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Pedestrian Protection
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will estimate the additional average cost of providing pedestrian protection in the Honda Civic car; which car has the best pedestrian protection rating to date in the European New Car Assessment Programme; and which cars have been assessed at 65 per cent. or above in the EEVC Working Group 10 tests. [15679]
Mr. Jamieson: The Honda Civic has the best Euro NCAP pedestrian protection result to date, with a score of 72 per cent. We estimate that the additional vehicle manufacturing cost of the Honda Civic relating to pedestrian protection to be around £6.50. We have made no specific estimate of the extra running costs linked to pedestrian protection.
The Euro NCAP pedestrian test currently allows a mix of best and worst positions, chosen by manufacturers and Euro NCAP respectively.
However, we believe that significant further modification would be required for the vehicle to meet the full EEVC WG10 or the later WG17 requirements, resulting in a further increase in manufacturing and running costs. In a separate series of DTLR funded research tests using the EEVC WG17 procedures and criteria, the Honda Civic was subject to 19 tests. The results are summarised below.
| WG17 requirements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | Total tests | Met | Not met |
| Child head | 12 | 2 | 10 |
| Upper leg | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Full leg | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 19 | 6 | 13 |
This should not detract from the significant achievements by Honda on pedestrian protection in relation to other cars. Published results of Euro NCAP tests show that no other cars have scored 65 per cent. or above.
Roadworks (Essex)
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what plans his Department has for road works on the A12 between Hatfield Peverel and Mountnessing in the next 12 months; [14962]
- (2) what action he will take to alleviate the traffic jams on the A12 north of Boreham at Hatfield Peverel while the road works are in progress; [14964]
(3) when the road works on the A12 to the north of Boreham at Hatfield Peverel will be completed; and when the A12 will return to normal traffic flows; [14963]
(4) if he will make a statement on the traffic jams being caused by road works on the A121 north of Boreham at Hatfield Peverel; and what has been the average time it takes vehicles to travel through the road works in each week since their establishment. [14965]
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Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Richard Thorndike to Mr. Simon Burns, dated 15 November 2001:
- Tim Matthews has been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about planned and proposed roadworks on the A12. I am replying as Tim Matthews is currently away on business.
- I am sorry that the resurfacing of the A12 near Hatfield Peverel is causing problems for road users. We expect the work to be completed around the middle of February, although to minimise delays over Christmas, the traffic management will be suspended between noon on 19 December and noon on 7 January.
- We have not recorded details since work started of the delays for each week. Although we know there have been delays of over an hour particularly when there have been accidents. However, on average in the morning it takes about 10–15 minutes longer to travel southbound and about 5–10 minutes longer to travel north.
- We have no plans for major roadworks on the A12 between Hatfield Peverel and Mountnessing during the next 12 months. We are, however, planning to resurface part of the Brentwood Bypass next September which will involve some work at the Mountnessing Interchange. Details will be published nearer the time.
- If you would like more details, the Agency's Project Manager, James Hassall would be happy to discuss the scheme. His telephone number is 01234 796094.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what proportion of those named day parliamentary written questions to his Department that received a holding answer between 15 October and 5 November received the substantive answer (a) within three parliamentary days, (b) within seven parliamentary days, (c) within 10 parliamentary days, (d) within 15 parliamentary days and (e) over 15 parliamentary days after the holding answer was issued; [13326]
- (2) how many named day parliamentary written questions were tabled to his Department between 15 October and 5 November; and what proportion of these have received holding answers. [13307]
Dr. Whitehead: In the period 15 October to 5 November, my Department answered 261 named day parliamentary questions, of which 81 (31 per cent.) received holding answers.
Of the 81 that received holding answers, 72 (89 per cent.) received substantive answers within three parliamentary days (of which 29 (36 per cent.) received substantive answers within one day); and 9 (11 per cent.) received substantive answers within seven parliamentary days.
Physical Agents Directive
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the (a) haulage, (b) construction and (c) engineering sectors regarding the European Commission's proposed physical agents directive; and if he will make a statement. [15687]
Dr. Whitehead: The Health and Safety Executive has had several meetings with industry sectors about the two physical agents directives on vibration and noise.
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The most recent meeting with construction sector representatives was on 14 November and with engineering sector representatives on 1 November. They will be meeting representatives of the haulage industry on 20 November.
Fair Trade Goods
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his Department's policy is in relation to departmental spending for supplies concerning the purchase of Fair Trade goods. [15216]
Dr. Whitehead: The Department's procurement policy is about the achievement of value for money. The Department does not have a specific policy requiring the purchase of fair trade goods. Purchasing Officers are expected to consider each case on its merits with particular regard to the need for any products purchased to represent value for money. However, this Department does have available in the main staff restaurant fair trade beverages and confectionery and only provides fair trade beverages for official meetings. In addition, this Department's policy is to purchase timber and timber products only from sustainable and legal sources.
Local Government Finance Settlement
Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will make a statement on the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2002–03. [16241]
Mr. Raynsford: Subject to the progress of parliamentary business, we expect to make an announcement to the House on Thursday 29 November.
New Track
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he intends to allow assets of the not-for-profit company known as New Track to be made available as security to bankers in order to secure funding for the company. [11221]
Mr. Spellar: A substantial portion of the income for a company limited by guarantee would be covered by stable long-term contracts. These would form the basis for an investment grade credit rating to secure funding for the company.
TREASURY
Departmental Underspending
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister regarding underspend in the Department of Health; [13206]
- (2) what measures he is taking to reduce underspend in the (a) Department for Education and Skills, (b) Department of Health, (c) DETR main programmes, (d) Ministry of Defence and (e) Home Office; [13203]
(3) if he will provide a breakdown of the main items of intended expenditure that were not spent comprising the underspend arising from the difference between the
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- Final Department Expenditure Limit and Provisional Outturn for 2000–01 for the (a) Department for Education and Skills, (b) Department of Health, (c) DETR main programmes, (d) Ministry of Defence and (e) Home Office. [13202]
Mr. Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 13 November 2001, Official Report, columns 606–07W.
Scottish Devolution
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council. [13823]
Mr. Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.
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