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Traffic Areas (Restructuring)
Mr. Booth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the proposed restructuring of the traffic areas. [39549]
Mr. Norris: A consultation paper setting out options was issued on 17 July. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Highways Agency
Mr. Hargreaves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Highways Agency annual report and accounts for 1995-96 will be published. [39612]
Mr. Watts: The Highways Agency annual report and accounts 1995-96 was published on Monday 22 July. Copies have been placed in the Library and are available on request from the Highways Agency.
Croydon Tramlink
Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Croydon Tramlink. [39614]
Mr. Norris: I am glad to report that I have authorised London Transport to finalise and then sign the concession agreement for Croydon Tramlink. This will mean that Tramtrack Croydon Ltd. will be able to build and operate the new system, which should open in the year 2000. The
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total central Government grant involved will be £125 million. Tramtrack Croydon Ltd. will also be making a significant financial contribution.
Croydon Tramlink will bring important benefits to public transport users in south London. It is an excellent example of how the Government's private finance initiative makes it possible to build projects which would not have been afforded if all the money had had to come from the taxpayer. I am delighted that, after careful negotiation, it has been possible to reach agreement between public and private sectors to take forward this worthwhile public transport scheme.
School Buses
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken to end the three for two concession for school buses; and what action he is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with the guidance issued by his Department. [39486]
Mr. Norris: The three for two concession for seats on school buses for children over the age of five but under 14 years old no longer applies when seats are equipped with belts. The Department has not issued any guidance notes on the application of the three for two concession.
Regulation of Railways Act 1871
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to repeal and replace the
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provision of the Regulation of Railways Act 1871 which sets up and publishes a report into railway accidents and if he will make a statement. [38544]
Mr. Watts: The Health and Safety Commission has recently undertaken a review of railway safety legislation, including the regulation of Railways Act 1871, and published its proposals in a consultative document. I await the commission's recommendations.
The Health and Safety at Works, etc. Act 1974 contains provisions under which accidents on the railway may be investigated and reports published.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the impact of (a) his policies and (b) the work of his Department in helping small businesses in the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors the impact and the statistical results of such monitoring. [39139]
Mr. Norris: The Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the UK economy and aim to help them by providing sound economic conditions--keeping inflation and interest rates low--by reducing legislative administrative and taxation burdens and, where appropriate, by providing direct assistance in the form of specialist advice and support and easing access to finance.
The recently published transport Green Paper recognised the central importance of maintaining a transport system that provides business with an efficient means of moving goods and raw materials around the country. The paper sets out the Government's assessment of the future for transport in the UK and the measures that need to be taken to meet the differing demands of the economy, the environment and the individual.
My Department has, like others, reviewed the regulations for which it is responsible to ensure that unnecessary or over burdensome regulation is cut back. When considering new regulations, we take particular account of the burden and cost regulations impose on small businesses.
Over the past 12 months, we have introduced measures to relax the regulation for signing tourist destinations. These now include provisions for signing of hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions which were previously excluded. We have also simplified the licensing arrangements for goods vehicle operators, 80 per cent. of whom run fewer than a total of four heavy goods vehicles. Previously, licences were granted for a maximum of four years at a time, but a system of continuous licensing is now in place.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many United Kingdom residents presently hold valid UK Merchant Navy certificates of competency in the marine engineer classes (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3 and (d) 4; [38540]
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(3) how many Merchant Navy certificates of equivalent competency have been issued. [38555]
Mr. Norris:
I have asked the chief executive of the Marine Safety Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 23 July 1996:
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance is issued by his Department to local authorities and developers in respect of carriageway traffic flow rates for new roads. [38991]
Mr. Norris:
The Department of Transport does not issue specific guidance on traffic flow rates for local authority roads. The Highways Agency's design manual for roads and bridges contains guidance on traffic flows on trunk roads. It is open to local authorities to determine the extent to which this guidance is relevant to their own road schemes.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the £3.462 million spent on the Leicester A46/A47 was for stage 1 design and construction. [38919]
Mr. Norris:
There is no requirement for the expenditure figures to be split between stages 1 and 2 and this information is not held by my Department. When the A46/A47 link road scheme was first accepted for transport supplementary grant it was for the entire scheme. The phasing of the scheme is entirely a matter for the local authority, Leicestershire county council.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the scope of relevant activities as defined in the Airports Act 1986 to include the monopoly provision of airside facilities to airlines; and if he will make a statement. [39459]
Mr. Norris:
Section 41 of the Airports Act 1986 empowers the Civil Aviation Authority to impose conditions on an airport if it considers that any unfair trade practices, or exploitation of the airport operators's bargaining position, are taking place in respect of any
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"relevant activities". The provision of airside facilities to airlines is deemed to be a "relevant activity" according to the definition in section 36 of that Act.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to ensure that professional drivers of LGV's have adequate rest and refreshment facilities at affordable prices. [39373]
Mr. Norris:
Motorway service areas have to contain designated number of parking spaces for lorries which can be used free of charge for at least two hours. Elsewhere, it is for commercial interests to decide, subject to planning permission, what facilities to provide and where, for lorry drivers as for other road users.
Mrs Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will initiate a review of the regulatory requirements imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority on United Kingdom carriers with particular reference to costs to airlines. [39505]
Mr. Norris:
No. The Civil Aviation Authority already takes account of the coats to industry in developing regulatory requirements.
(2) how many United Kingdom residents presently hold valid UK Merchant Navy certificates of competency in the deck officer classes (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4 and (e) 5; [38539]
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Questions about the number of UK residents who currently hold valid UK Merchant Navy Certificates of Competency in Marine Engineer and Deck Officer classes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and the number of Certificates of Equivalent Competency which have been issued since they were introduced.
I regret that I cannot answer your two questions about UK residents holding certificates of competency because the information is not held in the form requested and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
In answer to your third question, 26 Certificates of Equivalent Competency have been issued since they were introduced on 1 August 1995.
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