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Mr. Forth: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has noted with interest the recent launch of the open government information service by CCTA, the Government centre for information systems. The Department is keen to play its full part in making information available electronically where appropriate and is considering what material might most helpfully be made accessible via this service.
Electronic Mail
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to be able to receive and respond to communications via electronic mail.
Mr. Forth: My right hon. Friend and other Ministers in the Department use electronic mail daily to communicate with officials in London and Darlington.
The possibilities for extending existing links to connect to non- departmental public bodies and agencies in the education sector are currently under consideration.
15,000 Hours"
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will authorise publication of the names of the schools involved in the research led by Professor Michael Rutter published as "15,000 Hours".
Mr. Forth: No. It was agreed between all parties before the research began that the schools would never be identified or identifiable in any report which was to be written.
Telephone Dialling Codes
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment has been made as to the additional costs which will be incurred by her Department as a result of the changes in national telephone dialling codes next year; and how much this change will cost her Department in additional expenditure.
Mr. Forth: Additional departmental costs as a result of the changes in national telephone dialling codes next year are estimated to be £2,000. No further expenditure in addition to this is anticipated.
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Further Education Funding Council
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of the Further Education Funding Council's budget supports institutions in Hampshire.
Mr. Boswell: The total amount of recurrent funding allocated by the Further Education Funding Council for the academic year 1994 95 is £2,610.8 million, of which £109.5 million was allocated to institutions in Hampshire.
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the total annual budget for the Further Education Funding Council for the financial year 1994 95.
Mr. Boswell: The total annual budget for the Further Education Funding Council for the financial year 1994 95 is £2,814.5 million.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total expenditure by grant-maintained schools in Hampshire in the financial year 1993 94; and what is the forecast expenditure for 1994 95.
Mr. Robin Squire: Information relating to expenditure in GM schools is held by the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the chairman of the agency to write to the hon. Member.
Pupil Statistics
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the total pupil numbers in schools in 1992 93 and 1993 94.
Mr. Robin Squire: The total numbers of pupils in all schools in England in January 1993 and January 1994 were 7,747,000 and 7,882,000 respectively.
Special Advisers
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) 1 December, Official Report column 863, if she will make a statement regarding her Department's expenditure on special advisers in each of the last three financial years and for the financial year 1979 80.
Mr. Forth: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave on 19 December 1994, Official Report, column 937.
TRANSPORT
Roads and Airports (EC Funding)
Mr. Robert Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the total amounts received from the European Commission for road building and airports in each of the last five years.
Mr. Watts: Figures available for European regional development fund and transport infrastructure grant
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receipts for road and airport related projects in England are as follows:
:
|1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994
----------------------------------------------------------
ERDF (£ million
rounded)
Airports |<1>1.3|2.8 |6.3 |4.5 |1.8
Roads |52.5 |23.4 |62.2 |50.2 |25.1
TIG (£ million)
Roads |2.25 |0.12 |5.85 |0.6 |1.05
<1> From 1 April to 31 December 1990.
Departmental Telephone Calls
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on telephone charges and how many telephone calls have been made by his Department for each of the last five years.
|£
------------------------------
1990-91 |4,479,004
1991-92 |4,859,147
1992-93 |5,580,202
1993-94 |5,183,307
Full details for 1989 90 are not available.
Details of the number of calls made per year are not held centrally.
Vehicle Inspections
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of spot-checks undertaken on heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles for the west midlands area for each of the last five years.
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Vehicle Inspectorate. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 10 January 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of vehicle spot-checks undertaken on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and public service vehicles (PSVs) for the West Midlands Traffic Area for each of the last five years.
The table below outlines both roadworthiness checks (the mechanical condition of the vehicle) and traffic enforcement checks (the use to which the vehicle is put i.e. drivers' hours, operator licensing etc).
K
Roadworthiness
HGV PSV
|Number of spot |Number of spot
Years |checks |Years |checks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94 |15,348 |1993-94 |3,491
1992-93 |10,145 |1992-93 |2,471
1991-92 |9,552 |1991-92 |2,403
1990-91 |6,126 |1990-91 |1,370
1989-90 |5,258 |1989-90 |1,497
K
Traffic enforcement
HGV PSV
|Number of spot |Number of spot
Years |checks |Years |checks
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94 |19,212 |1993-94 |2,337
1992-93 |17,239 |1992-93 |2,489
1991-92 |20,938 |1991-92 |1,882
1990-91 |22,240 |1990-91 |1,754
1989-90 |23,570 |1989-90 |1,473
I hope this information is sufficient to answer your query. More information on checks in the West Midlands and elsewhere is available in the Traffic Commissioner Annual Reports and the Licensing Authority Annual Reports, copies of which should be available through the House of Commons Library.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each of the Vehicle Inspectorate testing stations in the west midlands traffic area, the number of staff employed in each of the last five years.
