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Fuel Bills
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of Scottish Power and Hydro-Electric to discuss the abolition of standing charges on fuel bills; and if he will make a statement. [39203]
Mr. Kynoch: My right hon. Friend meets representatives of the two Scottish electricity supply companies from time to time. The level of standing charges is a matter for the companies and the Office for Electricity Regulation.
Drug Rehabilitation Services
Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the detailed arrangements for drugs rehabilitation services which have been put in place in mandatory drugs testing prisons in Scotland referred to by the Minister of State in his statement of 18 October, Official Report , column 302; and what measurements of efficiency are being made. [39812]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. Timothy Rathbone, dated 1 November 1995:
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about the arrangements for drug rehabilitation services in those Scottish prisons involved in the first phase of mandatory drug testing.
Mandatory drug testing will be introduced in Scottish prisons on a phased basis as and when each establishment is ready to begin and has the appropriate programmes in place to assist those prisoners with drugs problems. The first phase of testing will begin in Edinburgh and Cornton Vale prisons early next year.
Edinburgh Prison operates a drug reduction programme consisting of education and counselling and offers detoxification under medical supervision. A multi-disciplinary approach has been adopted, and the treatment offered reflects best practice in the wider community, consistent with the constraints of a prison setting. The programme was evaluated by Glasgow Caledonian University which found that it was effective in reducing the amount and frequency of drug misuse, resulting in harm reduction and the promotion of healthier lifestyles. The programme also won the Scottish Health Management Efficiency Group's "Partnership in Health Care Award" in 1993 94. Prisoners also receive a comprehensive information and training programme on HIV and AIDS within 2 weeks of admission.
Cornton Vale Prison (for women) currently has a drug education programme in place for all prisoners which reinforces the work of the full-time addiction worker, trained prison staff and community-based workers who deliver individual and group counselling. Plans are being taken forward to develop further support programmes, including drug reduction and detoxification, to meet a wide range of the women's needs, prior to the introduction of mandatory drug testing.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many times in each month of the current year he has met personally the heads of the agencies which report to him to discuss the work of those agencies. [39861]
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Mr. Michael Forsyth: My ministerial colleagues and I meet the chief executives of the agencies for which I am responsible as and when it is necessary for the efficient discharge of business.
Late Payment (Small Business)
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last five years. [40512]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: My Department has carried out an annual check of payment performance since 1991 92 but does not distinguish between small and large firms.
The overall results for the last four years show a steady improvement in the percentage of supplier payments made within the period stipulated in the contract, normally 30 days:
|Percentage of
|payments paid
Year |on time
------------------------------------------
1991-92 |82
1992-93 |85
1993-94 |89
1994-95 |96
The figures for the larger agencies of the Scottish Office for the last two years are:
Percentage
Agency |1993-94|1994-95
----------------------------------------------------------------
Scottish Agriculture and Science Agency |92 |97
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |93 |99
Historic Scotland |94 |100
Scottish Prison Service |86 |89
Forestry
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all Forestry Commission woods currently for sale in Scotland; and if he will make a statement on the targets for the disposal of land by (a) area and (b) projected income. [40674]
Mr. Kynoch: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 25 October, Official Report , columns 685 87 . As set out in the Government's expenditure plans 1995 96 to 1997 99, the Forestry Commission plans to sell about 15, 000 hectares of forest land in each of the next three years, and expects to receive a total of about £60 million from the sale of forest land and surplus properties during that period. The Commission expects about 70 per cent. of these sales to be in Scotland, as most of the Forestry Commission's land is in Scotland.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much income has been accrued; and how much land has been sold under the Government's forestry disposal programme in each year since 1992 93 and in the current year to date. [40669]
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Mr. Kynoch: The information is as follows:
|Area sold |Income £
Year ended 31 March |hectares |million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993 |10,589 |9.9
1994 |14,950 |17.4
1995 |10,808 |12.1
1996 (to date) |5,364 |6.6
Scottish Office Employees
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) the number of (i) male and (ii) female employees, (b) the number of officials employed at each of the principal grades and the number and percentages of women employed at these grades and (c) the number of staff employed at administrative grades and the number and percentage of those staff that are women in his Department and for each of its executive agencies for each year since 1985. [39394]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 26 October 1995]: As the information requested is lengthy, I shall arrange for copies of the figures to be placed in the House Library.
