes of violence--including assaults--robbery and other crimes.London Underground
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each London underground line, for each of the past 12 months and as a total over the same period, the number and percentage of escalators out of service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : This information is not available in exactly the form requested. The table shows the percentage of escalators which were not in customer service throughout each peak hour--morning and evening--between January and December 1993.
Column 603
Percentage of escalators out of service between 3 January 1993 and 1 January 1994
Period
Line |11 |12 |13 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |Average
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bakerloo |4.2 |4.3 |4.2 |6.7 |10.5 |7.9 |8.6 |6.5 |5.6 |3.7 |3.9 |6.0 |3.9 |5.8
Central |12.4 |13.2 |10.8 |13.1 |1.6 |14.8 |13.7 |13.0 |12.4 |10.3 |9.1 |10.4 |7.9 |11.0
Circle/H&C |50.0 |50.0 |32.5 |10.8 |0.0 |8.7 |28.7 |1.2 |5.3 |0.0 |1.2 |3.7 |0.0 |14.8
District |3.9 |2.3 |0.7 |2.4 |6.6 |5.1 |3.2 |1.2 |9.3 |5.2 |6.3 |7.0 |5.3 |4.5
Jubilee/ELL |1.2 |5.4 |11.6 |2.2 |1.8 |3.1 |0.8 |9.6 |6.6 |6.2 |11.2 |0.4 |14.8 |5.8
Metropolitan |10.4 |7.8 |6.0 |3.6 |5.2 |9.8 |6.2 |7.4 |7.9 |7.6 |7.1 |0.3 |0.3 |6.1
Northern |11.8 |16.7 |14.3 |12.6 |13.9 |17.0 |16.1 |12.3 |11.0 |9.8 |10.3 |7.1 |7.8 |12.4
Piccadilly |14.0 |16.0 |17.6 |17.3 |16.2 |16.4 |18.2 |17.7 |14.0 |14.1 |15.0 |14.4 |12.9 |15.7
Victoria |11.0 |14.0 |12.6 |14.4 |14.7 |9.9 |7.5 |5.5 |1.0 |3.8 |3.5 |3.4 |4.8 |8.2
Notes:
1. Figures show the percentages of scheduled escalator hours out of service. Each four week period contains 80 peak hours.
2. Period 11 commenced on 3 January 1993; each period is 4 weeks long.
3. H&C=Hammersmith & City; ELL=East London line.
Source: London Underground Limited.
Column 603
London Underground: Crime figures 1993
Line and type of |January |February |March |April |May |June |July |August |September |October |November |December |Total
crime
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bakerloo
Crimes of violence |1 |3 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3 |5 |6 |5 |2 |6 |43
Robbery |4 |3 |3 |3 |3 |0 |3 |2 |1 |5 |2 |4 |33
Other offences |59 |53 |55 |63 |57 |66 |61 |50 |47 |58 |54 |46 |669
Central
Crimes of violence |3 |7 |4 |8 |4 |5 |7 |11 |11 |5 |4 |7 |76
Robbery |7 |3 |5 |6 |4 |7 |2 |6 |2 |2 |2 |6 |52
Other offences |202 |155 |221 |195 |224 |220 |236 |182 |168 |173 |250 |179 |2,405
Circle/H&C
Crimes of violence |0 |1 |1 |2 |0 |1 |0 |0 |1 |1 |4 |3 |14
Robbery |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |3 |1 |0 |2 |0 |9
Other offences |24 |19 |35 |22 |30 |37 |23 |28 |21 |17 |42 |27 |325
District Line
Crimes of violence |8 |3 |10 |7 |10 |8 |8 |13 |6 |6 |3 |7 |89
Robbery |9 |6 |3 |6 |9 |4 |10 |7 |2 |8 |2 |3 |69
Other offences |125 |108 |141 |159 |190 |163 |134 |128 |92 |155 |123 |130 |1,648
Jubilee/ELL
Crimes of violence |1 |3 |1 |4 |5 |1 |3 |2 |4 |1 |1 |5 |31
Robbery |0 |1 |0 |0 |5 |1 |3 |4 |6 |2 |2 |3 |27
Other offences |34 |37 |37 |42 |41 |29 |33 |36 |39 |32 |26 |27 |413
Metropolitan
Crimes of violence |7 |4 |2 |7 |6 |5 |2 |3 |4 |9 |3 |4 |56
Robbery |5 |5 |2 |4 |4 |4 |6 |10 |5 |6 |6 |3 |60
Other offences |110 |87 |95 |94 |125 |110 |108 |111 |91 |93 |93 |82 |1,199
Northern
Crimes of violence |10 |9 |9 |12 |12 |13 |8 |15 |6 |4 |9 |18 |125
Robbery |8 |19 |11 |7 |8 |16 |6 |11 |10 |8 |10 |5 |119
Other offences |197 |174 |209 |193 |189 |176 |161 |140 |104 |129 |174 |126 |1,972
Piccadilly
Crimes of violence |9 |9 |8 |4 |5 |3 |7 |8 |10 |13 |7 |15 |98
Robbery |4 |6 |2 |10 |13 |3 |8 |8 |2 |3 |10 |5 |74
Other offences |316 |290 |327 |310 |307 |249 |239 |245 |182 |291 |347 |251 |3,354
Victoria
Crimes of violence |7 |10 |8 |1 |6 |5 |5 |8 |7 |5 |4 |6 |72
Robbery |9 |3 |1 |6 |3 |1 |4 |7 |2 |2 |9 |2 |49
Other offences |100 |99 |126 |114 |84 |129 |136 |88 |80 |87 |107 |83 |1,233
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |1,260 |1,117 |1,319 |1,282 |1,346 |1,262 |1,216 |1,131 |910 |1,120 |1,298 |1,053 |14,314
Notes:
1. H&C = Hammersmith & City Line.
2. ELL = East London Line.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for each of the past 12 months and as a total over the same period, the number of major customer injuries, broken down into (a) accident,
