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Bus Deregulation

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of deregulation on securing a comprehensive network of public bus services. [1730]

Ms Keeble: The historical impacts of bus deregulation in 1986 were studied closely in the policy review which preceded the 1998 Transport White Paper. In the decade after 1986, operated bus mileage outside London increased overall by 25 per cent. The position necessarily varies from place to place. It is primarily for local authorities, in developing their bus strategies within local transport plans, to assess the adequacy of the bus network and to take appropriate action within the framework of their new powers in the Transport Act 2000. We are making additional funding available through the rural bus grant and the rural and urban bus challenge schemes.

A3

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the traffic figures for the A3 between Robin Hood roundabout and Roehampton Lane for each of the last 10 years. [1749]

Mr. Jamieson: The estimated annual average daily traffic flows for all motor vehicles on the A3 at Roehampton Vale from 1990 to 2000 are:

Year	Estimated annual average daily flow
1991	86,200
1992	87,400
1993	85,300
1994	79,900
1995	79,900
1996	80,800
1997	93,200
1998	92,500
1999	81,600
2000	76,400

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the accident figures for the A3 between Robin Hood roundabout and Roehampton Lane for each of the last 10 years. [1750]

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 325W

Mr. Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.

Accidents on the A3 between the Robin Hood roundabout and Roehampton Lane: 1991–2000

Year	Fatal	Serious	Slight	All
1991	1	5	17	23
1992	0	3	19	22
1993	0	2	12	14
1994	0	1	10	11
1995	0	1	17	18
1996	0	4	10	14
1997	0	2	16	18
1998	0	0	14	14
1999	0	0	16	16
2000	0	0	9	9

Kemble/Swindon Rail Track

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions his Department has had with Railtrack on the re-doubling of the track between Kemble and Swindon. [1656]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 3 July 2001]: None.

East-West Rail Route

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to take forward the proposals in the Strategic Rail Authority's London East/West Study. [2211]

Mr. Jamieson: As my predecessor announced on 3 May 2001, Official Report, column 739W, under the guidance of the High-Level Group the Strategic Rail Authority and Transport for London are jointly taking forward work on project definition, including alternative service patterns, and design development of a central, cross-London, rail link, and a feasibility study of a south-west to north-east London rail link.

The SRA continues to assess the other potential schemes identified in the London East-West Study.

Mobile Phone Masts

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when guidance will be issued to local planning authorities on new consultations on the siting of mobile phone masts. [2337]

Ms Keeble: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 17W.

Fire Brigade Training

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what methods are used by fire brigades to train those involved in decision making on arrival at an incident. [2314]

Dr. Whitehead: Training for incident command is undertaken at local, regional and national centres using live situations, simulations and virtual reality systems.

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 326W

Guidance has also been issued to the Fire Service on Incident Command. In 1999 Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate produced "The Fire Service Manual on Incident Command" to ensure national consistency in the command systems used by all the UK Fire Brigades.

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice his Department has given to fire brigades about using virtual reality in training. [2313]

Dr. Whitehead: Although the Home Office did not issue formal guidance to the Fire Service on virtual reality training systems the importance of a national incident command system for the Fire Service is recognised. Fire Brigades were encouraged by the Home Office and will be encouraged by this Department to improve emergency incident management techniques by undertaking virtual reality training.

Concessionary Travel

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consideration was given to bus and rail travel concessions for the disabled in Scotland and Wales when guidance on this subject was last issued. [2663]

Ms Keeble: Under the provisions of the Transport Act 2000, elderly and disabled people in England and Wales are entitled to half fare—or better—on local bus services, and the necessary travel pass must be issued free of charge. Local authorities may offer greater concessions—for example less than half fare, and cheap travel on train or ferry services—if they wish, and many do.

The Transport Act 2000 also requires the Secretary of State to issue guidance to local authorities advising on how the eligibility criteria for disabled people should be applied when applications for travel passes are considered. My Department issued such guidance to local authority associations, the bus industry and disability interests on 31 May. It is available on my Department's website at www.dtlr.gov.uk/itwp/consult/cf/disabled/index.htm.

Concessionary travel in Scotland and Wales is a devolved matter.

Housing (Slough)

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many permanent dwellings were completed in Slough by (a) private companies, (b) registered social landlords and (c) the local authority in each of the last five years. [2518]

Ms Keeble: Figures for the estimated number of new permanent dwellings completed in Slough, for private enterprise, registered social landlords and local authorities, for the last five financial years, are given in the table.

Year	Private enterprise	Registered social landlords	Local authority	All dwellings
1996–97	287	64	0	351
1997–98	316	33	0	349
1998–99	341	0	0	341
1999–2000	449	0	0	449
2000–01	660	41	0	701

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 327W

Positive Discrimination

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 22W, on positive discrimination, if he will publish the agenda and minutes of the recent seminar on women's representation in politics, indicating which officials attended the seminar; which other countries were represented; where the seminar was held and on what date; and what the total cost was of UK attendance at the seminar. [2839]

Dr. Whitehead: The seminar on Women's Representation in politics was organised by the Constitution Unit of University College, London.

The seminar was held at 7 Millbank, London, on 26 June 2001. A small team of Government Officials from the Women's Unit of the Cabinet Office lead by my noble Friend Baroness Morgan, at no cost, were present at the seminar along with representatives from all sides of the House.

There were speakers from France, Norway, Sweden and Germany and representatives from England and Scotland.

The minutes from the seminar have not yet been made available by the University College, London.

A12 Bypass

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much of the A12 bypass from Margaretting to Boreham has a concrete surface; and what plans there are to replace road surfaces on this road with a noise-reducing surface. [2820]

Mr. Jamieson: The whole of the A12 bypass from Margaretting to Boreham has a concrete surface, apart from some isolated areas on bridge decks.

In the Government's "Transport 2010—The Ten Year Plan" published in July 2000, we set a target of installing quieter surfacing on all concrete stretches of motorway and trunk road by 2011.

The timing of the work will be influenced by criteria which have been the subject of consultation with local authorities. The criteria have yet to be finalised but an announcement is anticipated this summer.

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