Scottish Office Energy Division
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are employed with the Scottish Office Energy Division on (a) a full- time basis and (b) a part-time basis. [39664]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 27 October 1995]: At 25 October 1995, there were 22 permanent staff in the Scottish Office energy division. Twenty-one of these were employed on a full-time basis and one on a part-time basis.
Local Enterprise Companies
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the chief executives of local enterprise companies who sit on the boards of such companies, indicating their incomes. [38444]
Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 25 October 1995]: Relationships with the local enterprise companies are an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their chairmen to write to the hon. Member.
TRANSPORT
Oil Slicks
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many oil slicks have been reported in seas around the British Isles, annually, for the last five years. [40405]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Coastguard agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 1 November 1995:The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question as the question deals with an operational matter, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive.
The number of reports of oil pollution in the seas and around the shores of the UK, as compiled by the Advisory Committee on Pollution of the Sea (ACOPS), is as follows:
|Total
Year |reports
------------------------
1990 |791
1991 |705
1992 |611
1993 |676
1994 |540
Total |3,323
Ship Discharges
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will increase air surveillance resources to combat illegal discharges at sea; [40411]
(2) how he will improve the policing of vessels at sea to combat illegal discharges. [40407]
Mr. Norris: We are working closely with other states which are party to the Bonn agreement to make aerial surveillance an even more effective deterrent against illegal discharges by ships. The number of hours flown this year--1995 96--by Coastguard agency aircraft has been increased from 800 to 925 on a trial basis, and the benefits will have to be assessed.
The Marine Safety Agency is taking forward work on transponders which identify a vessel automatically. We are also working with our Bonn agreement partners to find other ways of making it easier to identify and prosecute offenders.
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many prosecutions have been brought in each of the last five years in respect of illegal discharges of oil or other pollutants in United Kingdom waters; and how many were successful; [39767]
(2) whether his Department has yet located the container of toxic lindane which was lost in the channel several years ago; and if he will make a statement. [39618]
Mr. Norris: These are operational matters for the Coastguard agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 1 November 1995 :
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions as these deal with operational matters, for which I have responsibility as Chief Executive. MV PERINTIS, a Panamanian registered and Indonesian owned general cargo container vessel, capsized and sank in UK waters in the English Channel on 13 March, 1989. The lindane container had been stowed on the upper deck and its contents of 5.8 tonnes was packaged in 50 kilogramme sealed polythene bags inside fibre board drums.
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The container was located in French waters during this early afternoon of 15 March, and by early evening, a French tug took it in town bound for Cherbourg. From that moment, it became the responsibility of the French authorities. At 11.45 on 16 March, the French authorities reported that the lindane container had been lost under tow some 15 nautical miles north of Cherbourg. It was never relocated.Over the next few weeks, the French Navy carried out very extensive surface and sub-sea searches for the lindane container but without success. In addition, seawater monitoring was conducted over a much longer period, however, only normal background levels of lindane were ever detected.
There have been 38 prosecutions brought in respect of illegal discharges by vessels in UK waters since 1990, these were brought by MPCU and Port and Harbour authorities, 36 were successful. There were 16 in 1990, 2 in 1991, 5 in 1992, 2 in 1993, and 11 in 1994.
During this period the MPCU referred 23 cases to the Treasury Solicitor for prosecution action if appropriate. Of these, 8 are still open.
