---

Shadow Tolling

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 July, Official Report, column 494, concerning shadow toll payment mechanisms, what factors are being considered in the development work on payment mechanisms. [10680]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The development work is exploring the feasibility of a refined payment mechanism, the reward structure, appropriate allocation of risk, and the implications for the value for money which might be on offer under a refined mechanism.

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 July, Official Report, column 494, whether, if the development work on payment mechanisms is successful, such mechanisms can be applied to roads which have already been approved by him. [10679]

Ms Jackson: No. The terms of signed contracts cannot be modified in this way.

Environmentally Conscious Driving

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the potential environmental benefits of advising motorists to turn their engines off when stationary; what estimate he has made of the relative benefits in respect of cars whose engines are (a) warm and (b) cold; what assessment he had made of the success of such advice in other European countries with particular reference to Germany; and if he will make a statement. [10562]

Ms Glenda Jackson: Advice is regularly given to drivers in official publications, particularly with regard to environmentally conscious driving. In general, benefits can be gained in terms of reduced emissions and savings in fuel by switching a vehicle's engine off if the vehicle is likely to be stationary in traffic for more than two minutes. The Department has drawn up research proposals to assess the benefits of instructing drivers to switch engines off while waiting at, for example, traffic lights. Under some circumstances, such as when an engine is still cold following a very short journey, it is possible that re-starting could result in higher emissions than would occur had the engine remained idling. The research will therefore identify the engine parameters under which emissions reductions will be achieved. No assessment has been made of the success of advice in Germany or other European countries.

M25 Widening

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what (a) contracts have been let and (b) other liabilities entered into in respect of works, plans or surveys relating to or implementing the proposal to widen the M25 to 10 to 12 lanes between junctions 12 and 15; and if he will make a statement. [10644]

Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 28 July 1997]: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.

29 Jul 1997 : Column: 206

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Andrew Mackinlay, dated 29 July 1997:

The Minister for Transport in London asked me to reply to your recent question about contracts let, and liabilities entered into, for the M25 Junctions 12 to 15 widening.

The only contract existing for the M25 Junctions 12 to 15 Widening Scheme is the preliminary design commission with consultants Howard Humphreys and Partners.

Rail Freight

Mr. Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the total tonnage of rail freight and the total net tonne miles carried by rail in Great Britain for the year up to 31 March 1997 and for each of the previous three years. [11330]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The information requested is as follows:

	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
Goods lifted--million tonnes	103	97	101	101
Goods moved--billion tonne kilometres	13.8	13.0	13.1	(25)--

(25) This figure is not yet available.

Aston Clinton Bypass

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about the proposed Aston Clinton bypass; and if 2002 remains the intended construction date. [10469]

Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 28 July 1997]: We have received a small number of representations about the A41 Aston Clinton bypass. This scheme will be considered in the strategic review of the roads programme. Pending the conclusions of the review, which we hope to announce next spring, it would be premature to indicate when the scheme might be constructed.

Road Traffic Regulations

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to announce the conclusion of his consultations regarding road traffic regulation law as it affects rights of way across school premises. [10630]

Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 28 July 1997]: I hope to make a statement on what was a very wide-ranging review of road traffic regulation law later this year.

Seat Belts

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and if he will extend the compulsory fitting of seat belts to vehicles (a) on normal scheduled services and (b) used mainly for providing transport for the general public which carry schoolchildren. [11321]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We have no plans to extend the compulsory fitting of seat belts to vehicles used for these purposes. There are significant technical difficulties in fitting seat belts in buses, which are normally the type of

29 Jul 1997 : Column: 207

vehicle used to provide these services. In addition, the length and nature of passenger journeys on scheduled services is such that the likelihood of seat belts being used is far less than on faster long-distance journeys. However, it should be remembered that the existing requirements for seat belts to be provided for children on organised trips in minibuses and coaches will ensure that they are available in thousands of vehicles that otherwise would not have had them fitted.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what body is responsible for ensuring the seat belts in vehicles carrying schoolchildren have been correctly fitted. [11175]

Ms Jackson: Responsibility for ensuring that a seat belt assembly has been correctly fitted must ultimately rest with the seat belt installer. It is proposed that the Vehicle Inspectorate will include the condition of all minibus and coach seat belts in the random roadside inspections that it carries out. It is also proposed to include checks on minibus and coach seat belts in the annual MOT test. We hope to consult on details shortly.

Air Transport (Nuclear Material)

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the recommendations by the International Atomic Energy Agency that individual states stop the air transport of plutonium materials in type B packages pending the development of packages conforming to new standards; and if he will make a statement. [11230]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The Department is unaware of the IAEA making such a recommendation.

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the hazards of mixed oxide fuel in severe air transport accidents; and if he will provide details of such studies. [11231]

Ms Jackson: The Department contributed to the study, made by the Advisory Committee on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials--ACTRAM, an independent body charged with advising the then Secretary of State for Transport and the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission--and reported in "The Transport of Civil Plutonium by Air", ISBN 0 11 550871 6, 1988. ACTRAM concluded that

"the health risk to people from the current transport of civil plutonium by air to and from the UK is [also] extremely remote and acceptable"

and that

"plutonium dioxide mixed with uranium dioxide in the form of ceramic pellets constitutes no significant inhalation hazard".

A copy of ACTRAM's report is held in the Library.

Rail Travel

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to encourage air passengers on domestic and short-haul flights to convert to rail travel. [11152]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The fundamental review of transport policy now under way will be considering how all modes of transport can contribute to a more

29 Jul 1997 : Column: 208

environmentally sustainable integrated transport system. This will include consideration of ways of ensuring that there is a proper balance between modes.

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the environmental impact of substituting 10 per cent. of domestic and shorthaul flights with rail travel over the next 10 years. [11154]

Ms Jackson: We have no readily available information on this question, which would require detailed study. Environmental aspects of changes in travel patterns will be an important part of the fundamental review of transport policy.

---