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21 Feb 1996 : Column: 129

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 21 February 1996

TRANSPORT

Railtrack

Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the outcome of W. S. Atkins's review of the investment needs of Railtrack. [15168]

Mr. Watts: W. S. Atkins has assisted Railtrack in the development of its asset maintenance plan for track and route structures to reflect the long-term maintenance that these assets require. The AMP forecasts expenditure requirements in respect of these assets over a 10-year period. An AMP charge representing a proportion of the forecast expenditure was reflected in Railtrack's accounts for 1994-95.

Royal Train

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total cost of operating the royal train in 1995 per mile travelled with a member of the royal family on board. [15954]

Mr. Watts: The total cost to the Exchequer of royal travel by train in 1994-95 was £2.4 million, including train preparation, maintenance and British Transport police security. That sum includes payments in respect of some journeys made in 1993-94. The total cost for journeys made in 1995 is not yet available. The operating cost of the royal train during 1995, both when a member of the royal family was on board and for positioning journeys to and from the depot in Buckinghamshire, was £21.30 per mile in 1994-95 and a slightly lower rate of £20.36 per mile in 1995-96. This excludes costs of overheads, maintenance and security.

Traffic Flow (Marks Tey)

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures (1) he intends to introduce on the A121 between Hatfield Peverel and Marks Tey on the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey to ensure that traffic is kept freely flowing and safety standards are maintained; [16066]

(2) what are (a) the latest traffic flow figures and (b) the latest accident statistics for (i) the A12 between Hatfield Peverel and Marks Tey and (ii) the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey. [16065]

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

Letter from Laurie Haynes to Mr. Bernard Jenkin, dated 21 February 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent questions about traffic flows, accident statistics and measures to keep traffic flowing freely and maintain safety standards on the A12 and A120.

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The 1994 Annual Average Daily Traffic flow (AADT) for the A12 between Hatfield Peverel and Marks Tey was about 67,400 vehicles north of Chelmsford and 54,600 vehicles south of Colchester. On the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey the 1994 AADT was about 15,000 vehicles.
The latest accident statistics for the twelve months from January 1995 to December 1995 on the A12 between Hatfield Peverel and Marks Tey are:
Fatal: 0
Seriously Injured: 19
Slightly Injured: 52
Total: 71
and on the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey are:
Fatal: 0
Seriously Injured: 7
Slightly Injured: 25
Total: 32
Responsibility for maintaining the free flow of traffic and safety standard on the present A12 and A120 lies with the Highways Agency's Network Management and Maintenance Directorate. They monitor traffic and accidents and where appropriate promote small Network Enhancement Projects to address particular congestion or accident problems. In the current financial year, three such schemes to address accident problems have been promoted on the A12: one was completed in December and the other two are expected to start next month. Any other improvements that are identified will be taken forward when funds become available.

Land Compensation Act 1973

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what amount of compensation and in what category has been paid out to tenants since 1990 under section 52 of the Land Compensation Act 1973. [16039]

Mr. Watts: Where the Highways Agency, or its contractors, has taken entry on to land being compulsorily acquired, the agency has a statutory duty under section 52 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 to make, on receipt of a written application from a person or persons with a qualifying interest in the land, within the period specified in, and subject to the provisions of, that section of the Act, an advance payment equal to 90 per cent. of the agreed, or estimated, compensation payable. Information is not held separately on payments made to tenants under section 52.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many appeals have been made against refusal of compensation claims under the Land Compensation Act 1973 in each of the last five years; and how many were successful. [16041]

Mr. Watts: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of compensation claims under section 52 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 have been refused since 1990. [16040]

Mr. Watts: A decision to refuse advance payment of compensation under section 52 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 may be taken only when the provisions of section 52(6) apply. No separate record is kept of such decisions.

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Former Minelayer, MUL16

Mr. Allason: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to determine the ownership and current registration of the former minelayer, MUL16. [15556]

Mr. Norris: I have asked the chief executive of the Marine Safety Agency to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Rupert Allason, dated 20 February 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question about the former Swedish minelayer MUL 16.
As you know the ship was detained by surveyors from the Marine Safety Agency on 18 August 1995 at Poole Harbour. The ship was subsequently allowed to move to Southampton in order to rectify deficiencies. She remains under detention in Southampton. The ship will not be allowed to go to sea until the Agency is satisfied that it is safe to do so.
You asked what steps have been taken to determine her ownership and current registration. In my letter to you of 29 November I explained that the MSA had attempted, unsuccessfully, to confirm registry so as to establish which maritime administration, if any, was responsible for the ship.
An application has been made to register the vessel under the UK flag. The Registrar General of Seamen and Shipping is currently waiting for a number of documents, including proof of ownership, before proceeding. Checks will also be made to confirm that the vessel is not registered elsewhere.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Compliance Cost Assessments

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) for what reasons compliance cost assessments are not prepared for regulations which concern the existing requirements of article 119 of the treaty of Rome in respect of equal treatment; [15953]

(2) if he will make it his policy to prepare a compliance cost assessment for regulations which implement judgments of the European Court of Justice notwithstanding the fact that they concern existing requirements of article 119 of the treaty of Rome; [15952]

(3) what categories of regulation do not require a compliance cost assessment to be prepared. [15951]

Mr. Freeman: The Government require a compliance cost assessment to be prepared for all regulations that have an impact on business, charities and voluntary organisations including those which concern article 119 of the treaty of Rome. The only circumstances in which an assessment need not be prepared would be if the regulation has no impact on business, charities and voluntary organisations.

Fire Safety

Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to make his observations known on the report on the "Review of Fire Safety Legislation and Enforcement in the United Kingdom". [16036]

Mr. Willetts: The Government have been considering the findings of the review and the views expressed by interested parties, including the deregulation task force.

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They have also been further considering the fire safety aspects of the EC framework and workplace directives. An announcement on both will be made soon.

EU Legislation

Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the EC directives which have been subject to a United Kingdom compliance cost assessment for 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996, together with the date each compliance cost assessment was completed and the date each directive was voted on by the Council of Ministers. [15613]

Mr. Freeman: Details of compliance cost assessments on EC directives, including the date on which each was issued, are set out in the following Command Papers:

1 November 1993 to 30 June 1994: Cm 2719
1 July 1994 to 31 December 1994: Cm 2881
1 January 1995 to 30 June 1995: Cm 3075.

Details of compliance cost assessments issued during the second half of 1995 and during 1996 will be included in further Command Papers which are published at approximately six-monthly intervals.

Details of compliance cost assessments issued before November 1993 and information about the date on which each directive was agreed by the Council of Ministers are not centrally held.

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