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Consul (Krakow)
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to appoint a consul located in the city of Krakow. [14309]
Mr. Hanley:
The appointment of an honorary consul in Krakow was approved in principle but the candidate was unable to take up the post. It is now our intention to make an appointment by the end of 1997.
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 61
Light Rapid Transit Systems
8. Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the criteria he applies in assessing financial support for light rapid transit systems. [13352]
Mr. Watts: To qualify for funding through section 56 grant, a light rail scheme must be shown to be able to operate at a profit, and the benefits of the system to non-users must be greater than the funding gap.
Crime (London Underground)
16. Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to tackle crime and its causes on the London Underground. [13360]
Mr. Bowis: Recorded crime on the underground has fallen in six of the last seven years as a result of measures taken by London Transport, The british transport police, local authorities and the Government. I have established and chair a secure stations national steering group which will be promoting safety measures for passengers and staff at rail and underground stations.
Road Improvements (Thames Gateway)
17. Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his current priorities are for road improvements in the Thames gateway area. [13361]
Mr. Bowis: The "Transport Strategy for London" and the "Thames Gateway Planning Framework" outline road improvements for the Thames gateway area. Major priorities are improvements to the A13, trunk roads in north-west Kent and the proposed package of east Thames crossings.
Rail Privatisation
18. Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many former British Rail train operating companies are now in private hands. [13362]
Mr. Watts: Eighteen franchises are now being operated by private sector franchisees.
European Transport Network
19. Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet his European Union counterparts to discuss support for regional transport systems feeding into the European network.[13363]
Sir George Young:
I have no plans to do so, but my noble Friend the Viscount Goschen, who is the designated Minister for European transport matters, plans to attend the European Transport Council meeting to be held on 11 and 12 March.
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 62
20. Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has held in respect of future charges on the Dartford-Thurrock toll crossing. [13364]
21. Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the limit of Government support for roads funded by private finance initiatives sponsored by local councils; and what account he will take of this limit in determining whether to support a bid to build the Dorchester relief road under the private finance initiative.[13365]
Mr. Watts:
The regulations for local authority PFI enable authorities to build any self-financing schemes which meet specified risk transfer tests. For schemes where local authorities will be purchasers of design, build, finance and operate services, assistance with future payments can be given through a notional credit approval. The Treasury has agreed to initial resources of £200 million for notional credit approvals to English local authority PFI schemes in 1997-98.
This includes £35 million for transport projects in 1997-98. I stress that this is an initial and provisional figure. Provisional quotas may be redistributed if local authorities have more success in some project areas than others in generating acceptable PFI projects.
A number of highway authorities, including Dorset county council, have expressed their interest in developing DBFO schemes. If satisfactory business cases are proposed, the Department of Transport will seek Treasury agreement to the notional credit approvals which may be required.
22. Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of journeys are made by public transport in (a) Britain and (b) the rest of the European Union. [13366]
Sir George Young:
The information available for the rest of the EU suggests that travel by car accounted for 84 per cent. of passenger kilometres in 1994, compared to 16 per cent. for bus and rail travel. Equivalent figures for Great Britain are 89 per cent. and 11 per cent. respectively.
23. Mr. McKelvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to encourage investment in the railway infrastructure. [13367]
Mr. Watts:
Privatisation of Railtrack, the rail infrastructure provider, has freed rail investment from the constraints of public sector funding. Investment can now be planned and made in response to commercial need. Railtrack has every incentive to invest in the rail network because of the contractual matrix set up between it and the rail operators--including a challenging performance regime.
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 63
Railtrack is due to publish its network management statement shortly which will contain detailed plans of how Railtrack intends to spend money. Progress will be monitored closely by the Rail Regulator.
24. Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in establishing who is responsible for clearing litter from the sides of railway track; and if he will make a statement on the current extent of trackside litter. [13368]
Mr. Watts:
Where station leases have been granted by Railtrack, train operating companies are responsible for litter collection on these stations and for a distance of 110 yds from the ends of the platforms. Railtrack is responsible for cleaning the tracks and embankments--beyond stations--and for the major stations it operates. My Department and the Department of the Environment intend to make orders which will make it clear who has the statutory responsibility for litter clearance. The current extent of trackside litter is a matter for train operators and Railtrack.
25. Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has received from the Highways Agency in respect of the backlog in road maintenance.[13369]
Mr. Watts:
The trunk road network is in a good condition, as confirmed by the latest national road maintenance condition survey. Only 3.9 per cent. of motorways and 7.3 per cent. of all-purpose trunk roads have less than zero residual life. The target agreed in 1991 was for the proportion of trunk roads with less than zero residual life to be between 7 and 8 per cent.
26. Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest estimate of the growth in (a) the number of cars and (b) the number of passenger car miles travelled by 2010. [13370]
Sir George Young:
Based on the national road traffic forecasts published in 1989, and with no changes in policy, my Department estimates the number of cars in Great Britain will increase from about 22 million in 1997 by between 19 and 27 per cent. by 2010 and that the number of passenger car miles travelled will increase by between 21 and 32 per cent. by 2010.
28. Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the costs to British businesses of traffic congestion. [13372]
Sir George Young:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton (Mr. Callaghan) on 25 November 1996, Official Report, column 13.
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 64
29. Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the time scale for introducing through rail services from the channel tunnel to Yorkshire and the north-east of England. [13373]
Mr. Watts:
I understand from Eurostar (UK) Ltd. that it intends to begin its international service along the east coast main line in early July.
Mr. Congdon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses he has had to the consultation on lorry weight proposals. [13371]
Mr. Watts:
To date, my Department has received 62 formal responses to the consultation document on lorry weights.
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