Column 606
(b) crime related, (c) suspected suicide, (d) reckless behaviour and (e) medical condition ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Norris : Figures on a line-by-line basis are shown in the table. The Department does not hold this data on a station-by-station basis.
Column 605
London underground: major customer injuries between
3 January 1993 and 1 January 1994
Line ||14 |Period
|11 |12 |13 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |Total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) Accidental
Bakerloo |- |- |- |1 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |3
Central |1 |- |1 |1 |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |1 |- |5
Circle/H&C |- |- |1 |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2
District |4 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |1 |7
Jubilee/Ell |1 |- |- |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |3
Metropolitan |- |1 |3 |- |1 |- |- |- |1 |1 |- |2 |1 |10
Northern |- |- |- |- |2 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |3
Piccadilly |- |1 |- |1 |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |3
Victoria |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |6 |2 |5 |5 |6 |0 |1 |0 |1 |2 |1 |3 |4 |36
(B) Crime-Related
Bakerloo |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |1
Central |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Circle/H&C |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1
District |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1
Jubilee/Ell |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Metropolitan |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Northern |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |2
Piccadilly |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Victoria |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |1 |0 |1 |5
(c) Suspected suicide
Bakerloo |1 |- |- |1 |1 |- |1 |- |1 |- |- |- |- |5
Central |1 |- |- |- |- |3 |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |5
Circle/H&C |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
District |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |1
Jubilee/Ell |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Metropolitan |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |1
Northern |1 |1 |- |- |- |1 |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |5
Piccadilly |1 |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |3
Victoria |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1 |3
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |4 |1 |2 |1 |1 |4 |2 |2 |2 |0 |2 |1 |1 |23
(d) Reckless behaviour
Bakerloo |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |1 |- |- |2
Central |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Circle/H&C |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
District |1 |- |1 |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |3
Jubilee/Ell |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1
Metropolitan |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Northern |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1
Piccadilly |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |2
Victoria |- |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |2 |1 |2 |1 |0 |2 |0 |1 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |11
(e) Medical condition
|
|Bakerloo|-
Central |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |3
Circle/H&C |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
District |2 |- |- |1 |2 |- |- |1 |1 |2 |- |- |1 |10
Jubilee/Ell |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0
Metropolitan |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |1 |1 |1 |- |- |- |- |5
Northern |1 |1 |- |- |1 |- |- |- |1 |- |- |2 |- |6
Piccadilly |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |1 |1 |- |3
Victoria |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |5 |1 |0 |1 |5 |1 |1 |2 |4 |2 |1 |3 |2 |28
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Overall Total |17 |5 |10 |8 |12 |7 |4 |5 |9 |4 |6 |7 |9 |103
Note:
Period 11 commenced on 3 January 1993; each period is 4 weeks long.
