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Car Sharing

Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards car sharing; what guidelines he issues to (a) insurance companies and (b) the public on the scale of contributory fares which can be accepted as (i) non-profit-making by the Inland Revenue and (ii) non-commercial in respect of third party insurance cover; and what plans he has to give increased publicity and encouragement to such schemes. [18856]

Mr. Norris: The Government support the concept of car sharing and brought forward the Transport Act 1980 which legalised non-profit-making car sharing schemes. Following the 1980 Act, the Department of Transport issued advice which, amongst other points, covered the calculation of the sharing of costs with regard to the relevant requirements of the Inland Revenue and the insurance companies.

Marine Safety

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he requires the Marine Safety Agency to carry out with the fishing industry; and what proposals he has for improving the system of consultation. [18785]

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

Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 5 March 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the Marine Safety Agency's consultation with the fishing industry and proposal for its improvement.

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 150

The existing consultation framework comprises principally of meetings of the MSA's Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), of FISG Sub-Groups and of Steering Groups set up by FISG to oversee particular developments, together with informal and formal written consultation on legislative and other proposals. A meeting has been arranged with representatives of the fishermen's federations on Tuesday 26 March to discuss industry's concerns about current arrangements and to seek agreement on a framework for future consultation.

London and Continental

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what individual value he has put on each of the assets and debt write-offs which are to benefit London and Continental. [19094]

Mr. Watts: The value of the assets and businesses to be transferred to London and Continental is that which has been determined by the open and keenly fought competition which London and Continental won. It is not for me to second-guess the market price.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he decided to use public funds to subsidise the channel tunnel rail link. [19097]

Mr. Watts: The then Secretary of State announced on 14 June 1990, Official Report, columns 482-500, that he was prepared to consider a capital grant for the channel tunnel rail link, but that the terms then on offer were not acceptable. On 24 January 1994, Official Report, columns 19-34, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State announced in an oral statement that the Government were willing in principle to provide substantial public sector support, in recognition not only of the significant domestic transport and regeneration benefits from the new line but of some of the very large benefits to international passengers.

Emergency Towing Study Team Report

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he first received a copy of the report of the emergency towing study team; and what action he has taken to implement its findings to date. [18892]

Mr. Norris: The chief executive of the Coastguard agency received a copy on the Secretary of State's behalf on 25 May 1995. The report recommended that priority for providing emergency towing vessels should be given to two areas, the Dover strait and north-west Scotland. The Coastguard agency chartered emergency towing vessels for these two areas for the six-months winter period.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 581, what consultations he has conducted on the report of the emergency towing study team. [18901]

Mr. Norris: The Coastguard agency, through the government shipping broker, invited tenders for two emergency towing vessels for the Dover straits and north-west Scotland. This involved discussions with the

5 Mar 1996 : Column: 151

Government broker, with tugowners and brokers and with the British Tugowners Association. The agency also had regard to the recommendations of Lord Donaldson's report "Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas", which itself drew on extensive discussions with those who presented evidence to his inquiry.

Oil-handling Ports

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for the latest available year the 10 main oil-handling ports in the British Isles, indicating the total tonnage (a) disembarked and (b) embarked in each case, and the appropriate proportion for each port. [17984]

Mr. Norris: The top 10 oil-handling ports in the United Kingdom for 1994 are as follows:

	Thousand tonnes
Port	Total	Inwards	Outwards	Proportion of UK total percentage
Forth	40,476	2,400	38,076	15.0
Sullom Voe	38,577	2	38,575	14.3
Milford Haven	33,881	20,231	13,650	12.6
London	24,408	18,739	5,669	9.0
Tees and Hartlepool	24,141	2,291	21,850	9.0
Southampton	23,584	15,061	8,523	8.7
Grimsby and Immingham	21,772	14,184	7,588	8.1
Liverpool	15,256	13,781	1,475	5.7
Orkneys	13,885	30	13,856	5.1
Rivers Hull and Humber	5,427	5,427	0	2.0
Total for above	241,407	92,146	149,262	89.5
Total for UK	269,721	113,892	155,829	--

Source:

Port Statistics 1994.

Drivers (Pass Plus)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many newly qualified drivers have taken pass plus since February 1995; what percentage of such drivers this represents; and what has been the success rate on pass plus in percentage and number terms. [19201]

Mr. Norris: As at the end of February 1996, 12,383 certificates had been issued to drivers completing a pass plus course. This represents about 1.5 per cent. of newly qualified drivers. It is too early to determine what effect pass plus will have had on the accident record of those that have taken the course.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers have taken pass plus; what percentage have passed; and if he will make a statement. [19200]

Mr. Norris: As at the end of February 1996, 12,383 certificates had been issued to drivers completing a pass plus course. Pass plus which is designed for newly qualified drivers, is not a pass/fail course although the approved driving instructor giving the training has to be satisfied that the pupil has reached a satisfactory standard on all six modules.

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NATIONAL HERITAGE

Millennium Exhibition

Sir Norman Fowler: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will now institute an inquiry into how the decision that the millennium exhibition should be sited in Greenwich was announced by the policy chairman of the Corporation of London before her statement in Parliament. [19073]

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: No.

PRIME MINISTER

Engagements

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 March. [17169]

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 March. [17171]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is carrying out official engagements in the far east.

Sir Gerrard Neale

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when Sir Gerrard Neale last visited 10 Downing street; and if on that occasion he telephoned UCB from there. [19098]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.

I have nothing further to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) on 29 February, Official Report, column 672.

Ms Eagle: To ask the Prime Minister what facilities have been extended to Sir Gerrard Neale to have access to 12 Downing street in the last 12 months; and what access he has had to office and telephones there. [18864]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been asked to reply.

It is not the practice of my right hon. Friend to indicate what meetings he has with Members of Parliament or former Members of Parliament. No office or telephone facilities have been made available to Sir Gerrard Neale at 12 Downing street.

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