| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Trunk Roads (Land Use Planning)
Mr. Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on the proposal in the Transport Green Paper "Transport: The Way Forward," to integrate trunk road and land use planning. [16783]
Sir George Young: Following consultation with local authorities, business groups and environmental groups, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I have decided together that trunk road planning in England will now be subject to review under the regional planning guidance--RPG--system, which sets out strategic policies for land use and development and gives guidance on the transport strategy and priorities for each region. Our Departments are publishing today a consultation draft of the planning policy guidance which will bring the new system into effect. Copies have been placed in the Library.
There was strong support for our proposal. It is clear that increased regional input and local consultation at the outset of planning trunk roads will encourage a more focused approach and help to promote an agreed way forward. The proposed new guidance will allow local authorities, for the first time, to include trunk roads in their review of the transport strategy and priorities for their region when advising on RPG.
My right hon. Friend and I shall expect the local authorities to consult widely in preparing their advice to us on RPG. This will give an opportunity for local authorities, business, transport industries, environmental groups and the general public to make fuller contributions to the development of the regional transport strategy, in keeping with our policy on sustainable development. The aim is to obtain as much consensus as possible.
Through this process, the local authorities will be able to propose changes to the broad priorities for trunk road schemes, comment on the need for individual schemes
18 Feb 1997 : Column: 496
and propose that alternatives be considered, for example traffic management measures or public transport improvements.
Trunk roads are an essential part of the country's infrastructure and final decisions on the DOT road programme will remain my responsibility. I shall continue to take account of vital national, commercial and economic interests alongside the regional advice.
Mr. Tom Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new buses have been licensed in each of the last five years; and how many of these were imported. [16487]
Mr. Bowis:
Investment by the bus industry in new vehicles has increased substantially in each of the last five years. The figures for newly registered buses and coaches 1 taxed for use as public service vehicles for the years in question are as follows:
Mr. Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many new buses, licensed in each of the last five years, have allowed wheelchair users access in safety and without too much difficulty; [16485]
(3) which designs of buses currently under construction he has approved as providing access for disabled people such that a wheelchair user can get on a bus in safety and without too much difficulty. [16486]
Mr. Bowis:
Information about the accessibility of vehicles is not currently recorded.
The detailed specification for the bus accessibility regulations that we are bringing forward under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is under discussion with the bus industry and our statutory advisers the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. We intend to consult on our proposals shortly.
A growing number of operators are already investing in low floor buses which provide much easier access to all passengers, including those with disabilities. Some are also fitting the buses with ramps to enable wheelchair users to gain easy access.
18 Feb 1997 : Column: 497
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the cost to public funds of the attendance of (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department at meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994; and if he will list the meetings of the Committee which (a) and (b) have attended, indicating the cost of attendance and the names of those who attended. [16568]
Sir George Young:
No Ministers or officials from my Department have attended meetings of the Scottish Grand Committee in Scotland since December 1994.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have been held with Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire city councils on the upgrading and passenger use of the Bedford-Bletchley-Bicester line; and if he will make a statement. [15994]
Mr. Watts
[holding answer 14 February 1997]: Officials from the Government offices for the eastern region and the south-east are represented on the steering group running the feasibility study into the reopening of the Oxford-Bletchley-Bedford-Cambridge route to passenger traffic. My Department held discussions with the consultants advising the consortium of local authorities concerned in December 1996.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the volume of freight traffic on the Bletchley to Bicester line in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement. [15995]
Mr. Watts
[holding answer 14 February 1997]: Statistical records are not kept of the tonnages of freight traffic over individual sections of railway.
The Bicester to Claydon Junction stretch of this line is currently used for the carriage of waste to a landfill site. Five trains a week operate in each direction on this section of the line.
The Claydon Junction to Bletchley stretch of the line has not been used since before 1993.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received on breaches of the service agreement on the Barking to Gospel Oak branch of the North London line; and if he will make a statement.[15996]
Mr. Watts
[holding answer 14 February 1997]: None. Services between Gospel Oak and Barking are provided by North London Railways Ltd. The Franchising Director announced on 7 February 1997 that he had awarded the NLR franchise to National Express Group plc but it has not yet started. Franchised services are expected to start soon, following which any breach of the franchise agreement would be a matter for the Franchising Director.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much nuclear waste was transported by
18 Feb 1997 : Column: 498
(a) road and (b) rail in (i) 1993, (ii) 1994, (iii) 1995 and (iv) 1996; and what estimate he has made of the amount in each case to be transported in 1997. [15948]
Mr. Watts
[holing answer 17 February 1997]: Information of the kind requested is not routinely held within the Department and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have received lump sum payments due to vaccine damage in each of the last 10 years. [15331]
Sir John Wheeler:
The information is only available to the UK as a whole. The number of persons who have received lump sum payments due to vaccine damage for each of the last 10 years is as follows:
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the students beginning courses at Queen's University from Northern Ireland were perceived to be (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) of other religions in each of the last three years.[15475]
Mr. Ancram:
Reliable information is not available owing to the high level of non-response to the community background question.
The figure for 1996 includes 3,411 imported vehicles. Information cannot be supplied on the number of imported vehicles in the figures for 1992-95 as the statistics available on registration of imported vehicles in those years do not distinguish between buses and taxis and hire cars for public use, which were also included in class 35--Hackney vehicles.
1992: 3,051
1993: 3,643
1994: 4,202
1995: 5,214
1996: 6,477.
1 Figures up to June 1995 are for all class 35--Hackney--vehicles with more than eight seats. Since June 1995 they are for all vehicles in class 34--buses.
(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of buses currently being used by bus operators meet the criteria set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to ensure that public buses enable a wheelchair user to alight in safety and without too much difficulty; [16484]
1986-87: 17
1987-88: 10
1988-89: 3
1989-90: 3
1990-91: 1
1991-92: 7
1992-93: 13
1993-94: 4
1994-95: 6
1995-96: 6.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |