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Runway Slot Allocation

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will undertake a review of the system of allocating runway slots. [11185]

Ms Glenda Jackson: Slot allocation at European Community airports is governed by EC regulation 95/93. We are currently awaiting proposals from the Commission for revision of the regulation, which will then be the subject of discussion in Transport Council.

National Airlines (Subsidies)

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on the competitive position of United Kingdom airlines of the provision by European Union Governments of state subsidies to their national airlines. [11178]

Ms Glenda Jackson: State subsidies to national airlines are approved by the European Commission on a case-by-case basis. The impact of such aid on the competitive position of United Kingdom airlines is assessed by the United Kingdom Government following publication of the individual Commission decision in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage other European Union countries to end state subsidies to their national airlines. [11179]

Ms Jackson: Approval of state subsidy to national airlines is a matter for the European Commission. The United Kingdom has consistently opposed such aid since it threatens to distort competition and penalise efficient operators. The Commission has stated that its recent approval of aid to Alitalia is likely to be the last for a state-owned airline.

Regional Airports

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy in respect of deregulation of landing charges at regional airports. [11181]

Ms Glenda Jackson: Landing charges at all larger airports in Great Britain are subject to regulation by the Civil Aviation Authority under the Airports Act 1986. The Department of Trade and Industry is now reviewing the

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system of regulation of utilities, and this may produce conclusions of relevance to future policy on regulation of airports.

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase the proportion of international flights to and from English regional, Scottish and Welsh airports in comparison with London airports. [11176]

Ms Jackson: Where flights operate it is normally determined by the commercial decisions of airlines. The majority of the UK's bilateral air services agreements permit carriers to serve all points in the United Kingdom. Where there are restrictions, we seek to remove them so that all airports can compete fairly for traffic.

Heavy Vehicles

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy not to increase the maximum axle weight of lorries beyond 40 tonnes. [11120]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The existing maximum axle weight for lorries is 10.5 tonnes which, in certain cases, will increase to 11.5 tonnes from 1 January 1999. The existing general gross weight limit for articulated vehicles with five or more axles is 38 tonnes and 44 tonnes for certain six-axle vehicles in combined road/rail movements. From 1 January 1999, we will allow an increase in the weight limit from 38 to 40 tonnes for articulated vehicles with five or more axles on international journeys. With regard to allowing 44 tonne lorries generally, I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 25 July, Official Report, columns 788-89.

London Transport (Complaints)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last reviewed with (a) London Regional Transport, (b) London Buses and (c) London Underground their compliance with the recommendations of the Wilcox committee report on the handling of complaints. [10995]

Ms Glenda Jackson: My right hon. Friend has not undertaken such a review. London Transport handles complaints using established procedures which are broadly consistent with the recommendations of the citizen's charter task force.

Rail Fare Increases

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what was the average increase in real terms in rail fares between 1979 and 1997; [11256]

(2) what were the annual increases in real terms in rail fares in each year since 1979. [11257]

Ms Glenda Jackson: Information for each year between 1979 and 1996 inclusive is in the table. Figures for 1997 are not available.

Key commuter and leisure fares are regulated by the franchising director. For three years from 1 January 1996 annual increases in regulated fares are capped in line with the retail prices index from the June 1995 price base. For

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four years from 1 January 1999, increases are capped at RPI minus 1 per cent. There is some limited scope for individual commuter fares--in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Greater Manchester--to exceed the cap where these are balanced by other regulated fares being held below the cap.

Rail fare index

	Rail fare index 1979=100	RPI 1979=100	Real rail fare index 1979=100	Annual increase in real rail fares
	(a)	(b)	(c)
1979	100.0	100.0	100.0
1980	124.2	118.0	105.3	5.3 per cent.
1981	142.1	132.0	107.8	2.2 per cent.
1982	163.1	143.4	113.8	5.7 per cent.
1983	171.8	149.9	114.6	0.7 per cent.
1984	173.6	157.4	110.3	-3.8 per cent.
1985	184.6	167.0	110.6	0.3 per cent.
1986	197.1	172.7	114.2	3.3 per cent.
1987	207.3	179.9	115.2	0.9 per cent.
1988	221.7	188.7	117.5	2.0 per cent.
1989	241.9	203.3	119.0	1.2 per cent.
1990	263.1	226.1	118.4	-2.2 per cent.
1991	290.5	235.6	123.3	5.8 per cent.
1992	311.7	244.5	127.5	3.4 per cent.
1993	333.6	248.3	134.3	5.3 per cent.
1994	348.4	254.4	137.0	2.0 per cent.
1995	363.9	263.2	138.3	0.9 per cent.
1996	377.6	269.5	140.0	1.3 per cent.

Percentage change from 1996 to 1979 40.0 per cent.

(26) (c) = 100* (a)/(b).

Source:

Office for National Statistics.

Airport Infrastructure Investment

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much at current prices was invested in airport infrastructure in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979. [11261]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The available figures for investment in airport infrastructure and air traffic control for Great Britain are given. Information was not compiled on a consistent basis before 1983-84.

	£ million
1983-84	198
1984-85	223
1985-86	216
1986-87	219
1987-88	250
1988-89	291
1989-90	379
1990-91	578
1991-92	461
1992-93	432
1993-94	504
1994-95	639
1995-96	576
1996-97	624

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American Airlines (Heathrow)

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number of passengers flying with American Airlines through Heathrow airport in 1996; and what is the projected number of passengers in 2005. [10851]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The number of passengers who flew with American Airlines through Heathrow airport in 1996 was 1.4 million. American Airlines predicts that this will increase to 2.3 million in 2005 assuming 6 per cent. growth, an open skies agreement and the capacity to use larger aircraft.

Airports (Access)

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to introduce bus priority lanes to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. [10855]

Ms Glenda Jackson: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 29 July 1997:

The Minister for Transport in London has asked me to reply to your recent question asking what proposals there are to introduce bus priority lanes to Heathrow & Gatwick Airports.

The Highways Agency, in partnership with Heathrow Airport Limited, are currently implementing a scheme to provide a dedicated bus and coach lane on the M4 Spur Road to Heathrow Airport. It will reduce journey times for the large number of buses and coaches that use the Spur as well as further encouraging the use of public transport for journeys to and from the airport. Work started on 27 June and is expect to take two months to complete.

There are no plans at the present time to introduce bus priority lanes on the approaches to Gatwick Airport.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to allow only coaches and other multiple-occupancy vehicles in the outside lanes of motorways on approaches to major airports to reduce congestion. [10856]

Ms Jackson: For safety reasons, coaches and buses have been generally banned from the outside, or overtaking lane of motorways with three or more lanes since 1 January 1996 because newer buses and coaches are restricted to 65 mph by their speed limiters. We will be reviewing this ban in 1998, once there has been a full two years operation.

Exceptionally, the Highways Agency is building an extra offside lane in addition to the existing three lanes on a 0.9 mile stretch of the M4 spur to Heathrow airport, which will be specifically restricted to buses and coaches. This lane is on the offside to accommodate traffic flows at the roundabout at either end of the spur road. The £1 million cost is being met by BAA plc. We have no immediate plans to introduce similar measures at other airports but will be watching the effects of this experiment with interest.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to improve public transport access to airports. [10854]

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Ms Jackson: My Department will be studying options for increasing the contribution that public transport can make to access airports, as part of preparation for the integrated transport White Paper.

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