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Inquest Proceedings (Oxford)
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the inquest, about which the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden has written to the Oxford coroner, Nicholas Gardiner, to be reconvened; and if he will make a statement. [18103]
Mr. Sackville: The date for the resumption of the inquest is a matter for the Oxfordshire coroner to decide. I understand that he hopes to list the case for hearing in early April.
American Prison Ship (Purchase)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a contract has been agreed to purchase the American prison ship Resolution. [17974]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from David Scott to Mr. George Howarth, dated 5 March 1997:
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The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the prison ship "Resolution".
The Prison Service has bought a floating prison, the "Resolution" (now renamed the "Weare"). The contract for the purchase of the vessel was ratified on 31 January.
Traffic Congestion
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish by region the residual life remaining in those parts of the trunk road network in England, including bridges, classified as condition orange and condition red for traffic congestion according to the maps produced by the national roads network assessment system for (a) 1995, (b) 2005 and (c) 2015. [17704]
Mr. Watts
[holding answer 26 February 1997]: Residual life provides a measure of the remaining strength of a road in terms of the number of years of forecast traffic loading it is estimated to be able to carry before strengthening should be considered. Even at the stage of zero residual life, the road will perform quite satisfactorily
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for an indeterminate period--generally some years--but with the expectation of increasing levels of minor repair works.
The condition of the trunk road network is good, the percentage of the motorway network having less than zero residual life being only 3.9 per cent. and for all-purpose trunk roads only 7.3 per cent. These percentages are within the target of 7 to 8 per cent. set by the PAC in 1991 to be achieved by the year 2000 and demonstrate the success of recent investment in the national network.
The same concept of defining residual life cannot be applied to bridges or other structures. They have much longer nominal lives before strengthening may be required and the deterioration process is quite different.
The following six tables indicate the residual life by region in 1995 of those parts of the road network classified as orange or red based on high growth forecasts for traffic levels.
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| Region | <0 | 0-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-19 | >19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 16.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 28.00 | 54.00 |
| Southern | 7.32 | 8.55 | 12.00 | 11.39 | 23.74 | 37.00 |
| Midland | 8.20 | 15.06 | 16.83 | 15.12 | 16.09 | 28.70 |
| Northern | 4.75 | 7.11 | 12.44 | 13.51 | 29.41 | 32.78 |
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Mr. Andrew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish by region the maintenance planned by the Highways Agency for those parts of the trunk road network in England, including bridges, classified as condition orange and condition red for traffic congestion according to the maps produced by the national roads network assessment system for (a) 1995, (b) 2005 and (c) 2015. [17705]
Mr. Watts
[holding answer 26 February 1997]: The Highways Agency's plans for future maintenance of the trunk road network have not yet been finalised.
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which body is responsible for collecting litter on the M45; and when it was last collected. [17313]
Mr. Watts:
Responsibility for litter clearance on the M45 lies with the Highways Agency, which has instructed its maintenance agents to clear litter as necessary to meet the obligations imposed by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The last general litter clearance on the M45 was carried out in March 1996.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the regulations which apply to roll-on roll-off ferries with regard to the ration of (a) lifeboats and (b) lifejackets required to the number of passengers aboard. [18685]
Mr. Bowis
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: For vessels built before 1 July 1986, the relevant regulations are regulations 4 and 5 of the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations 1980, SI No. 1980/538.
For vessels built on or after 1 July 1986, the relevant regulation is regulation 5 of the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations 1986, SI No. 1986/1066.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, column 70, if he will estimate the cost of answering the question of how many aircraft have been found to be overloaded in each of the past two years. [18651]
Mr. Bowis
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: The Civil Aviation Authority audits UK airlines to ensure that their aircraft are operated within the limitations of their performance, including those limitations associated with aircraft weight. Reports of these audits are placed on the file of the relevant air operator's certificate holder.
The number of incidents of overloading can therefore be obtained only by manual examination of the individual reports of each inspection carried out in the last 24 months
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on aircraft operated by the 230 UK holders of air operators' certificates. In this case, the hon. Member's question could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are his plans for staff levels at the Liverpool Coastguard station; [18635]
(3) what are his plans for the future of the Pentland (Orkney) Coastguard station; [18632]
(4) what are his plans for the future of Tyne Tees (Tynemouth) Coastguard station; [18636]
(5) for what reason the Oban Coastguard station (Scotland) was left out from that part of the "Focus for Change" review which will exclude the station from officers with enhanced grading; [18631]
(6) if he will make a statement on the treatment of (a) Pentland (Orkney) (b) Liverpool and (c) Tyne Tees (Tynemouth) Coastguard stations under the "Focus for Change review with particular reference to the issue of officers with enhanced grading. [18633]
Mr. Bowis
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer that I gave on 4 February, Official Report, column 574. The strategy for HM Coastguard is still under development and its effect on the future staffing levels of any rescue centre cannot yet be assessed. Meanwhile, under present arrangements for the implementation of "Focus for Change", 17 rescue centres will have watches headed by the new higher grade watch managers. Pentland, Tyne Tees, Liverpool and Oban will be considered at a later date.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the 1995-96 annual report of the Coastguard agency; and if he will make a statement. [18560]
Mr. Bowis:
I have asked the chief executive of the Coastguard agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 5 March 1997:
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of (a) sector stations and (b) sector station officers in the Coastguard agency for each of the last seven years; and what are his projections for the number of sector stations in each of the next five years. [18634]
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Mr. Bowis
[holding answer 4 March 1997]: I have asked the chief executive of the Coastguard agency to write to the hon. Member.
(2) what are his plans for the future of the Oban (Scotland) Coastguard station; [18630]
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Question about The Coastguard Agency 1995-96 Annual Report.
The report is with the printers and will be published shortly. Copies will then be placed in the House Library.
| (a) Sector Bases | (b) Sector Officers | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 December 1990 | 97 | 113 |
| 31 December 1991 | 97 | 113 |
| 31 December 1992 | 96 | 96 |
| 31 December 1993 | 93 | 94 |
| 31 December 1994 | 85 | 92 |
| 31 December 1995 | 81 | 92 |
| 31 December 1996 | 79 | 81 |
Projections for the number of sector bases for each of the next five years: 64.
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