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Media Contracts
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contracts have been awarded by the Scottish Office to monitor media coverage in Scotland over the past three years; to whom the contracts have been awarded; what were the dates on which they were approved; and what are their durations and their value. [7272]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 20 December 1995]: No such contracts have been awarded. Tenders have been invited for the provision of a press cuttings service; the deadline for submission is 5 January 1996.
Optoelectronics
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many workers are employed in the optoelectronics industry in Scotland; and what action he is taking to encourage the transfer of research findings from Scottish universities into high-tech companies. [7266]
Mr. Kynoch
[holding answer 20 December 1995]: The Scottish register of employment shows that 41,800 persons were employed in electronics in 1993. The register does not take account of companies with fewer than 11 employees and there is no separate category for optoelectronics. A survey carried out in 1992 by Scottish Enterprise estimated that there were at that time 1,300 people employed in optoelectronics in Scotland.
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There are a number of schemes available to assist collaborative research, product development and transfer of technology and skill. These include the SMART and SPUR schemes administered by my Department, and LINK and the teaching company scheme for which the Department of Trade and Industry has lead responsibility. The issue of how to improve the commercial exploitation of academic research is being addressed in an inquiry being undertaken by Scottish Enterprise and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Rail Privatisation
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list management and management employee buyout teams which have received funding from the British Railways Board for advisory costs as qualified bidders for train operating franchises, indicating which private companies collaborated in each bid; and how much funding was received; [11712]
- (2) what was the total amount of funding made available by the British Railways Board to management and management-employee buy-out teams for (a) financial advice in the pre-qualification stage of bidding for train operating franchises and (b) advisory costs as qualified bidders for train operating franchises; and how much of this funding was provided to consortia including private companies; [11711]
(3) if he will list the management and management employee buyout teams which have received funding from the British Railways Board for financial advice in the pre-qualification stage of bidding for train operating franchises, indicating which private companies collaborated in each bid; and how much funding was received. [11710]
Mr. Watts: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 9 January, Official Report, column 28.
Ferries
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the speed with which an Indonesian ferry capsized on 20 January; and what design characteristics this vessel shared with ferries operating from United Kingdom ports. [11753]
Mr. Norris: The Government have made no formal assessment of the accident because it did not involve a United Kingdom-flagged ship and did not occur in United Kingdom waters.
Bicycle Lights (Epilepsy)
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the last five years into the effects on drivers who suffer from epilepsy of LED bicycle lights. [11869]
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Mr. Norris:
None. We are, however, in the process of initiating a research project to look into the effects of flashing LED bicycle lights.
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received recently regarding the safety of Networker trains on the South Eastern trains network; and if he will make a statement. [11940]
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety implications of locking connecting compartment doors on Networker trains on the South Eastern trains network; and if he will make a statement. [11941]
Mr. Watts:
Certain Networker, class 465, trains were withdrawn from service following an incident at the Slade Green depot in south east London, in which a train separated whilst undergoing maintenance. These trains are being examined and will be returned to service only if their couplings are found to be in a satisfactory condition for use without restrictions, such as the locking of connecting compartment doors.
The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate has requested the result of these examinations and will discuss the remedial measures to be implemented.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the criteria for determining that a rail service is essential for the purposes of designation as a socially necessary service; and if he will make a statement. [11973]
Mr. Watts:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 22 January, Official Report, columns, 28-9. The Secretary of State's instructions to the franchising director require him to develop specific criteria for evaluating the benefits of loss-making but socially necessary services. These criteria are being developed and will be submitted to the Secretary of State for his approval in due course.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual telephone costs to (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies staff for each of the years (i) 1979-80, (ii) 1989-90, (iii) 1991-92, (iv) 1993-94, (v) 1994-95, (vi) 1995-96 and (vii) 1996-97; and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas of (a) to (c). [11350]
Mr. Norris
[holding answer 25 January 1996]: The answer is as follows:
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The information requested for earlier years (i) and (ii) and for non-departmental public bodies (c) is not available.
Internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for the last year for which records are available (i) the number of heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes which were given an annual inspection for road worthiness, (ii) for how many of these it was the first test, (iii) what were the 10 most common test failures by (a) numbers and (b) percentage of the total, (iv) how many vehicles failed on re-test (y) in total and (z) as a percentage, (v) how many of the failures related to braking (a) in total and (b) as a percentage and (vi) of brake failures how many were in respect of (1) service brakes, (2) secondary brakes, (3) parking brakes and (4) brake components and how many were determined (A) visually and (B) otherwise; what consideration he has give to reducing the period between tests; and if he will make a statement. [11694]
Mr. Norris
[holding answer, 25 January 1996]: The tables show:
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operator licensing and its maintenance conditions; and enforcement checks carried out both at the roadside and in operators' premises.
There are no plans for more frequent testing. The existing system is effective in relying on three complementary forms of control: roadworthiness testing,
Table 1 The total number of heavy goods vehicles tested in 1994-95
Table 2 (a) The 10 most common failure items in each category for motor vehicles
Table 2 (b) The 10 most common failure items in each category for trailers
Table 3 the number of vehicles failing retests and the percentage failure rates
Table 4 the total number of failures for each braking item and the percentage failure rates.
| Type | Total tests | First and annual tests | Retests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor vehicles | 573,074 | 447,660 | 125,414 |
| Trailers | 267,443 | 225,648 | 41,795 |
Separate figures are not available for First Test volumes but estimated volumes are 48,000 for motor vehicles and 16,000 for trailers.
These figures are for all Heavy Goods Vehicles subject to testing under the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988.
Motor vehicles
| Testable item | Number failed | Percentage failure rate
| Headlamp aim | 49,064 | 10.960
| Service brake performance | 48,450 | 10.823
| Secondary brake performance | 33,785 | 7.547
| Parking brake performance | 21,076 | 4.708
| Braking systems components | 19,921 | 4.450
| Rear position lamps/fog lamps | 19,357 | 4.324
| Direction and hazard warning lamps | 12,087 | 2.700
| Steering linkage | 7,955 | 1.777
| Exhaust emissions | 7,042 | 1.573
| Suspension pins/bushes | 7,006 | 1.565
| | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trailers
| Testable item | Number failed | Percentage failure rate
| Service brake performance | 22,470 | 9.958
| Parking brake performance | 15,439 | 6.842
| Braking system components | 6,699 | 2.969
| Rear position lamps/fog lamps | 5,018 | 2.224
| Trailer parking brake | 3,112 | 1.379
| Mechanical brake components | 2,778 | 1.231
| Suspension units (attachment) | 2,306 | 1.022
| Condition of tyres | 2,207 | 0.978
| Stop lamps | 2,026 | 0.898
| Reflectors | 1,925 | 0.853
| | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Number of retests | Number of failures | Percentage failure rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor vehicles | 125,414 | 17,308 | 13.80 |
| Trailers | 41,795 | 5,668 | 13.56 |
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These figures relate to first and annual tests. Detailed figures on failures for retests are not available.
It should be noted that the figures relate to the number of vehicles failing for a particular item. In many cases vehicles will fail for more than one item.
The inspection for all items other than brake performance--(the last three items in the table--is essentially a visual inspection. The brake performance is determined with the use of a roller brake tester.
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