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School pupil<1> fatalities: by vehicle type: GB 1982-92
Casualties
|Minibus/ |Bus or
|motor caravan|coach
--------------------------------------------------------
1982 |1 |5
1983 |0 |2
1984 |5 |1
1985 |1 |1
1986 |0 |1
1987 |3 |0
1988 |7 |0
1989 |3 |2
1990 |3 |1
1991 |1 |0
1992 |0 |1
<1> Aged 0-15.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to reduce the number of fatalities resulting from accidents involving coaches and minibuses.
Mr. Key : I have now received the report of the review of the technical and cost implications of seat belt fitment in these vehicles. I hope to be able to announce the conclusions shortly.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents in which children died in each of the last 10 years have been caused by excessive speed.
Mr. Key : The national road accident database includes only objective accident details. It does not include information on the cause of accidents and the information requested is not available.
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Daylight Saving
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the road safety benefits of the adoption of daylight saving.
Mr. Key : The Transport Research Laboratory has estimated that a move to central European time would give a United Kingdom-wide net total reduction in road traffic casualties of 140 deaths, 520 serious injuries and 2,000 other casualties each year.
Road Traffic Accidents
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of annual road traffic accidents occur on (a) A roads, (b) B roads and (c) motorways.
Mr. Key : In 1992, 47 per cent. of personal injury road traffic accidents occurred on A roads, 13 per cent. on B roads and 3 per cent. on motorways.
Crossrail Bill
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the nature of written or oral evidence given by, or on behalf of, his Department, to the Private Bill Committee considering the Crossrail Bill in respect of (a) cost restraint relative to protection of the environment or property, (b) difficulty or prohibition of through running to and from Heathrow airport and (c) obstacles to, or prohibition of links, in east London to the projected union railway.
Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Transport, for the Environment and for National Heritage submitted a report to the Committee on 14 July 1993. The Secretary of State for Transport submitted a further report on 15 October 1993. I gave evidence to the Committee on 16 March 1994 and a senior departmental official gave evidence to the Committee on 14 April 1994. In addition, a substantial amount of material relating to Government studies of the scheme was made available to the Committee on 11 April. On the same day a letter was sent to the Committee at official level on the subject of links to Union Railways.
None of the evidence given dealt specifically with the subject of cost restraint relative to protection of the environment or property, although broad estimates of the cost of land and property purchase and special works needed to protect buildings and restore worksites were made available in the copies of the studies referred to above. The Bill makes provision for a junction in the vincinity of Hayes, which would enable Crossrail trains to run through to Heathrow. A substantial amount of written and oral evidence was given in respect of links to the second channel tunnel rail link. Transcripts of the oral evidence are of course available. The burden of the evidence was that the proposed link at Forest Gate/Ripple lane had been ruled out, but it remained open to the private sector promoters of the two railways to decide whether they wanted a connection and, if they did, to seek the necessary powers and to pay for it.
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Trunk Road Assessment
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the report by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment.
Mr. Key : Following past practice, SACTRA's report will be published when it has been fully considered, and the Government are ready also to publish their formal response.
Public Expenditure
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 12 May, Official Report, columns 232-34, what were the principal causes of the difference between the figure for expenditure by the Department of Transport of £6,010 million in 1993-94 and the equivalent figure of £6,150 million published in table 5B.3 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" in 1994-95 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : The difference between the Department's latest estimated 1993-94 outturn and the forecast outturn last autumn which appears in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" is due principally to the following : deferred payment by BR of a substantial sum on railway rolling stock due to delayed entry into service, delays to the start of the Jubilee line extension and underspend on the Department's highways programme and reduced call on provision for BR pensions because of fewer than expected retirements.
Office of Passenger Rail Franchising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract issued by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising to Shandwick plc for work as marketing consultants to the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and his Department.
Mr. Freeman : No. The information requested is in confidence for commercial reasons.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list all meetings held between Ministers and officials in his Department and the Cabinet Office and all correspondence, in which was discussed the recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising, giving dates and persons involved, together with the nature of each meeting or item of correspondence ; (2) if he will list all meetings held or correspondence between any Ministers and officials in his Department and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising at which recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising was discussed giving dates and persons involved ;
(3) if he will publish a list of all Ministers or officials from his Department who attended presentations by prospective bidders, or who were sent for consultation bid documents by prospective bidders, for the post of marketing consultant to the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and his Department, together with the dates of attendance or receipt of documents ;
(4) if he will list all meetings held, or planned to be held, between Ministers and officials in his Department and
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Shandwick plc to discuss Shandwick's work as marketing consultants to the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and his Department, giving dates and persons involved ;(5) if he will list all meetings and correspondence between Ministers or officials of his Department and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising in which the recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising was discussed, giving dates and persons involved and the nature of each meeting or item of correspondence ;
(6) if he will set out each stage of the process whereby Ministers or officials in his Department were consulted by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising over the recruitment of marketing consultants by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising ; and at whose suggestion and on what date potential work for his Department was included within the brief sent to prospective bidders for this post.
