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Vehicle Inspectorate
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what provision has been made to protect against loss to public funds as a result of (a) failure and (b) overrun of (i) time and (ii) cost for the new computer system for the Vehicle Inspectorate; [98244]
- (2) if the Government will require guarantees that the new computer system for the Vehicle Inspectorate will work before awarding a contract. [98243]
Mr. Prescott:
The Vehicle Inspectorate is confident from the negotiations which have taken place over the last 18 months that the contract for the computerised MOT service is robust and deliverable. The contract contains a number of safeguards building on the experience gained from other major projects. The project was awarded "significant" status in March 1998 by HM Treasury and there has been input throughout the procurement process from the Treasury Private Finance Initiative Taskforce. An independent review of the contract will be undertaken during the preferred bidding stage to provide a further level of assurance. The Vehicle Inspectorate will ensure that, should the service be unavailable for any reason on the expected service commencement date, MOT testing will be able to continue.
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Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the causes of the fatal accident and fire on the M4 in Berkshire on 1 November; [98347]
Mr. Hill:
We would not like to make an assessment prejudging the Coroners verdict and this would, in any case, be a matter for the police.
The information needed to make a reasonable estimate of the costs arising from the accident is not available.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend the law to improve the safety of supplementary fuel tanks on heavy goods vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [98371]
Mr. Hill:
All fuel tanks, including supplementary ones, fitted to motor vehicles must comply with the requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986. These specify that fuel tanks must be constructed and maintained so as to be reasonably secure from damage and so that the leakage of liquid or vapour is adequately prevented. There are currently no plans to amend these regulations but any future changes would be best made through amendments to the European Directive on fuel tanks.
Mr. Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to allow the Countryside Agency to make grants from the Rural Transport Development Fund to enable private hire vehicles to comply with the legislation relating to disability discrimination; and if he will make a statement. [98363]
Mr. Hill:
Private hire vehicles are not required to comply with any of the relevant provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Rural Transport Development Fund makes grants in respect of a wide range of transport projects including contributions towards the cost of adaptation of vehicles or purchase of accessible vehicles in rural areas. Applications are considered on their merits.
Mr. Stevenson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the proportion which Government subsidies to (a) train operating companies and (b) Railtrack in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998 and (iv) the current year formed or will form of those companies' profits. [98331]
Mr. Hill:
Government subsidies are paid, not to Railtrack, but to train operating companies (TOCs) in the form of Support for Passenger Rail Services (SPRS) paid
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by the Franchising Director and grants paid by Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs). Those subsidies are not hypothecated to cover particular types of expenditure, so they cannot be directly identified as the source of payments made by TOCs to Railtrack.
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The table provides details, for 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, of SPRS and PTE payments to TOCs, of access charges paid by TOCs to Railtrack, and of Railtrack's profits. Details of TOC profits for those years are not readily available.
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(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) public funds, (b) private individuals and (c) the private sector arising from delays resulting from the accident which closed the M4 in Berkshire on 1 November. [98348]
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 (plans) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPRS payments | 1,809 | 1,429 | 1,196 | 1,073 |
| PTE payments | 290 | 375 | 337 | 326 |
| Total Government subsidies to TOCs | 2,099 | 1,804 | 1,533 | 1,399 |
| Passenger access charges | 2,119 | (16)2,131 | 2,169 | -- |
| Railtrack operating profit before tax | 339 | (17)380 | 471 | -- |
(16) Restated as 2,149 in Railtrack's Annual Report and Accounts 1998-99
(17) Restated as 398 in Railtrack's Annual Report and Accounts 1998-99
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National Air Traffic Services
Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many respondents to his consultation paper, "A Public-Private Partnership for National Air Traffic Services Ltd.", requested confidentiality for their comments; and what were the names of those individuals or organisations whose response to the document was in confidence. [98170]
Mr. Prescott: In accordance with Exemption 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, I am unable to provide the names of those persons and organisations who requested confidentiality, as these details were given and received in confidence.
Rat Infestations
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to include questions in the 2001 English House Condition Survey on rat infestations associated with dwellings; and who will be responsible for processing and analysing the data. [98380]
Mr. Mullin: As with the 1996 survey, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have requested that a module of questions on rat and mice infestation is included in the 2001 EHCS. Assuming the module is included, this Department will manage the processing of the module as part of the data processing of the whole data set and MAFF will then be responsible for analysing the rodent data.
Local Government Funding
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he or any of his Ministers last met representatives of Hammersmith and Fulham borough council to discuss central Government funding and the standard spending assessment for that council; and who was present at that meeting. [98289]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
There have been no recent meetings arranged to discuss the funding of Hammersmith and Fulham borough council involving Ministers and representatives from that authority.
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Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to raise awareness amongst cyclists of the need to obey the Highway Code; and if he will make a statement. [98344]
Mr. Hill:
The Department and local authorities actively work to ensure that cyclists are aware of the need to obey the Highway Code.
The Code itself was re-issued in February. It applies equally to all road users. For the first time, it brings together the rules applying to vulnerable road users, including cyclists, in specific sections at the beginning of the Code. This made the Code easier to read and assimilate.
The Driving Standards Agency promotes the Highway Code and seeks opportunities for specific road users to be targeted. The Agency has recently published the "Road Code", which is aimed at young road-users and builds on the Highway Code. Its message includes a section on cycling. The Department is also involved in other initiatives which support the principles of the Code. For example, on 22 October we issued a "Cycle Smart" comic and poster using Disney's "Recess" gang characters to promote the rules of cycling.
Local Authority Road Safety Officers make use of the cycle training for both children and adults to stress the need for cyclists to obey the Highway Code. About a third of children receive this training and this ensures that they grow up to be careful and considerate road users of all modes of transport. Every child who undertakes cycle training receives a copy of the "Highway Code for Young Road Users".
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures of (a) regional and (b) regeneration assistance he proposes to deal with the anticipated job losses from the closure of Ellington Colliery, Northumberland. [98387]
Ms Armstrong:
I will write to the right hon. Member.
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