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Rail Safety
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) which body is responsible for determining which signals are to be fitted with train protection warning system devices; [95954]
- (2) what percentage of all signals are to be fitted with train protection warning system devices; [95955]
(3) what plans he has to fit train protection warning system devices to freight train loop lines; [95956]
(4) if signal SN109 outside Paddington railway station was scheduled for the fitting of a train protection warning system device within existing plans. [95958]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 27 October 1999]: The Railway Safety Regulations 1999 require a train protection warning system to be fitted at all signals on a railway where a train could collide with another oncoming, converging or crossing train. These are estimated to account for 30-40 per cent. of all signals. As required by the Regulations, Railtrack is developing a train protection installation programme which must be approved by the Health and Safety Executive. Signal SN109 outside Paddington station falls within that programme.
Parts of a railway which are normally used only for the carriage of freight are excluded from the scope of the Regulations.
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Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many signals passed at danger there have been in each of the last five years on tracks between (a) London Paddington and Oxford and (b) Oxford and Evesham. [95988]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: Information is not held in the form requested. I have asked the initial Capital Chair of the Health and Safety Commission to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice on railway safety he received before announcing the phasing-out of slam-door trains. [95986]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: The announcement of the phasing out of slam-door carriages without central locking was made after careful consideration of the Health and Safety Commission's formal recommendations.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many recorded incidents of diesel fuel tanks becoming separated from trains there have been in each of the last five years. [95990]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: The Health and Safety Executive does not record this type of information and is therefore unable to supply any data.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the reporting stages for signals passed at danger from trackside to Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement. [95987]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: Incidents of signals passed at danger (SPADs) are required to be reported monthly under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 to the Health and Safety Executive (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate). They are reported monthly by the Safety Managers for the individual Railtrack zones and then submitted by Railtrack to HMRI. This information is published in HMRI's Annual Report on Rail Safety.
Following the tragic accident at Ladbroke Grove on 5 October, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister asked the Health and Safety Commission to arrange for him to be sent a weekly report on the number of signals that had been passed at danger (SPADs) in the previous week. The information is collated and tabulated by HMRI and submitted to the Deputy Prime Minister every Friday. He has received two of these reports so far.
The Deputy Prime Minister has also requested the monthly analysis of SPADs. This report is due at the beginning of November and will be published.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the safety record of (a) diesel multiple unit trains and (b) trains hauled by a diesel locomotive. [95993]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: The Health and Safety Commission, with the operational assistance of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), monitor and review the safety performance of all types of rolling stock including that of diesel multiple units and trains hauled by diesel locomotives. Details of train
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accidents caused by technical defects affecting all types of locomotives and multiple units are published in HSE's Annual Report on Railway Safety.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions since September 1998 (a) Ministers and (b) officials have (i) met and (ii) corresponded with (1) train operating companies and (2) Railtrack plc regarding signals passed at danger incidents; and if he will place the resulting minutes and letters in the Library. [95982]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: The lead responsibility for dealing with signals passed at danger rests with the Health and Safety Commission and Executive.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many (a) signal failures and (b) signals passed at danger there have been since the accident at Ladbroke Grove. [95991]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: The information requested on signal failures is not yet available. Railtrack is required by law to report on a monthly basis incidents of signals passed without authority (commonly known as a 'SPAD') and failures in the signalling system where they endanger or have the potential to endanger the safe passage of trains. In addition my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has asked for weekly reports of SPADs which will be collated and publicised monthly. The first report will be available in early November.
The relevant report for signal failures following the accident at Ladbroke Grove will not be available until mid November.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when random testing for alcohol and drugs was introduced for train drivers. [95989]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 27 October 1999]: Random testing for frontline railway staff, including train drivers, was introduced by regulation made under the Transport and Works Act 1992. The regulation came into force in December 1992.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which contractor is responsible for the training of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Borden; what penalty clauses are contained in the contract; and if they have been invoked. [95672]
Mr. Spellar:
The contractor responsible for the majority of training at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering is Vosper Thorneycroft. Contract performance is regularly monitored and there is an annual review of the contract price, which can vary depending on the number of courses run or the number of students trained during the year. There are no specific penalty clauses in the contract, but full payment depends on the
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contractor meeting the required performance standards. To date there has been no reason to consider reducing payment on these grounds.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence service personnel are serving with Joint Helicopter Command Headquarters; from which service areas they are drawn; and if he will make a statement. [95794]
Mr. Spellar:
The Joint Helicopter Command Headquarters is established for 84 Service personnel. The actual strength as at 25 October 1999 is 82. The Service areas from which they are drawn are as follows:
| Service | Established strength | Actual strength |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | 12 | 12 |
| Army | 48 | 48 |
| Royal Air Force | 24 | 22 |
| Total | 84 | 82 |
RAF Honington
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of converting the east hangar at RAF Honington for use by the new NBC regiment. [95802]
Mr. Spellar: The cost of refurbishing 'E' Hangar at RAF Honington for use by the Joint NBC Regiment would be £1.33 million plus VAT. However, no financial decision will be made on the requirement for this refurbishment until the long term location of the Joint NBC Regiment is known.
Executive Agencies
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed in Scotland by executive agencies responsible to his Department in total; and where those staff are located. [95278]
Mr. Kilfoyle [holding answer 26 October 1999]: As at 1 July 1998, there were 8,448 staff employed in Scotland by executive agencies responsible to the Secretary of State for Defence, as detailed in the table. This is the last year for which figures are available. The MOD has since restructured and a number of the Agencies mentioned in the table have ceased to exist and other new Agencies have been created.
Notes:
1. The data cover UK regular forces and UK based permanent civilian personnel counted in official Ministry of Defence civil service figures. Civilian figures are full-time equivalents, where part time staff are counted in proportion to the hours worked.
2. The data exclude all Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Staff and the UK Hydrographic Office, on whom reliable data is not available on the same basis.
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It would not be possible to give the location of each member of staff without disproportionate cost. However the locations of the Agencies which employ the majority of staff in Scotland are as follows:
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state for each of the executive agencies responsible to his Department, the (a) total number of staff employed and (b) wage costs in (i) England and (ii) Scotland in the last year for which figures are available. [95279]
Mr. Kilfoyle
[holding answer 26 October 1999]: The table gives details of the number of staff employed by each of the agencies responsible to the Secretary of State for Defence, in England and Scotland as of 1 July 1998, which is the last year for which figures are available. However, the MOD has since restructured and a number of the Agencies mentioned have ceased to exist, while other new Agencies have been created.
Queen Victoria School--Dunblane, Perthshire;
Army Base Repair Organisation--Forthside, Stirling;
Defence Codification Agency--Glasgow;
Army Personnel Centre--Glasgow;
Army Training and Recruiting Agency--Glencourse;
Ship Support Agency--Rosyth;
Naval Recruiting and Training Agency--Rosyth and Greenock;
Naval Bases and Supplies Agency--approximately 2,800 of the 4,016 staff employed in Scotland by the Naval Bases and Supplies Agency are based at Faslane, with the remainder located at a number of different sites throughout Scotland;
Staff employed by the Meterological Office and the MOD Police are located in a number of different sites throughout Scotland.
Notes:
1. The data cover UK regular forces and UK based permanent civilian personnel counted in official Ministry of Defence civil service figures. Civilian figures are full-time equivalents where part-time staff are counted in proportion to the hours worked.
2. The data exclude all Defence Evaluation and Research Agency staff and the UK Hydrographic Office staff, for whom reliable data are not available on the same basis.
It would not be possible to give the wage costs for each Agency without disproportionate cost.
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