Mr. Freeman : The Department appointed the marketing consultants Dewe Rogerson in March 1993 to advise on its marketing strategy for rail privatisation. The targets for the passenger franchising programme set by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 22 March 1994 shifted the focus of marketing activity. It was therefore sensible for Opraf to appoint marketing advisers. Officials agreed that the successful consultants would also work direct to the Department on any residual general rail privatisation marketing issues because it would not be right for Government to place different commissions for overlapping work.
Opraf appointed Shandwick Consultants Ltd. following an open competition which was entirely consistent with Cabinet Office guidelines. Officials of Opraf, the Department, the Central Office of Information and Samuel Montagu --merchant banking advisers--formed the sift and selection panels. Ministers were not involved in the selection. They were informed by officials after the selection panel had made its decision. Ministers' only involvement was in responding to a letter dated 19 April 1994 from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras to Sir Robin Butler.
Dewe Rogerson has been given formal notice of the termination of its contract with the Department. Officials from both the Department and Opraf have since met with Shandwick to discuss the work programme. Ministers have not met Shandwick and have no current plans to do so.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all meetings held, or planned to be held, between the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and Shandwick plc to discuss Shandwick's work as marketing consultants to the Office of Rail Franchising and his Department, giving dates and persons involved.
Mr. Freeman : A number of meetings with Shandwick are likely to be held separately by the Franchising Director, officials from Opraf and officials from my Department to discuss their work in connection with rail privatisation.
Rail Services
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish a list showing for all services provided under the timetables for each train operating unit and for each equivalent British Rail profit centre for the year 1994-95 relative to the year 1993-94 (a)
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all services withdrawn completely, (b) all services with increased journey times and (c) all services with reduced stops at stations, naming the affected stations ;(2) if he will publish a table showing for services provided under the published timetables for each train operating unit and for each equivalent British Rail profit centre for the years 1993-94 and 1994-95 (a) the total number of train journeys run within each area, (b) the total number of trains operating within each area and (c) the total passenger capacity provided within each area, broken down by hour and day of the week.
Mr. Freeman : This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Traffic Pollution
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest assessment of the effect of (a) lowest traffic forecasts and (b) highest traffic forecasts on the Government's commitment made at the United Nations conference on environment and development to reduce carbon dioxide levels to 1990 levels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : The "low" and "high" traffic forecasts were taken into account when compiling the CO projections for road transport and deciding on the measures which were announced in "Climate Change, the UK programme". Emissions from the transport sector, along with those from other sectors, are monitored so that any significant changes from expected trends that might persist for some time could be accomodated by revision of the measures in the programme. The four months since announcement of the strategy is too short a period in which to perceive significant deviations from trend projections.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Consultants
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the expenditure on management and financial consultants by his Department in 1992-93.
Mr. Sproat : Total expenditure on consultancies in 1992-93 was £1.3 million.
Mobile Telephones and Pagers
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many (a) portable telephones, (b) pagers and electronic bleepers and (c) car telephones are currently used by his Department ; what are the annual costs of operating this equipment ; and to which personnel it is made available ;
(2) what was the cost of calls made on (a) car and (b) portable telephones in 1993-94 ; how much this equipment cost to buy or hire ; and what were the maintenance costs.
Mr. Sproat : The Department of National Heritage currently has 17 portable telephones, nine pagers and two car phones in use. The cost of operating the above equipment in 1993-94 was £9,200 which included £2,000 pager line rental, £4,900 mobile/car phone line rental and £2, 300 call charges. The total equipment cost in 1993-94 amounted to £800 ; there were no maintenance costs. The
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equipment is made available to Ministers, and officials where there is a requirement for mobile communications outside the office.Departmental Expenditure
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 9 May, Official Report, column 13, in respect of his Department's estimated outturn expenditure, if he will account for the remainder of the administration costs excluding expenditure on premises, publicity and salaries.
