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Bridges
Mr. Simon Coombs: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the bridge strengthening programme will be completed by 1999; and if it will be necessary to impose weight restrictions on strategically important bridges. [39265]
Mr. Watts: The bridge strengthening programme will continue for a number of years after 1999. We do not envisage that it will be necessary to impose weight restrictions on strategically important bridges.
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 144
Heavy Goods Vehicle Drivers
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the number of accidents involving newly qualified HGV drivers in the last year. [39337]
Mr. Norris: Information on heavy goods vehicle accidents is not available in this form. In 1995, HGV drivers aged between 21 and 24 were involved in 850 injury accidents.
MOT Certificates
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many MOT test certificates have been stolen in each of the last five years. [39338]
Mr. Norris: I have asked the chief executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 23 July 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question on the number of MOT certificates stolen over the past 5 years.
Details of the number of MOT certificates stolen from garages are shown below:
1991/92: 113,361
1992/93: 160,666
1993/94: 170,000
1994/95: 60,868
1995/96: 51,694
Publicity
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed full time or part time (a) to provide information and publicity and (b) on press and media in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1994-95 and (iii) 1993-94.[39430]
Mr. Norris: The figures sought are as follows:
(a) (i) 9 full-time publicity officers
(a) (ii) 9 full-time publicity officers
(a) (iii) 9 full-time publicity officers
(b) (i) 20 full-time press officers
(b) (ii) 17 full-time press officers
(b) (iii) 19 full-time press officers
1995-96: 13.5
1994-95: 16.5
1993-94: 11.2
Mr. Norris: The following staff are employed in the Department.
(i) (a) 14 Full-time Press Officers
(ii) (a) 1 Part-time Press Officer
(i) (b) 7 Full-time Publicity Officers
(ii) (b) None
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Working Time Directive
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to introduce United Kingdom legislation and promote compliance within the transport industry with the EU working time directive. [39388]
Mr. Norris: None. Transport industries are excluded from the scope of the directive.
Vehicle Relicensing (Post Offices)
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he has taken since 1990 to increase the number of post offices contracted with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for vehicle relicensing services; what measure he takes to ensure that the DVLA's estimates of costs in adding post offices to its contracted network are reasonable and accurate; and if he will make a statement. [38952]
Mr. Norris: The question of adding offices to the vehicle relicensing network and the cost forms part of the contractual arrangements between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and Post Office Counters Ltd. These are currently under review as part of negotiations to agree a new contract. Since the last contract was let in 1989, some 400 offices have been added to the network. The current network of 4,000 vehicle relicensing post offices will be extended only if it can be shown to be cost-effective and does not merely add to the cost of collecting vehicle excise duty.
Motorway Accidents
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) accidents and (b) fatalities occurred on (i) the hard shoulder of motorways and (ii) in vehicles stationary on the hard shoulder in the last year. [39399]
Mr. Norris: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Accidents | Fatalities | |
|---|---|---|
| All accidents on the lay-by/hard shoulder(3) | 150 | 11 |
| Accidents involving a stationary vehicle on the lay-by/hard shoulder(4) | 88 | 5 |
(3) Includes vehicles entering, on, or leaving the lay-by/hard shoulder.
(4) Involving a vehicle parked on the lay-by/hard shoulder.
Public Service Vehicles
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to ensure that members of the public have access to details of prohibitions received by operators of public service vehicles. [39487]
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Mr. Norris: We have recently completed a public consultation exercise on proposals for the Vehicle Inspectorate to make available on demand information about prohibitions issued by its examiners to both public service and heavy goods vehicle operators following roadside enforcement checks.
The consultation document also proposed the release of information about operator convictions and about annual roadworthiness tests for individual heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles.
We are currently considering the responses received during the consultation period.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what checks are being undertaken to ensure the financial standing and viability of the application for an operator licence submitted to the north eastern traffic area office in the name of Willerby 93; and if he plans to grant the licence. [39356]
Mr. Norris:
The consideration of applications for operator licences is the responsibility of independent traffic commissioners. I have asked Mr. Keith Waterworth, the traffic commissioner for the north-eastern traffic area, to respond directly.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to join the European Vignette system. [39339]
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider introducing an amnesty from prosecution for those drivers who are prepared to confess their own breaches of the law where those breaches were encouraged or actively sought by the employer. [39375]
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional resources he has allocated to the Coastguard agency to implement the recommendations of the inquiry into the Lyme bay tragedy. [39359]
Mr. Norris:
None. The report of the inquiry stated that the recommendations could be implemented with the existing personnel and other resources of the Coastguard agency.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission an efficiency scrutiny of the Civil Aviation Authority; and if he will make a statement. [39460]
Mr. Norris:
No. There are already a number of mechanisms in place in the Civil Aviation Authority to foster efficiency.
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Mr. Mans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information on recruitment his Department is required to publish; if he will make this information available for the Central Transport Group for 1995; and if he will make a statement. [39659]
Mr. Norris:
The Civil Service Order in Council 1995 authorises the civil service commissioners to require departments and agencies to publish summary information
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 148
about their recruitment and the use of permitted exceptions to the principles of fair and open competition and selection on merit.
| Status | Breakdown showing women, ethnic minority and people with disabilities successful at each level | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Number in grade 31 December 1995 | Number of posts recruited 1 January to 31 December 1995 | FTA(5) | Permanent | Female | Ethnic minority | Disability (male and female) |
| G5 | 68 | 2 | 2 | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| G7 | 271 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| EO | 368 | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 (male) |
| Administrative Trainee | 12 | 9 | -- | 9 | 4 | -- | -- |
| AO | 488 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | -- | 2 (male) |
| AA | 155 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 7 | -- | 5 (male) |
| PS | 103 | 1 | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | -- |
| SGB2 | 16 | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 1 (male) |
| Casual Students | 5 | 6 | 6 | -- | 3 | -- | -- |
| Higher Scientific Officer | 5 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Economic Assistant | 5 | 4 | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
| Assistance Information Officer | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Total | 1,500 | 50 | 22 | 28 | 22 | 0 | 9 (male) |
(5) Fixed term appointment.
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 147
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 147
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