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Public Appointments

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many appointments he has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in his gift. [15491]

Ms Keeble: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies", which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.

21 Nov 2001 : Column: 285W

DTLR Ministers made nine appointments and eight reappointments to public bodies between 7 June and 31 October. In addition, one appointment has been made jointly with colleagues in the Department of Health and National Assembly for Wales and four further appointments made jointly with the National Assembly for Wales. This Department is responsible for making approximately 700 appointments.

Millennium Dome

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the total cost to date to (a) the Treasury and (b) the National Lottery of the Millennium Dome. [14508]

Ms Keeble: English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency, which manages the Dome sale process and owns the site, is expecting to incur, from its normal budget, some £1.9 million in relation to care and maintenance ¹ of the Dome, around £9.75 million for decommissioning works in preparation for the future use of the Dome and about £1.7 million on the current sale process, this year. In addition, English Partnerships spent £6.6 million on the previous competition, which began in March 1999 and ended at the beginning of 2001. These costs will be recovered from eventual sale proceeds.

In relation to the National Lottery cost, the Millennium Commission has approved a total grant of £628 million to the New Millennium Experience Company for the Millennium Experience at Greenwich and its associated national programme of events and activities.

¹ Includes rates, utilities, security, maintenance and insurance.

Rail Services (Scotland)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of new track were laid in each year between 1992 and 1999 relating to new rail lines in Scotland. [15874]

Mr. Jamieson: I understand from Railtrack that between 1992 and 1999 a small but unquantified amount of freight-related new track has been laid.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of rail track were upgraded to allow for increased capacity in Scotland in each year between 1992 and 1999. [15876]

Mr. Jamieson: I understand from Railtrack that there has been no significant track capacity upgrade between 1992 and 1999. Improved signalling can also increase network capacity and signalling works have been undertaken at locations where increased demand has driven the need for such improvements.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much was spent in support of rail services in Scotland in each year from 1992 to 1999. [15873]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to pages 102–103 of the Strategic Rail Authority Annual Report 2000–01, which show the support for rail services provided under the ScotRail franchise in the years since it commenced on 31 March 1997. Details of support for those services before that date are available.

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Air Traffic Control

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many representations have been received by the Government on the privatisation of Air Traffic Control; and of these, how many were classed as (a) supportive of privatisation and (b) against privatisation. [15877]

Mr. Jamieson: No central record has been kept of the number of such representations.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what protocols have been implemented between NATS and the MOD to ensure safety between civilian and military air traffic. [16757]

Mr. Jamieson: The system for air traffic control in UK airspace has long been based on a joint and integrated civil-military arrangement. The NATS public-private partnership provides for the continuance of this relationship and the Civil Aviation Authority is required to oversee the sustainment of efficient joint civil and military working. This oversight is carried out through the Joint Air Navigation Services Council that consists of senior representatives of NATS, Ministry of Defence and the CAA.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when the partners' investment will be committed to the NATS PPP; and how much it will be; [16755]

(2) when he expects to receive the proceeds from the NATS PPP. [16754]

Mr. Jamieson: The Government received proceeds totalling almost £770 million from the sale of a minority share in NATS to the chosen strategic partner, the Airline Group, on 26 July 2001. A further £35 million is due under the sale as deferred proceeds.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the timetable is for invitations to tender for (a) Prestwick and (b) West Drayton air traffic control centres; and how these centres will be involved with European proposals on air traffic control. [16768]

Mr. Jamieson: In regard to the new air traffic control centre at Prestwick, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett) on 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 288W.

The West Drayton air traffic control centre, which is the existing London Area and Control Centre (LATCC), is not subject to tender.

All civilian air traffic control centres in the European Union would be covered by the proposals to create the Single European Sky. As these proposals are still in draft form, it is too early to say what their impact might be on individual control centres.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when EU clearance is expected for the NATS PPP. [16753]

Mr. Jamieson: EU merger clearance for the Airline Group's participation in the NATS PPP was obtained on 14 May 2001.

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Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much the employees' share of the NATS PPP is expected to be; and when it will be available to them. [16756]

Mr. Jamieson: Under the public private partnership NATS employees are entitled to 5 per cent. of the total shareholding in NATS. The shares are held in an employee trust, the NATS Employee Share Trust Ltd. The initial allocation of shares to staff was made on 21 September and a second allocation is expected to be made by the trust early next year.

School Buses

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what powers (a) the Vehicle Inspectorate and (b) the Health and Safety Executive have to investigate passenger safety and overcrowding on (i) school contract bus services and (ii) scheduled bus services; and if he will make a statement. [15801]

Mr. Jamieson: The Vehicle Inspectorate is empowered under section 68 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended by section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, to inspect all buses in respect of both safety standards and overcrowding.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 places a general duty on employers and the self-employed to conduct their undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment are not exposed to risks to their health or safety. This duty would apply to passengers on buses.

However, it is the general policy of the Health and Safety Executive that they will not enforce health and safety at work law where it is overlapped by other legislation which adequately protects public and worker safety by more specific and detailed law enforced by another authority, as is the case here.

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations govern seating, standing and the use of seat belts on (a) school contract bus services and (b) scheduled bus services. [15800]

Mr. Jamieson: The regulations that govern seating, standing on all buses are the Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984, the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981, as amended, and the Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990. There are no regulations governing the use of seat belts in buses.

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