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Defence Spending
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is his policy to follow the previous Government's defence spending plans for the year 1999-00. [6355]
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Dr. Reid:
The Government has said that it is committed to living within the spending plans of the previous administration for the first two years. No decisions have been taken for 1999-00.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the annual saving to public funds of bringing the United Kingdom's defence spending as a percentage of gross domestic product into line with the average of European countries which are members of NATO. [6838]
Dr. Reid:
To bring the percentage of gross domestic product accounted for by defence spending to the level of the average for the European members of NATO would require a reduction of around £5 billion a year in the UK defence budget.
Mr. Collins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he has had with representatives of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. [6423]
Dr. Reid:
Mr. Dave Knight, Chair of CND, attended a Seminar on the policy baseline for the Strategic Defence Review in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 July at which both my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Defence and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs were present.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider changes to the regimental system as part of the Strategic Defence Review. [6839]
Dr. Reid:
The Strategic Defence Review will examine how the Army should be structured to meet our nation's interests and commitments, taking full account of the recognized strengths of the Regimental System. It would, however, be premature to speculate whether the review will alter any aspect of the system.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units of Her Majesty's armed forces will take part in the Bastille Day parade in France on 14 July. [6780]
Dr. Reid:
My Department is not aware of any units of Her Majesty's Armed Forces taking part in the Bastille Day parade in France on 14 July.
Buses (Transponders)
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what requirements exist for bus operators running buses in central London to carry (a) transponders, (b) transponders compatible with those of other bus companies in central London and (c) transponders that can be used in conjunction with electronic time of arrival systems at bus stops. [6431]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
This is an operational matter for London Transport Buses. I understand that 21 per cent. of bus services in London are now covered by automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems, almost all of which can be linked to the Countdown electronic passenger information system at bus stops. By the end of 1999 almost all of London's buses should have AVL. In addition, 65 per cent. of buses already carry separate transponders to operate systems to provide priority at some 300 traffic signals, principally in outer London.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in respect of traffic signals to be activated by transponders in buses. [6432]
Ms Jackson:
We encourage local highway authorities, in conjunction with bus operators, to look for ways of giving priority to buses in traffic. This is an important way in which buses can be made a more attractive choice of travel. The use of transponders to give priority to buses at traffic signals is one means of doing this.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement concerning the progress of the proposed PFI scheme between London Underground and Seeboard Powerlink/BICC for improvements to the Northern Line power system. [6488]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Negotiations between London Underground and the Powerlink consortium are still taking place. London Underground are optimistic that a deal will be concluded. If it goes ahead, the "Power" PFI project will include a substantial upgrade of the Northern Line's power system by the contractor, as well as improvements to meet the rest of the network's power needs.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money was received by the Government in 1986 from the National Bus Company Pension Fund; and what estimate he has made of the current value of such a sum appropriately invested. [6808]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
A total of £121.8 million was paid to the Department of Transport in 1990 (not 1986) on the winding up of the two National Bus Company pension funds. An estimate of what that sum might now be worth had it been available for investment would depend entirely on the assumptions used.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to review the NRTF means of appraisal for traffic generation. [6873]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My Department's advice on traffic generation is contained in Volume 12 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Section 2, Part 2, Guidance on Induced Traffic. This was revised in February 1997, following experience with the advice issued in December 1994 which implemented
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recommendations made by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment. There are no proposals for further revisions at present. The National Road Traffic Forecasts are a forecast of traffic growth, not a means of appraisal.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the projected increases of emissions of (a) carbon monoxide, (b) nitrogen oxide and (c) PM10 particles consequent on the proposed widening of the M25 between junctions 12 to 15; and if he will make a statement. [6339]
Ms Glenda Jackson
[holding answer 1 July 1997]: Taking 1991 as the base year and 2010 as the forecast year, morning peak hour carbon monoxide emissions from vehicles on the M25 are predicted to decrease by approximately 72 per cent. with the widening scheme compared to 70 per cent. without the scheme. Emissions of oxides of nitrogen are predicted to decrease by approximately 84 per cent. compared to 72 per cent. without the scheme. PM10 concentrations are predicted to decrease by 38 per cent. compared to 51 per cent. without the scheme.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will prohibit buses travelling on motorways from carrying standing passengers; and if he will make a statement. [6349]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Clearly, the risk of injury to passengers in an accident is minimised if they are seated and wearing seatbelts. In the light of this we will be looking at whether the current rules for standing passengers in buses on motorways need further consideration.
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Mr. Levitt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being taken to reduce the number of patients who fail to attend NHS appointments. [4901]
Mr. Milburn:
The Department of Health has supported a series of regional seminars to raise awareness of the issues in the National Health Service about patients who do not attend (DNA) their out-patient appointments and to share good practice. We will also be publishing shortly DNA figures for individual trusts in the 1996-97 NHS Performance Tables.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the benefits of conductive education; and if he will make a statement. [6350]
Mr. Boateng:
The Department of Health has not commissioned research into conductive education. The Department for Education and Employment commissioned research by the University of Birmingham, published in 1993, to evaluate the effectiveness of conductive education provided at the National Institute of Conductive Education. This found no evidence that children receiving conductive education progressed better than comparable children at maintained special schools.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's submissions relating to freedom of information legislation. [6032]
Ms Jowell
[holding answer 2 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister today.