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Safe Routes (Schools)
24. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the introduction of safe routes to schools. [89499]
Ms Glenda Jackson: We are working closely with schools and local authorities to improve safety and reduce car use on the journey to school. Last week we published comprehensive guidance on travel to school and announced a new pilot programme of assistance for schools.
West Coast Line
25. Ms Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the rail operators of the west coast line about future performance targets. [89500]
Mrs. Liddell: Performance targets for rail operators are matters for the Franchising Director. The franchise agreement for Virgin West Coast provides for the cancellation thresholds relating to call-in to be tightened from April 2003 and, at the Franchising Director's option, further tightened from April 2005. These changes will reflect the expected improvement in performance that will result from the Passenger Upgrade of the line (PUG2).
Trunk Road Network
26. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress made in improving the trunk road network. [89501]
Mrs. Liddell: We have made maintenance our first priority and provided the Highways Agency with the resources necessary to maintain its roads properly. We have increased the funding available for measures to make better use of existing roads. We have established a clear timetable for taking forward the Targeted Programme of Improvements so that all 37 schemes will start within the next 7 years. The net result will be a trunk road network which is safer and serves the needs of users better.
Container Ports
27. Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy in respect of applications to build container ports that preference should be given to brown-field sites. [89502]
Mr. Raynsford: Our policy on port developments is that they should make the best use of existing infrastructure, in preference to expansion wherever practicable. In cases where new development can be justified, our view is that ports should promote best environmental standards in design and operation. We are planning to publish a ports policy paper in the Autumn.
Reighton Bypass
28. Mr. Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the case for a bypass for the village of Reighton in North Yorkshire. [89503]
13 Jul 1999 : Column: 129
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The proposal for a bypass of Reighton is the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council as local highway authority. Any bid for funding for the scheme in the forthcoming provisional Local Transport Plan will be considered on its merits. All schemes costing more than £5 million need to be appraised using the New Approach to Appraisal.
29. Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in addressing rural needs through the work of regional development agencies. [89504]
Mr. Meale:
The Regional Development Agencies will later this month publish for consultation their draft regional strategies; final versions will be submitted to Ministers in October. The Secretary of State has issued statutory guidance to Regional Development Agencies about the content and coverage of regional strategies which includes the requirement that strategies should take account of the particular features of the region's rural areas. Separate non-statutory guidance has also been issued which includes a section on rural policy designed to assist the RDAs in considering the rural dimension of their brief, in particular in preparing their strategies.
30. Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met representatives of National Express to discuss the long-distance bus network. [89505]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Minister responsible for local transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson), met senior executives of National Express in April last year as part of the Department's continuing discussions with representatives of the bus and coach industry on a wide range of issues.
31. Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government targets for development on brown-field land. [89506]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government's target is that 60 per cent. of additional housing should be built on previously developed land or re-use existing building over the next 10 years.
32. Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has held with (a) Her Majesty's Treasury and (b) commercial interests about the financing of London Underground in 2000-01. [89507]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister routinely has discussions with HM Treasury on a range of issues, including London Transport. London Transport have invited prospective bidders to pre-qualify for the Public/Private Partnership competition for the deep tube lines, and have commenced discussions with Railtrack in respect of the sub-surface lines.
13 Jul 1999 : Column: 130
34. Mr. Forth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on road traffic levels of increasing fuel duties by 6 per cent. a year in real terms over the next five years. [89509]
Mrs. Liddell:
The 1997 National Road Traffic Forecasts already take into account our policy of annual 6 per cent. increases in fuel duty until 2002. Continuing the escalator for another two years would reduce the forecast traffic levels for 2011 by broadly 1.6 per cent., assuming there is no significant change in vehicle fuel efficiency.
35. Mr. Viggers:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the first-past-the-post system currently used for local government elections in England. [89510]
Ms Armstrong:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) on 15 June 1999, Official Report, column 77.
36. Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made with preparations for the London Mayor and Assembly. [89511]
Mr. Raynsford:
Good progress is being made. We have announced that, subject to Parliamentary approval of the Greater London Authority Bill, the elections for the Mayor and Assembly will take place on 4 May 2000, and the GLA and functional bodies will assume their full responsibilities on 3 July 2000. In the meantime the Bill should shortly complete its Committee stage in another place; proposals for both temporary accommodation (Romney House, Westminster) and permanent accommodation (at London Bridge City, Southwark) have been announced; and Dr. Robert Chilton has been appointed, on secondment, from the Audit commission to head the work on the transition to the GLA.
37. Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what effect the M4 bus lane has had on journey time for bus passengers from Heston to London. [89512]
Mrs. Liddell:
The operation of the bus lane is being monitored by the Transport Research Laboratory. Based on the first three weeks monitoring since the bus lane was opened, buses, coaches and taxis are saving an average time of approximately three minutes during the morning and evening peak periods. In periods of severe congestion, because of incidents elsewhere on the road network, vehicles using the bus lane have had savings of up to 16 minutes on journey time.
38. Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to support Liverpool Vision. [89513]
13 Jul 1999 : Column: 131
Mr. Meale:
Liverpool Vision is a very immediate and welcome response to Lord Rogers's Urban Task Force recommendations. My Officials will work with the new Urban Regeneration Company to make sure its vision of an integrated, vibrant city centre for the new century is delivered.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made with the plans to dual the remaining sections of the A11. [89492]
Mrs. Liddell:
We included the three schemes to complete the dual carriageway on the A11 from the M11 to Norwich in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" published last summer. The Roudham Heath to Attleborough Improvement is included in our Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) and construction of the scheme will start in 2001-02. The Attleborough Bypass and the Fiveways to Thetford Improvement were not sufficiently advanced to be included in the TPI but will be the subject of public consultation exercises in 2000-01 so that if, after full appraisal and statutory procedure, they are eventually endorsed, they can be taken foreword without delay.
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