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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 17 January 2000
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Ladbroke Grove Rail Accident
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement on the prospects for criminal prosecutions being started relating to the Paddington rail disaster. [104709]
The Solicitor-General: The British Transport Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the train collision in the vicinity of Ladbroke Grove on Tuesday 5 October 1999. As the police complete aspects of their inquiries, they intend to submit for advice reports, together with supporting evidence, to the Crown Prosecution Service. The prospects for criminal proceedings by the CPS are dependent on evidence derived from the police investigation, and not, for example, from evidence given to the public inquiry to be conducted by Lord Cullen, as that inquiry has an entirely different function. It is plainly not possible to anticipate, nor is it appropriate to speculate on, what evidence will be obtained by the police. When police inquiries conclude, the decision on whether or not to institute criminal proceedings will be made by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Crown Prosecution Service, in consultation with the Law Officers. I understand that the HSE will also be considering the possibility of bringing a prosecution.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement on the decision to offer immunity to railway companies offering evidence to the inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove accident. [104629]
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent representations he has received relating to immunity from prosecution for those giving evidence before a tribunal with special reference to the Paddington rail disaster; and if he will make a statement. [104710]
The Solicitor-General: On 29 November 1999 the Attorney-General authorised Lord Cullen to provide potential witnesses to his inquiry with the following undertaking:
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interest clearly favoured Lord Cullen undertaking his inquiry as soon as possible, and thereafter proceeding quickly, so that lessons can be learned from the circumstances that led to this tragedy. The undertaking is not the same as an immunity from prosecution: it has a much more limited effect.
"To undertake in respect of any person who provides evidence to the inquiry that no evidence he or she may give before the inquiry (whether orally or by written statement) nor any written statement made preparatory to giving evidence nor any documents produced by that person to the inquiry will be used in evidence against him or her in any criminal proceedings, except in proceedings where he or she is charged with having given false evidence in the course of this inquiry or having conspired with or procured others to do so".
The purpose of authorising Lord Cullen to provide an undertaking in these terms was to enable him to begin his inquiry immediately, and to ensure that it would be fully effective. It was certain that without such an undertaking being given potential witnesses would be inhibited from providing Lord Cullen with full assistance. The public
Water Industry (Mersey Basin)
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the environmental improvements agreed by Ofwat for the Mersey Basin for the next price review to be completed in 2005. [104292]
Mr. Meacher: I have placed in the House Libraries a list of the schemes allowed for in the final determination of water industry price limits announced by Director General Ofwat on 25 July 1999, which will improve the waters in the Mersey Basin. The list is made up of 60 continuous discharges and 516 intermittent discharges. These were proposed by the Environment Agency and approved by me as part of my guidance to Ofwat on the provision to be made for investments by water companies to achieve environmental improvements. The Environment Agency is exploring in more detail the benefits of a further five schemes to allow us to assess these against improved information on costs from Ofwat and North West Water.
International Panel on Pollution Control
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has made to (a) the European Commission and (b) other EU member states in respect of a common basis of charging for IPPC throughout the EU; and what response he has received. [104114]
Mr. Hill: The IPPC Directive makes no provision for a common charging scheme; in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, charging is a matter for individual member states.
London Underground (Investment)
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is forecast to be the total level of investment in the London Underground in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02. [104230]
Mr. Prescott: (a) Planned investment in the Underground in 2000-01 totals £753 million (in outturn prices). This comprises investment of £535 million in the core Underground and a projected £218 million in payments to JLE contractors for investment that took place in previous years.
(b) For 2001-02 and beyond, the Public Private Partnership currently under negotiation is designed to deliver around £8 billion worth of investment. PPP contractors will be required to implement a combination of specific projects and performance enhancements specified in terms of outputs to be delivered. Because the
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PPP contracts will require the delivery of service outputs, they will not generally specify particular works to be carried out or the amounts of money to be spent on them.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the regulations covering domestic plumbing will come into force; and if he will take steps to ensure toilet flushes using valves do not waste more water than those using syphon systems. [104424]
Mr. Meacher:
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations came into force on 1 July 1999. They prevent the contamination and waste of water supplies. A WC Suite Performance Specification, made under the Regulations, will come into effect on 1 January 2001. This will require all new WC suites, whether they use valve or syphon flushing mechanisms, to perform to the same high standards of durability and water conservation.
Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has (a) taken and ((b) proposes to implement the commitment in the Transport White Paper to a more peaceful countryside. [104576]
Mr. Hill:
My Department is an active participant in the Countryside Agency's Countryside Traffic Measures Group, and its Quiet Roads and Greenways Network Co-ordination Meetings. We provide support in the form of advice when required on traffic signing, and on highways and traffic matters. Research is in place, and more is planned, to monitor the success of schemes in these initiatives.
Ms Drown:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to support the adoption of a biosafety protocol allowing Governments to prohibit imports of genetically modified organisms. [104586]
Mr. Meacher:
Yes. The Biosafety Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity would establish Advanced Informed Agreement (AIA) procedures, whereby a Party of import could accept or refuse imports of certain living (genetically) modified organisms (LMOs) on the basis of the impacts on biodiversity.
Ms Drown:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to support the adoption of a biosafety protocol making companies that produce genetically modified organisms legally liable for any future damage to the environment or public health resulting from the import of those GMOs by another country. [104584]
Mr. Meacher:
In the negotiations on the Biosafety Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity resuming in Montreal later this month, we will continue to support an enabling provision that would adopt a process elaborating international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress for damage resulting from
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transboundary movements of living (genetically) modified organisms, and endeavour to complete the process within four years.
Ms Drown:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to support the adoption of a biosafety protocol requiring the separation of genetically modified grain from other grain. [104585]
Mr. Meacher:
The draft text of the Biosafety Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity does not require separation. However, EU Ministers have agreed that information exchange and documentation requirements are needed under the Protocol and should ensure satisfactory transparency and monitoring of movements of LMOs as well as their identification, which would also enable traceability.
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