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Marine Accidents (Borga)

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) interim report and (b) special bulletins he has received from the marine accident investigation branch on the grounding of the Borga; when they were received; and if he will place copies of them in the Library. [20556]

Mr. Norris: Neither an interim report nor a special bulletin was produced in the case of the Borga investigation.

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 1996, Official Report, column 216-17, when he expects the marine accident investigation branch to report on the grounding of the Borga. [20572]

Mr. Norris: The marine accident investigation branch report of the investigation into the grounding of the Borga on 28 October 1995 will be published as soon as the investigation is complete. Work is continuing in co-operation with the authorities in Norway, the flag state of the vessel.

Royal Train

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last valuation was made of the royal train and what value was attached to the asset. [20452]

Mr. Watts: I understand that in 1995 Railtrack valued the royal train at approximately £11 million for insurance purposes.

Aircraft Insurance

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulatory mechanism is in place in the United Kingdom for checking that aircraft flying into and out of the United Kingdom are insured. [20468]

Mr. Norris: Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2407/92 on licensing of air carriers requires an air carrier with an operating licence granted by the competent licensing authority to be insured to cover liability in case of accidents. The regulation applies to all states of the European economic area and is implemented in the United Kingdom by Statutory Instrument No. 2992 "The Licensing of Air Carriers Regulations 1992". The competent licensing authority in the United Kingdom is the Civil Aviation Authority.

Article 102 of the Air Navigation (No. 2) Order 1995 provides that aircraft registered in a state other than the United Kingdom or another European economic area state shall not operate into the United Kingdom without the permission of the Secretary of State. Permits are not issued to non-European economic area air carriers unless they have provided evidence of insurance.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cases there have been in the last five years of airlines flying to or from the United Kingdom that are not insured. [20469]

Mr. Norris: None that the Department or the Civil Aviation Authority is aware of.

13 Mar 1996 : Column: 606

London Underground

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total Government grant to London Underground Ltd. in each year since 1991; and what was the total annual amount of Government grant spent on (a) the Northern line, City branch, (b) the Bakerloo line and (c) the east London line. [20328]

Mr. Norris: My Department gives grant to London Transport. The distribution of grant by LT between London Underground Ltd. and its other businesses is an operational matter for LT. LT's allocation of grant to London Underground from 1991-92 is shown in the table. Grant is not allocated on a line-by-line basis. These figures exclude grant for the construction of the Jubilee line extension.

Year	Grant (£m outturn prices)(1)
1991-92	296
1992-93	598
1993-94	511
1994-95	413
1995-96	377 (estimate)

(1) Figures supplied by London Transport.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last valuation was made of the European Passenger Services fleet of trains; and what value was attached to the asset. [20298]

Mr. Watts: Seven of EPS's 11 Eurostar train sets and the night service stock are leased. The breakdown from EPS's latest annual report and accounts show that on 31 March 1995 the rolling stock had a written down value on a historical cost basis after taking into account leasing obligations of £318 million. No other valuations have been undertaken by EPS or the Department.

Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last valuation was made of the maintenance depot in Manchester for regional Eurostar trains; and what value was attached to the asset. [20302]

Mr. Watts: EPS's latest annual report and accounts show that on 31 March 1995 the Manchester Longsight depot had a written down value on a historical cost basis of £5.9 million. No other valuations have been undertaken by EPS or the Department.

Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last valuation was made of the Eurostar maintenance depot at North Pole; and what value was attached to the asset. [20300]

Mr. Watts: The breakdown from EPS's latest annual report and accounts show that on 31 March 1995 the North Pole depot has a written down value on a historical cost basis of £77.5 million. No other valuations have been undertaken by EPS or the Department.

Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last valuation was made of Waterloo international station; and what value was attached to the asset. [20299]

13 Mar 1996 : Column: 607

Mr. Watts: The breakdown from EPS's latest annual report and accounts show that on 31 March 1995 the Waterloo international terminal had a written down value on a historical cost basis of £136 million. No other valuations have been undertaken by EPS or the Department.

Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last valuation was made of the new Ashford international station; and what value was attached to the asset. [20301]

Mr. Watts: Ashford international station is carried in EPS's 1994-95 annual report and accounts as having a value of £41 million on 31 March 1995. This figure is based on the net present value of future leasing payments. No other valuations have been undertaken by EPS or the Department.

