---

Disabled Passengers

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on what his Department is doing to ensure that the UK transport network is accessible to those with (a) mobility problems and (b) other disabilities. [16426]

Ms Keeble: We are committed to providing an accessible public transport system in which people with a wide range of disabilities will have the same opportunities to travel as everyone else. Accessibility regulations for new trains, buses and coaches have been introduced under Part V of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Part III of the Act requires public transport infrastructure to be accessible to disabled people. From 2004 this will include the removal of physical barriers to access.

The 10 Year Transport Plan introduced a new commitment to ensuring that access for disabled people is a condition of all new public investment in transport.

Traveline

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the promotion and use of the Traveline website. [16428]

Mr. Jamieson: Traveline currently is primarily a telephone service offering route and timetable information on all forms of public transport. A website is being developed to supplement the telephone service. The website can be seen at www.traveline.org.uk. and links to all currently available public transport journey planners in the UK. During 2002, journey planners for more regions will become available and will be linked from the site. As coverage of these services becomes more comprehensive the national Traveline website will be given more active promotion.

Camping (Research)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the cost to public funds of the research project conducted by Heriot-Watt University, the University of Bristol and the University of Cardiff into the implementation of Government guidance on managing unauthorised camping. [16339]

Ms Keeble: The cost of the research was £80,519.

Departmental Initiatives

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for each (a) area-based and (b) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expenditure in each financial

20 Nov 2001 : Column: 225W

year for the planned lifetime of each initiative (A) nationally and (B) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. [16427]

Ms Keeble: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions programmes contribute to the regeneration of all deprived neighbourhoods by

20 Nov 2001 : Column: 226W

helping to improve the quality of life of local people by reducing the gap between deprived and other areas and between different groups. Levels of funding for the initiatives listed by the Cabinet Office Regional Co-ordination Unit as being the responsibility of this Department are as follows:

£ million⁽⁵⁾

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02 estimate	2002–03 plans
Coalfields	—	2	15	26	15
Community chest	—	—	—	10	15
Community empowerment fund	—	—	—	12	12
European regional development fund areas	229	278	246	255	254
Neighbourhood management	—	—	—	16	23
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund	—	—	—	200	300
Neighbourhood Wardens	—	—	—	2	3
New Deal for Communities	—	4	35	94	350
Single Regeneration Budget	561	692	725	851	767

⁽⁵⁾ Rounded

The Government Office for the North East is collecting information on regeneration funding within Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency and I will write to my hon. Friend when it is available.

The objectives of the national DTLR regeneration initiatives are as follows:

Coalfields

To bring about the physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration of Coalfields. Support for the Coalfield Regeneration Trust covers the period 1999–2000 to 2005–06.

Community Chest

To support community involvement and activity in deprived neighbourhoods for up to three years.

Community Empowerment Fund

To support community and voluntary sector involvement in Local Strategic Partnerships for up to three years.

European Regional Development Fund Areas

To tackle economic regeneration by promoting the development of those regions—lagging behind the rest of the European Union, redeveloping regions seriously affected by industrial decline; and supporting the adjustment of rural and urban areas facing new economic challenges. DTLR share of the ERDF programme covers the period 2000–06.

Neighbourhood Management

To help deprived communities and local services improve local outcomes, by improving and joining up local services, and making them more responsive to local needs. Support is provided up to seven years.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

To enable the 88 most deprived authorities to improve services, narrowing the gap between deprived areas and the rest of the country. Subject to review in SR2002.

Neighbourhood Wardens

Using Wardens to tackle the problems of our poorest neighbourhoods. Subject to review in SR2002.

New Deal for Communities

To tackle multiple deprivation in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, taking forwards the Government's commitment to combat social exclusion in the context of the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan. The lifetime of schemes is up to 10 years.

Single Regeneration Budget

To enhance the quality of life of local people in areas of need by reducing the gap between deprived and other areas, and between different groups. Schemes under each round have a lifetime up to seven years.

Urban Regeneration Companies

To lead and co-ordinate redevelopment and new investment in declining urban areas. URCs are new independent companies established by the relevant local authority, Regional Development Agency, English Partnerships (if appropriate), the private sector and other key partners. The lifetime for each URC is for the local partners to decide. Resources or powers are those that the local partners themselves are willing to commit.

Road Surfaces

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has undertaken into the relative effectiveness of reducing noise levels of (a) porous asphalt and (b) this surface coating road surfaces. [16597]

Mr. Byers: My Department has researched the relative effectiveness of porous asphalt in reducing traffic noise levels from those generated by a conventional motorway asphalt surface for nearly 20 years. The specification for porous asphalt was developed using research into ways of increasing its durability, which was inevitably reduced by its porosity. One of the issues emerging from the longer- term research into porous asphalt has been the tendency for its performance to reduce as the pores become clogged.

Thin surface coating road surfaces have been researched since these surfacings first became available in the early 1990s. A wide range of proprietary materials covered by this description has been subjected to a range of tests developed by the British Board of Agreement under the Highway Authorities Product Approval Scheme. The test of relative acoustic performance included within this scheme was developed from the procedure used in the research programme.

NAOMI Traffic Flow Model

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the

20 Nov 2001 : Column: 227W

projects for which the Highways Agency's NAOMI traffic flow model has been used in the last six months. [16596]

Mr. Byers: During the last six months, the NAOMI traffic model has been used to predict traffic flows for the following projects:

The ORBIT multi-modal study, which covers the M25 corridor


Proposals for service areas on the M25, M4 and M40.

Additionally, during the last six months information from the NAOMI model has provided input to developing the traffic forecasts for the following projects:

The Reading Area Transportation Study


A simulation model of the M25 junctions 10 to 16


Research into trip movements at motorway service areas


A proposed motorway service area on the M27 at Meon Valley


An investigation of M25 Junction 13 and Glantry roundabout


Highways Agency development control


An investigation of development opportunities in Thames Gateway.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the NAOMI traffic flow model was introduced by the Highways Agency; and what assessment has been made of its reliability and accuracy. [16595]

Mr. Byers: The NAOMI (New Assessment of Motorway Improvements) traffic flow model was introduced originally in 1995 and has been subject to several revisions and updates. The current version has been in use since September 2001. The reliability and accuracy of the model has been assessed using procedures contained in volume 12a of my Department's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and passed as being fit for purpose as a regional scale model.

---