| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Radar Detectors
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of banning the (a) sale and (b) possession of radar detectors for personal use. [25441]
Mr. Norris: The use of radar-type devices without a licence is an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, and the Radio Communications Agency would not issue a licence for any apparatus capable of interfering with authorised radio use.
Helicopter Search and Rescue Services
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he plans to the helicopter search and rescue services operated by the coastguard on the south coast of England. [24573]
Mr. Norris: I refer to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) on 28 March, Official Report, column 706.
Overloaded Vehicles
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current sum devoted to enforcement of regulations against overloading of vehicles. [24894]
Mr. Norris: It is estimated that, in 1996-97, the Vehicle Inspectorate will devote about £2 million to the enforcement of the weight limits of goods vehicles.
Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many vehicle weighing centres there are in the United Kingdom; and what is the average period during which they are in use; [24892]
- (2) how many operators of heavy good vehicles were prosecuted for overloading in the last year for which information is available. [24891]
Mr. Norris: I have asked the chief executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. Chris Davies, dated 17 April 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions on the number of HGV operators prosecuted for overloading offences and the number of vehicle weighing centres in the UK.
17 Apr 1996 : Column: 509
Mr. Norris:
No surveys have been carried out recently on which an estimate could be based.
However, in 1994-95 the Vehicle Inspectorate weighed 120,297 heavy goods vehicles of which 4,545 were prohibited from continuing their journey by reasons of being overloaded.
Mr. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legal obligations are placed upon customers to ensure that operators carrying their goods do not overload vehicles. [24893]
Mr. Norris:
None. It is the responsibility of the driver and operator to ensure that vehicles are not overloaded.
Mr. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require customers to sign documentation indicating that they understand the loading restrictions placed upon the operators of heavy goods vehicles working on their behalf. [24895]
Mr. Norris:
I have no plans to require customers to sign any form of documentation to this effect.
Mr. Nicholls:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of each (a) fatal accident, (b) serious accident and (c) slight accident. [25146]
Mr. Norris:
The values attributed to the avoidance of deaths and injuries in road accidents in 1994 were (a) fatal accident £913,100; (b) serious accident £108,100; (c) slight accident £10,600. These values take account of medical costs, lost production, human costs based on willingness to pay, the costs of police and courts, insurance administration, and property damage.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists were killed on the roads in each year in Great Britain since 1979. [25400]
Mr. Norris:
The information requested is shown in the table. Figures for 1995 should be available in July.
In the financial year 1994/95, the Vehicle Inspectorate prosecuted 4,385 overloading offences (this number includes drivers and operators). The figure does not include any prosecutions taken by local authorities, Trading Standards and the Police, information for which we do not hold.
The Vehicle Inspectorate is responsible for the maintenance and operation of 72 weighbridges throughout the UK. This figure does not include public weighbridges or private weighbridges (ie at operators' premises), information for which we do not keep. Information on the average period in which they are in use can only be provided at disproportionate cost. Roadside check programmes are arranged locally to allow maximum use of manpower and resources and use of the weighbridges will vary to ensure efficient use.
Mr. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the proportion of journeys made by heavy goods vehicles operating in an overloaded condition. [24890]
| Pedestrians | Pedal cyclists | |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 2,118 | 320 |
| 1980 | 1,941 | 302 |
| 1981 | 1,874 | 310 |
| 1982 | 1,869 | 294 |
| 1983 | 1,914 | 323 |
| 1984 | 1,868 | 345 |
| 1985 | 1,789 | 286 |
| 1986 | 1,841 | 271 |
| 1987 | 1,703 | 280 |
| 1988 | 1,753 | 227 |
| 1989 | 1,706 | 294 |
| 1990 | 1,694 | 256 |
| 1991 | 1,496 | 242 |
| 1992 | 1,347 | 204 |
| 1993 | 1,241 | 186 |
| 1994 | 1,124 | 172 |
17 Apr 1996 : Column: 510
Turnham Green Underground Station
Mr. Deva: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many members of the London regional passengers committee (a) regularly use and (b) live near Turnham Green station; [25140]
- (2) what representations he has received on the decision by London Transport that Piccadilly line trains should no longer stop at Turnham Green station from September; [25138]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effects, with special reference to early and late workers, of the decision that Piccadilly line trains should no longer stop at Turnham Green. [25139]
Mr. Norris: (a) None; (b) none.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I have each received a number of written representations about this decision, and I shall shortly discuss it with the chairman of London Transport. Decisions on the timetabling of Piccadilly line services are, however, an operational matter for LT and London Underground Ltd.
HOME DEPARTMENT
National Audit Office
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many files marked "Not for National Audit Office Eyes" are currently held by his Department.[24847]
Mr. Howard: No central record of files marked "Not for NAO Eyes" is maintained. The information could be obtained only by examining individually each of the 1.5 million extant files in my Department, and could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The marking "Not for NAO Eyes" is used rarely and in accordance with an agreement between the Treasury and the National Audit Office, under which documents relating to the handling of relations between Departments and the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee are not automatically available to the National Audit Office while they are current.
Prisoner Transfers
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he intends to take a decision on applications by prisoners detained in the United Kingdom to be transferred to prisons in the Irish Republic; and if he will make a statement; [24579]
17 Apr 1996 : Column: 511
- (2) how many medical reports on Patrick Kelly he has requested in the last year; when the last report was (a) requested and (b) received by him; and when he expects to take a decision on Mr. Kelly's application to transfer to a prison in the Republic of Ireland. [24582]
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 16 April 1996]: All requests made by prisoners seeking repatriation to the Republic of Ireland are determined on their individual merits. Repatriation in each case is subject to the consent of both jurisdictions and the prisoner concerned. Since 1 November 1995, when the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons came into force in the Republic, 70 requests have been received from prisoners in England and Wales wishing to be repatriated there. Twenty-nine requests including Mr. Kelly's have been referred to the Irish Republic for their consideration as required by the convention; a response has been received from the Irish authorities on Mr. Kelly's request and six others, one of which has now been granted.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |