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TRANSPORT
New Roads
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new road are planned to be constructed using the design, build, finance and operate initiative under contracts (a) already let, (b) due to be let in 1996 and (c) forecast to be let by 2000. [19687]
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Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 1 April 1996:
I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Transport to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many miles of new road are planned to be constructed under the design, build, finance and operate initiative under contracts (a) already let, (b) due to be let in 1996 and (c) forecast to be let by 2000.
Forty nine miles have already been let, thirty five miles are due to be let in 1996 and; the forecast for the year 2000 is sixty six miles.
United Kingdom Fleet (British Ratings)
Mr. Clifford Forsythe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial aid has been given to the United Kingdom fleet to encourage the employment of British ratings. [21748]
Mr. Norris: Government assistance for training--GAFT--is paid in respect both of ratings and cadets under 18 on approved training courses. GAFT's total budget, including youth training funding, is £3.4 million a year.
The crew relief costs scheme makes grants towards the cost of flying British seafarers to and from distant ports. The scheme, which applies equally to British ratings and officers, has a budget of £2 million a year.
More generally, Government policies are designed to improve the competitive position of British shipping, providing career opportunities for British ratings and officers.
Ms Short:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures exist for staff of contractors to Railtrack to be designated as safety critical, as defined by the Hidden recommendations. [23117]
Mr. Watts:
Sir Anthony Hidden QC, in his report on the investigation of the Clapham junction collision, made no recommendation defining safety critical staff.
The Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994 place duties on employers relating to "safety critical work", which is defined as certain work which could affect the health and safety of persons on a transport system.
Ms Short:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what basis compensation is paid to train operators for delays in safety certification of locomotives and rolling stock. [23115]
Mr. Watts:
It is for the train operating companies to demonstrate to Railtrack that they are in compliance with railway group standards. Compensation is not an issue.
Ms Short:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps Railtrack and the Health and Safety Executive are taking to ensure that infrastructure maintenance staff are not working on a series of contracts concurrently for different infrastructure owners for which the aggregate time worked exceeds the maximum number of permitted hours or days as stipulated by Sir Anthony Hidden QC in his report and inquiry into the Clapham rail disaster; [23121]
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Mr. Watts:
Sir Anthony Hidden QC, in his report on the investigation of the Clapham junction collision, made no recommendations as to the maximum number of permitted hours or days to be worked by infrastructure maintenance staff.
In the Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994, a duty is placed upon employers to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that no employee undertakes safety critical work for such number of hours as would be liable to cause fatigue which could endanger safety. This duty applies to the employer irrespective of the location of the work undertaken. Railtrack's railway safety case states that particular attention will be given to monitoring the safety performance of contractors including compliance with relevant standards of legislation.
The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate enforces the regulations by checking employer's safety management systems and records, in the course of certain inspections and accident investigations, and by investigating complaints of excessive hours by employees.
Ms Short:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets he has set Railtrack for giving safety approval to train operators; and what sanctions are available in the event of unreasonable delay. [23116]
Mr. Watts:
No targets have been set for Railtrack.
As regards railway safety gases, a train operator may submit a safety case, or revision, for acceptance to the Secretary of State if Railtrack either refuses to accept it or fails to accept it within a reasonable time.
As regards safety cases for rolling stock, defined procedures exist for new or revised railway group standards. Where proposals have been rejected, appeals can be made to the Rail Regulator, who will consult the Health and Safety Executive in reaching his decision.
Under Railtrack's network licence, the primary safety purpose of the railway group standards code is subject to the need to promote business planning, efficiency, economy and competition, and the need to impose the minimum restrictions which are consistent with safe operation.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take action to ensure that the agreement reached by the London Committee on Accessible Transport, representing London boroughs and the relevant transport providers, for a seven-year contract for providing senior citizens travelcards in Greater London is approved by the British Railways Board. [23406]
Mr. Norris:
This is a matter for the British Railways Board. The board has decided that it would be inappropriate for the board to commit, as yet unknown, private sector franchise operators to a seven-year concessionary fares scheme in London. A 12-month agreement, as suggested by the board, will ensure the continuation of this popular concessionary scheme on the
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same terms as before and allow franchise operators to take part in discussions about the arrangements for a long-term scheme.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation banning the use of four-wheel drive vehicles on green roads; and if he will make a statement. [23542]
Mr. Steven Norris:
The Government announced in the rural White Paper, Cm 3016, that, while they were not yet convinced of the case for general legislation to restrict the use of byways by motorised vehicles, they would discuss the situation with interested parties. I hope to issue a consultation document, jointly with the Department of the Environment, in late spring or early summer.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that sand banks or barriers in the estuaries of Wales are recharted following the grounding of the Sea Empress. [23802]
Mr. Norris:
My Department keeps the need for hydrographic surveys under review through the Marine Safety Agency's advisory committee on shipping hydrography, which comprises representatives of the shipping industry, the General Lighthouse Authorities, the port associations, and professional hydrographers from the Royal Navy. We will consider the need for any surveys or recharting off the coast of Wales if the marine accidents investigation branch investigation into the Sea Empress recommends that we should do so.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects a fiche d'impact on the EC bus and coach directive to be produced; and what other EU countries have hop-on hop-off buses in commission in their capital cities. [23604]
Mr. Norris:
We are currently awaiting a proposal for the EC bus and coach directive, along with the fiche d'impact from the Commission, but the timing of this is not known.
We are not aware of any other EU countries which operate open platform buses in their capital cities.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths, (b) serious injuries and (c) minor injuries have resulted from passengers falling from open-platform double-decker buses in each of the last 10 years; how many complaints he has received in the last 10 years of the dangers of hop-on hop-off buses; and if he will make a statement. [23606]
Mr. Norris:
The data available from the Department's Vehicle Inspectorate indicate that the number of fatalities arising from people falling from open platform double-decker buses for each of the 10 years from 1985 to 1994 were 2, 1, 1, 2, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1 respectively. Information collated by London Transport for 1995 is one fatality, 17 serious and 382 slight injuries. Corresponding information on serious and slight injuries for previous years is not available.
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(2) what procedures exist to ensure that contractors of Railtrack comply with the Hidden recommendations on maximum working hours for safety critical staff; [23120]
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