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Nuclear Waste (Transportation)

Dr. John Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to approve the arrangements for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. to transfer crated plutonium contaminated material from its site at Drigg to the waste treatment complex at Sellafield; and if he will make a statement. [8911]

Mr. Watts: The arrangements will be approved when the small number of outstanding safety issues have been resolved to the Department's satisfaction. These are subject to ongoing discussions between the Department and BNFL.

Utilities (Transport Schemes)

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend the regulations making utilities liable for 18 per cent. of the costs of diversionary works for major transport schemes. [9293]

Mr. Watts: I am discussing this issue with ministerial colleagues.

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contributions were made by utility companies towards the costs of diversionary works for major transport schemes, including street-running tramways, in each year since 1992. [9296]

Mr. Watts: This information is not held centrally. However, no contributions would have been made under the relevant provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 before they came into effect on 1 January 1993.

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Staff

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for his Department (a) how many people in total are employed, (b) how many of the total number of staff are (i) male and (ii) female and (c) how many (I) men and (II) women are employed on a (1) full-time and (2) part-time basis. [9481]

Mr. Bowis: The figures as at 1 December 1996 are:

	Total
(a) Number of employees	13,419
(b) (i) Number of males	7,414
(b) (ii) Number of females	6,005
(c) (I) (1) Number of full-time men	7,233
(c) (I) (2) Number of part-time men	181
(c) (II) (1) Number of part-time women	4,477
(c) (II) (2) Number of part-time women	1,528

Blackwall Tunnel

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the name of the company owning the vehicle which caused the closure of the Blackwall tunnel on 10 December and if he will make a statement; [9313]

(2) if he will make a statement on the circumstances and consequences of the closure of the Blackwall tunnel on 10 December; and what estimate has he made of the likely cost of the incident to businesses in London arising from traffic congestion during that day; [9315]

(3) what legal action he intends to take against the driver and owners of the vehicle which damaged the Blackwall tunnel on 10 December; [9314]

(4) what damage was caused to the Blackwall tunnel by the incident on 10 December; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost of repair work. [9312]

Mr. Bowis [holding answer 16 December 1996]: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Mr. Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Tony Banks, dated 17 December 1996:

The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent questions about the incident at the northern entrance to the Blackwall Tunnel on the 10th December.

The circumstances on 10th December which resulted in the closure for some ten hours of the southbound Blackwall Tunnel are as follows. At approximately 2.30 pm the boom of a crane mounted on a lorry struck a sign gantry located 30 yards before the entrance of the southbound tunnel. No damage was caused to the tunnel itself, but the gantry was so badly damaged that it had to be removed completely. It took until just after midnight to complete this operation which necessitated the southbound tunnel being closed from 2.30 pm to 00.30 am. In addition the northbound tunnel had to be closed for about one hour while the central support was removed.

The gantry carried essential lane-control signing used for operating the contraflow system during the morning peak, and without it two way traffic cannot operate safely. Manual control of the contra flow system is not a viable option for safety reasons.

There was widespread traffic congestion in East London caused by the closure of the southbound tunnel. Some traffic diverted to the Dartford crossing and the Woolwich Ferry ran an extended service until 10.00 pm to assist with the diverted traffic. On subsequent

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mornings there have also been queues approaching the northbound tunnel, as two way traffic has not been able to use the southbound tunnel.

The Highways Agency recognises that this incident has caused considerable delays and inconvenience with a subsequent cost effect to businesses and has worked to bring the contraflow system back into operation at the earliest possible opportunity. We cannot make a realistic estimate of the losses.

Estimates of repair costs are at this stage preliminary but demolition and the installation of a temporary and then a permanent gantry are likely to cost in excess of one hundred thousand pounds.

The Highways Agency has, at present, no confirmed report of the name of the company owning the vehicle that caused the closure of the tunnel. A full report of the incident is awaited from the police. When we receive full details of the incident we intend to seek to recover the costs of a replacement gantry from the owner of the lorry involved.

Air Service Negotiations

Mr. Bill Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department requested from the Civil Aviation Authority a balance of benefits analysis for the renegotiation of the United States-United Kingdom air service agreements, Bermuda 2, in 1995. [9187]

Mr. Bowis: The UK-US air negotiations in 1995 concerned small-scale changes to Bermuda 2 rather than a full renegotiation. The Department of Transport asked the Civil Aviation Authority to estimate the possible costs and benefits to UK airlines of certain specific features of the proposed deal, notably a modest relaxation of restrictions on flights to London from Chicago and Philadelphia, and some new code-sharing opportunities.

Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if it is his Department's policy in the context of significant air service negotiations to request from the Civil Aviation Authority a balance of benefits analysis; [9189]

(2) if he will list all the air service agreements negotiated over the last three years for which the Civil Aviation Authority was requested to provide a balance of benefits analysis. [9188]

Mr. Bowis: It is not the Department of Transport's policy to request an all-encompassing "balance of benefits" analysis from the Civil Aviation Authority before conducting air service negotiations, especially those which have the objective of general liberalisation. However, we regularly commission a cost-benefit analysis from the CAA when limited and specific commercial rights are under negotiation, and CAA staff are always invited to participate in air services negotiations, including preparatory UK delegation meetings.

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many European member states have negotiated with the United States open skies agreements which grant fifth freedom rights to United States carriers. [9114]

Mr. Bowis [holding answer 13 December 1996]: We understand that the US has reached such agreements with the following European countries:

Austria

Belgium

Denmark

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Finland

Germany

Iceland

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

Switzerland.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations his Department has made to the United States Government regarding the restrictions imposed on United Kingdom airlines within the United States aviation market; and if he will make a statement; [9113]

(2) in what circumstances his Department will grant fifth freedom rights to United States carriers; and if he will make a statement; [9115]

(3) what are the United Kingdom's objectives for the renegotiation of the US-UK air service agreements (Bermuda 2); and if he will make a statement. [9112]

Mr. Bowis [holding answer 13 December 1996]: The Secretary of State's objective in the current negotiations with the US on air services is to reach a liberal aviation arrangement to the benefit of the UK. Both access to the internal US market and fifth freedom rights are being discussed within the current negotiations.

Road Safety Research

Mr. Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide a list of research projects, together with their start and end dates, initiated or planned in preparation for the setting of road safety targets after the year 2000; and if he will provide a summary of the aims and the work being undertaken within each project. [9319]

Mr. Bowis: We have only one research project planned or in progress on road safety targets after the year 2000--"Analysis and Exposure Monitoring Requirements for Post 2000 Targets". The project started on 17 June 1996 and is due to end on 16 June 1998.

The aim of this study is to provide analysis of past and future trends in casualty reductions in order to help develop soundly based new road safety targets post-2000.

The research will involve a systematic analysis of trends in casualty numbers taking account of current assumptions about traffic growth, demographic change, and other relevant factors. Possible new measures for casualty reduction which would be required to achieve a new target will be evaluated and costed. It will also consider how a future target should be monitored and future requirements for vulnerable road user exposure data.

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of reference are of the evaluation of the hazard perception testing working party set up by the road safety division of his Department; what its membership is; what progress it has made; and when it is expected to report. [9424]

Mr. Bowis: We are at present considering membership for an advisory group on the possible future use of hazard perception testing. Initial approaches have been made to

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several representative groups including: the Transport Research Laboratory, the Driving Standards Agency, DriveSafe Services Ltd. who administer the theory test for learner drivers, driver instruction bodies, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, the Northern Ireland Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency, and other experts. There are no plans to ask any group to produce a report: the aim is to provide the Department with a source of advice.

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