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Rail Freight
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the recent decision by a major retailer to transport more of its goods by rail rather than road; and if he will take steps to encourage other retailers to do the same. [6558]
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 442
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Government wants to see more freight go by rail, and we welcome new initiatives which support that aim.
Our White Paper on integrated transport policy, to be published next spring, will consider ways of increasing the proportion of freight carried by rail.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will consider including within future guidelines for transport policies and programmes submitted by local authorities a requirement to promote greater use of railways for freight, with special reference to the provision of inter-modal terminals. [7065]
Ms Jackson:
Measures to promote the use of railways for freight transport are not funded through the Transport Policies and Programme (TPP) system and have therefore not been the subject of Departmental TPP Guidance to local authorities.
Our White Paper on integrated transport policy, to be published next spring, will consider ways of increasing the proportion of freight carried by rail, including the role of the planning system.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what method of appraisal of traffic generation has been used in respect of (a) each road scheme approved since May 1997 and (b) those road schemes currently under review; and if he will a statement. [6870]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
No major trunk road schemes have passed an approval stage since May 1997. Local authority schemes subject to the Secretary of State's approval and the trunk road schemes currently under review are subject to appraisal for traffic generation in accordance with the "Guidance on Induced Traffic", published in December 1994, where appropriate or, where there are complex traffic interactions, using the updated Guidance incorporated in the "Design Manual for Roads and Bridges" in February 1997 (Volume 12 section 2 part 2).
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he will take to ensure that the current review of the roads programme will not result in delays to those schemes chosen to proceed. [6950]
Ms Jackson:
We are undertaking an accelerated review of 12 trunk road schemes. For others, work is proceeding to the end of the current stage. This will minimise the delay to schemes should they be chosen to proceed and ensure that work done to date is not lost.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the DBFO road schemes for which tenders have been received will be able to proceed as planned. [6940]
Ms Jackson:
These DBFO projects are being considered within the accelerated review of trunk road schemes which is currently underway. We are aiming to announce decisions on these schemes later this month.
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 443
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has following the case in the Queen's Bench Division between L. Benson and Copeland Borough Council to seek to restore the previous position whereby the spouse of a licence holder could use a private hire vehicle for any purpose other than for hire. [6766]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I am aware of the concerns of the private hire trade following the decision in the case of Benson v. Boyce and I am considering what should be done in the light of this judgment.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the present regulatory arrangements provide a mechanism for Railtrack to be rewarded for improvements to railway infrastructure through the price review mechanism rather than having to recover all the costs from a train operating company during its franchise period. [7063]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The costs of enhancement investment do not have to be recovered from a train operating company over one franchise period. The treatment of access charges in respect of network enhancements at future periodic reviews should generally take account of any agreement between the funding body or bodies and Railtrack on the future basis of charging, while having regard to specific public interest concerns.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review with the Home Secretary the duties and powers of traffic wardens, with special reference to offences involving moving traffic. [7064]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The duties and powers of traffic wardens are matters for the Home Secretary and Chief Officers of Police. Traffic enforcement is one of the matters I expect to be regularly discussed between my Department and the Home Office.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the map of motorway lighting produced by the Highways Agency in June; [7106]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to reply to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Nutt to Mr. Peter L. Pike, dated 8 July 1997:
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 444
Details are approximate and based on fully commissioned lighting installations.
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 445
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations his Department has received concerning the planning applications submitted by Belmont Stables for the Totteridge valley, Barnet area; and if he will make a statement. [6486]
Mr. Caborn:
The application affecting the Totteridge valley submitted by the Belmont Riding Centre have been taken to appeal. The Planning Inspectorate are arranging a local inquiry into the proposals. Over 150 individual representations have been received by the Inspectorate all raising concerns about the proposals. A 450-signature petition in support of the proposals was received by the local planning authority. As the appeals are still to be heard it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the proposed developments.
(2) pursuant to his answer of 24 June, Official Report, columns 521-22, for what reasons (a) the map supplied by the Highways Agency shows the M65 as unlit and (b) the list of motorways excludes the M65. [7107]
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked Lawrie Haynes to reply to your recent questions about the accuracy of the map of motorway lighting prepared by the Highways Agency. Lawrie is away from the office at present, and has asked me to deal with correspondence in his absence.
The map of motorway lighting provided by the Highways Agency was produced to indicate the approximate distribution of lighting on motorways across England. Regional information was gathered and centrally collated onto a base map. Whilst every endeavour has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, unfortunately an error occurred in the categorisation of the section of the M65 operated by the Highways Agency.
I apologise for this error and confirm that the Agency's section of the M65 is completely lit. An updated list and map is enclosed for your information and updated copies of the map will be sent to the Library.
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