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Rail Industry Confidential Reporting System
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans there are to develop the CIRAS confidential reporting system within the railway industry. [21074]
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Mr. Jamieson: All train operators confirmed that they had enrolled their safety critical staff in CIRAS by the end of 2000. Train operators are developing procedures for reviewing reports and responding to reports made.
Strategic Rail Authority
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Strategic Rail Authority is due to publish its strategic plan. [21056]
Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority has announced that it will publish its Strategic Plan on Monday 14 January.
Rail Fatigue Damage
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the length of track on the railway network suffering from gauge corner cracking was for each month between January 2000 and November 2001 (a) in total, (b) subdivided by zonal area and (c) subdivided by train operating company area. [21038]
Mr. Jamieson: Railtrack advise that information is not held in this format.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of research conducted into gauge corner cracking; and what action he has taken in response to the conclusions reached. [21040]
Mr. Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive recently received copies of a report into a major piece of research into 'Head Checking' (the general term for the type of rail fatigue damage of which Gauge Corner Cracking is a particular type) carried out for Railtrack jointly by specialist consultants Ove Arup and TTCI. HSE is currently undertaking a detailed evaluation of the report's findings. The initial evaluation indicates that the report makes a very useful contribution to improving the understanding of the factors that influence the occurrence of 'Head Checking'. It would be inappropriate for any formal actions to be taken until HSE's evaluation is completed.
Supporting People Strategy
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the breakdown of funding to local authorities under the Supporting People Strategy is. [20916]
Ms Keeble: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
A40, Ross-on-Wye
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the (a) original budget and (b) final cost of the traffic light installation on the A40 at Lea, Ross-on-Wye; and if he will make a statement on who audits the accounts. [21220]
Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Paul Keetch, dated 10 December 2001:
The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent question about the budget and final cost of the traffic light installation on the A40 Trunk Road at Lea, Ross-on-Wye.
The traffic signals at Lea are part of a package of traffic calming measures for the village that were completed earlier this year. The original budget for the signals was £133,000 but the final costs have yet to be finalised and should be available next month. Auditing of the Highways Agency's accounts is undertaken by the National Audit Office, as with all government departments.
In view of your interest, I have asked the Agency's Project Sponsor, Tom Barry, to write to you with details as soon as the final costs of the signal installation are known. He can be contacted on 0121 678 8072.
Regional Airports
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of United Kingdom air passengers used (a) Manchester Airport Group, (b) Peel airports and (c) Leeds Bradford airport, for the last year for which figures are available. [21455]
Mr. Jamieson: Based upon CAA statistics for 2000, 11.9 per cent. of total UK airport terminal and transit passengers used Manchester Airport Group airports (Bournemouth, East Midlands, Humberside and Manchester. 1.1 per cent. used Peel Group airports (Liverpool and Sheffield) and 0.9 per cent. used Leeds Bradford airport.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the use of public funds by Manchester airport to oppose the proposed airport at Finningley, Doncaster. [21433]
Mr. Jamieson: It is open to anybody to object to a planning application, and it is reasonable to expect objections from anybody who considers that their interests would be damaged by an application. This ensures that the public inquiry can gain a fully rounded picture of the issues relevant to the application.
Travellers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the estimated cost to public funds in 2000–01 of enforcement action by local authorities against travellers. [21461]
Ms Keeble: This information is not collected centrally.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have recently met officers from Brighton and Hove council to discuss issues relating to travellers. [21727]
Mr. Byers: No, but the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) has agreed to meet my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Lepper) to discuss the issue.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received from local authorities on issues relating to travellers and traveller encampments; and if he will make a statement. [21726]
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Mr. Byers: My Department receives representations from time to time from local authorities on issues relating to travellers and traveller encampments, particularly about unauthorised encampments. The Government recognise the problems that unauthorised encampments can cause.
We are revising the joint DTLR/Home Office guidance to local authorities and the police on managing unauthorised camping. This follows a review into the effectiveness of the current guidance. We published a summary of the findings on 2 November. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. We will publish the revised guidance early next year and will evaluate its effectiveness in bringing about improvements on the ground. We continue to keep the scope and application of existing enforcement powers under review.
Housing (Birmingham)
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what provision he has made for early redemption penalties and setting-up costs of successor organisations to be paid if transfer of Birmingham City's housing stock takes place; and if he will estimate the cost of central Government subsidy towards them; [21717]
- (2) what the outstanding debt is on Birmingham city council's housing revenue account that he will write off if stock transfer goes ahead; and what was the annual cost of debt financing charges in the last three years. [21597]
Ms Keeble: The Department's assumptions for housing revenue subsidy purposes of Birmingham city council's debt financing charges in the last three financial years have been as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 248,033 |
| 1999–2000 | 253,651 |
| 2000–01 | 264,672 |
If stock transfer were to go ahead the Department would make a payment equal to Birmingham's housing-related debt less any of its receipt from the transferred stock that remained once set-up costs and early debt redemption premiums had been deducted. That figure cannot yet be calculated.
The Department makes no provision for set-up costs or early debt redemption premiums; these are met by the local authority from the transfer receipt.
Drink Driving
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what provision he has made in the current financial year for his campaign against drinking and driving. [21498]
Mr. Jamieson: As part of the THINK! road safety campaign, my Department allocated £1.7 million for this year's publicity campaign against drinking and driving. Approximately £1 million of this was planned for the Christmas period with the balance for the remainder of the year-round campaign. Anti drink-driving messages are also supported throughout the country by local authority road safety officers, the police, and widely in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
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