Since 1990 55 cases have been referred to vessels' flag states for further action. Of these 9 were prosecuted and fined and 32 are still open. Of the 9 prosecuted 3 had been referred to their flag state before 1990.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on British reception facilities within ports and their operations within the Marpol convention; [40409] (2) if ships failing to discharge waste at British ports will be notified to the next port of call with details of waste volume at time of departure; and if he will introduce penalties for discrepancies which occur between the ports; [40404]
(3) if he will include reception facility fees within harbour dues; [40410]
(4) if he will place a statutory duty on port authorities to develop waste management plans, certified by the Marine Safety Agency. [40408]
Mr. Norris: My Department is undertaking a consultation exercise to consider these and a number of other initiatives to reduce the amounts of waste discharged into the sea from ships and to increase the amounts discharged into port waste reception facilities. We will announce our conclusions shortly.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will increase penalties for illegal discharge by ships in British waters. [40406]
Mr. Norris: The penalties for illegal discharges by ships are a matter for the courts. The level of fines is not restricted by statute, except on summary conviction in magistrates courts or their equivalent, where the maximum is kept under review. In 1994, we introduced legislation imposing strict liability on all shipowners for pollution damage caused by persistent oils in United Kingdom waters.
Trains (Bicycles)
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has commissioned, undertaken or been informed about on the effect on cycle carriage of the £3 per journey charge for bicycles on regional railways; and if he will make a statement. [40499]
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Mr. Watts: None. The carriage of bicycles on trains, and any charges made, are operational matters for individual train operators. The franchising director will require franchisees, through the franchise agreement, to carry bicycles where practicable and to ensure that any charges made are reasonable.
Night Flights
Mr. Deva: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of respondents in respect of each of the public consultations in relation to the current night flights regulations, in January 1993, October 1993, November 1993, March 1995 and June 1995, in relation to Heathrow airport; in each case how many respondents were (a) seeking an increase, (b) seeking a reduction and (c) supporting the night noise levels proposed in the consultation papers concerned; and if he will subdivide the totals in each category according to number of airlines, number of air transport bodies, number of hon. Members, number of local authorities, number of resident associations and environmental groups, number of members of the public and others. [39346]
Mr. Norris: The total number of responses received to each of the consultations, analysed by category of respondent, is set out in the table. These do not relate only to Heathrow. The consultations concerned proposals for a regime of new restrictions on night flights at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports which included a number of discrete elements. Many of the comments in the responses related to more than one of these airports without necessarily focusing on the night noise levels at Heathrow as an issue separate from the other elements of the proposals.
It is not normal departmental practice to provide any form of written summary or statistical analysis of responses to a consultation when the responses are publicly available. All the responses to the November 1993 consultation paper, the March 1995 consultation paper and to the supplementary paper of June 1995, other than those where the author has requested confidentiality, are so available.
Responses to the January and October 1993 consultations have not been made available as the respondents were not given the opportunity to state whether they would object to their responses being copied or otherwise disclosed. An analysis of the responses to the January 1993 consultation in relation to "night noise levels" at Heathrow as requested would not seem appropriate as the consultation, and the responses, were concerned with the whole night restrictions regime, many aspects of which are interrelated-- for example, the size of the noise quota is related to both the length of the night quota period and to the QC classification of aircraft. The main points raised in the responses to the January 1993 consultation and the decisions of my right hon. Friend in the light of these responses were announced on 6 July 1993, Official Report , columns 71 73 . The October 1993 consultation was limited in time and extent: it was primarily focused on the proposal to specify the maximum number of movements for the winter season 1993 94 in the light of the judgment given on 29 September 1993.
Responses received
|W 1994-95 to|W 1995-96 to|W 1995-96 to
|Main |W 1993-94 |S 1994 |S 1998 |S 1998 |S 1998
January 1993 Two phases of March 1995 June 1995
November 1993
consultation October 19934 |<2>4 |3 |2
Local authorities, Parish and
Town Councils, and local
authority associations. |69 |19 |43 |<2>54 |<2>62 |34
Environmental and other local
groups |59 |5 |18 |28 |43 |29
Aviation and acoustical
consultants. |2 |- |1 |1 |1 |-
Airlines |63 |4 |14 |27 |38 |14
Airport and aviation bodies. |5 |2 |5 |4 |<2>5 |2
Airlines and airport users and
other aviation interests. |17 |5 |10 |13 |10 |7
Responses from people living
around Heathrow, Gatwick
and Stansted |<3>1,823 |- |<3>149 |<3>279 |<3>308 |<3>661
Responses from people living
elsewhere |99 |- |- |- |- |-
Petitions (and signatures lodged
in bulk) |<4>2,762 |- |- |<4>1,029 |<4>421 |135
<1> Short consultation.