Orimulsion

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has carried out to check the safety aspects of transporting orimulsion. [19251]

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. Barry Sheerman, dated 13 March 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about what studies have been carried out to check the transporting safety aspects of orimulsion.
The Marine Safety Agency (MSA) has not conducted research into this matter. I am aware, however, that the Marine Pollution Control Unit (MPCU), which is part of the Coastguard Agency, is conversant with studies carried out by other organisations and continues to monitor all orimulsion related research.

Milford Haven

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) on what occasions oil companies operating in Milford Haven or the harbour authority have suggested to his Department that aspects of the Sullom Voe system should be introduced at Milford Haven; and what was his response; [18578]

(2) if the Milford Haven port control staff are under standing instructions to monitor the harbour radar displays at all times during arrival and departure of tankers; [18583]

(3) if the port of Milford Haven has (a) permanent boom anchoring sites, (b) boom storage buildings and (c) boom layering boats; [18579]

(4) if the Milford Haven harbour radar is fitted with computer-tracking software and audible-visible alarms to warn port controllers when a ship deviates from the intended course; [18582]

(5) what is the reliability record of the Milford Haven harbour radar; and when it was last (a) overhauled, (b) upgraded and (c) replaced; [18586]

(6) if the Milford Haven harbour radar was working at the time of the grounding of the Sea Empress; [18599]

(7) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Milford Haven port safety requirements relative to those published in the Sullom Voe port handbook; [18600]

13 Mar 1996 : Column: 608

(8) if the Milford Haven harbour authority requires masters of incoming vessels to complete and sign a check-list of safety precautions certifying that their vessel meets all the port safety requirements; [18589]

(9) what is the specified maximum time allowed for tugs to reach a tanker in difficulties in (a) the approaches and (b) the entrance to Milford Haven harbour. [18577]

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

Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 13 March 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about Milford Haven.
PQ 1311/95/96
I am not aware that any such suggestions have ever been received.
PQ 1310/95/96
No. The purpose of the radar system is to provide information rather than to enable direct control of vessels.
PQ 1293/95/96
The Port of Milford Haven has a number of permanent boom anchoring sites and two boon storage buildings. There are a number of boom laying boats within the Haven.
PQ 1292/95/96
Yes.
PQ 1289/95/96
The provision, operation and maintenance of the radar system is a matter for the Milford Haven Port Authority. They inform me that detailed reliability records are not readily available.
The radar is in effect continuously overhauled under a maintenance regime carried out by an electronics engineer permanently employed by the port authority, supported by the manufacturers.
In 1991 the whole system was fully examined and some of the data processing and display equipment was upgraded.
The system accepted by the authority from the manufacturers in 1986 is still in place.
PQ 1308/95/96
The radar at the signal station was working, but the St. Ann's Head radar station was not.
PQ 1300/95/96
Milford Haven Port Authority requires the masters of vessels carrying dangerous or polluting goods to complete the check list set out in Schedule 2 to Merchant Shipping Notice No. M1630 in accordance with the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Reporting Requirements for Ships Carrying Dangerous or Polluting Goods) Regulations 1995 and provide that checklist to the pilot and the Port Authority.
PQ 1299/95/96
None, so far as I am aware. Our assessment of port oil pollution plans is made in relation to the National Contingency Plan.
PQ 1297/95/96
There is no specified maximum time. Three tugs are available on immediate notice at all times within the harbour. The estimated time for them to reach the entrance to the harbour is 30 minutes. The time taken to reach a vessel beyond the entrance would be greater, depending on its position. When a tanker is approaching the harbour three tugs (four for a large tanker) are ready to meet her at the bend in the channel, where they are within 15 minutes of the entrance.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how regularly liaison takes place between the Milford Haven harbour authority and oil terminal operators. [18590]

13 Mar 1996 : Column: 609

Mr. Norris: I understand that the Milford Haven Harbour Authority has daily contact with oil terminal operators.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many harbour tugs and of what specification were waiting at the entrance of Milford Haven to render immediate assistance in the event of vessels being in difficulties at the time of the Sea Empress disaster. [18580]

Mr. Norris: On the night of 15 February, four harbour tugs, each with a 45 tonne bollard pull, were on station within the Haven.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Milford Haven harbour authority (a) keeps records and (b) publishes details of all pollution incidents. [18588]

Mr. Norris: I understand that the Milford Haven Harbour Authority does keep records of pollution incidents, which are made available to the Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea on an annual basis for publication, as part of its report to the marine pollution control unit. The authority must also report individual pollution incidents to the marine pollution control unit.

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