Column 607
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each London underground station and line, for the past 12 months and as a total over the same period, the number and length of incidents, including cancellations, which resulted in a headway of more than 20 minutes.
Column 608
Mr. Norris : The Department does not hold information about headways on a station-by-station basis, or details on the specific length of incidents, including cancellations, which have resulted in a headway of more than 20 minutes. Line-by-line data showing the number of headways over 20 minutes are shown in the table.
Column 607
Train service incidents resulting in a headway of more than 20 minutes
-including non-attributable causes between 3 January 1993 and 1 January 1994
Line Period Total
|11 |12 |13 |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bakerloo |15 |22 |16 |13 |8 |9 |13 |15 |8 |15 |17 |12 |12 |175
Central |40 |27 |61 |33 |35 |37 |35 |26 |32 |28 |29 |49 |36 |468
Circle/Hammersmith
and City |15 |28 |19 |9 |6 |5 |6 |7 |5 |6 |11 |9 |11 |137
District |21 |27 |19 |17 |15 |21 |20 |8 |12 |9 |21 |21 |11 |222
Jubilee/East London Line |10 |27 |20 |13 |15 |10 |7 |3 |9 |5 |6 |8 |4 |137
Metropolitan |32 |36 |36 |26 |22 |26 |26 |22 |24 |22 |28 |34 |20 |354
Northern |13 |26 |23 |17 |10 |11 |17 |14 |12 |18 |20 |22 |15 |218
Piccadilly |15 |25 |18 |5 |14 |11 |10 |14 |20 |13 |15 |8 |19 |187
Victoria |3 |11 |8 |8 |7 |9 |5 |8 |4 |5 |10 |17 |9 |104
Total |164 |229 |220 |141 |132 |139 |139 |117 |126 |121 |157 |180 |137 |2,002
Notes:
1. Headway is the timed interval between trains.
2. Period 11 commenced on 3 January 1993; each period is four weeks long.
Source: London Underground Limited.
Rail Fares
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if franchise agreements for shared rail routes following privatisation will require mandatory inter-availability and common pricing for (a) full fare standard, (b) first class and (c) discounted tickets.
Mr. Freeman : It is our intention to include the following paragraph in the Secretary of State's formal guidance to the franchising director :
Column 608
"In considering the need for tickets to be inter-available between franchisees, you should consider whether the benefits outweigh the likely benefits of price competition and service diversity. You should encourage appropriate arrangements for co-operation between operators on the pricing of tickets and apportionment of revenues." In many cases, private operators will make arrangements to ensure that ticket inter-availability continues because it will be in their own interests to do so. However, the franchising director has said that he expects inter-availability normally to be a requirement of franchise agreements for season and full-fare standard and first class tickets on routes over which two or more franchisees operate. At the same time, there would be freedom forColumn 609
operators to introduce differential pricing and validity restrictions on discounted tickets in order to attract customers to their particular services.Channel Tunnel
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he was first made aware by Eurotunnel that commencement of freight and passengers services through the channel tunnel would be delayed beyond7 March and 6 May ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) what information was supplied to him by Eurotunnel about possible delays in opening the tunnel by its published deadlines of 7 March for freight and 6 May for passengers, before he agreed to extend the channel tunnel concession period for a further 10 years ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will list the commissioning programmes and commissioning tests which have to be repeated or rescheduled before opening of the channel tunnel can take place ; what information Eurotunnel has supplied to him about the likely additional time which will be needed for commissioning locomotives ; what plans he has to meet with Eurotunnel to discuss the further delays in opening of the channel tunnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The probability of delay became clear at meetings between United Kingdom and French officials and Eurotunnel in January. Those contacts are continuing to cover the timing and content of outstanding commissioning tests for fixed equipment and rolling stock. Public statements about the programme can have commercial importance and financial consequences, and I think it should continue to be for Eurotunnel to make them.
