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Cytotoxic Drugs
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the letter of 3 November from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Lord Whitty, to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, reference P/W/28454/99, concerning cytotoxic drugs, when he expects the report on NHS ward staff handling such drugs to be (a) completed and (b) published. [98146]
Mr. Meacher: The research referred to, entitled "Occupational Exposure of Health Workers to Cytotoxic Drugs: A Ward-Based Study", has been completed. A draft of the report is currently being considered within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The final report should be submitted to Health and Safety Commission's Health Services Advisory Committee before the end of the year. I will ensure that a copy is then placed in the Library of the House. HSE is also discussing with the co-author how the report should best be published.
Duneland Habitats
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to letter AM/15632/99 of 15 June from his Department to the hon.
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Member for Linlithgow, what was the result of the September meeting of the member states of the Atlantic Biogeographical Region on sand dunes; and what action has been taken to protect duneland habitats. [98280]
Mr. Mullin:
The UK's series of 340 candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) was considered with those of seven other member states at a scientific seminar in Kilkee on 6-8 September 1999. The meeting indicated that a number of habitat features, including four sand dune types, were insufficiently represented in the UK and other member state's SAC series. Duneland habitats are already afforded protection through their status as designated nationally or internationally important sites (SSSIs, candidate SACs, Ramsar sites and Special Protection Areas etc.). Furthermore, as part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, a priority habitat action plan for coastal sand dunes was published on 25 October.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the letter of 3 November from the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, reference CM/20311/99, if he will make a statement on progress at the Conference of the Parties at the Bonn Convention in respect of sensitive species, with particular reference to dolphins, turtles and albatross. [98145]
Mr. Mullin:
The proceedings of the sixth Conference of the Parties to the Bonn Convention began on Wednesday and will continue until Tuesday of next week. It is too early at present to say how these discussions are going.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Government's policy to support the European Union's application to joint Eurocontrol; and if he will make a statement. [98153]
Mr. Mullin:
The Government support Community membership of Eurocontrol because it is the most appropriate way for the Community to exercise its competence and express its views with regard to air traffic management in Europe.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of a formal relationship between the European Union and Eurocontrol on sovereignty over UK air space. [98155]
Mr. Mullin:
Negotiations are under way for Community membership of Eurocontrol. The terms of the Accession Protocol have not yet been agreed, but there will be no direct impact on UK's sovereignty over its airspace.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have to give decisions of Eurocontrol direct applicability and direct effect in the United Kingdom. [98154]
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Mr. Mullin:
Eurocontrol is currently undertaking a legal assessment of the feasibility of its decisions being directly applicable within member states. The UK is participating in this work and the Government will consider carefully the results of this study.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans his Department has to extend the use of the M4 bus lane to include high-occupancy vehicles; and what measures he plans to implement to ensure compliance with this rule; [98184]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the M4 bus lane on traffic flow and journey times on the M4 (a) between the M25 intersection and the start of the bus lane and (b) before the M25 intersection at (i) rush hour and (ii) off-peak periods; and if he will publish the recent report submitted by the Road Transport Laboratory; [98182]
(4) what plans he has to introduce variable speed limits on the M4 between the M25 intersection and the Chiswick terminus; [98183]
(5) what estimates he has made of (a) the number of passengers carried in the M4 bus lane and (b) the number of people who have changed their journey routes to avoid the M4 since the bus lane was established. [98186]
Mr. Hill:
As this is an operational matter for the Highways Agency, I have asked the Chief Executive, Mr. Peter Nutt, to write to the hon. Member.
(2) how many (a) buses, (b) taxis and (c) bus services use the M4 bus lane; and what were the equivalent figures for the same stretch of road prior to the bus lanes existence; [98185]
| Average time saved per vehicle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time of day (weekday) | Buses and taxis | Other vehicles |
| 06.30-09.30 | 4.5 | 2.6 |
| 09.30-17.30 | -0.8 | -0.7 |
| 17.30-20.30 | 3.2 | 1.6 |
| 20.30-06.30 | -1.5 | -1.3 |
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The monitoring during months four and five show similar results. Information is not available for the length of the M4 to the west of junction 4.
Use of the bus lane varies from day to day and week to week. The highest measured flows were in the week commencing 18 October when Paddington Station was closed and averaged approximately 5000 vehicles per day. Measured peak hour flows were 60 buses and coaches, 10 minibuses and 370 taxis. The previous highest flow during a week was 4,300 vehicles per day. During the week commencing 25 October (the half term week for many schools) the average daily flow was approximately 4,000 vehicles, of which 500 were buses or coaches, 90 were minibuses and 3,400 were taxis. In this week the typical peak hour flow included 35 buses or coaches, 8 minibuses and 220 taxis.
Comprehensive traffic count data by vehicle type is not available for the period prior to the bus lane. Estimates based on sample counts before the bus lane was installed indicate hourly flows at peak times of up to 50 buses, coaches and minibuses and up to 350 taxis.
Surveys carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory show that the average occupancy of buses and coaches to be 15, taxis to be 2.5 and other vehicles to be 1.2, all including the driver.
The surveys have found no evidence that drivers have changed their journey routes to avoid the M4 since the bus lane was opened. The surveys have revealed that the observed maximum traffic flows on the elevated section of the M4 has increased by 10 per cent. since the opening of the Bus Lane.
We are continuing to evaluate this pilot project but there are no plans at present to introduce variable speed limits or allow high-occupancy vehicles to use the bus lane.
Drivers' Blood Alcohol Level
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Government's policy to lower the permitted blood alcohol level for driving; and if he will make a statement. [98149]
Mr. Hill: We have consulted on a package of measures to combat drinking and driving, including the possibility of lowering the permitted blood alcohol level to 50mg per 100ml. An announcement will be made as part of the forthcoming publication of our road safety strategy.
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