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Roads

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much of the trunk road network has been given a lower noise surface in the past 12 months; and when he intends that (a) 10 per cent., (b) 25 per cent., (c) 50 per cent. and (d) 60 per cent. of the trunk road network will have received such a service. [3549]

Mr. Jamieson: Over 3 per cent. of the network received a lower noise surface during the last year. A target has been set in Transport 2010, the 10-year Plan, for 60 per cent. of the trunk road network to have lower noise surfacing by March 2011, including all concrete surfaces. A detailed 10 year programme is not available, but approximately 6 per cent. of the network is expected to be treated annually. On this basis 10 per cent. would be achieved by 2002, 25 per cent. by 2005, 50 per cent. by 2009 and 60 per cent. by 2011.

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list each of the roads in the Highways Agency Targeted Programme of Improvements indicating in each case (a) when work is likely to commence and (b) when the road is likely to be opened. [R] [3550]

Mr. Jamieson: Contracts have been let and in most cases work has begun on the following 14 schemes in the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) to the trunk road network. The planned completion date is as shown:

	Planned completion
A1 Willburn-Denwick Improvement	Winter 2002
A6 Clapham Bypass	Spring 2003
A6 Great Glen Bypass	Winter 2002
A11 Roundham Heath-Attleborough Dualling	Spring 2003
A27 Polegate Bypass	Summer 2002
A41 Aston Clinton Bypass	Summer 2003
A43 Whitfield Turn-Brackley Hatch Improvement	Summer 2002
A43 Silverstone Bypass	Summer 2002
A43 M40-B4031 Dualling	Summer 2002
A63 Selby Bypass	Winter 2003
A66 Stainburn and Great Clifton Bypass	Winter 2002
A500 Basford, Hough, Shavington Bypass	Summer 2003
A650 Bingley Relief Road	Winter 2003
A1033 Hedon Road Improvement, Hull	Summer 2003

17 Jul 2001 : Column: 90W

The following contracts are still to be let in the years stated. The precise timing of the start of work will be a matter for the contractor:

2001–02

A5 Nesscliffe Bypass

A6 Rothwell-Desborough Bypass

A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass

A10 Wadesmill-Colliers End Bypass

A21 Lamberhurst Bypass

A46 Newmark-Lincoln Improvement

A120 Stansted Braintree

2002–03

A6 Alvaston

M25 J 12–15 Widening

A1(M) Ferrybridge to Hook Moor

A1(M) Wetherby to Walshford

2003–04

A249 Iwade-Queensborough Improvement

M60 J 5–8 (formerly M63 J6–9 Widening).

Start dates for construction of the remaining schemes in the TPI cannot yet be set as they are still subject to the completion of the remaining statutory procedures. Those schemes are:

A2 Bean-Cobham Widening Phase 1


A2 Bean-Cobham Widening Phase 2


A11 Fiveways to Thetford Improvement


A11 Attleborough Bypass Improvement


A34 Chieveley/M4 J13 Improvement


A2 A2/A282 Dartford Improvement


A5 Weeford-Fazeley Improvement


A14 Rookery Crossroads Grade Separated Junction


A47 Thorney Bypass


A63 Melton Grade Separated Junction


A74 Carlisle-Guardsmill upgrading to motorway


A303 Stonehenge


A421 Great Barford Bypass

A500 City Road/Stoke Road.

Eight schemes were added to the TPI on 28 March 2001. Two schemes, A3 Hindhead Improvement and A30 Bodmin—Indian Queens Improvement, are subject to statutory procedures. For the remaining six schemes the next stage is under review:

M62 Junction 6 Improvement


A1 Peterborough-Blyth Grade Separated Junctions


A14 Haughley New Street—Stowmarket Improvement


A38 Dobwalls Bypass


A46 Newmark—Widmerpool Improvement


A595 Parton—Lillyhall Improvement.

17 Jul 2001 : Column: 91W

East Thames River Crossing

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to construct new East Thames river crossings for (a) road and (b) rail; and what the timetable for construction is in each case. [3540]

Mr. Jamieson: None. Proposals for new East Thames river crossings are now a matter for the Mayor of London. The crossings are discussed in his Transport Strategy published on 10 July. Copies of the Strategy are available in the Library.