Trains, Glasgow
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish a list of all correspondence between his Department and (a) Strathclyde passenger transport executive and (c) Lombard Tricity Finance regarding operational leasing for new trains in the Glasgow commuter network area ; what assessment he has made of the implications of local government organisation for the immediate future of such operational leasing deals ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will publish a list of all meetings held by Ministers or officials in his Department with Ministers or officials in any other Government Departments regarding operational leasing for new trains in the Glasgow commuter network area, giving (a) the dates of each meeting, (b) a full list of those attending and (c) the outcome of each meeting ; whether any further such meetings are planned ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : There have been no exchanges of correspondence between the Department and (a) Strathclyde passenger transport executive and (b) Lombard North Central about the Strathclyde rolling stock leasing deal. I wrote to Councillor Waugh on 5 November saying that I was aware of nothing in the Government's proposals for local government reform in Scotland that would alter the Accounts Commission's view that it would be in order for the regional council to conclude the leasing deal.
My officials and I attended meetings in November and December 1993 with Scottish Office Ministers and officials, present at which were representatives of Strathclyde region and Strathclyde passenger transport
Column 610
executive. These meetings discussed a range of issues including the leasing deal and concluded that that issue was primarily a matter for the local authority to resolve. A further meeting is planned for later this month at which representatives of Lombard North Central will be present.Probationary Drivers
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a "P" sign for probationary drivers.
Mr. Key : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 9 February by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend, the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) at column 270.
British Rail
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has held with British Rail concerning the operation and funding of the Barking to Gospel Oak line ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend and I regularly have meetings with British Rail management. None has been held specifically to discuss the Barking to Gospel Oak line.
Commuter Car Traffic
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the average volume of commuter car traffic entering (a) Greater London and (b) central London per day for each of the last 10 years ; and what are his predictions for the next five years.
Mr. Norris : The available information is given in the following table :
Cars entering London daily between
7 am and 10 am
Thousands
|London |Central
|boundary|London
|cordon |cordon
------------------------------------
1983 |231 |<1>-
1985 |<1>- |127
1986 |235 |<1>-
1987 |<1>- |123
1989 |249 |127
1991 |<1>- |123
1992 |259 |<1>-
<1> Not available.
No predictions have been made of traffic five years ahead but over the longer term growth is expected to continue broadly in line with previous trends. This would give an increase of around one per cent. a year in the number of cars entering Greater London during the morning peak but no change in the number entering central London.
M25
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost per mile at 1994 prices of the construction of the M25 ; and what will be the cost at 1994 prices of the construction of a widened M25.
Mr. Key : The cost of building the M25 was nearly £1,000 million which gives a price of approimately £6.85 million per mile. The price base in 1986 when the M25 was
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completed, was similar to the current level according to the road construction price index. Using current prices the estimated cost of widening the M25 to four lanes is £7.59 million per mile. The estimated costs of the link roads proposed between junctions 12 and 16 work out at £15.45 million per mile. Proposals for other sections considered to need capacity beyond dual four-lane carriageways have not been assessed in sufficient detail to give comparative figures.Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the widening of the M25 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The plans for the further development of the M25 were announced by my right hon. Friend last July. Subject to anything that might emerge from the review of the national road programme, I have no reason to reconsider that strategy.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many visits abroad the Minister of State for Public Transport made during 1993 ; and what was (a) the cost to public funds and (b) the purpose of each visit.
Mr. Freeman : I made four trips abroad during 1993.
