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£
Road scheme |Estimated |Estimated ongoing
|expenditure to date|monthly spend
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A12 Hackney Wick |10,000,000 |300,000
to M11 Link Road
A4/A6 |2,000,000 |50,000
Batheaston-Swainswick
Bypass
A30 Honiton-Exeter |175,000 |25,000
M3 Bar |4,000,000 |Scheme completed
End-Compton
M65 Blackburn |2,000,000 |200,000
Southern Bypass
Total of all above |18,175,000 |575,000
I hope this is helpful.
Royal Train
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the average cost of a journey on the royal train in 1993 94. [14727]
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Mr. Watts: In 1993 94 the royal train was used on 95 days. On this basis, the average cost per journey was £19,101. In addition, related British Transport police security costs totalled £634,988.
Ro-ro Ferries
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list full details of all inspections undertaken by the Marine Safety Agency of roll-on roll-off ferries using United Kingdom ports in the last 12 months, including the date of inspection, name of the ship, details of defects and remedial action. [15117]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency.
I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member. Copies of the tables referred to will be placed in the Library. Letter from R. M. Bradley to Ms Joan Walley, dated 22 March 1995:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question about the inspections undertaken on roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferries.
A list showing the name of the ship and the date and place of inspection of foreign flagged ro-ro cargo ships and ro-ro passenger ferries inspected by the Marine Safety Agency in the last twelve months is attached (Table 1). A separate list containing the same information on Red Ensign ro-ro passenger ships is also provided (Table 2). The Marine Safety Agency conducted an inspection campaign on ro-ro ships calling at UK ports following the sinking of the Estonia and the details of the inspections are shown in Table 3 and Table 4 attached.
Provision of the details of defects found during these inspections would, we estimate, result in a document of 400 500 pages, and could not be provided other than at disproportionate cost. A list of any deficiencies found during an inspection is left on board the ship and it is the responsibility of the Master to ensure that appropriate remedial action is taken. Serious deficiencies resulting in the detention of a ro-ro passenger ferry were found in only one case in the past twelve months. Details of any ro-ro cargo ships detained can be found in the lists of ships under detention in UK ports which have been published each month by the Marine Safety Agency since June 1994.
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A253
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when it is now intended that construction of (a) the dual carriageway of the A253 from the end of the Thanet Way-Monkton roundabout--to the Prospect roundabout and (b) the dual carriageway of the A253 between the Prospect roundabout and the Lord of the Manor roundabouts will commence. [14864]
Mr. Norris: These projects are part of the Kent county council's Thanet Way improvement scheme designed to improve access to and through north Kent, with particular benefits for Thanet. My Department is supporting the Thanet Way scheme, which will cost well over £100 million, through transport supplementary grant. I understand that Kent expects to begin work on the first of the sections referred to early next financial year. The second of the sections referred to is less far advanced: the county council expects to be promoting the scheme at the Thanet local plan inquiry during this year.
Aircraft Safety
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the recent circumstances in which an airliner approaching Heathrow suffered a malfunctioning of its computer system which gives guidance of the flight path, route of approach, correct speed and angle of descent; and if he will make a statement. [15123]
Mr. Norris: The circumstances surrounding this incident are set out in the air accident investigation branch's bulletin No. 3/95, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library. The AAIB bulletin makes a safety recommendation relating to the Airbus A340 flight management guidance system and the fuel management system. While the safety recommendation is addressed initially to the joint aviation authorities, it is also being considered by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Rail Investment
Mr. Forman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much publicly financed investment in the railways has increased since 1987; and what effect this has had on the quantity of new rolling stock, track and signalling. [15269]
Mr. Watts: In 1987 88, publicly financed rail investment totalled £693 million, equivalent to £993 million in 1994 95 prices. In 1994 95, publicly financed rail investment is expected to total around £900 million. In addition we expect some £100 million of privately financed investment to be undertaken this year.
The table compares the level of investment in 1987 88 with the level in each subsequent year.
|Investment £ million|Per cent. change on
|1994-95 prices |1987-88
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |993 |-
1988-89 |977 |-1.6
1989-90 |1,119 |+12.7
1990-91 |1,216 |+22.5
1991-92 |1,442 |+45.2
1992-93 |1,552 |+56.3
1993-94 |1,188 |+19.6
1994-95 |c 1,000 |+0.7
Over this period, at today's prices, £2,765 million has been invested in new rolling stock. Since the mid-1980s nearly 4,000 coaches, locomotives and other passenger vehicles have been delivered--over a quarter of the whole fleet. Some £1,448 million has been invested in track renewals and £1,401 million in signalling and related track projects.
Privatisation
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in respect of each privatisation since 1979 (a) the net equity proceeds to Government as a result of privatisation, (b) the market value at the end of the first day of trading and (c) the current market value. [15350]
Mr. Norris: For those privatisations where the Department acted as vendor, the proceeds to Government were as follows:
|Net equity proceeds
|to
Company |Government (£
|million)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated British Ports |96.4
British Airways |853.0
British Airports Authority |1,181.6
DVOIT (the former IT arm of
DVLA) |3.7
National Freight Consortium |5.0
Information on the current and past values of private companies is not held by this Department.
Crime (International Air Space and Waters)
Mr. George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of national and international law dealing with crimes on board aircraft flying through international air space; [15061]
(2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of national and international law dealing with crimes on board ships in international waters. [15060]
Mr. Maclean: I have been asked to reply.
Concern has recently been expressed that in some circumstances aircrew and passengers may be left without effective legal protection where offences are committed on board foreign-registered aircraft outside United Kingdom air space which subsequently land in this country. We are currently considering whether the problems which have been identified can be overcome, and we expect to discuss the matter shortly with the Board of Airline Representatives of the UK. Similar concern has not, however, been raised in relation to offences committed on board ships in international waters, and the Government have not been given reason to believe that the law in this area is inadequate. UK courts have jurisdiction over offences committed on board all British ships in international
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waters, and also over offences committed by British passengers on foreign ships.ENVIRONMENT
Council Tax
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage increase in council tax bills for each band of property under each authority for 1995.
Mr. Curry: The average council tax for band C, two adult dwellings in England in 1995 96 is £543. This is before any reductions for council tax benefit and transitional relief, and represents an increase of 5.3 per cent. on 1994 95 levels.
Shire areas are showing the lowest increases, with an average 4.5 per cent. rise on last year.
In London, the average council tax for band C is £512, an increase of 7.8 per cent. on last year. Metropolitan areas have set band C council taxes at £605, 5.8 per cent. higher than in 1994 95. I have today placed in the Library of the House a table showing the band C council tax for each authority in England for 1995 96, and the percentage increase from 1994 95.
Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the band D council tax for 1995 96 for each local authority in England. [14612]
Mr. Robert B. Jones [holding answer 17 March 1995]: I have arranged for this information to be placed in the Library of the House.
Bed-and-breakfast Accommodation
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many families were placed in bed and breakfast accommodation, in each year since 1992 in (a) England and (b) each English housing authority. [14712]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Estimates of the average number of households that had been placed temporarily in bed-and-breakfast accommodation by local authorities in England through administering the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985 are given below: 1992: 10,430
1993: 6,550
1994: 4,740
The number of households in bed-and-breakfast accommodation had fallen to 4,330 households at 31 December 1994, some 12 per cent. fewer than a year earlier and 68 per cent. below the peak level at the end of September 1991. This confirms that local authorities are heeding the Government's advice to use other forms of temporary accommodation wherever possible.
I have today placed in the Library a table giving the information as reported by each local authority in England for each year from 1992 to 1994.
Protected Birds
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) pursuant to his answer of 3 March, Official Report, columns 757 58, which national journals are checked by his Department for any potential offences
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relating to the sale of birds listed in (a) appendix I of CITES and (b) annexe CI of EC regulation 3626/82; [15052](2) how many potential offences his Department has identified in the national trade journals in each of the last three years involving birds listed in appendix I of CITES and (b) annexe CI of EC regulation 3626/82; and how many of these have been passed to the police to investigate; [15038]
(3) in respect of the sale of Livingstone's Turacos, how many specimens of this have been advertised for sale in the trade journals his Department monitors during the last four years; and how many cases were passed to the police to investigate. [15038]
Sir Paul Beresford: My Department monitors four trade journals for potential offences relating to the sale of birds. These are two weekly titles-- Cage and Aviary Birds and Exchange and Mart --and two monthly journals-- Bird Keeper and the magazine of the Parrot Society.
