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PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 April. [25034]
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 April. [25035]
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 74
The Prime Minister: This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Lake Kojanovskoe, Russia
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had at the Groups of Eight nuclear safety and security summit in Moscow of radioactive contamination of Lake Kojanovskoe. [25530]
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 75
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 April 1996]: The specific questions of contamination levels in Lake Kojanovskoe did not arise at the summit.
Third-party Liability Convention
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what reasons he had from the Ukraine and Russia in respect of the signature and ratification of the Vienna convention on third-party liability. [25531]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 April 1996]: I understand that both Russia and the Ukraine have indicated that they intend to join the Vienna convention. As a first step, both are currently in the process of developing compatible national legislation.
Beef Industry
Sir Julian Critchley: To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in respect of requiring the feed and meat processing industries to make a contribution to the culling of the nation's cows. [24480]
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food made a statement to the House on 16 April, Official Report, columns 513-16, covering measures for the removal of cattle over 30 months of age from the human food chain, and on the possibility of a selective cull of animals potentially at high risk from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Tropical Rainforests
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those projects concerned with the conservation of tropical rainforests, or species within them, funded through the global environment facility, together with the sums of money which have been committed internationally to each project; and if he will indicate if each project forms part of biodiversity action plans published by the Governments of the countries in which the projects are located. [25925]
Mr. Hanley: The information is not readily available. We are consulting the secretariat of the global environment facility and will reply as soon as possible.
TRANSPORT
Public Transport (Investment)
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been invested in public transport over the last five years; and what was the percentage change for each of those years. [25243]
Mr. Norris: The figures are given in the table. They comprise estimates of public and private investment in London Transport, national railways and local public transport.
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 76
| Total public transport £ million | Percentage difference (year on year) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 1,850 | -- |
| 1992-93 | 2,370 | +28 |
| 1993-94 | 2,220 | -6 |
| 1994-95 | 2,100 | -5 |
| 1995-96 | 2,290 | +9 |
Train Engine Units (Fires)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fires there have been in high-speed train engine units in each of the last five years. [25505]
Mr. Watts: This information is not available in the form requested. Table 12A of Her Majesty's railway inspectorate's annual report on railway safety for 1994-95, a copy of which is in the Library, lists the number of train fires by type of vehicle but does not distinguish between the engine units and the coaches of high-speed trains. The total number of fires in high-speed trains is shown in the following table:
| Type of vehicle | High-speed Trains |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 12 |
| 1992-93 | 9 |
| 1993-94 | 15 |
| 1994-95 | 5 |
Figures for 1995-96 are not yet available.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety procedures are in place for dealing with fires in engine units of high-speed trains. [25506]
Mr. Watts:
The engine compartments of high-speed train power cars are equipped with a fire detection system that is alarmed in the driving cab. A fire suppression system is also provided.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct the Health and Safety Executive to investigate (a) the cause of and (b) the safety procedures following the fire in the engine unit of the 17.35 service from London to Plymouth, at Bristol Parkway station, on 7 April. [25504]
Mr. Watts:
The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate has inquired into the incident.
The fire was caused by a component failure in the engine fuel system. Remedial action is in hand.
Safety procedures at the time of the incident involved summoning the fire service, which attended promptly, and separating the vehicle on fire from the rest of the train.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice has been issued by his Department on the implementation of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment recommendations on environmental assessment of road schemes. [25843]
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 77
Mr. Norris:
Revised and expanded guidance on the environmental assessment of trunk road schemes was issued in 1993 as volume 11 of the design manual for roads and bridges. This is kept under review and updated as necessary.
Mr. Denham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new road signs have been ordered for the Bursledon-Nursling section of the M27; when they were placed in storage; at what cost they were purchased; and when he expects them to be installed. [25762]
Mr. Watts:
I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. John Denham, dated 23 April 1996:
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to make it compulsory for details of accident damage to be entered on motor vehicle registration documents with the name of the insurance company where appropriate and relevant. [25419]
Mr. Norris:
Such an endorsement did appear on the old-style green logbook. The practice ceased in 1971 because it was found that it could give a false impression of a vehicle's condition. Some vehicles which were assumed to be unroadworthy were in fact repaired to a high standard. This reason is still valid today.
Officials are, however, discussing with the insurance industry and the police the possibility of making available to the public information on total loss vehicles.
Mr. Butterfill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 26 February, Official Report, column 340, in respect of projections of future road congestion, what assessment he has made of the extent to which it will be practicable and economic for the railways to enlarge their market share of goods and passenger traffic to alleviate likely road congestion; and what proposals he has to quantify this. [25865]
Mr. Watts:
It is not possible to quantify the potential impact in general terms of an expansion of the railways on national road congestion, although it can make important local differences. Liberalisation and privatisation will improve the ability of rail to attract and retain passenger and freight traffic.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has given to the franchising director in respect of train operating companies guaranteeing disabled access to train services. [25503]
23 Apr 1996 : Column: 78
Mr. Watts:
None. The Rail Regulator is responsible for protecting the interests of disabled rail passengers. All train and station operators are required to submit for the regulator's approval a disabled people's protection policy, as a condition of being granted a licence to operate. Details of the accessibility of rolling stock were set out in my answer of 19 April to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms Short), Official Report, column 632.
The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about road signs for the Bursledon Nursling section of the M27.
No new road signs have been ordered for this section of the M27. 14 variable message signs are being recovered from the M25 during the widening works. These signs are being stored and will be installed on the M27 when funds become available for this work.
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