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European Regional Development Fund (Kingsbridge)

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a substantial financial commitment will be forthcoming from the European regional development fund for economic regeneration in Kingsbridge, including the building of a swimming pool, bowling alley and associated facilities; and if he will make a statement as to what progress has been made with the European Commission to provide funding under objective 5b. [36954]

Sir Paul Beresford: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration wrote to the hon. Member on 3 July. There are on-going discussions, including with the European Commission. A decision will be reached as quickly as possible.

Area Cost Adjustment Review Team

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place a copy of the area cost adjustment review team's final report in the Library; what consultation will take place on this report; what timetable he proposes for its implementation; and if he will make a statement. [37402]

Sir Paul Beresford: The report of the review of the area cost adjustment was placed in the Library upon publication. The report will be discussed with the local authority associations. We shall also examine with them whether any consequential changes to other parts of the standard spending assessments would be required, if the recommendations of the review were adopted. We shall wish to consider the responses to the report in deciding what changes in the standard spending assessments should be made for 1997-98.

EU Funding

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total amount paid to United Kingdom local government from European Union sources in each of the past five years. [34867]

Mr. Waldegrave: I have been asked to reply.

15 Jul 1996 : Column: 351

The figures show the total amounts paid to local authorities from European Union sources through supply estimates:

1991-92: £172 million
1992-93: £198 million
1993-94: £301 million
1994-95: £112 million
1995-96: £156 million

Information on European Union payments to local authorities outside supply estimates is not held centrally by Treasury, and could be collected from individual Government Departments only at disproportionate cost.

TRANSPORT

Stagecoach

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received relating to the operations of Stagecoach in each of the last 12 months. [36852]

Mr. Norris: No central record is kept of the monthly total of representations received by my Department relating to specific transport operators, but about 20 letters have been received in the past year about the operations of Stagecoach or one of its subsidiaries.

East and West Coast Main Lines

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average age of (a) the locomotives and (b) the passenger rolling stock on the east coast and west coast main lines. [36832]

Mr. Watts: Precise figures would be available only at disproportionate cost. I have set out in the table details of the build dates of locomotives and passenger rolling stock on the east coast and west coast main lines.

EAST COAST MAIN LINE
Locomotives
31 Class 91s built between 1988 and 1991
22 Class 43 HST Power Cars built 1976-82
Coaches
283 Mark IV coaches for electric services built 1989-1992
76 Mark III HST trailer cars built 1976-82
WEST COAST MAIN LINE
Locomotives
18 Class 86s built 1965-66
35 Class 87s built 1973-75
15 Class 90s built 1987-90
7 Class HST Power Cars built 1976-1982
Coaches
138 Mark II built 1973-75
249 Mark III built 1975-79
38 Mark III built 1985
20 Mark III HST Trailer Cars built 1976-82
As at January 1996

15 Jul 1996 : Column: 352

Airline Pilots (Lariam)

Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Civil Aviation Authority advised that Lariam should not be administered to airline pilots; and what factors underlay this decision. [36874]

Mr. Norris: The Civil Aviation Authority's medical division has been advising against the use of Larium in response to specific inquiries for some years. The first general advice against the use of Lariam by aircrews was contained in an aeronautical information circular on malaria--reference AIC 2/1995 (Pink 107)--published on 12 January 1995. The circular explains the reasons for that advice. I have arranged for copies of the circular to be placed in the Library.

Transport and Works Act 1992

Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department are employed in the Transport and Works Act 1992 processing unit. [37002]

Mr. Norris: Six--one grade 7, two HEOS, two EOs and one AO.

Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the applications made under the Transport and Works Act 1992 which have been subject to public local inquiry with in each case the date he received the inspector's report and the date of the Secretary of State's decision. [37004]

Mr. Norris: The applications listed in the table have been subject to a public local inquiry and reports have been made to the relevant Secretary of State by the inspector. Unless otherwise indicated, the decision whether to make the orders rests with the Secretary of State for Transport.

Application	Date of receipt of inspector's report	Date of Secretary of State's decision
Usk Barrage	1 March 1995 (Secretary of State for Wales)	13 September 1995
East London Line Extension	17 February 1995	"Minded" letters issued on 27 September 1995 and 13 June 1996
Greater Manchester (LRTS) (Eccles) Extension	15 January 1996	Not yet determined
Greater Manchester (LRTS) (Airport Extension)	29 February 1996	Not determined

Highways Agency

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the terms of the redundancy settlement for former (a) directors and (b) other staff of the Highways Agency who (i) have left the service in the last 12 months and (ii) will be leaving in the next 12 months. [36897]

Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

15 Jul 1996 : Column: 353

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 15 July 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent question about the terms of the redundancy settlement for former (a) directors and (b) other staff in the Highways Agency who (i) have left in the last 12 months and (ii) will be leaving in the next 12 months.
All staff, including those at Director level, who have left the Highways Agency in the previous 12 months on redundancy, or who will be doing so in the next 12 months, have been or will retire on compulsory early retirement (CER) or compulsory early severance (CES) terms in accordance with the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) and the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent the Highways Agency overspent its budget in the last financial year; and what action was taken against those responsible for the overspend. [36896]

Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 15 July 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to rely to your recent question about expenditure against the Highways Agency's budget for 1995/96.

The Agency did not exceed its vote in 1995/96. Details of last year's expenditure will be published in the Agency's Annual Report later this month.

Rail Ticket Sales

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what enforcement measures are available in respect of train operating companies that do not comply with their licence obligation to give impartial sales advice on competitive routes. [37084]

Mr. Watts: The regulator's powers of enforcement are set out in sections 55 to 58 of the Railways Act 1993. Section 55 states that, where he is satisfied that an operator is contravening, or is likely to contravene, any relevant condition of his licence, the regulator shall make an order to secure compliance. Section 55(5) states that no order need be made if, for instance, the regulator is satisfied that the relevant operator has agreed to take, and is taking all such steps as are appropriate for the purpose of securing or facilitating compliance with the condition in question.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will halt further sales of train operating company franchises until a review is made of impartial ticket sales. [37055]

Mr. Watts: No.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the temporary moratorium on the enforcement of the licence conditions for train operating companies to give impartial ticket sales advice on competitive routes was introduced; and when it ended. [37085]

Mr. Watts: No such moratorium has ever existed.

15 Jul 1996 : Column: 354

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action has been taken against train operating companies that have not complied with their licence obligation to give impartial sales advice on competitive routes in each month since January. [37116]

Mr. Watts: The enforcement of licence obligations is a matter for the independent Rail Regulator. He has said that he will consider carefully any evidence which suggests that train operators are failing to fulfil their licence obligations.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will establish an independent national rail ticket sales organisation which can ensure that all rail passengers are given unbiased sales advice. [37054]

Mr. Watts: No. The sales of rail tickets is a matter for train operators, subject to the requirements on impartiality contained in their licences and policed by the independent Rail Regulator. The regulator has all the powers he needs to ensure that train operators comply with their licence obligations.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct the Rail Regulator to conduct an urgent review of rail ticket sales. [37053]

Mr. Watts: The independent Rail Regulator has already said that he intends shortly to launch a wide-ranging consultation exercise on the practical application of train operators' obligations on impartial ticket retailing.

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