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London Underground
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on (a) train, (b) signal and (c) track failures in each year since 1994-95, for all the lines on London Underground. [67904]
Ms Glenda Jackson: London Transport works hard to minimise the incidence of equipment failure and its consequent impact on passenger service. I understand from London Transport that the figures from 1994-95 are as follows:
| Signal points | Other track | Rolling stock | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delays in 1994-95 | 2,349 | 659 | 16,123 |
| Delays in 1995-96 | 2,494 | 959 | 15,102 |
| Delays in 1996-97 | 2,323 | 1,007 | 14,873 |
| Delays in 1997-98 | 2,725 | 881 | 17,801 |
| Delays in 1998-99 (36 weeks only) | 1,941 | 589 | 14,011 |
Full 1998-99 statistics are not yet available as London Underground Ltd.'s data collection year covers 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999. Therefore the 1998-99 figures represents 36 weeks only
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the causes of disruption and delays on London Underground in (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98 and (d) 1998-99. [67903]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
London Transport monitors the causes of disruption and delay to London Underground under eleven categories. Its figures, for the years in question, are as follows:
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 159
| Cause | Delays in 1995-96 | Delays in 1996-97 | Delays in 1997-98 | Delays in 1998-99 (36 weeks only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-social behaviour | 5,254 | 5,485 | 5,645 | 3,775 |
| Passenger ill/injured | 608 | 604 | 676 | 539 |
| Person on track | 308 | 327 | 375 | 266 |
| Unattended luggage | 446 | 748 | 482 | 223 |
| Terminus management | 5,276 | 5,656 | 8,315 | 8,709 |
| Driving technique | 602 | 743 | 747 | 666 |
| Possession overrun | 115 | 96 | 114 | 114 |
| Signal/points | 2,494 | 2,323 | 2,827 | 1,941 |
| Other track | 959 | 1,007 | 907 | 589 |
| Rolling stock | 15,102 | 14,873 | 18,088 | 14,011 |
| All other incidents | 1,953 | 1,505 | 1,427 | 1,189 |
| Total | 33,117 | 33,476 | 39,603 | 32,022 |
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 161
Full 1998-99 statistics are not yet available as London Underground Ltd's data collection year covers 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999. Therefore the 1998-99 figures represent 36 weeks only.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government plans for the funding of London Underground's investment for 1998 to 2003 and past spending from 1992 to 1997. [67905]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
London Transport currently funds investment from a mix of Government grant, operating surplus, and private finance, through which investment in the Underground over the next two years (1998-99 and 1999-00) will be around £1 billion. Under our plans for a public/private partnership for London Underground, our aim is to secure high and stable investment in modernising and maintaining the system, managed and financed by the private sector, under- contracts through which they will be remunerated in accordance with the delivery of required performance levels:
Over the period 1992-1997, Underground investment ran at an historically high level, in large part reflecting spending on the Jubilee Line Extension. But planned investment in the core network was scaled back dramatically in the light of the cuts imposed in the then Government's November 1996 budget. We have made available an extra £365 million grant for 1998-99 and 99-00 to help redress the shortfall in planned investment caused by this cut, and to cover preparation for implementing our public private partnership policy.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on establishing liability in the case of a serious infrastructure failure on London Underground after concessions have been awarded to private companies. [67906]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Public/Private Partnership contracts that London Underground are currently developing will specify the respective rights and responsibilities of the London Underground operating company and the infrastructure contractors. There will be a simple and robust procedure for allocating responsibility for asset failures that will form part of the day-to-day process for managing the contacts.
Work is still continuing to develop the details, but, if a serious infrastructure failure results in damage to the operating company's property or injuries to its employees or members of the public, the general principle will be that the party responsibility for the failure will bear the financial consequences. An appropriate liability regime and insurance requirements will be put into place.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ensure that train companies provide improved services for passengers with mobility difficulties. [66757]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations, which came into effect on 1 January this year, require new trains coming into service from that date to be fully accessible to disabled people, including those travelling in wheelchairs.
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 162
In addition, the Rail Regulator publishes a Code of Practice "Meeting the Needs of Disabled Passengers" which offers practical advice and guidance to train operating companies on the needs of disabled people. Operators are required to take the Code of Practice into account when producing their Disabled People's Protection Polices for approval by the Regulator, in accordance with the requirements of their operators' licences.
The Strategic Rail Authority will inherit the Rail Regulator's duties relating to disabled passengers.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with the Mersey Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement. [66756]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have held no recent formal discussions with Merseytravel although they were among many bodies who attend the North West Regional Transport Partnership Meeting in November last year.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which private (a) bus companies and (b) rail companies he has held discussions with during the last 12 months about the standard of services which they provide; and if he will make a statement. [67152]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My colleagues and I have met a number of bus operators over the last 12 months to discuss a range of issues, including standards of service and our policies for promoting bus Quality Partnerships. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Transport and I met all rail franchisees and Railtrack on 26 November to agree short term measures to improve performance. A larger rail summit will be held on 25 February to look at the long-term improvement of standards across the rail network.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he held with Gloucestershire County Council officers and elected representatives about its structure plan before appointing the panel to carry out its examination in public; and if he will make a statement. [67157]
Mr. Raynsford:
Officials from the Government Office for the South West met officials of the County Council on various occasions and made formal objections to the deposit draft of the structure plan. I understand the report of the panel, who held the Examination in Public, was published on 11 January. I cannot comment further on the matter as the Secretary of State has a statutory role to play.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Tewkesbury Borough Council about its Local Plan in the last year. [67061]
26 Jan 1999 : Column: 163
Mr. Raynsford:
Officials from the Government Office for the South West met officials of the Borough Council to discuss their consultation draft Local Plan last year.
Mr. Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received following the consultation paper, Draft Town and Country Planning (Control of Major Accident Hazards) Regulations: 1999, to give effect to the land use planning requirements of the EC Directive (96/82/EC); and if he will make a statement. [68083]
Mr. Caborn:
The consultation paper on the Draft Town and Country Planning (Control of Major Accident Hazards) Regulations: 1999 was issued on 2 December 1998. To date, 27 responses have been received from business, local government and environmental organisations. A list of responses has been placed in the Library of the House and copies of all the responses have been placed in the DETR library. The Government are considering these responses.
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