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TRANSPORT

Ringway Parliamentary Support Group

Mr. Neil Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on each meeting between Ministers in his Department acting in an official capacity and the ringway parliamentary support group.[20313]

Mr. Bowis: My right hon. Friend met the group on 26 February 1997. The main subject of discussion was the liberalisation of bilateral air services agreements.

In addition, my right hon. Friend attended a reception organised by the group in Westminster Hall in July 1995 and opened a small exhibition about the airport in the Upper Waiting Hall in July 1996. My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping also attended a reception held in conjunction with the above exhibition in July 1996.

Bus Working Group (Consultation)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultation has taken place between the bus working group and its sub-groups and (a) local authorities and (b) members of the public. [20445]

Mr. Watts: Consultation takes place by means of the membership of the bus working group and its sub-groups, all of which include representatives of the local authority associations and the National Federation of Bus Users. The membership of the bus working group was set out in my answer of 18 December columns 658-59 to the hon. Member.

Bus Companies (Customer Complaints)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage bus companies to follow good practice in handling customer complaints. [20444]

Mr. Watts: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 February, Official Report column 142-43.

Departmental Legislation

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Bills his Department has sponsored in each of the past 15 years; and how many have been passed by Parliament. [19763]

Mr. Bowis: The information is set out in the table. All of the Bills were passed by Parliament, with the exception of one--the Civil Aviation Bill of 1985--which was withdrawn.

Year	Number of Bills
1982	3
1983	3
1984	3
1985	4
1986	1
1987	2
1988	2
1989	2
1990	2
1991	5
1992	1
1993	1
1994	0
1995	0
1996	3
Total	32

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Salisbury Bypass

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the Highways Agency report on its reviews of the crossing of the River Avon south of Salisbury by the proposed Salisbury bypass. [21014]

Mr. Watts: Copies of the Highways Agency review report, which is in three volumes, were placed in the Library on 17 March. The report identified two possible alternative routes to the published route for the bypass which would avoid land having to be taken from the newly designated East Harnham meadows site of special scientific interest in the Avon valley. In accordance with undertakings given when my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment announced their views on the proposed bypass last October, we will shortly be affording interested parties an opportunity to comment on the agency's report.

Marine Aids to Navigation

Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future provision of marine aids to navigation by the general lighthouse authorities. [21125]

Mr. Bowis: The general lighthouse authorities carried out a consultation exercise during 1996 to determine user views on the future provision of marine aids to navigation. The major proposals, which were supported by respondents, were that the UK should provide a differential global positioning system, adopt the Loran C system as provided by the north-west Europe Loran C system agreement and discontinue the Decca navigator system and the radiobeacon service as soon as was reasonable. The GLAs proposed to maintain traditional aids to navigation, subject to regular reviews.

We welcome the GLAs' proposals and accept the need to establish a civil marine navigation plan as a sound basis for planning the future provision of aids to navigation into the next century.

We support the broad thrust of the proposals which are in line with developments in the international maritime community and will assist the transition to a civil global navigation satellite system. The balance of opinion following the consultation exercise supports the provision by the GLAs of DGPS for marine users based on the global positioning system at a relatively small cost to the general lighthouse fund. The system offers improved navigational accuracy while maintaining the system integrity of GPS, as well as the prospective benefits of providing future interface with electronic charting, integrated bridge system vessel traffic services and transponder systems.

The UK is interested in adopting the NEL system to replace the Decca navigator system as the terrestrial back-up to GPS. We cannot commit the UK to NELS until

18 Mar 1997 : Column: 505

its future has been placed beyond doubt. In the meantime, users should be aware that the GLAs are unlikely to operate the Decca navigator system beyond the year 2000.

The GLAs' proposals can be implemented within the income provided by the reduced level of light dues that we announced on March 6. They will save an estimated £32 million over the next 20 years while offering the prospect of improved accuracy to the navigator. Further reductions in user costs after 2000 are expected from the GLAs' on-going reviews of traditional aids to navigation which will be carried out in consultation with users.

East London River Crossing

Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government will revoke the line orders for the east London river crossing. [21126]

Mr. Bowis: I am pleased to announced that the ELRC revocation order has now been made and is being prepared for publication on 26 March.

The ELRC orders have remained in place while alternatives for crossing the Thames between Beckton and Thamesmead were being considered in order that businesses and residents directly affected by the scheme could continue to benefit from the statutory compensation which accompanied the orders.

DEFENCE

Future Large Aircraft

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Royal Air Force has made of the European staff requirement for the European future large aircraft. [20709]

Mr. Arbuthnot: We assess that the European staff requirement for the future large aircraft, as it is currently drafted, satisfies the United Kingdom's minimum technical requirements for a tactical military airlifter. We are currently considering whether our conditions for re-entry to the FLA programme set out by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) on 16 December 1994--Official Report, column 823--have been met.

Dr. Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it remains his policy to seek to purchase between 40 and 50 future large aircraft. [20694]

Mr. Arbuthnot: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside on 11 February this year--Official Report, column 131-32.

Army Technical Support Agency

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the key targets for the chief executive of the Army Technical Support Agency for 1997-98. [21122]

Mr. Soames: The chief executive of the Army Technical Support Agency has been set the following key targets for 1997-98.

18 Mar 1997 : Column: 506

1. Influence equipment design by attaining a 15 per cent. increase to 80 per cent. in Procurement Executive integrated logistic support project involvement where ATSA's contribution is equal to or greater than one half-year-man effort.

2. Achieve a 10 per cent. gross cost saving in advanced order recommended spares purchasing without reducing sustainability or availability of land systems equipment.

3. Answer 92 per cent. of ad hoc inquiries within two working days.

4. Achieve an average response time of nine working days for demand for technical publications.

5. Complete 90 per cent. of operational projects and 75 per cent. of priority A projects before the agreed target date.

6. Ensure for at least 70 per cent. of projects that the maintenance specific spares, required to support an equipment throughout its service life, are identified and encoded on to the stores system record by the target date agreed with the equipment manager.

7. Satisfy 90 per cent. of customers when undertaking technical projects.

8. Improve efficiency by 3.6 per cent. over 1997-98 outturn.

9. Respond to 100 per cent. of equipment failure report (or its equivalent) submissions within 14 calendar days of receipt.

RAF (Reserve Personnel)

Mr. Mans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the use of the RAF's Reserve personnel; and if he will make a statement. [21154]

Mr. Soames: I am delighted to announce that three new Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons are to be formed. An Air Transportable Surgical Squadron will form at Royal Air Force Leuchars on 1 April 1997, with an establishment of 71 reservist personnel. Two Training and Standardisation Squadrons are also to be formed--the first at Royal Air Force Halton also on 1 April 1997, with an establishment of 21 personnel, and the second at Royal Air Force Shawbury on 1 June 1997, with an establishment of nine. In addition, the establishment of No. 4624 (County of Oxford) Movements Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force based at Royal Air Force Brize Norton will increase by 69 posts from 1 April 1997. From the same date, the establishment of the Inspectorate Royal Auxiliary Air Force also at Royal Air Force Brize Norton will increase from two posts to four. The new Role Support Squadron concept, which I announced in the House last year with the formation of the Helicopter Support Squadron, is developing in an encouraging way.

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