THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES
OFFICIAL REPORT
IN THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE FIFTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
[WHICH OPENED 27 APRIL 1992]
FORTY-FIFTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
SIXTH SERIES
VOLUME 276
TENTH VOLUME OF SESSION 1995-96
House of Commons
Monday 22 April 1996
The House met at half-past Two o'clock
PRAYERS
[Madam Speaker in the Chair]
Oral Answers to Questions
TRANSPORT
Air Quality
1. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the reports on air quality when public inquiries are held on major roadway developments; and if he will make a statement.[24716]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Sir George Young): Environmental statements for trunk road schemes, including air quality assessments, are prepared in accordance with current best practice, as set out in the design manual for roads and bridges. The manual is updated in the light of new developments in assessment methodology.
Mr. O'Brien: Is the Secretary of State aware that, at a public inquiry held last year on the realignment of the A1 and the junction of the M62 at Ferrybridge, questions were asked about the environmental assessment relating to vehicle pollution, and the inquiry was told that no such assessment had been made? The interchange is within 200 m of a junior and infants' school where the majority of
children suffer from asthma; more than 200 were admitted to hospital in Wakefield last year. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Department should be more involved in obtaining assessments of air pollution when motorways are so near to schools, and will he ensure that such assessments are available at public inquiries for public scrutiny?
Sir George Young: As the hon. Gentleman will appreciate, it is difficult for me to comment on the scheme, as a public inquiry has been held. The inspector has submitted a report, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I are now considering. I shall study it carefully before reaching a decision. I know that the hon. Gentleman gave evidence at the inquiry.
Let me reaffirm that, when we are examining trunk road schemes, it is important for air quality assessments to be prepared in accordance with best practice. In arriving at decisions, we take account of the factors mentioned by the hon. Gentleman.
Dr. Spink:
Does my right hon. Friend agree that natural gas-powered vehicles are one alternative that could improve the control of pollution from vehicles, especially public service vehicles? Will he congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor on reducing the tax on that source of fuel, and will he encourage him to do the same this year?
Sir George Young:
I am sure that my right hon. and learned Friend will be grateful for the plaudits heaped on him by my hon. Friend, and I know that he will take my hon. Friend's recommendations into account when he crafts his next Budget.
The Government are giving keen consideration to the development of new fuels and new vehicle technologies in order to reduce vehicle emissions and drive up standards of air quality. My Department continues to conduct trials of alternative fuels with local authorities and with industry.
Mr. Chidgey:
Will the Secretary of State confirm that he is aware that recent medical research carried out by
Sir George Young:
I think that improving air quality should be an objective in its own right, regardless of the specific economic factors to which the hon. Gentleman has referred. It is worth restating that air quality is improving, and that transport emissions are forecast to halve over the next decade as a result of improvements in vehicle emission standards and the enforcement measures that are already in place. My Department is playing an active role in improving the quality of the atmosphere and health standards, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will support us in that objective.
2. Mr. Simon Coombs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to secure provision of a westward rail link from Heathrow to the London-Swindon line.[24717]
The Minister for Railways and Roads (Mr. John Watts):
A possible westward rail link from Heathrow airport to the Great Western main line is one of number of schemes being examined in the Government's London airports surface access study.
Mr. Coombs:
Is my hon. Friend aware that there is a great deal of enthusiastic support for the concept of a westward link from Heathrow to the Great Western railway line on environmental grounds? It would make access to the airport from the west--from Wales, and from my constituency in Swindon--a great deal easier, and would encourage people not to travel on the M4, which, as my hon. Friend well knows, is already congested at peak times. Will he use his best endeavours to ensure that, if the access study team comes up with a proposal for such a link, the private sector is given every encouragement to bid for the project at the earliest possible stage?
Mr. Watts:
It is encouraging to hear such good, common sense from Swindon. Those who visit Swindon to make speeches do not always utter such sensible ideas. Proposals for improving rail access from Heathrow to the London-Swindon line are among the studies for schemes by BAA and Railtrack. Railtrack-BAA train operating companies and the London borough of Hillingdon are also looking at proposals for a new station north of Heathrow--the so-called Heathrow gateway north station. Either of those projects could be taken forward by the private sector in the new private sector railway.
Mr. Mackinlay:
Is it not foolish that, in advance of receiving the surface access study relating to Heathrow, the Government are embarking on widening the M25? They should pause and reflect, and abandon that crackpot scheme until the whole question of surface access to Heathrow can be looked at and the issue of Terminal 5
Madam Speaker:
Order. I gave the hon. Gentleman a chance, but he has gone wide of the mark.