Prior to November 1994, my Department kept no detailed records of cases resulting from monitoring journals. However, a substantial number of potential offences were identified and pursued, and eight cases were passed to the police between January 1992 and October 1994. Since November 1994, 26 potential sales offences have been identified and nine cases have been passed to the police to investigate, including one relating to the sale of a Livingstone's Turaco.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) pursuant to his answer of 3 March, Official Report, columns 757 58, how his Department ensures that an exemption issued to sell a bird listed in appendix I of CITES or annexe C1 of EC regulation 3626/82 relates to the individual specimen in question; and what proportion of bird species listed in appendix I of CITES or annexe C1 of EC regulation 3626/82 his Department requires to be statutorily ringed or marked in order to be sold; [15050]
(2) what steps his Department takes to verify the origin and date of acquisition of the specimens and if the birds have been captive bred when considering applications for individual sales exemptions to sell birds listed in appendix I of CITES or annexe C1 of EC regulation 3626/82; [15051]
(3) how his Department establishes whether a vendor has any convictions under wildlife legislation when considering an application for an individual sales exemption to sell birds listed in appendix I of CITES or annexe C1 of EC regulation 3626/82. [15049]
Sir Paul Beresford: Statutory provisions to register with the Department and ring birds kept in captivity apply to some 5 per cent. of the species listed in appendix I of CITES or annexe C1 of EC regulation 3626/82.
While there is no statutory requirement to ring appendix I or annexe C1 species specifically for the purpose of sale, any sales exemption for a species subject to the registration and ringing requirements would normally require the bird to be ringed in accordance with the statutory provisions. Individual sales exemptions for species not subject to the ringing requirements also contain information that enables the specimen to be identified, including any ring number.
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When submitting applications for sales exemptions, applicants must provide full details of the specimen, including origin and details of acquisition. Where appropriate, they have to supply details of any convictions under wildlife legislation. They are also required to sign a declaration that the information provided is correct and complete to the best of their knowledge and belief.Any areas of doubt about the information provided would be followed up by the Department. The Department's wildlife inspectorate also has powers to inspect premises to ensure that conditions attached to sales exemptions have been met.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which statutory agencies have authorised persons as defined by the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulation 1985. [15040]
Sir Paul Beresford: Under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1985, the Secretary of State for the Environment has authorised all members of my Department's wildlife inspectorate and certain named police officers. In addition, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has the power, under paragraph 2 of the regulations, to authorise persons.
Planning Appeals
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning appeals have been heard in each of the last five years by his Department; and how many have succeeded. [14870]
Sir Paul Beresford: The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. Shepley to Mr. Alan Williams, dated 21 March 1995:
Parliamentary Question Number 1730/94/95
The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question about the number of planning appeals that have been dealt with in England in each of the last five years; and how many have succeeded.
The information requested is set out in the table below:
< Planning appeals: England Year |Number decided|Number allowed ------------------------------------------------------------ 1989/90 |26,481 |8,852 1990/91 |26,393 |8,871 1991/92 |22,553 |7,590 1992/93 |17,832 |5,979 1993/94 |14,113 |4,975 1994/95<1> |8,733 |2,962 <1> From 1 April 1994 to 31 December 1994.
