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Buses (Disabled Access)

27. Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure reasonable access for the disabled to public bus services. [671]

Mr. Norris: We have taken powers in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to enable us to make regulations to require new buses and coaches to be accessible to disabled people, including those who use wheelchairs. Similar provisions have also been included for taxis and rail vehicles.

Discussions are already under way with the bus and coach industry--manufacturers and operators--on the shape of the regulations which will be introduced as soon as we have determined appropriate technical solutions which are effective and sustainable.

London-Tilbury-Southend Line

28. Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in introducing private competition in the London-Tilbury-Southend Line. [672]

Mr. Watts: Very good progress has been made, and the franchising director expects to award the LTS Rail franchise in December.

Rail Privatisation

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made against the Government's timetable for rail privatisation; and if he will make a statement. [647]

Sir George Young: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) earlier today.

East London Line

Mr. Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the full restoration of London Underground services on the east London line to occur. [660]

Mr. Norris: London Underground has re-applied to the London Docklands development corporation for listed building consent to strengthen and waterproof the tunnel carrying the east London line under the Thames. The timing of the re-opening of the line depends on the progress of its application.

M62 Relief Road

Mr. Sumberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a decision in relation to the future of the proposals of his Department for a M62 relief road. [665]

Mr. Watts: I have received a large number of representations about the scheme from my hon. Friend and others. From these, it is clear that the majority of people consulted about the relief road do not want it. In the light of consultation I have decided to withdraw plans to build the relief road.

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 501

Rail Passengers

Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people travel by train in the course of one year. [668]

Mr. Watts: Some 25 million people made at least one train journey in 1991, the latest year for which figures are available.

Research and Development

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993-94. [1917]

Mr. Norris: Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. Departments' policy responsibilities are subject to change and can vary from year to year. My Department currently has responsibility for 1.77 per cent. of the Community's research and development budget.

Locomotives

Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his estimate for the cost of obtaining information about how many British Rail locomotives since 1992 (a) have been scrapped, (b) offered for sale and (c) are currently in storage as surplus to requirements; [2322]

(2) what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Railways Board about the refusal of British Rail to put up for sale locomotives which are surplus to its requirements; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Watts: The policy agreed between the Government and the British Railways Board is that where freight equipment is identified as surplus to operational requirements, it will be offered for sale by BR on a competitive basis. Operational requirements includes the retention of old rolling stock for spare parts, and holding a strategic reserve for potential future traffic. Detailed questions about the location, value and ultimate fate of old locomotives--and the cost of undertaking surveys--are for BR and its subsidiary companies.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of obtaining information regarding the number of British Rail locomotives, currently being stored out of use, which have been offered for sale to operators or potential operators of train services; [3074]

(2) if he will estimate the value of the British Rail locomotives currently stored out of use and surplus to requirements which (a) are being offered for sale and (b) are not being offered for sale. [3073]

Mr. Watts: I refer the hon. Member to my replies given today.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from potential operators of train services complaining about the refusal by British Rail to sell surplus locomotives. [658]

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 502

Mr. Watts: The Department of Transport has received representations from one potential operator of train services regarding this matter.

Rail Freight

Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's policy with regard to the promotion of cross-channel freight traffic by rail. [2685]

Mr. Watts: The Government have supported BR's investment of over £400 million in channel tunnel freight services. This demonstrates our commitment to the development of international rail freight services.

Taxis (Disabled Access)

Mr. Allason: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce regulations requiring taxis to be accessible for wheelchairs. [2104]

Mr. Norris: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 gives the Secretary of State power to make regulations for that purpose. My right hon. Friend will be preparing regulations and will consult interested parties before laying regulations before the House. One subject of the consultation will be when the regulations should come into effect.

In London, all taxis will have to be wheelchair accessible by 1 January 2000 following a decision announced in December 1988. Outside London some local authorities have already set their own dates for wheelchair accessibility.

Skid Resistance

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the method of skid resistance measurement to take account of critical road conditions. [2222]

Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 27 November 1995:

The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning measurement of skid resistance.


We are continually reviewing the method of skid resistance measurement. The United Kingdom os one of the few countries in Europe to have a policy in which road surfaces are designed to provide adequate skid resistance at both low and high speed, and reflecting the different site conditions that occur. This is achieved through specification of polish resistant stone together with a minimum level of surface roughness, supported by regular monitoring of skid resistance during the life of a road.


The Highways Agency also have an active programme of research and international cooperation in skid resistance measurement aimed at improving the accuracy of measurement techniques to reflect all road conditions.

Penzance-Bristol Line

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if it is the Government's policy to promote the designation of the Penzance-Bristol railway line as part of the trans-European rail network. [2356]

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 503

Mr. Watts: The inclusion of the Penzance-Bristol line in the draft trans-European rail network map was supported by the United Kingdom Government. The Council of Ministers reached a common position on the trans-European transport network at the June Council. The rail network map, as agreed by the Council, includes the Penzance-Bristol railway line.

Road Accidents

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries resulting from road accidents have been recorded in each year for the last 15 years; and how many of those affected were under the age of 15 years. [1804]

Mr. Norris: The information requested is shown in the table.

Road accident casualties in Great Britain: 1979-1994

	All ages	of which under 15
	Killed	Injured	Killed	Injured
1979	6,352	328,161	591	46,832
1980	6,010	322,590	466	45,462
1981	5,846	318,994	504	43,889
1982	5,934	328,362	481	44,117
1983	5,445	303,139	536	44,835
1984	5,599	318,715	521	46,666
1985	5,165	312,359	457	43,187
1986	5,382	316,069	405	41,024
1987	5,125	306,348	416	39,597
1988	5,052	317,253	409	40,641
1989	5,373	336,219	387	42,654
1990	5,217	335,924	368	43,485
1991	4,568	306,701	331	40,051
1992	4,229	306,444	268	40,123
1993	3,814	302,206	270	38,615
1994	3,650	311,539	265	40,761

1. Casualties reported to the Department of Transport by the Police.

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