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TRANSPORT

Bray's Detective Agency

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has paid to date to Bray's detective agency for monitoring road protests. [19226]

Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 17 March 1997:



M6 Flyover (Walsall)

Mr. George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct his staff to inspect the M6 flyover crossing the Darlaston road in Walsall for leakage of rainwater on to the gardens of the houses below or near the structure. [19920]

Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Bruce George, dated 17 March 1997:



Motor Cycle Safety

Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the testing of road construction products in respect of the safety of cars to cover the safety of motorcyclists. [20087]

Mr. Watts: No. Many construction products are already tested for their suitability in terms of safety and other requirements in a general way that covers all classes of vehicle.

In the case of construction products which aim to restrain or redirect errant vehicles, testing is not undertaken specifically in respect of motor cycles as it has not been possible to devise a test that is both appropriate and repeatable because of the instability of motor cycles under such conditions. The development of tests in the UK and Europe has concentrated, therefore, on the performance of such products when impacted by cars and heavier vehicles.

London Transport (Customer Satisfaction Surveys)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the customer satisfaction surveys carried out on behalf of (a) London Buses Ltd. and (b) London Underground Ltd. [20429]

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Mr. Bowis: The Department receives regular reports from London Transport concerning customer perceptions of service performance for both Buses and Underground. I understand that London Buses is considering whether to replace its current household survey with an interview survey of passengers alighting from buses. This new methodology would be similar to the one which London Underground has been using since 1990.

Rail Services (Nomura Securities)

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what involvement Nomura Securities has in Angel Trains Contracts; and if he will make a statement;[20412]

Mr. Watts: Nomura International plc, the UK-based wholly owned subsidiary of Nomura Securities Company Ltd., arranged, underwrote and participated in the funding of the consortium called GRS Holding Company Ltd., who contracted to acquire Angel Trains Contracts in November 1995.

Bus Working Group

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish all the reports from the service provision and quality sub-group of the bus working group. [20430]

Mr. Watts: The work of the service provision and quality sub-group contributes to the on-going discussions of the bus working group. The remit of the sub-group does not include the production of reports for publication.

PFI Projects

Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 6 March, Official Report, column 713, if he will provide figures for his Department's PFI projects in the same form as used by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, in his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington of 6 March, Official Report, columns 692-93. [20385]

Mr. Watts: No.

Terminal 5 Inquiry

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's evidence to the Heathrow terminal 5 inquiry with particular reference to the advantages of the M25 being widened to dual 5-6 between junctions 12 and 15. [20293]

Mr. Watts: The Department has not provided, and does not intend to provide, evidence to the terminal 5 inquiry on the justification for the proposed widening of the M25 between junctions 12 and 15.

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Spofforth Bypass

Mr. Robert Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards constructing the Spofforth bypass in North Yorkshire using the private finance initiative. [20680]

Mr. Watts: I understand that the Spofforth bypass is being progressed as part of a package of three design, build, finance and operate road schemes by North Yorkshire county council.

The public private partnerships programme--4Ps--believes that this package of road schemes have a good chance of being developed successfully and replicated within the new PFI framework, and has therefore given the scheme pathfinder status.

If a satisfactory business case is proposed by North Yorkshire, the Department of Transport will seek Treasury agreement to the notional credit approvals which may be required.

A1

Mr. Robert Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the outturn cost of the upgrading of the A1 between Walshford and Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire to motorway standards; and what was the estimated cost at the commencement of the work. [20683]

Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Robert Banks, dated 17 March 1997:




Rail Privatisation

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the improvements to passenger and station services implemented by (a) Great Western Trains, (b) South West Trains and (c) LTS Rail, referred to in his answer of 9 January 1996, Official Report, column 27. [18678]

Mr. Watts [holding answer 4 March 1997]: Improvements to passenger and station services implemented by Great Western Trains, South West Trains and LTS Rail since commencing operations, are as follows:




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