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Vehicle Inspectorate. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 10 January 1995 :
Vehicle Inspectorate Staff Employed in the West Midlands Traffic Area.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of staff that have been employed by the Vehicle Inspectorate in the West Midlands Traffic Area during the last five years.
The table below gives a breakdown of the total number of staff by year, by a broad categorisation of employment. The attached table gives more detailed information by testing station location and includes staff working on both the Vehicle Testing and Road Transport Enforcement side of the Inspectorate's work. It has not been possible to separate out the VI staff located at testing stations without disproportionate cost.
|Technical |Administrative|Industrial |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |51 |31 |25 |107
1991-92<1><2> |84 |37 |23 |144
1992-93<2> |81 |37 |22 |140
1993-94 |75 |36 |22 |133
1994-95 |73 |31 |20 |124
(Numbers are full-time equivalent and have been rounded to the nearest unit)
<1>The increase in Technical and Administrative staff in 1993-94 results from the
amalgamation of the traffic Examiners organisation into the Vehicle Inspectorate as at 1
April 1991.
<2>It has not been possible to separate South Wales Traffic Area staff out from the West
Midlands Traffic area in the first 2 years following the amalgamation.
I hope this information is sufficient but, if you have any further questions about the Inspectorate's operations, please contact me at the above address.
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Numbers of Staff
Heavy Goods
Vehicle Testing
Station |Year |Technical |Admin |Industrial |Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shrewsbury |1990-91 |4 |5 |3 |<2>12
|1991-92 |4 |2 |3 |<2>9
|1992-93 |5 |2 |3 |<2>10
|1993-94 |3 |2 |3 |8
|1994-95 |3 |2 |3 |8
Birmingham |1990-91 |17 |9 |7 |<2>33
|1991-92 |18 |9 |6 |<2>33
|1992-93 |16 |9 |6 |<2>31
|1993-94 |7 |5 |6 |18
|1994-95 |7 |3 |6 |16
Wolverhampton |1990-91 |14 |8 |9 |<2>31
|1991-92 |15 |8 |7 |<2>30
|1992-93 |15 |8 |6 |<2>29
|1993-94 |7 |4 |6 |17
|1994-95 |6 |3 |5 |14
Stoke |1990-91 |16 |7.5 |6.5 |<2>30
|1991-92 |15 |5.5 |6.5 |<2>27
|1992-93 |15 |6 |7 |<2>28
|1993-94 |5 |5 |7 |17
|1994-95 |5 |5 |6 |16
In addition to the above numbers of staff located in VI offices at HGV testing stations, the following are located in other VI offices in the West Midlands traffic area.
|Year |Technical |Admin |Industrial|Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Vehicle |1990-91 |0 |1 |0 |1
Inspectorate |1991-92 |32 |13 |0 |<1>45
offices<3> |1992-93 |30 |13 |0 |<1>43
|1993-94 |52 |21 |0 |<3>73
|1994-95 |52 |18 |0 |<3>70
<1> Includes some staff employed in the South Wales Traffic Area. It is not
possible to separate out West Midlands.
<2> Includes staff working on the Road Traffic Enforcement side of the
Inspectorate's work.
<3> Includes staff located in VI offices at HGV testing stations.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each multi-agency road check undertaken on HGV and public service vehicles and the number of vehicles inspected together with the number of those receiving prohibition or defect notices for the west midlands area for each of the last 12 months.
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Vehicle Inspectorate. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 10 January 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the number of multi-agency checks undertaken on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), and passenger carrying vehicles (PCVs), and the number of vehicles inspected together with the number of those receiving prohibition or defect notices carried out in the West Midlands Traffic Area during the last 12 months.
Unfortunately not all of the information you require is available. A total of 15 checks were carried out over the period which resulted in 1,433 vehicles being inspected. I have attached a table which provides a breakdown of the checks, I am unable to provide details of how many prohibition or defect notices were issued as a result of these specific checks as such information is not recorded in our
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management information system and any additional information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.If you have any further questions about the Inspectorate's operations, please contact me at the above address.
Multi agency checks conducted in the West Midlands traffic area
December 1993-November 1994
|Number of |Number of vehicles
Date |multi-agency checks|inspected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 1993 |0 |0
January 1994 |1 |10
February 1994 |1 |10
March 1994 |1 |41
April 1994 |1 |39
May 1994 |2 |262
June 1994 |1 |98
July 1994 |2 |186
August 1994 |1 |177
September 1994 |2 |100
October 1994 |1 |420
November 1994 |2 |90
Total |15 |1,433
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his policy and powers to order random and regular safety inspections of public service vehicles; and what plans he has to increase such checks.
Mr. Norris [holding answer 20 December 1994]: Each year the Secretary of State approves a programme of safety inspections on public service vehicles, which includes a target number of random and regular safety checks undertaken on his behalf by traffic and vehicle examiners from the Vehicle Inspectorate. The programme includes provision for traffic commissioners to request additional safety inspections where required for specific purposes. The number of inspections is kept under review and may be adjusted as necessary.
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public service vehicles and minibuses carrying school children have been found to be defective in regular and random inspections in the last two years for which figures are available in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk and (c) England and Wales; and what action has been taken in each case.
Mr. Norris [holding answer 20 December 1994]: This is an operational matter for the Vehicle Inspectorate. I have asked the chief executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. David Porter, dated 10 January 1995:
School bus checks
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about checks on public service vehicles (PSVs) and minibuses carrying school children in Norfolk, Suffolk and England and Wales. Unfortunately, whilst we collect management information on checks on PSVs including any follow-up action, we do not distinguish between those carrying school children and others. The Inspectorate is also unable to provide data on a county by county basis as it is collected by Traffic Areas which do not relate to county boundaries.
The table attached gives the number of PSVs inspected at roadside checks during 1992 293 and 1993 94 and the number of immediate and delayed prohibitions issued. Additional information can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
If you have nay further questions about the Inspectorate's operations, please contact me at the above address.
PSV spot checks 1992-93 and 1993-94
1992-93 1993-94
|Number of PSVs|Immediate |Delayed |Number of PSVs|Immediate |Delayed
Traffic area |inspected |prohibitions |prohibitions |inspected |prohibitions |prohibitions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland |4,059 |264 |157 |4,292 |234 |130
S. Western |4,813 |245 |135 |5,191 |316 |170
N. Eastern |4,237 |138 |90 |4,604 |277 |261
S. Wales |1,853 |110 |117 |2,035 |81 |79
West Midlands |2,471 |68 |50 |3,491 |86 |75
Western |2,883 |139 |146 |2,947 |89 |128
Eastern |2,995 |124 |92 |3,060 |150 |99
S. Eastern |6,231 |211 |280 |4,066 |164 |255
Total |29,542 |1,299 |1,067 |29,686 |1,397 |1,197
Transport Research Laboratory
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was allocated for seedcorn research to the Transport Research Laboratory during (a) the current financial year and (b) the three previous financial years.
(a) The Department of Transport has allocated £500,000 to the Transport Research Laboratory for seedcorn research in the current financial year 1994 95.
(b) The amounts allocated previously were:
in the year 1993 94, £640,000;
in the year 1992 93, £800,000;
in the year 1991 92, £550,000.
Blackwall Tunnel
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) who in his Department receives regular reports on significant interruptions to the north-bound traffic intending to use the Blackwall tunnel;
(2) if he will estimate the cost-benefit ratio of staffing a special unit to react to indications from detection equipment by diverting over-height vehicles away from the north-bound Blackwall tunnel before traffic is blocked;
(3) how often drivers or operators of over-sized vehicles are charged with an offence if they block the flow of traffic north-bound through the Blackwall tunnel;
(4) what is his Department's responsibility for (a) the north-bound Blackwall tunnel and (b) its approach road; (5) how long it takes on average to unblock traffic at the north-bound Blackwall tunnel after an over-height vehicle blockage.
Mr. Norris: These are operational matters for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my hon. Friend. Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Peter Bottomley dated 10 January 1995:
I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Transport to reply to your recent parliamentary questions about the Blackwall Tunnel, as you have raised a number of operational matters that are now the responsibility of the Highways Agency. The Highways Agency acts in these matters on behalf of the Secretary of State who remains the Highway Authority for both the Blackwall Tunnel and its approach roads.
The delays at the northbound Blackwall Tunnel are often, but not always, caused by overheight vehicles stopped in the tunnel approach slope by automatically triggered traffic signals. Each incident is dealt with by police officers under the direction of the East London Traffic Control Centre (ELTCC) and takes about fifteen minutes to clear. It is usually possible for ELTCC to get one
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lane of traffic moving within a few minutes using a CCTV and loudspeaker system. The offending vehicle must not be reversed until traffic police arrive at the scene. A dedicated unit situated at the approach to the tunnel would have to be staffed by police as only they have the powers to stop and direct traffic. The police, however, share my view that such an arrangement would have few benefits over the present system. A large number of tall vehicles legitimately use Tunnel Avenue as the only access from the south to the northern tip of the Greenwich Peninsular. These drivers are therefore perfectly entitled to use the A102 to the Blackwall Tunnel before turning off adjacent to the tunnel approach slope, and it would be impossible for an officer to separate out those heading for the peninsular from the real offenders until the point that they are stopped now.The ELTCC prepare a daily report on incidents for the Highways Agency's office in Docklands where staff are able to monitor incidents on a CCTV link. There are usually between 50 and 60 incidents a month. About 70% of these offenders are processed through the courts or issued with a fixed penalty notice. The balance, which tend to be those only slightly overheight, receive a verbal warning. The police also write to all the haulage companies concerned. These measures have reduced the number of incidents and have avoided any damage to the fabric of the tunnel itself. We are however continually looking for further ways of improving the situation, for example, we are looking into the feasibility of providing an escape ramp to avoid the need for offending vehicles to have to reverse out of the Tunnel approach. But it is too early yet to say what the outcome will be.