Mr. Sproat : My reply of 9 May estimated expenditure of £12.7 million in respect of premises, publicity and salaries in my Department in 1994-95. Estimated expenditure on administration costs excluding these three elements is :
K
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Related (eg travel and subsistence, recruitment) |1.5
Central Services (eg security, stationery) |1.4
Consultancies |1.2
Publications |0.5
Training/Conferences |0.7
IT/Telecommunications |1.7
Miscellaneous (eg Surveys, subscriptions, supplies/
printing) |0.6
In addition, administration costs of £700,000 for the Royal Fine Arts Commission and £1 million for the Millennium Commission are included in the Department's administration vote. A further £3 million is due to be transferred to the Central Satistical Office for costs on the international passenger survey.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Rwanda
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on whether the conduct of the Rwandan Government is compatible with membership of the Security Council of the United Nations.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The UN charter contains no provision regarding the expulsion of a member of the Security Council.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy in respect of a proposal for an emergency session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on atrocities in Rwanda.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We supported the proposal for a special session of the UN Commission on Human Rights to discuss Rwanda. The session will take place on 24 and 25 May.
Human Rights
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries of the world where the treatment of human rights gives Her Majesty's Government cause for concern.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We monitor the human rights records of many countries world wide. Few have grounds for complacency over their respect for human rights.
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Bosnia
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial support is received by the United Kingdom in connection with the placement of military personnel within the peacekeeping forces in Bosnia, other than expenditure by the British Government and the United Nations.
Italy
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the present Italian Government.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : We intend to work closely and effectively with the present Italian Government across the range of issues where our Governments have mutual interests.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will reconsider his policy in respect of Her Majesty's Government's relations with Italy.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : We see no reason to reconsider our policy towards relations with Italy, which are very good.
DEFENCE
Submarines (Radiation Emergencies)
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what instructions concerning radiation emergency procedures were issued or will be issued to local residents near submarine berths in (a) Glenmallen, (b) Portree, (c) Loch Goil, (d) Campbeltown, (e) Loch Ewe and (f) the Shetlands ;
(2) when leaflets on what to do in a radiation emergency were issued or will be issued to local residents near submarine berths in Glenmallen, Portree, Lochgoil, Campbeltown, Loch Ewe and the Shetlands ; if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : A booklet entitled "What to do in a Radiation Emergency", containing advice in accordance with the Public Information for Radiation Emergencies Regulations 1992, has been prepared for issue to those residents living within 550 m of such submarine berths.
This booklet was issued to residents living within 550 m of the berths at Loch Goil in June 1993 and at Campbeltown in January 1994, in co-operation with the local authority. Arrangements are currently in hand to issue booklets to residents living within the same distance of the berth at Glenmallen and the Shetland berth at Lerwick. No residents live within 550 m of the other berths listed. All of the berths in question are visited only infrequently.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the distance within which leaflets on what to do in a radiation emergency have been or will be issued to local residents near berths at the Clyde Submarine Base, Faslane and near submarine berths at Glenmallan, Portree, Loch Goil, Campbeltown, Loch Ewe and the Shetlands ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Hanley : Booklets containing this advice have been, or will be, issued to residents living within 2,000 m at Faslane, where nuclear repairs take place, and 550 m at the other locations, which are only infrequently visited and where nuclear repairs are not undertaken.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the X and Z berths which may be used by nuclear-powered submarines at which leaflets to local residents as to what to do in a radiation emergency (a) have been issued, (b) will be issued in the near future and (c) are not planned to be issued.
Mr. Hanley : Booklets have been issued to local residents as to what to do in the unlikely event of a radiation emergency at the X-berths at Barrow-in-Furness, Devonport, Faslane and Rosyth and at the Z-berths at Campbeltown and Loch Goil. Arrangements are in hand to issue booklets to residents living within 550 m of the berths at Glen Mallan, Holy Loch and Lerwick in the event of a planned nuclear powered warship visit. There are no plans to issue leaflets to local residents at other Z-berths since no one resides within 550 m of the berth and there is therefore no requirement for issue.
Faslane
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the shiplift at Faslane will receive a full certification to lift a nuclear -powered submarine ; and what alternative facilities are available for Vanguard class submarines.
Mr. Aitken : Following the successful completion of a nuclear audit earlier this month, work continues to prepare the shiplift for full authorisation for use. This involves finalisation of operating procedures, analysis and operator training. The shiplift is needed for docking maintenance purposes and no directly equivalent facilities are available elsewhere.