Place and purpose |Cost (£)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonn/Berlin
To meet the German Transport Ministry and |826.97
Deutsches Bundesbahn for discussions on Rail
Privatisation in Germany and to promote British
Railway supply industry in Germany
Paris
To meet the French Transport Ministry for |320.20
discussions on Channel Tunnel security issues
and to visit GEC'S factory in Ayte to review progress
on Eurostar trains
China
To meet Chinese Ministry officials for |242.00
discussions on |<1>268,000
railway issues
Paris
To meet the French Transport Ministry for discussions on Channel Tunnel |security issues
<1> Engagement undertaken during private holiday.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many visits abroad the Minister for Transport in London made during 1993 ; and what was (a) the cost to public funds and (b) the purpose of each visit.
Mr. Norris : I made five trips abroad during 1993.
Place and purpose |Cost (£)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago
To study parking enforcement and adjudication
systems |1,274.12
Paris
To attend the Paris Air Show |813.89
Brazil
To deliver a paper and chair a session on alcohol,
drugs and traffic safety as part of the annual
conference of the International Disciplinary Group
of Studies on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence |3,099.58
Berlin
To address Initiative Haupstadt's Capital Club, on
traffic problems and solutions in London |438.40
Hong Kong/Singapore
To study public transport operations and congestion
charging systems |5,029.57
Belfast International Airport
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what broad criteria his Department requires operators to meet when applying for a licence to operate services out of Belfast international airport ; what applications he has received to run (a) transatlantic routes and (b) other routes from Aldergrove ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The criteria for the grant of an operating licence are laid down in EC Council Regulation 2407/92. The criteria relate principally to the adequacy of financial resources, fitness and insurance. In addition holders of operating licences must be majority owned and effectively controlled by EC member states or their nationals.
Holders of EC operating licences do not need formal permission to operate scheduled or charter services within the EC provided that traffic rights are available under Council Regulation 2408/92. Carriers planning scheduled services outside those allowed by EC regulations will in most cases need to be formally designated by their authorities under the relevant bilaterial air services agreements.
The Secretary of State for Transport gave exceptional permission outside the terms of the United Kingdom/United States air services agreement in April 1993 for American Trans Air to operate services between New York and Belfast, to enable Northern Ireland to have direct services to the United States which until then it did not have. The Department currently has a further application from American Trans Air for permission to operate fifth freedom services between Belfast and Riga.
Within Europe, the Civil Aviation Authority is considering two licence applications for services from Belfast international to the Isle of Man and Reykjavik respectively.
Stansted Airport
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last visited London Stansted airport.
Mr. MacGregor : I last visited London Stansted airport on Sunday, 20 June 1993, when I returned from Luxembourg to Stansted following a special EC Transport Council meeting.
Lorries
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received in response to his proposed changes to the London night-time and weekend lorry ban.
Mr. Norris : I have received various representations from hon. Members, noble Lords, Members of the European Parliament, London borough councillors, the
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London Boroughs Transport Committee, the Freight Transport Association and members of the general public. Many of these are seeking clarification of the proposals.Executive Agencies
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the effect on each executive agency within his Department of the recently announced £25 million reduction in running costs.
Mr. MacGregor : The recently announced reduction in running costs compared to the PES 1992 baseline applies to the Department's gross running cost control total. Of the Department's five executive agencies, only the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's running costs fall within the control total. DVLA will reduce running costs in 1994-95 by efficiency savings that were already planned as part of its target setting and planning arrangements.
Foreign Airlines
Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing regulations for the safety of foreign airlines flying into and from British airports ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Minimum safety standards for foreign aircraft are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The United Kingdom is bound to recognise certificates of airworthiness issued according to these standards. Where there are indications of failure to meet ICAO standards, the Department asks the aeronautical authorities of the country concerned to investigate urgently and identify whether ICAO standards have been breached and, if so, to detail what measures have been taken to rectify the position. The Civil Aviation Authority also has powers to detain foreign aircraft where they consider there has or could be a serious breach of safety. It is also open to the United Kingdom to refuse operating permission for a non-EC carrier failing to meet ICAO standards.