Mr. Watts:
Over a year ago, my right hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) announced our proposed approach to the M25 and access to Heathrow and said that we would be presenting a balanced transport package that would involve modest widening, and an enhancement, of the M25's capacity, and studies into improving surface access by rail. Both elements of the policy are being taken forward expeditiously.
3. Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce which contractor has won the main contract to build the Newbury bypass.[24718]
Mr. Watts:
Tenders are still being assessed for the works. The contract will be awarded as soon as possible.
Mr. Rendel:
Following the appalling amount of misinformation that has been put about by some of the protesters about the Newbury bypass, and the suggestions that there may be alternative methods of improving Newbury's environment, will the Minister make sure that the contractor who is finally given the contract is aware of the importance of publicity and makes sure that everybody in the country recognises that the bypass is the best--indeed, the only--way to improve Newbury's environment?
Mr. Watts:
I am not sure that I see that as part of the role of the selected contractor, but it is certainly important that the voice of the majority of people in and around Newbury is heard and that the views of unrepresentative minorities are not given undue weight. The environment is not just about furry animals and plants: it is about the conditions in which people in urban areas live. There is no doubt that the bypass would bring about a substantial improvement in the environment for the people of the town of Newbury.
4. Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of bus speeds and usage in London; and if he will make a statement.[24719]
Sir George Young:
London Transport estimates that, in 1995-96, the average speed of buses in central London was about 8 mph in peak periods and 9 mph in the daytime off-peak. Almost 1.2 billion passenger journeys were made on London Transport bus services last year.
Mr. Corbyn:
Is the Minister not ashamed to announce that bus speeds in London are hardly any more than they have been over the past 50 years? Indeed, they are getting slower. Is it not time to put some money into bus priority measures throughout London, including high-technology schemes that allow traffic lights to be changed in favour of
Sir George Young:
We have an elected transport authority for London and he is sitting beside me. As for resources, I agree and, this year, we are putting more financial support into the London bus priority network. Support and supplementary credit approvals total £9 million--a higher level than last year. I would like buses to run faster. London Transport predicts that, on completion of the London bus priority network, bus speeds should increase by 15 per cent.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that, with the introduction of the red route system, bus speeds and timings have improved, and that accidents have been reduced? If all that is the case, will he push ahead with the undoubted success of the red route scheme?
Sir George Young:
Like my hon. Friend, I am a London Member of Parliament. In my post this morning, I received, from the Association of London Government, a publication on red routes, and I was pleased to read in paragraph 3.4 that survey results showed that illegal parking was drastically reduced, that traffic delays were reduced, with journey times down by an average of 10 per cent., that variability of journeys fell by one third and that casualties--to pick up my hon. Friend's point--fell by 17 per cent. The results also showed that average traffic speed had increased, so the scheme is already yielding benefits, and we are determined to ensure that those benefits are further extended throughout London.
Mr. Allen:
Will the Secretary of State pass on best wishes to his colleague the Minister for Transport in London for the work of the bus working group, which he has set up to consider this problem and others in relation to the bus industry's deregulation? Does the Secretary of State accept that there is a growing consensus, with the Select Committee on Transport and the Chartered Institute of Transport, that the Government should consider bus reregulation to take away the worst effects of bus deregulation? Will he therefore press on his hon. Friend the case for finding parliamentary time to introduce some sensible proposals that will be supported by Labour Members? If he does not do that, will he be assured that we shall find time to do so when we take over on the Government Benches?
Sir George Young:
Those are idle promises. On the first part of the hon. Gentleman's suggestion, there is no move towards a reregulated system. The Select Committee did not suggest that the bus system be reregulated, but, within the context of a deregulated system, my hon. Friend the Minister is seeing what extra measures can be taken further to drive up the standards that bus passengers enjoy.
There is always pressure on the House for legislative time, but, if there are sensible proposals for building on the progress that we have already made in improving life for people who use buses, we shall certainly consider introducing legislation.
Mr. Harry Greenway:
Does my right hon. Friend agree that, since deregulation, London buses get into all the corners and parts of London, which they never hitherto did, and give a much better service? What does he think an elected or nominated mayor of London could achieve that has not been achieved?
Sir George Young:
My hon. Friend is right. There is no role for an elected authority in London between the London boroughs and the Department of Transport where, as I have already mentioned, we have a Minister for Transport in London who is making good progress in improving the quality of transport in London. My hon. Friend will know that the countdown system is being piloted along the Uxbridge road in Ealing and that we are in the process of evaluating that to find out whether there is a case for extending it throughout London.
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