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Sugar Beet Transportation
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action is being taken to enforce the requirement to net open loads of sugar beet in heavy goods vehicles on public roads. [14449]
Mr. Norris: The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations require loads carried on vehicles to be secured at all times so that neither danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused by reason of the load falling from the vehicle. These requirements are amplified in the Department's code of practice on load security which advises that loose loads should be covered. The requirements are enforced by the police and the vehicle inspectorate as part of their general duties.
Workplace Regulations
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each agency within his Department the date of completion of the risk assessments required (a) by the display screen equipment regulations and (b) by the workplace regulations. [14436]
Mr. Norris: Where major programmes of risk assessment have been completed or have a planned completion date that is given in the table. However, the requirement to undertake risk assessments is ongoing, for example, where there are changes in staff and in the workplace, as shown in the table.
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 418
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by traffic area office the dates on which the risk assessment required by the display screen equipment regulations was carried out. [14441]
Mr. Norris: Information is not readily available on the exact dates of the initiation or completion of the risk assessments. But assessments of workstations already in place before the regulations came into force were carried out during 1994 and 1995 in all offices except the South Eastern and Metropolitan office, where the assessment is expected to be completed shortly.
Assessments of new workstations normally take place as and when the latter are installed.
Job Advertisements
Mr. Janner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many jobs have been advertised in each grade in his Department during the last three months for which records are available; and how many people have applied for each such job. [13826]
Mr. Norris: Details of the number of jobs advertised in each grade in the Department and its agencies in the last three months--November and December 1995 and January 1996--are set out in the following table.
| Grade | Number of jobs advertised in the last 3 months i.e. November 1995, December 1995 and January 1996 | Number of applicants who applied |
|---|---|---|
| Estates surveyor | 1 | 166 |
| Administrative officer | 6 | 170 |
| 1 | 159 | |
| 1 | 43 | |
| Administrative | 3 | 64 |
| assistant | 1 | 56 |
| 1 | 12 | |
| Total | 14 | 670 |
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 420
Road Traffic Act 1988
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Department of Health about repealing section 157 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (a) in total and (b) for pensioners only. [14307]
Mr. Norris: None. This is a matter for which the Secretary of State for Health has policy responsibility.
EU Legislation
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which occasions in the last three years officials have vetoed draft EC legislation on the grounds that a fiche d'impact had not been correctly prepared. [13650]
Mr. Watts: The correct preparation of fiches d'impact is a very important part of our consideration of proposals for EC legislation. It is one of the factors taken into account when Ministers consider the United Kingdom's negotiating position on a particular proposal.
Traffic Lights
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to speed up the installation of traffic lights at roundabouts at appropriate locations; and if he will make a statement. [13223]
Mr. Norris: It is for the highway authority concerned to decide whether to instal traffic signals at particular roundabouts, normally for reasons of safety or capacity.
Roadside Checks
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the results of the roadside survey of illegal operators undertaken by the Vehicle Inspectorate in October 1995. [15167]
Mr. Norris: The preliminary results of the survey indicate that, of the total heavy goods vehicle mileage travelled in Great Britain, around 1.6 per cent. is by vehicles operated without an operator's licence where one should be held. The survey also indicate that vehicles operating without a licence are disproportionately likely to have roadworthiness defects and to be involved in other traffic offences such as drivers' hours and driver licensing offences. A number of more minor operator licensing offences were also found, for example involving vehicles operating outside the terms of the licence of their operator. A detailed report on the survey will be published shortly, once all the figures have been fully checked.
Severe Weather Conditions
Dr. John Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what extra assistance his Department has the power to offer to Copeland borough council and Cumbria county council following the recent severe weather conditions. [14817]
Mr. Norris:
The winter maintenance of local authority roads is funded through revenue support grant. Emergency assistance to local authorities is covered by the Bellwin scheme, which may be activated by my right
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 421
hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment under powers in section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his estimate of the costs arising from the provisions of the Street Works (Sharing of Costs of Works) Regulations 1992 to (a) gas, (b) electricity, (c) water and sewerage and (d) telecommunications industries associated with the planned rapid transit schemes known as (i) Docklands light railway extension, (ii) Rochdale to Manchester/Oldham extension to Metrolink, (iii) Reading bus lane construction and (iv) Greater Nottingham rapid transit; and if he will make a statement; [14627]
Mr. Norris:
The regulations provide for the utilities to bear 18 per cent. of the allowable costs of diversionary works, the remaining 82 per cent. being borne by the promoter. Estimates of scheme costs, including diversionary works costs, are a matter for the promoter in the first instance.
(2) what estimate he has made of the costs to (a) the gas, (b) the electricity, (c) the water and sewerage and (d) the telecommunications industries associated with the planned rapid transit schemes known as (i) Croydon Tramlink, (ii) Birmingham Metrolink, (iii) Leeds Supertram and (iv) the channel tunnel rail link under the provisions of the Street Works (Sharing of Costs and Works) regulations 1992; and if he will make a statement. [14469]
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