Public Bodies
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who are the members currently appointed to the traffic
commissioners/licensing authorities.
Mr. Key : The names and traffic areas of the traffic
commissioners/licensing authorities are as follows :
Traffic |Traffic area
commissioner/Licensing
authority
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Vice-Marshal Ronald Ashford, CBE |Western Traffic Area
(Senior Traffic Commissioner)
Mr. Martin Albu |North Western Traffic Area
Mr. Michael Betts |Scottish Traffic Area
Brigadier Compton Boyd |Eastern Traffic Area
Mr. John Pugh |South Wales Traffic Area and
| West Midland Traffic Area
Brigadier Michael Turner |South Eastern
|and Metropolitan Traffic Area
Mr. Keith Waterworth |North Eastern Traffic Area
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Pensioners
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people of pensionable age in Northern Ireland are currently also receiving income support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ancram : The information which is available shows that at 30 November 1993, there were 61,382 income support claimants in receipt of pensioner premiums in Northern Ireland.
Shipyards
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide the same level of assistance to Harland-Wolff Ship Repair Division Northern Ireland as is available to German and Dutch shipyards in 1994.
Mr. Tim Smith : It is the practice of the Government to provide intervention funding within the limits set by the European Commission in respect of eligible shipbuilding projects in the United Kingdom. The Government have consistently taken the view that priority should be given to protecting the builders of new ships, rather than those who repair or refit them. At the request of the Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association the Government recently reviewed this policy but have decided that it should remain unchanged.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will investigate assistance available to shipyards and ship repairers in other European Union countries and provide an equal level of support in Northern Ireland to make tendering for major refitting work a realistic option.
Mr. Tim Smith : Assistance available for shipbuilding and conversion projects in other European Community countries is a matter for the relevant authorities in the country concerned. It is not the policy of the United Kingdom Government to provide direct aid towards ship conversion. In certain circumstances alterations to ships carried out by United Kingdom yards can be considered for support under the home shipbuilding credit guarantee scheme. The seventh directive on aid to shipbuilding does not permit the granting of assistance for shiprepair.
Company Records
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when and why the company records of SRC Components Ltd. and Canira Technical Corporation Ltd. were removed from Companies house, Belfast.
Mr. Tim Smith : The company records of SRC Composites Ltd. and Canira Technical Corporation Ltd. are, and always have been, held by the Registry of Companies, Department of Economic Development, IDB House, 64 Chichester street, Belfast, BT1 4JX. There is no record of a company called SRC Components Ltd.
Scottish Interconnector
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the actual cost of the proposed interconnector link project between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Column 615
Mr. Tim Smith : Northern Ireland Electricity plc estimates the total cost of the project to be £175 million at December 1992 prices.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations he has had with regard to the contract and costs of the arrangement between Northern Ireland Electricity and Scottish Electric in respect of the interconnector project.
Mr. Tim Smith : None. This is a matter for the two parties concerned, NIE plc and Scottish Power plc.
Social Security Offices
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the social fund budget for each social security office in Northern Ireland in each of the last four years, the numbers of (a) loans and (b) community care grants applied for, the numbers awarded and their total values.
Mr. Ancram : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from A. Wylie to Mr. John Hume, dated 10 February 1994 : As Chief Executive of the Social Security Agency I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on Social Fund budgets, applications and awards.
The information is not held in the form you have requested but I have set out the available data in the attached tables. Details for each Social Security Office can only be supplied for the period 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1991. From April 1991 the Social Fund has been managed on a District basis and I am therefore providing information from that date for each District.
You may be interested to know that information about the budget allocations, the number of crisis loans, budgeting loans and community care grants applications processed, the number of awards and the amount paid is available in the Library under Social Fund Data. The figures are updated on a monthly basis.
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As the tables accompanying this letter are too long to be printed in the Official Report, arrangements will be made for a copy to be deposited in the Library.I hope you will find this information helpful.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available about social fund budgets in each of the past four years to indicate the pattern of priority categorisation constraints for each social security office in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Ancram : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. However, I understand that the information requested is not available.
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