Multi-model Transport Studies

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the findings of the (a) West Midlands to North West, (b) North/South movements in East Midlands, (c) London to South West and South Wales, (d) London orbitals, (e) South East Manchester, (f) West Midlands areas, (g) Tyneside areas, (h) access to Hastings, (i) Cambridge to Huntingdon and (j) A453 M1-Nottingham multi-modal studies. [R] [3462]

Mr. Jamieson: Each study is expected to report to the relevant Regional Planning Body as follows:

Multi-modal study	Date expected to report
(a) West Midlands to North West	Autumn 2001
(b) North/South Movements in East Midlands	Early 2002
(c) London to South West and South Wales	April 2002
(d) London Orbital	April 2002
(e) South East Manchester	September 2001
(f) West Midlands Area	September 2001
(g) Tyneside Area	February 2002
	(h) Access to HastingsReported December 2000 Decision announced 12 July 2001
(i) Cambridge to Huntingdon	July 2001
(j) A453 M1—Nottingham	Early 2002

Regional Planning Bodies will consider these reports and make recommendations to the Secretary of State in due course.

In regard to the Access to Hastings Multi-Modal Study decision, I refer to the answers given on 12 July 2001, Official Report, columns 635–37.

Rail Safety

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fatalities there were per million passenger miles on the railways in each of the last 10 years; what the projected costs of current plans to improve safety are; and what percentage increase in safety is planned to result from them. [3838]

Mr. Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate, publish fatality and injury rates to passengers in their Annual Report on Railway Safety, copies of which are placed in both House Libraries. The information is compiled per billion passenger rail miles. Fatality rates per billion passengers miles for each of the last ten years are reproduced in the following table.

17 Jul 2001 : Column: 92W

Fatality rate passengers—all railways 1990 to 1999–2000

Year	Train incidents per billion passenger miles	Movement incidents per billion passenger miles	Non-movement incidents per billion passenger journeys
1990	0	1.43	1.29
1991–92	0.08	1.16	0.63
1992–93	0	0.68	1.29
1993–94	0	0.62	1.30
1994–95	0.14	0.55	1.26
1995–96	0.04	0.29	1.23
1996–97	0.04	0.48	1.79
1997–98	0.24	0.51	2.24
1998–99	0	0.56	1.60
1999–00	0.90	0.43	2.01

Key to table headings:

"Train Incidents" include: collisions, derailments, trains running into obstructions, fires on board trains and missile damage to train windows;

"Movement Incidents" are injuries caused by the movement of the train excluding train incidents e.g. a passenger falling off a platform and struck by a train; and

"Non-movement Incidents" are injuries not caused by trains, e.g. A passenger slipping on the station platform.

Figures for 2000–01 are still being compiled.

All aspects of railway industry activity have potential safety impacts. These safety impacts are not always separately identified in the business planning process. Therefore, the projected cost of current industry plans to improve safety cannot be estimated.

In the 1999–2000 Railway Group Safety Plan, the railway industry set itself a target to halve the annual number of accidental equivalent fatalities by 2009. (In calculating an 'equivalent fatality' 10 major injuries equate to one fatality and 200 minor injuries equate to one fatality.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has (a) made to and (b) received from Railtrack about the continued enforcement of speed restrictions; and when he estimates all restrictions will be lifted. [4649]

Mr. Spellar: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the Railtrack chairman last month expressing concern about the continued enforcement of speed restrictions on the national rail network and pressing for a firm timetable for reducing further the number outstanding, without in any way compromising safety. Railtrack will respond substantively once it has reached agreement with the train operating companies on the best balance between early removal of the restrictions and additional disruption to services that the necessary engineering work might cause.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has (a) made to and (b) received from each of the train operating companies about the continued enforcement of speed restrictions; and if he will make a statement. [4650]

Mr. Spellar: Ministers have met representatives of the train operating companies on several occasions and discussed, among other issues, the continued enforcement

17 Jul 2001 : Column: 93W

of temporary speed restrictions, and the steps that Railtrack and the operators, working together, can take to minimise their impact.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will set out the timetable for completion of the inspection schedule used by Railtrack to assess track conditions; and if he will make a statement. [4651]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

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