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Stagecoach

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what breaches of transport regulations have been committed by Stagecoach plc since 1997; and what action was taken by his Department against Stagecoach plc in each case. [15799]

Mr. Jamieson: Disproportionate cost would be involved in supplying an answer in the form requested owing to the number of companies owned by Stagecoach plc. If my hon. Friend would like to write to the Chief

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Executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate, specifying the company in which he has an interest, they will be able to assist him.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who will be liable for any cost overruns incurred in modernising London Underground under PPP. [16190]

Mr. Jamieson: Under the Government's plans for a publicly run, privately built tube, the private sector infrastructure companies will be liable for all cost overruns that result from their acting in an uneconomic or inefficient manner.

Road Haulage Industry

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on skill shortages in the road haulage industry. [16189]

Mr. Jamieson: The road haulage industry is a wholly private sector enterprise. It is responsible for ensuring that it is able to recruit the personnel it needs. Government are helping through the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund which has earmarked £5 million for training, to help the industry meet its future labour and skills needs. A feasibility study looking at ways to protect employer investment in training will begin shortly. Two further schemes, to increase the number of young people joining the industry, are expected to begin in the spring next year.

Expenditure (Scotland)

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list, in real terms, for each year since 1979 (a) the total sums of money spent directly by his Department in Scotland and (b) the total sums of money allocated by his Department for spending in Scotland through (i) the Scottish Office, (ii) the Scotland Office and (iii) the Scottish Executive. [16185]

Dr. Whitehead: The information requested is not readily available. However, an analysis by function and country of total managed expenditure for the years 1995–96 to 1999–2000 can be found in Chapter 8 of the "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02" (Cm 5101) published in April 2001 (a copy of which is available in the Library of the House) and figures for earlier years are available in previous PESA publications.

Strategic Rail Authority

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last met Sir Alastair Morton, Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority. [16029R]

Mr. Byers: I had meetings with Sir Alastair on 26 June and 24 July this year. He was also present at the Rail Delivery Group, which I chaired, on 27 July.

Driving Test Centres

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what

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research his Department has commissioned into the connection between the closure of driving test centres and the number of unlicensed drivers on the road. [15945]

Mr. Jamieson: In 1999, the Department commissioned a three-year research project into the extent and effects of unlicensed driving. One of the research objectives was to identify reasons for unlicensed driving. The final report is expected in spring 2002. The research is not likely to identify a link between unlicensed driving and the closure of local driving test centres.

Silverlink

Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact that the PUG2 Agreement will have on the interests of South West Hertfordshire commuters who use Silverlink services into London. [15806]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority have established a Joint West Coast Forum with local authorities, user representatives and Rail Passenger Committees along the route to ensure the concerns of Silverlink County passengers are understood and taken into account during discussions about the outputs to be provided under PUG2. Earlier this year the Authority commissioned Booz, Allen and Hamilton to undertake a study to consider both the commercial and wider economic benefits of providing additional fast line capacity for use by non-Virgin services. The results have been reported to the Forum.

Railway Sleeper Services

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the potential growth in demand for sleeper services between the north of England and (a) London and (b) the Continent. [16169]

Mr. Jamieson: No formal assessment has been made. We would expect the railway industry to come forward with proposals to meet demands for new services.

East Midlands Airport

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what recent representations he has received on night flights at East Midlands Airport; and if he will make a statement; [16082]

(2) for what reason he has not extended environmental powers under the Civil Aviation Act 1982 to East Midlands Airport. [16083]

Mr. Jamieson: I have recently received representations from or on behalf of: my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor); People Against Intrusive Noise (PAIN); East Midlands Airport Ltd.; the Association of International Courier and Express Services (AICES); and North West Leicestershire district council. The district council and others have requested that the Secretary of State designate the airport under s.80 for the purposes of s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, under which he could impose certain operational noise controls (including night restrictions).

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The Government's preference is for appropriate noise controls to be discussed and agreed locally, in consultation with representatives of local people and of airport users; but requests to designate are considered on their merits. The airport, the district council and other interested parties are, at my invitation, currently engaged in discussions on this issue. Following these discussions, the Secretary of State will decide whether to designate the airport for the purposes of s.78 of the 1982 Act.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned concerning the (i) economic, (ii) social and (iii) environmental impact of the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link. [15735]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department conducted a study of the regeneration benefits of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and, to supplement the extensive research carried out by the various promoters and opponents of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, has commissioned some further research to assess:

(i) Economic impacts: Eurostar passenger and revenue forecasts

(ii) Social impacts: property consultants advised on the regeneration impact of the Link

(iii) Environmental impacts: research to determine the noise characteristics of Eurostar trains.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link will have on (a) passenger numbers and (b) financial returns for (i) each train operating company and (ii) Eurostar. [15734]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is assessing the passenger and financial returns of high speed domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the consequential impacts on Connex South Eastern services. Details depend on the service pattern assumed and will be the subject of commercial negotiations.

Consultants Booz Allen and Hamilton were employed by the Department to forecast passenger numbers and financial returns for Eurostar. These forecasts informed commercial negotiations undertaken earlier this year with Railtrack Group plc and LCR concerning Section 2 of the Link.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what track access charges will be paid by Eurostar for use of tracks (a) on the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link and (b) on tracks between Waterloo and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, when the Channel Tunnel Rail Link becomes operational. [15736]

Mr. Jamieson: The Track Access Charges are set out in the Track Access Agreements between Railtrack, Eurostar, and London and Continental Railways. These agreements, between private companies, are commercially sensitive and cannot therefore be made public.

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