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Air Crashes

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) civilian light aircraft and (b) helicopter crashes have taken place in each of the last five years, giving the figures to the latest available date. [1152]

Mr. Bowis: The number of accidents involving civilian light aircraft, with a maximum total authorised weight below 2,300 kg, and helicopters in each of the last five years is as follows:

	Light aircraft	Helicopter
1992	8	3
1993	3	5
1994	11	3
1995	8	1
1996 (to date)	8	4

These figures include mid-air collisions and collisions with ground, water or wires, but not accidents occurring on the ground at aerodromes.

Air Traffic Control

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many aircraft were affected by the air traffic control delays occurring on 23 August. [1446]

4 Nov 1996 : Column: 366

Mr. Bowis: I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that on August 23 there were 5,072 flights through UK airspace, of which 740 were delayed by more than 10 minutes as a result of air traffic control restrictions in both UK and European airspace.

Traffic Enforcement

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those measures undertaken by his Department to improve the targeting of vehicle and traffic enforcement. [1505]

Mr. Bowis: 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 4 November 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning measures undertaken by the Department to improve the targeting of vehicle and traffic enforcement.

To improve our targeting capability, the Vehicle Inspectorate has done, or is doing, the following:
(a) Since November 1991, we have recorded all checks on mechanical condition of vehicles on a computerised database to enable identification of Operators with a poor history or whose vehicles have not been seen.
(b) We are currently linking annual test results to Operators, again to identify those with a poor history.
(c) We have trialled weigh-in-motion sensors which may have a role to improve the selection of vehicles brought in for weighing and the times of the day that weight checks should be run. The results are currently being evaluated.
(d) Over the next 12 months, we will be equipping all our Vehicle and Traffic Examiners with laptop computers so that they have access at the roadside to substantial parts of our operator and vehicle records. Through either mobile telephones or mobile data links, they will have access to all records.
(e) This year we are setting up 6 regional intelligence units to improve the collection and analysis of information.
(f) This year key targets for VI were agreed which give greater emphasis to the outcomes of our work, rather than the inputs, and which encourage Examiners to target their work. These targets will be developed further next year to encourage concentration on more serious cases.

HGV Spot Checks

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the number of silent checks aimed at detecting drivers interfering with tachograph records for each of the last 12 months; [1514]

(2) what percentage of heavy goods vehicle spot-checks were undertaken (a) between the hours of 1900 and 0600 on weekdays and (b) at weekends for each of the last two years. [1515]

Mr. Bowis: I have asked the chief executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate executive agency to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ron Oliver to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 4 November 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the number of silent checks aimed at detecting drivers interfering with tachograph records for each of the last 12 months; and the percentage of HGV spot-checks undertaken (a) between the hours of 1900 and 0600 on weekdays and (b) at weekends for each of the last 2 years .

4 Nov 1996 : Column: 367

Details of the number of vehicles silent checked with the aim of detecting tachograph interference are as follows:

Month	HGV	PSV	Total
1995
October	404	96	500
November	605	46	651
December	630	(15)3,799	4,429
1996
January	246	535	781
February	262	140	402
March	310	172	482
April	477	78	555
May	447	149	596
June	632	698	1,330
July	576	866	1,442
August	756	354	1,110
September	305	122	427




(15) The use of this resource as a significant PSV enforcement tool was reviewed and as a result a special nationwide exercise was carried out in December.

Data on the percentage of HGV spot checks undertaken a) between 1900 and 0600 on weekdays and b) at weekends is not available separately. The total percentage of out-of-hours spot checks carried out between 1900 and 0600 and at weekends (against an agreed 5% minimum target) for each of the last 2 financial years is:
1994/95: 9.25%
1995/96: 7.49%.

Rail Driver Fatigue

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures his Department has put in place to ensure that the research currently being undertaken by British Rail on the effects of driver fatigue will be disseminated to all rail operating companies. [1435]

Mr. Watts: This is a matter for British Rail and the Health and Safety Executive. BR will be disseminating the information to the train operating companies which are under BR's ownership at the time the study report is issued. BR has undertaken to convey any findings which have a significance for safety to other train operators.

HSE is aware of the project and will be discussing the results with BR and the researcher. HSE will ensure that any implications for safety are drawn to the attention of those operators which need to be made aware of the results.

Air Bags (Children)

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned on the dangers posed by air bags to children in rear-facing child seats. [1469]

Mr. Bowis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 October 1996, Official Report, column 11.

Air Security

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each of the last three years the number of inspections undertaken by Transec staff on (a) airlines, (b) airports in the United Kingdom and (c) overseas airports. [1433]

4 Nov 1996 : Column: 368

Mr. Bowis: UK airlines and airports, as well as those foreign airlines operating in the UK, were subject to the following number of security inspections in each of the last three years. Figures are also shown for the number of visits to overseas airports to assess the security afforded to and conducted by British airlines.

	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96
Airlines	504	433	663
Airports	475	583	531
Overseas	101	72	33
Totals	1,080	1,088	1,227

Inspectors visited UK airports and airlines on many other occasions, mainly to audit and test their operations.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by airport the number of security breaches recorded by Transec for the last 12 months. [1508]

Mr. Bowis: It would be inappropriate for security reasons to provide this information. Whenever breaches are identified, appropriate rectification action is taken.

Re-signing (London)

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the decision was taken to postpone the re-signing project in London; and when he expects work to commence. [1470]

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

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 4 November 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent question about when the decision was taken to postpone the re-signing project in London and when he expects work to commence.
The decision was taken at the end of September. It remains a high priority project and will be back in the programme as and when funding allows.

Driving Tests

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions in each of the last five years driving test candidates have been allowed to proceed with a driving test without a signed driving licence. [1438]

Mr. Bowis: Mandatory presentation of a signed driving licence by a candidate to an examiner at the start of a driving test was not introduced until 1 July 1996. We are unaware of any ordinary driving tests that have proceeded since that date where the candidate did not hold a valid licence or evidence that such a licence existed.

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