I do hope that this answers the points you raised with the Secretary of State, but please contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Youth Training Scheme
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by his Department on the youth training scheme during (a) the current financial year and (b) the three previous financial years.
Mr. Norris: The Department has spent £35,739.38 to date in the current financial year on the youth training scheme. Expenditure in 1993 94, 1992 93 and 1991 92 was £76,237.19, £85,287.85 and £103, 652.42 respectively.
Preferred Carrier Status
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which airlines have been granted preferred carrier status for civil servants' travel to overseas destinations.
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Mr. Norris: Each Government Department is responsible for obtaining value for money for its own expenditure on overseas travel. My Department has not granted preferred carrier status to any airline.
River Thames
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the criteria or basis used in the estimate of capital cost of (a) the river-bus vessels for 62 passengers and (b) larger vessels for 200 passengers as mentioned on page 45 of the report of his River Thames working group.
Mr. Norris [holding answer 19 December 1994]: I am having the data on costs verified and will write to the hon. Member very shortly.
Motor Insurance
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken following the report of the Association of British Insurers, the Motor Insurance Bureau and Lloyds Motor Underwriters on measures to combat motor insurance fraud.
Mr. Norris: Departmental officials have been involved in discussions with the insurance industry since July. Evasion is a complex issue with implications across several Departments. We are looking at the feasibility of a number of possible measures to combat this serious offence. We hope to have reached positive conclusions in the course of the next few months.
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the number of uninsured motorists.
Mr. Norris: In 1993, there were 281,136 convictions in England and Wales for driving without insurance. The insurance industry estimates that 4 to 6 per cent. of drivers are uninsured and a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report also estimates 6 per cent.
Driving Standards Agency
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the current chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency achieved his performance bonus this year; and what is his salary as the chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Mr. Norris: The current chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency achieved a performance bonus of £2,934 in respect of the financial year 1993 94. His salary as chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will be £52,704 per annum.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the current chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency achieved his performance bonus this year; and what is his current salary as head of the renewing of the traffic area office network.
Mr. Norris: The current chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency earned a non-consolidated performance bonus of £6, 762 in recognition of the achievement of the agency's performance targets for the financial year 1993 94. This was in place of the normal
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personal performance pay award arrangements normally applicable to civil servants at the same grade. On 3 January he began a review of the traffic area network and his salary will be £54,118 per annum.Road Accidents
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was (a) the cost of road accidents in 1993 in England and Wales and (b) his Department's expenditure on related research in that year; and what is the planned spending for 1994 and 1995.
Mr. Norris: The estimated total cost of injury road accidents in England and Wales for 1993 is £8.1 billion. This is the cost-benefit value of the total benefits which would be obtained from the prevention of road accidents.
Expenditure on road and vehicle safety research in 1993 94 was £10.4 million and the planning budget is £10.08 million for both 1994 95 and 1995 96.
Taxis
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to the regulation of hackney carriage and private hire cabs; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 6 December, column 181 .
Newbury Bypass
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 19 December, Official Report , column 874 - 75 , to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie) what was the date of his private visit to Newbury; how long he spent on his visit; what he saw; what other options he has asked the Highways Agency to explore; and which of the requested options has not been already considered.
Dr. Mawhinney: I visited the Newbury area on 28 November 1994 for about three hours travelling on the A34 from the north and south through the centre of Newbury. I also visited a number of sites to the west of the town to view parts of the published bypass route, as part of my consideration of the proposal. I have asked the Highways Agency to review the options to relieve congestion in Newbury as a matter of urgency.
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of the 1988 inspector's inquiry into the route of the A34 Newbury bypass; and how many man hours of (a) the inspector's and (b) other officials' time were involved.
Dr. Mawhinney: The recorded costs of the 1988 A34 Newbury bypass public inquiry total about £140,000. This sum includes the cost of the inspector, his traffic assessor, the Department's counsel and the physical arrangements for the inquiry but excludes salary costs of others preparing for and attending the inquiry for which records are not available.
The inspector and his assessor spent about 1,230 and 640 hours respectively in connection with the inquiry. The number of hours spent by other officials preparing for and attending the inquiry have not been recorded.
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