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Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's current diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. [6814]
Mr. Hanley: We have no diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent visit of the delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. [6815]
Mr. Hanley: We have no diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Any visits to the United Kingdom from that country are on a private basis.
TRANSPORT
Railtrack
Mr. Legg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects Railtrack plc to publish the first annual statement about future network capacity required under the terms of its network licence; and if he will make a statement. [7346]
Sir George Young: Railtrack plc published its first network management statement today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.
I welcome the news that Railtrack expects to spend over £1 billion a year on maintenance and renewal of its assets over the next ten years.
Railtrack's statement shows the professional approach which it is adopting to the management of its assets and a long-term commitment to a safe and efficient railway. I believe it also provides evidence of the benefits that privatisation is expected to bring for passengers. This scale of investment and the plans that Railtrack has outlined today should lead to a better quality service and a better-managed infrastructure for the railways of the future.
Mr. Ainger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the individuals and organisations
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represented in his working party on the review of the search and rescue helicopter cover around the United Kingdom coast. [6745]
Mr. Norris:
The search and rescue helicopter review group is made up of representatives of the Department of Transport, including the chief coastguard, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, Her Majesty's Treasury, the Department of Health, the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers and ACPO (Scotland).
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials he employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in his Department in each of the last three years to answer letters sent to him from hon. Members; and what was the estimated overall cost of replying to them in each of the last three years. [5610]
Sir George Young:
No staff in my Department are employed exclusively in answering letters from hon. Members. It is difficult to estimate the overall cost of replying to them but in 1994 Transport Ministers received over 15,000 letters from hon. Members.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motor vehicles over 25 years old are currently listed in the SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 and SP5 postcode areas; and how many of them will qualify for exemption from vehicle excise duty as a result of the recent Budget. [6810]
Mr. Norris:
An estimated 3,750 vehicles over 25 years of age are currently licensed in the SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 and SP5 postcode areas. Of these, 2,500 are in private and light goods, motorcycle or tricycle taxation classes and will qualify for exemption from vehicle excise duty as a result of the vehicle taxation changes announced in the Budget on 28 November 1995.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date it is expected that the European night sleeper trains will receive their operating certificate following completion of construction. [6034]
Mr. Watts
[holding answer 14 December 1995]: As the operators have not yet put in an application for an operating certificate, it is not possible to state when it will be granted.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider proposals to introduce a national transport concession scheme for people over retirement age. [6455]
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the European Court judgment on the Atkins case on the equalisation of transport concession schemes at the age of 60 years. [6453]
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Mr. Norris:
The European Court of Justice has not advised the Department of the date on which it expects to make its judgment on this case.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what transport concessions are available to people over retirement age in other EU member states. [6451]
Mr. Norris:
The Department does not hold detailed information on concessionary travel schemes for people over retirement age which are available in other EU member states.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have been held in the European Transport Ministers Council on a European-wide transport concession scheme for people above retirement age. [6450]
Mr. Norris:
None, to the best of the Department's knowledge.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on the future of the free transport pass for Greater London pensioners. [6454]
Mr. Norris:
None. This is a matter for the London local authorities which fund the scheme.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase crash testing programmes in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [6556]
Mr. Norris:
There are no plans at present to increase the Department's crash testing programme for motor vehicles. The current programme includes research to evaluate the feasibility of a new car assessment programme which could provide crash-worthiness data as consumer information. The size of future programmes will be decided in the light of this research.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all passenger service requirements affecting rail services to and from Wales which have (a) been proposed and (b) been accepted. [5956]
Mr. Watts:
The passenger service requirement for the Great Western franchise was finalised on 16 May by the franchising director following consultation with local authorities and rail users-consultative committees, and was included in invitations to tender for the franchise. The franchising director will develop and consult on further passenger service requirements for franchises that serve Wales during 1996.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 6 December, Official Report, column 264, relating to the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, what is the time scale for the conclusion of the national debate on transport policy. [6125]
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Mr. Norris:
Views on "Transport: The Way Ahead" were invited by the end of September, where possible. Many groups asked for more time in which to respond. When Ministers have considered the responses, a further report will be published drawing together the threads of the debate.
Mr. Fisher:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those (a) consultants, (b) outside organisations, and (c) individuals employed by his Department in each year since 1990, indicating the purpose of their employment and the total payments made to them. [3958]
Mr. Norris:
I will write to the hon. Member with details and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Civil Servants (Briefings)
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 17, on how many occasions in each of the last three years civil servants have provided factual briefing to former Prime Ministers. [6123]
The Prime Minister: The information is not held centrally.
Procurator Fiscal System
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Prime Minister what further consultations he intends to have before finalising decisions about changes to the procurator fiscal system in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [6043]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 14 December 1995]: A Crown Office steering group has been carrying out a senior management review of the Crown Office and procurator fiscal service. The extent and nature of any consultation will depend on the outcome of the review.
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