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TRANSPORT
Salvage Tugs
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he hopes to implement Lord Donaldson's recommendation in respect of the stationing of salvage tugs around the coast of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [31439]
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 333
Mr. Norris: Emergency towing vessels were stationed, as a trial, at Dover and Stornoway as a result of recommendations made by Lord Donaldson's inquiry and the emergency towing study team. The next highest priority identified by the inquiry and by the emergency towing study team was the south western approaches. On the basis of our experience with the tugs in Dover and Stornoway over the last two winters, we shall station a tug at both these locations again next winter; further, we have decided to place a third tug in the south western approaches next winter. We will shortly be inviting competitive tenders for that contract.
Civil Servants (Duties Abroad)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent during the financial years 1994-95 and 1995-96 on sending civil servants accompanying Ministers from his Department on official duties abroad. [32418]
Sir George Young: Information on such visits was placed in the Library in response to an earlier question from the hon. Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Hall) on 11 March 1996, Official Report, column 474. No further overseas visits were made in the financial year 1995-96.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those constituencies he has visited in the last three months on official business and those constituencies he intends to visit in the next three months; and if he will make a statement. [32335]
Sir George Young: I am placing the information requested in the Library.
Heavy Goods Vehicle Licences
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the changes that will affect licences held by HGV drivers as a result of the implementation of EC directive 5415/96. [32778]
Mr. Norris: The European Commission proposal for a Council directive amending directive 91/439/EEC is to introduce the use of a set of codes on licences to signify conditions under which licences may be used. It also provides for the formation of a committee of national experts to undertake minor changes to the codes, and more generally minor changes of a scientific and technical nature to the annexes to directive 91/439/EEC. Driving licences, including those for large goods vehicle drivers, first issued or renewed after the directive comes into force would be required to include codes appropriate to their conditions of use, and may be subject, in so far as they are relevant, to other, minor changes of a scientific and technical nature as agreed by the committee.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for transport if he will list the number of drivers entitled to drive (a) class 1 HGVs and (b) class 2 HGVs. [32779]
Mr. Norris: Class 1 and class 2 HGV licences were replaced in 1991 by EC driving licence categories which have a different basis. Numbers of pre-1991 HGV licences are not now held in disaggregated form, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 334
London Underground (Investment)
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what levels of investment were planned by his Department in 1992 in the London Underground for the period 1992 to 2000; and what was the level of investment (a) made in 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96 at (i) outturn and (ii) 1996 prices and (b) planned at 1996-97 prices for 1996-97 and successive years until 1999-2000. [32705]
Mr. Norris: Investment in London Underground is planned by London Transport, not the Government. The information requested is set out in the tables:
| Year | Outturn prices | 1996-97 prices |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 480 | 516 |
| 1994-95 | 503 | 531 |
| 1995-96 | 485 | 490 |
| Year | 1996-97 prices (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 360 |
| 1997-98 | 446 |
| 1998-99 | 522 |
| 1999-2000 | 622 |
Figures supplied by London Transport.
Aircraft Inspections
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions, and for what reasons, aircraft operated by (a) Air Operations of Europe and (b) Air Operations of Sweden have been grounded or had their take-off delayed by the Civil Aviation Authority. [32797]
Mr. Norris: None. However, the Swedish civil aviation authority withdrew the certification of airworthiness for one aircraft operated by Air Operations of Europe in May 1995 when severe corrosion was found by engineers during routine maintenance at Heathrow. If the Swedish authorities had not taken prompt action once the fault had been uncovered, the Civil Aviation Authority would have issued a direction to prevent the aircraft from flying. The certificate of Airworthiness was restored by the Swedish authorities when the fault had been rectified.
At the request of the Department, the CAA undertook ramp checks of two further aircraft operated by Air Operations of Europe. These inspections did not delay the take-off of the aircraft concerned.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of inspection reports compiled by the Civil Aviation Authority as a result of inspections undertaken on aircraft operated by Air Operations of Europe and Air Operations of Sweden. [32799]
Mr. Norris:
The CAA did not produce reports of the two inspections carried out on aircraft belonging to Air Operations of Europe, which has now ceased trading.
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 335
However, they provided the Department with advice on the condition of the aircraft. That advice concluded that the aircraft concerned were airworthy. The CAA has not carried out any inspections on aircraft operated by Air Operations of Sweden.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by airport for each of the last five years the number of inspections of aircraft undertaken by the Civil Aviation Authority and the number of aircraft that (a) were grounded and (b) had their take-off delayed. [32798]
Mr. Norris:
The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the usage of the cross-wind 23/05 runway at Heathrow in the last 12 months. [32788]
Mr. Norris:
Data provided by national air traffic services shows that the crosswind 23/05 runway at Heathrow was used for 23 landings in the 12 months up to 31 May 1996.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the declared runway and terminal capacities for Heathrow and Gatwick airports. [32790]
Mr. Norris:
This is a matter for BAA plc.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the current terminal and runway throughputs for Heathrow and Gatwick airports together with the percentage usage of available capacity these represent. [32791]
Mr. Norris:
I understand from BAA plc, that the current terminal and runway throughputs for Heathrow and Gatwick airports are as follows:
| Throughput | Terminal passengers | Air transport movements |
|---|---|---|
| Year to May 1996 | Thousands | |
| Heathrow | 54,886.3 | 422,337 |
| Gatwick | 23,082.2 | 200,955 |
The capacities of Heathrow and Gatwick airports are a matter for BAA plc.
British Airways
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of UK air transport is held by British Airways and its franchisees. [32793]
Mr. Norris: British Airways and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Brymon Airways, contributed 58.3 per cent. of all available tonne kilometres offered by UK airlines in 1995. A further 1 per cent. of ATK was contributed by BA's franchise partner airlines.
Transatlantic Airline Alliance
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what instructions he has given to his officials who have been sent to Washington to support the British Airways/American Airlines alliance. [32803]
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 336
Mr. Norris: No officials have been sent to Washington DC to support the proposed British Airways/American Airlines alliance. Informal contacts between the US and officials of this Department have continued since the UK broke off air services negotiations last year.
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