<2> One from outside London area.
<3> Number of letters not number of signatories.
<4> Not verified.
[Excludes late responses]
Railtrack (Fly Tipping)
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the duties of Railtrack in respect of fly tipping on its land; and if he will make a statement. [39814]
Mr. Watts: The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 contain provisions to control fly- tipping. Railtrack's duties in respect of fly-tipping on its land are no different from any other landowner, in that there is no general obligation to remove fly-tipped material. However, if the nature on location of fly- tipped material posed a risk to the safe operation of the railway or to public health and safety, appropriate measures would be taken by Railtrack.
Regarding the case of litter more generally, we are considering whether an order is needed to clarify duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, following transfer to Railtrack of operational railway land. As a
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contractual matter, station leases granted by Railtrack already include a provision requiring the train operators to clean the stations for which they are responsible.Eurotunnel
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met representatives of Eurotunnel to discuss its future; and if he will make a statement. [40165]
Sir George Young: I met representatives from Eurotunnel on 23 October.
Accidents
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured (i) in road accidents in the United Kingdom, (ii) at sea in United kingdom territorial waters and (iii) in aircraft crashes in United Kingdom airspace in each year since 1979. [39977]
Mr. Norris: Available information is shown in the following table.
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Aircraft crashes
in
Road accidents Accidents at UK airspace
sea<1>
Year |Killed |Injured |Killed |Injured |Killed |Injured
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |6,645 |335,7789|- |- |48 |36
1980 |6,239 |329,625 |- |- |32 |44
1981 |6,069 |326,551 |- |- |57 |73
1982 |6,150 |336,285 |- |- |26 |28
1983 |5,618 |310,679 |- |- |71 |37
1984 |5,788 |327,276 |- |- |41 |44
1985 |5,342 |320,819 |- |- |77 |111
1986 |5,618 |325,275 |- |- |69 |59
1987 |5,339 |316,070 |- |- |49 |27
1988 |5,230 |328,042 |- |- |286 |58
1989 |5,554 |347,649 |- |- |72 |130
1990 |5,402 |347,500 |- |- |42 |101
1991 |4,753 |316,830 |53 |816 |21 |75
1992 |4,379 |317,558 |21 |862 |41 |81
1993 |3,957 |313,163 |21 |656 |24 |67
1994 |3,807 |323,476 |27 |640 |37 |45
<1> The sea figures include all deaths and injuries on UK registered
vessels at sea, whether or not in UK territorial waters. They also
include casualties in foreign vessel incidents in UK territorial waters,
though this element may be incomplete. No information is available on
foreign flag vessel accidents prior to 1991.
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Rail Freight
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list in tonnes the quantity of freight lifted on Britain's railways in each year since 1988 89; and if he will make a statement; [40239]
(2) if he will list in tonnes/kilometres the quantity of freight moved on Britain's railways in each year since 1988 89; and if he will make a statement. [40240]
Mr. Watts: The quantities of freight lifted on Britain's railways in each year since 1988 89 are as follows:
|Million
Year |tonnes
------------------------
1988-89 |149.5
1989-90 |143.1
1990-91 |138.2
1991-92 |135.8
1992-93 |122.4
1993-94 |103.3
1994-95 |97.3
Source:
tsgb, 1995.
In tonne-kilometres, the quantities of freight moved on Britain's railways in each year since 1988 89 are as follows:
|Billion
|tonnes-kms
---------------------------------
1988-89 |18.1
1989-90 |16.7
1990-91 |16.0
1991-92 |15.3
1992-93 |15.5
1993-94 |13.8
1994-95 |13.0
Source:
tsgb, 1995.
The Government believe that privatisation of the railways offers the best prospect for addressing the long-term decline of the rail freight industry.