Recruitment
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total annual cost of recruitment for the services including advertising and careers information offices ; and how many personnel were recruited in the last year.
Mr. Hanley : The total cost of recruitment, including advertising and careers information offices was £96,710,000 in financial year 1993 -94, when 12,109 personnel entered the armed forces from civilian life.
Spent Nuclear Fuel
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which type of commercial container is to be used in the short term for the transport of used fuel cores from naval reactors ; how many containers have been or will be ordered ; and what proportion of a naval used fuel core can be transported in one container.
Mr. Aitken : The two commercial containers will be supplied by Nuclear Transport Ltd. suitably licensed for the transportation of naval nuclear used fuel. It is not our practice to comment on the proportion of a naval fuel core transported in containers, though fewer fuel elements will be carried compared to the previous used core transportation packages.
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Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a contract will be placed for the design and procurement of purpose-built containers for the transport of used fuel cores from the naval reactors ; when these containers are likely to enter service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 25 March, 1994, Official Report, column 469.
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to procedure for loading containers at the royal dockyards and at HMS Vulcan following the introduction of the use of existing commercial containers to transport used fuel cores from naval reactors ; and what increase in the radiation doses received by service and civilian personnel will result ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : The use of the commercial containers will not result in a change in general procedures. However, given the different size and geometry compared to the previous used core transportation packages some detailed changes will be necessary. No increase in radiation doses received by service and civilian personnel is expected.
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when existing commercial containers will be introduced for the transport of used fuel cores from naval reactors ; and from which site or sites they will be transporting used fuel cores.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 25 March 1994, Official Report, column 469. The containers will be used to transport used fuel from Devonport, Rosyth and the Naval Reactor Test Establishment, Dounreay.
Homosexual Service Personnel
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 5 May, Official Report, column 591, regarding homosexual service personnel, whether a copy of the letter from the Under-Secretary of State will be placed in the Library ; and if he will make it his practice to include in such answers in the future a statement of his intention to put a copy of such letters in the Library.
Mr. Hanley : In accordance with established practice, a copy of the reply to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) will be placed in the Library of the House.
Merchant Vessels (Chartering)
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many British merchant vessels were chartered in each year since 1984 for United Kingdom national maritime exercises ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how many British merchant vessels were chartered in each year since 1984 for multinational maritime exercises ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : Some 68 British merchant vessels have been chartered in support of multinational--NATO--maritime exercises as follows :
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Year |Number of ------------------------------ 1984 |11 1985 |8 1986 |8 1987 |8 1988 |8 1989 |15 1990 |3 1991 |4 1992 |Nil 1993 |3 1994<1> |Nil <1> To date.
From available records, three British merchant vessels were chartered in support of United Kingdom national maritime exercises in the same period : two in 1985 and one in 1990.
Afloat support for United Kingdom national maritime exercises is usually provided by the ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service. Additional vessels, if required, are obtained from the world-wide market on the basis of cost, availability and suitability, with as many shipowners as possible being notified of the requirement. Vessels for multinational--NATO-- exercises are obtained in the same way.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent changes he has made to his procedures for chartering merchant vessels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : My Department's arrangements for chartering merchant vessels are kept under constant review. Last August we placed a one-year ship broking services contract with the Baltic Exchange to cover most of our requirements. That contract is currently being reassessed.
Anglo-Eastern Maritime Ltd.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name those ex-MOD personnel who have been employed by the firm Anglo- Eastern Maritime Ltd. after leaving his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : According to official departmental records, no ex-MOD personnel are employed by the firm Anglo-Eastern Maritime Ltd.
Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Harding
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what posts the late Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Harding held within his Department ; and over what periods of time he held those posts.
Mr. Aitken : Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Harding was commissioned in 1947 and served in the Royal Engineers and the Royal Corps of Transport until he was made redundant in April 1977. He was appointed to the retired officer grade of the civil service on 12 April 1977 and served as a staff officer within the Directorate of Movements (Army) in the Ministry of Defence until his death on 25 November 1990.
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Hogg Robinson
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name those ex-MOD personnel who have been employed by the firm Hogg Robinson after leaving his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Official Departmental records list one individual as being employed by Hogg Robinson. It is not the Department's policy to disclose the names of ex-employees.
Elite Shipping
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name those ex-MoD personnel who have been employed by the firm Elite Shipping ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : According to official Departmental records, no ex-MoD personnel are employed by the firm Elite Shipping.
Research Establishments
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has held with the customers of proof and experimental establishment facilities in the United Kingdom as part of the current review.
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