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Jubilee Line Extension

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned to be carried out into the structural safety of the Jubilee line extension to the London underground system during its construction, and by which organisations. [11265]

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Mr. Bowis: This is a responsibility of London Transport, for which safety is the top priority. I understand that the Jubilee line extension construction safety record is commendable by the standards of the construction industry nationally.

Parliamentary Questions

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions, during the current parliamentary Session, answers to parliamentary questions which reveal information of a sort which is not normally disclosed, as defined in paragraph 5 of the guidance to officials on drafting answers to parliamentary questions, have been referred to him for a decision on whether or not a reply is given. [11285]

Sir George Young: None.

Coastguard Services

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the coastguard stations which are currently only on day watch; and what plans he has to restrict other coastguard stations to day watch operations over the next five years. [9761]

Mr. Bowis: No coastguard stations are currently on day watch only. There are no plans to restrict coastguard stations to day watch operations over the next five years.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) which coastguard stations he is planning to downgrade; [9763]

(2) if he will place a copy of the Coastguard agency five-year plan in the Library. [9762]

Mr. Bowis: There is no five-year plan for the Coastguard agency. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the agency's chief executive to develop a strategy for using the benefits of new communications technology to meet the expected requirements for distress monitoring and search and rescue co-ordination by Her Majesty's Coastguard into the 21st century. No strategy has yet been submitted. Coastguard staff will be consulted before any decisions are taken. In the meantime, we have no plans to downgrade any coastguard stations.

M11 Link Road

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on the M11 link road to date; and what is the current estimated total cost. [11058]

Mr. Bowis: Total spending to date is £176 million. The current estimated total cost is £340 million.

Driver Eyesight Standards

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers of groups 1 and 2 vehicles he estimates will be unable to meet the new eyesight standards set out in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1996. [11525]

Mr. Bowis: There are no changes in eyesight standards for group 1 drivers as a result of the new regulations. However, from 1 January 1998, group 1 drivers who obtained their licence before 1 January 1997 who, when renewing their licence, wish to retain the associated D1

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entitlement--minibuses--will have to meet the higher group 2 eyesight standards. It is not possible to determine the numbers of licence holders who may be affected.

Drivers of group 2 vehicles who obtained their licence before 1 January 1997, who are unable to meet the revised eyesight standards for such vehicles in the new regulations but who can continue to meet the standards applicable when they obtained their entitlement, may renew their licence provided that they are able to satisfy the Secretary of State that they have not been involved in a road accident in the preceding 10 years where defective eyesight was a contributory factor and that they have had recent adequate experience of driving these vehicles. The number of existing group 2 drivers falling below the new eyesight standards is estimated at 3,000. It is not possible to determine how many of these would be unable to satisfy the Secretary of State that their licences should be renewed.

Personalised Number Plates

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many personalised number plates there are in the ownership of the executive agencies operated by his Department; and if he will list them. [11412]

Mr. Bowis: There are none.

Marine Pollution Incidents

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents involving the discharge into the sea by merchant shipping of (a) noxious liquid substances and (b) pollution hazard substances took place in the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many successful prosecutions were brought. [11523]

Mr. Bowis: In 1996, 347 incidents of suspected discharges of noxious liquid or other polluting substances in contravention of international regulations were reported to the marine pollution control unit. The source of these suspected violations was identified on 30 occasions, of which 23 involved oil and seven involved other substances. Of these 30 cases, three were referred to the Treasury Solicitor or procurator fiscal and in eight cases it was considered more appropriate to refer to the relevant flag state for action. Ten cases remain under investigation.

Radar Equipment (Milford Haven)

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken to ensure the effective operation of radar equipment operating in the area of Milford Haven; what reports he has received regarding the effectiveness of the equipment on St. Ann's head since 1 January 1996; and if he will make a statement. [11350]

Mr. Bowis: The operation of this radar equipment is a matter for the Milford Haven port authority.

Overloaded Aircraft

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those airlines found to be operating overloaded aircraft during the last two years. [11512]

Mr. Bowis: The Civil Aviation Authority audits UK airlines to ensure, among other things, that aircraft are operated within the weight limitations specified in their

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performance manuals. Incidence of operations outside these limitations is very low. Details of such operations are not held centrally and the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Child Care Facilities

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if Ministers are entitled to use child care facilities supported by his Department. [11596]

Mr. Bowis: The only child care facilities provided by my Department in central London are provided through the interdepartmental Westminster holiday playscheme, which is subsidised by the Department. Ministers may apply to use the facilities in the same way as members of staff.

Driver Accident Rates

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the accident rate for drivers over the age of 70 years, and for each 10-year age group below 70 over the past 10 years. [11489]

Mr. Bowis: The latest available estimates are shown in the following table. The table shows that driver involvement rates in road injury accidents, in relation to the number of driving licence holders in the age group, fall with age. However, older car drivers and younger, mainly novice, drivers, drive fewer miles per year. When this reduced exposure to accident risk is taken into account, the table shows that, in relation to miles driven, the driver involvement rate increases for age groups over 60, and in relatively higher for 17 to 20-year-olds. There has been little change in relative rates between age groups since 1985-96.

Rate of car driver involvement in road injury accidents

Age band	1985-86		1993-95
	Per thousand(13) car driving licence holders	Per million vehicle kilometres	Per thousand(13) car driving licence holders	Per million vehicle kilometres
17-20	30	3.3	27	3.4
21-29	15	1.4	14	1.3
30-39	11	0.9	10	0.8
40-49	9	0.7	8	0.6
50-59	7	0.6	7	0.5
60-69	6	0.7	5	0.6
70+	6	0.9	5	0.9

(13) The rates for each car driver age group are expressed as car driver involvements in injury accidents in relation to the number of full licence holders in each age group. The 17 to 20 year age group does not take into account provisional licence holders because their driving mileage is relatively very low, and accompaniment while learning could reduce their accident involvement risk. Inclusion could unduly bias comparisons between age groups.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the programme of bridge inspection and strengthening associated with the use of 40-tonne lorries will be completed by 1 January 1999; and what is the present estimate of the cost of this programme. [10903]

Mr. Watts: The current programme of assessment and strengthening of highway structures is not associated purely with the use of 40-tonne lorries; it is also aimed at ensuring that these structures continue to be safe for use by the large numbers of 38-tonne vehicles that now use

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them. It is not the case that every structure on every road must be strengthened by 1 January 1999. Our objectives are that all assessments should have been completed by that date and that routes carrying significant flows of international traffic, including all trunk roads, should be capable of bearing 40-tonne lorries.

The trunk road network is the responsibility of the Highways Agency. The agency's latest estimate of the cost of assessing and strengthening trunk road structures alone is £450 million.

Other public roads are the responsibility of local highway authorities. Since 1991-92, my Department has made some £700 million available to local highway authorities for assessment and strengthening and a further £112 million is to be provided under the 1997-98 transport policies and programmes settlement. It is not possible at the present to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of outstanding assessment and strengthening work for local authority structures.

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