Light Dues
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers competent harbour authorities other than Trinity House have to waive light dues. [40368]
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has to require Trinity House to
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waive light dues for (a) Isle of Wight ferries and (b) other vessels. [40367]Mr. Norris: Under present legislation the Secretary of state has no powers to require Trinity House lighthouse service to waive light dues in relation to any vessel.
Road Casualties
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will estimate the cost of (a) a fatality, (b) a serious injury and (c) a slight injury on the road, taking into account the costs of the police, the courts and medical care. [40264]
Mr. Norris: The costs of police and courts, together with insurance company administration and property damage, are not calculated according to casualty but per accident--which may involve more than one casualty. The resulting estimated accident costs in 1994 were (a) fatal: £913,100; (b) serious: £108,100; (c) slight: £10,600.
Ferry Inspections
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ferries have been inspected by the Marine Safety Agency leaving the United Kingdom; what proportion of those were found to be defective; and if he will make a statement. [40302]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 1 November 1995:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of ferries inspected by the Marine Safety Agency (MSA).
Unannounced inspections are carried out by MSA surveyors at least twice annually on every UK registered and foreign flagged passenger ferry operating from UK ports. In addition, UK registered ferries are surveyed thoroughly every twelve months by the MSA. With regard to your query relating to the number of ferry inspections and the proportion of inspections during which deficiencies were identified, I would refer you to my answer to the hon. Member for Stoke on Trent North, Ms Walley, on 22 March 1994, which can be found in Hansard volume 257 columns 222 223. A copy of each of the tables referred to in that reply is attached.
Rail Passenger Journeys
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of passenger journeys made on Britain's railways in each year since 1988 89; and if he will make a statement. [40242]
Mr. Watts: The information requested is as follows:
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Million
|Number of
|passenger
Year |journeys
------------------------------
1988-89 |763.7
1989-90 |758.3
1990-91 |762.4
1991-92 |740.8
1992-93 |744.8
1993-94 |713.2
1994-95 |702.2
This information can be found in "Transport Statistics Great Britain 1995", a copy of which is held in the House of Commons Library.
Uninsured Motorists
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the number of motorists who are uninsured; how many accidents took place in the last three years where the culpable driver was uninsured; and what plans he has to increase insurance holidays. [40710]
Mr. Norris: Industry estimates are that 4 to 6 per cent. of motorists are uninsured, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has supported an estimate at the top of this range. Information on the insurance status of motorists involved in accidents is not collected; the Motor Insurers Bureau handled 39, 000 cases on average in each of the last three years under the uninsured drivers agreement, although in a significant proportion of such cases insurance cover is subsequently shown to have been in place. A number of possible measures for tackling the problem of insurance evasion are currently being considered by my Department and the other interested parties such as the police and the insurance industry. In addition, measures aimed at reducing evasion of vehicle excise duty, such as the introduction of wheelclamping, are expected to have a beneficial effect on compliance with compulsory insurance requirements.
London-Tilbury-Southend Line
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current level of subsidy provided for the operation of the London- Tilbury-Southend line. [40297]
Mr. Watts: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish), Official Report , 13 July, column 706 . Negotiations between the franchising director and the British Railways Board on the support appropriate to each individual train operating company are yet to be completed. I will write to the hon. Member when the level of support has been agreed and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the level of subsidy projected for the operation of the London-Tilbury- Southend line for the next financial year; [40296] (2) what is the projected year-on-year level of subsidy to be provided to the franchise operator of the
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London-Tilbury-Southend line; and if any subsidy will be guaranteed throughout the life of the franchise. [40295]Mr. Watts: The level of subsidy to be contractually agreed for the full franchise term is currently the subject of commercial negotiations between the franchising director and bidders for the LTS rail franchise. Final bids were submitted to the franchising director on 27 October, and he expects to award the franchise in December.
Bankruptcy Petitions
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many petitions for bankruptcy has been begun by his Department for businesses with under 500 employees in each of the last five years. [40506]
Mr. Norris: Records are not kept in the form requested.
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