Zoos
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 23 February, Official Report, column 264, if he will name the local authorities which own the zoos listed. [15171]
Sir Paul Beresford: According to our latest information, the zoos and the local authorities that own them are as follows:
Abbey Gardens Zoo--Borough of St. Edmundsbury;
Animal World, Bolton--Bolton MBC;
Battersea Park Children's Zoo--London Borough of Wandsworth;
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Birmingham Nature Centre--Birmingham City Council;Blackpool Municipal Zoological Gardens--Blackpool BC;
Aquarium, Bolton--Bolton MBC;
Butterfly World, Bolton--Bolton MBC;
Clissold Park--London Borough of Hackney;
Crystal Palace Park Zoo--London Borough of Bromley;
Harewood Bird Garden--Leeds City Council;
Lotherton Hall Bird Garden and Deer Park--Leeds City Council; Newquay Zoo-- Restormel BC;
Pudsey Park--Leeds City Council;
Roundhay Park--Leeds City Council;
Sir George Staunton Country Park--Borough of Havant;
Stewart Park--Middlesborough BC;
War Memorial Park Aviaries and Pets Corner--City of Coventry.
Administration and Policy Formulation
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money was spent on central administration and policy formulation by his Department in 1993 94; what are the projections for (a) 1994 95 and (b) 1995 96; and if he will make a statement. [14249]
Sir Paul Beresford: Details of my Department's running costs and administrative spending for the years 1989 90 to 1997 98 are contained in table 7 of my Department's annual report for 1995, copies of which are available in the Library.
Short-term Prisoners (Housing)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidance he is issuing to local authorities following cuts in housing benefit for short-term prisoners; [14823] (2) what financial provision is being made to local authorities to provide for funding homes for released short-term prisoners and their children following housing benefit reductions. [14824]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Where a person released from prison is homeless and in priority need a local authority has a duty, under part III of the Housing Act 1985, to ensure that accommodation is available for his occupation. My Department is discussing with the Department of Social Security the possible financial effects of the changes in housing benefit for prisoners serving longer than 13 weeks.
Income Support
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has made to the Secretary of State for Social Security since his proposals to reduce income support for mortgage interest about the policy of insurance companies with respect to the payment of mortgage interest in respect of unemployment due to illness caused by exposure to radiation; [14822] (2) what discussions he has had with the nuclear industry regarding the policy of insurance companies with respect to the payment of mortgage interest if a person is unemployed because of illness due to radioactivity. [14821]
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Local Government Commission
Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his response to the Local Government Commission's final recommendations for Staffordshire. [14555]
Mr. Curry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in a statement to Parliament on Tuesday 21 March, Official Report , column 145, that we have accepted the Local Government Commission's recommendation of a unitary authority for Stoke-on-Trent with the two-tier system of local government remaining in the rest of Staffordshire.
Research Projects
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the tender documents issued by the Government Office for London for research projects, the contractors to whom research work has been awarded, the budget for each research project and the anticipated completion and publication date of each research project. [15034]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Government office for London does not have its own research budget but draws upon the resources available to the research programmes of the Departments of Environment and Transport. To date, the following contracts have been let on behalf of GOL. In most cases, decisions about publication will be made when the projects are complete.
1. Title of research project
London Scenarios Tests: Economic Evaluation of Transport and Land use
Name of contractor: Marcial Echenique and Partners
Budget for research project: £16,000 from DoT
Estimated completion date: April 1995.
2. Title of research project
Role of London in the United Kingdom Economy: A Planning Perspective
Name of contractor: Arup Economics and Planning
Budget for research project: £89,000 from DoE
Estimated completion date: June 1995
3. Title of research project
London's Urban Environment
Name of contractor: Building Design Partnership
Budget for research project: £65,095 from DoE
Estimated completion date: June 1995
4. Title of research project
London Statistical Digest
Name of contractor: Business Strategies Limited and Rangecroft North Publishing
Budget for research project: £83,200 from DOE
Estimated completion date: June 1995
5. Title of research project
Trip Generation: Relationship between trip making and land use Name of contractor: Transport Research Laboratory
Budget for research project: £360,000 from DoT
Estimated completion date: April 1996
6. Title of research project
Analysis of London Area Transport Survey
Name of contractor: Transport Research Laboratory
Budget for research project: £75,000 from DoT
Estimated completion date: September 1995
7. Title of research project
Docklands Impact Study: Transport infrastructure
Name of contractor: Transport Research Laboratory
Budget for research project: £35,000 from DoT
Estimated completion date: April 1995
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