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Housing Investment (London Boroughs)
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the (a) percentage change and (b) cash change in real terms in the housing investment programme for each London borough in each year since 1996-97. [152333]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Planning Officers
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms exist for members of the public to complain about the conduct of planning officers; and what remedies exist in respect of complaints which are upheld. [152264]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Complaints about officers' conduct should, in the first instance, be directed to the local authority concerned, to be handled in accordance with its complaints procedures and disciplinary code. If, after receiving the local authority's response, the complainant wishes to pursue the matter, it could be put to the Local
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Government Ombudsman, who is the independent and impartial body charged by Parliament with investigating complaints of maladministration causing injustice.
The Ombudsman may deal with complaints by correspondence or issue a report which the local authority must consider. Remedy may involve the payment of compensation, review of the authority's policy and procedures, or both.
Rail Speed Restrictions
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many speed restrictions were in place on the rail network at the end of each month since October 2000; and how many are anticipated at the end of March and April 2001. [152358]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Railtrack report the number of temporary speed restrictions at the end of each month as:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| October 2000 | 346 |
| November 2000 | 852 |
| December 2000 | 456 |
| January 2001 | 422 |
| February 2001 | 307 |
| March 2001(19) | 177 |
| April 2001(19) | 61 |
(19) Plan
This covers temporary speed restrictions imposed since Hatfield because of gauge corner cracking and adverse weather, and addressed in the company's National Recovery Plan of 18 January 2001. It excludes speed restrictions in force at any one time for other reasons (including some gauge corner restrictions imposed since 18 January 2001).
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if all the speed restrictions on the London to Norwich railway line will be lifted by Easter. [152361]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Railtrack is removing the remaining speed restrictions on the London-Norwich line in accordance with its National Recovery Plan, but some of the less severe restrictions will remain in place into the summer. Additionally, as with other parts of the network, the London--Norwich line will continue to be affected by speed restrictions imposed for other reasons.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the effect of speed restrictions on journey times on the London to Norwich railway line. [152360]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The Association of Train Operators reports that current average journey times for London to Norwich are between two hours 10 minutes and two hours 15 minutes. The normal timetable time is one hour 47 minutes.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what
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representations he has made to Railtrack about the continued enforcement of speed restrictions; and when he estimates that the final restrictions will be lifted. [152355]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The Rail Recovery Action Group, chaired by my noble Friend the Minister for Transport, is pressing and helping Railtrack to ensure that temporary speed restrictions imposed in the light of the Hatfield accident are removed as soon as possible, consistent with high safety standards. Many other speed restrictions imposed for other reasons will remain, and so the group has not estimated when all restrictions might be lifted.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many speed restrictions are still in force on the rail network; and on which lines. [152349]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: As of 5 March, 287 temporary speed restrictions imposed in the light of the Hatfield accident remain in force at various points on the rail network, including on 32 of the 45 strategic routes identified in Railtrack's Network Management Statement:
- West Coast Mainline
East Coast Mainline
Great Western Mainline
Reading and Bristol to Penzance
Midland Mainline
Channel Tunnel Routes
Derby to Bristol and Didcot
North Transpennine
Birmingham and Coventry to Peterborough
Crewe to Newport
Wolverhampton to Chester and Aberystwyth
Manchester and Crewe to North Wales
Manchester to Sheffield and North Lincolnshire
Edinburgh to Glasgow, Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness
West Anglia Mainline
- Great Eastern Mainline
Chatham Mainline and North Kent
Brighton Mainline and South London Network
South Coastal Route Portsmouth to Ashford
London to Portsmouth
Wessex Routes
Chiltern lines
North London Line
Cardiff Valleys
West Midlands local routes
East Midlands local routes
Yorkshire
North East England
South West Scotland
Strathclyde
Freight-only routes North England
Freight-only routes Scotland.
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Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what speed restrictions have been placed on the London to Norwich railway line in each of the last six months; how many of these restrictions remain; what monitoring of the situation he is undertaking; and what representations he has made to Railtrack about the disruption these restrictions have caused to journey times. [152359]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Railtrack is responsible for the management of speed restrictions, and reports to the Rail Recovery Action Group on the total in force nationally in the light of the Hatfield accident. The detailed figures for individual lines are a matter for Railtrack.
In the light of its concern about extended journey times on London-Norwich and other services, the group, chaired by the Minister for Transport, is urging Railtrack to remove temporary speed restrictions as soon as possible, consistent with high safety standards.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many speed restrictions were in place on the London to Norwich railway line in each month since the end of October 2000; and how many are anticipated at the end of March and April this year. [152362]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: This is a matter for Railtrack.
Rail Industry
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what regular meetings the Minister for Transport holds with representatives of the rail industry. [152357]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 5 March 2001]: My noble Friend the Minister for Transport chairs the Rail Recovery Action Group, meeting each week and bringing together senior rail industry representatives to help get services back to normal. Ministers have frequent meetings on a bilateral basis with a range of industry figures.
Sewers
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of sewers in (a) Lancashire and (b) the United Kingdom are in a serious state of disrepair and need to be (i) repaired and (ii) replaced within the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [152275]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: Information is available only on a water company basis. In the North West Water region, 4,597 miles of sewer (18.6 per cent. of their total) are assessed as being in a poor condition. For England and Wales, 10.6 per cent. of the sewer network is assessed as being in a poor condition. My Department does not have information covering the United Kingdom as a whole.
Between 2000 and 2005, North West Water plans to renew or renovate 281 miles of sewer. For England and Wales, the comparable figure is 1,130 miles. Companies' plans for 2006 to 2010 will be reviewed as part of the next periodic review of water companies' prices.
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The condition of sewers is only one of several factors to be taken into account when assessing whether they need to be repaired or replaced. Various studies are under way to review the basis for future investment.
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