You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

National Bus Company

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received regarding the pension schemes of the National Bus Company; and if he will make a statement. [82532]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We have received a number of representations from former employees of the National Bus Company, and others, about the repayment of the surpluses from the company's pension schemes paid over to the Department of Transport in 1990. We are giving high priority to achieving without any unnecessary delay a just out-of-court settlement of the litigation commenced by the schemes' trustees on this matter.

Jubilee Line Extension

Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to open the Stratford to North Greenwich phase of the Jubilee Line Extension. [82746]

Dr. Reid: As previously indicated in the answers given to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions on 27 November 1998, Official Report, columns 43-44, and 4 November 1998, Official Report, column 567, London Transport expects to open the Stratford to North Greenwich phase of the Jubilee Line Extension in late Spring.

Taxis

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the level of usage of taxi ranks within the Metropolitan Police district by taxis. [82280]

30 Apr 1999 : Column: 287

Ms Glenda Jackson: There are currently 523 taxi ranks in the Metropolitan Police District. There is no routine monitoring of their usage; individual ranks may be monitored from time to time, if a need to do so is identified.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list (a) the number of licensed taxis entitled to ply for hire in (i) each of the current suburban sectors and (ii) each of the revised suburban sectors proposed by the Carriage Office and (b) the number of applications for licences that are currently being considered in suburban sectors; [82281]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The number of licensed London taxi drivers entitled to ply for hire in each of the old suburban sectors is as follows:























The number of licensed London taxi drivers entitled to ply for hire in each of the new suburban sectors (introduced on 31 March 1999) is as follows:



    612 may play for hire in Barking and Dagenham


    451 may play for hire in Havering


    520 may play for hire in Newham


    513 may play for hire in Redbridge


    Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham Sector**


    142 drivers may play for hire in Bexley


    142 drivers may play for hire in Greenwich


    228 drivers may play for hire in Lewisham

30 Apr 1999 : Column: 288


    Bromley Sector**


    165 drivers may play for hire in Bromley


    Croydon Sector***


    392 drivers may play for hire in Croydon


    Merton and Sutton Sector***


    452 drivers may play for hire in Merton


    452 drivers may play for hire in Sutton


    Hounslow, Kingston and Richmond Sector--243 licensed drivers* of whom


    135 may ply for hire in Hounslow


    233 may ply for hire in Kingston


    243 may ply for hire in Richmond


    Hillingdon and Ealing Sector****


    275 drivers may ply for hire in Hillingdon


    242 drivers may ply for hire in Ealing


    Harrow, Brent and Barnet Sector****


    255 drivers may ply for hire in Harrow


    229 drivers may ply for hire in Brent


    117 drivers may ply for hire in Barnet


    Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest Sector****


    110 drivers may ply for hire in Enfield


    59 drivers may ply for hire in Haringey


    59 drivers may ply for hire in Waltham Forest.

The number of applicants for suburban licences who are currently studying the Knowledge are as follows:

Old sector for which applied Area for which will ultimately be licensed Total applicants
1AHavering and Redbridge15
1BBarking and Dagenham and Havering96
1CBarking and Dagenham, Newham and Redbridge211
2ABexley, Greenwich and Lewisham71
2BBromley and Lewisham84
3AMerton and Sutton156
3BMerton and Sutton43
3CCroydon157
4AKingston and Richmond119
4BHounslow and Richmond17
5AEaling and Hillingdon68
5BHarrow and Hillingdon35
5CBrent and Harrow52
6ABarnet21
6BBarnet and Enfield34
6CEnfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest18

The number of taxi ranks appointed by the Commissioner in each suburban sector of the current Metropolitan Police District is as follows:


30 Apr 1999 : Column: 289

The number of taxi ranks appointed by the Commissioner in each suburban sector of the revised Metropolitan Police District is as follows:

SectorNumber
Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge Sector43
Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham Sector13
Bromley Sector13
Croydon Sector13
Merton and Sutton Sector21
Kingston, Richmond and Hounslow Sector18
Hillingdon and Ealing Sector7
Harrow, Brent and Barnet Sector28
Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest Sector22

These figures exclude ranks on land privately owned at airports, railway stations, hotels, and shopping centres which are not appointed by the Commissioner. Details of such ranks are not available.

The number of taxis permitted to stand at each rank varies between 34 and 1.

The number of taxi drivers licensed to ply for hire in the area covered by each rank can be determined from the information above. All drivers licensed for a particular suburban sector may ply for hire on a rank within that sector, as may any driver licensed for the whole of the Metropolitan Police District.



    s* Many suburban drivers are licensed to ply for hire in more than one sub-sector. In addition, all 20,498 All-London drivers are permitted to ply for hire in the whole of the Metropolitan and City Police Districts (therefore, for example, 21,125 drivers may ply for hire in the Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge Sector).


    ** There are 228 drivers licensed for the 2 sectors covering Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Bromley


    *** There are 607 drivers licensed for the 2 sectors covering Croydon, Merton and Sutton


    **** There are 447 drivers licensed for the 3 sectors covering Hillingdon, Ealing, Harrow, Brent, Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest. Separate figures are not currently available.

Housing Projections

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by local authority the number of houses (a) under construction, (b) for which planning permission has been given and (c) estimated to be built in the next five years. [82708]

Mr. Raynsford: A table will shortly be deposited in the House of Commons Library showing estimates of the number of dwellings under construction for each local authority area in England.

30 Apr 1999 : Column: 290

Information on the number of dwellings with outstanding planning permission in England has been placed in the Library.

The Department does not produce forward estimates of the number of dwellings to be built.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by local authority the projected figures of housing need in each of the next five years, indicating how the figures were produced and collated. [82709]

Mr. Raynsford: This Department does not produce projections of housing need by local authority.

Next Section Index Home Page