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Rail Regulator

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to meet the Rail Regulator. [21495]

Mr. Jamieson: My right hon. Friend maintains regular contact with the Rail Regulator.

Road Safety

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what road safety awareness schemes he plans in the next 12 months; and if he will estimate their cost. [21499]

Mr. Jamieson: My Department's major effort in the area of raising the awareness of road safety is the "Think!" publicity campaign. My Department launched this campaign in June 2000, with the aim of encouraging

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all road users to think about their own and others' safety. The generic "Think!" message enables us to link the promotion of a range of specific road safety messages that can help to make our roads safer for all. The campaign also links the promotion of road safety messages by a range of supporters in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The long-term campaign is a key commitment in the 10 year strategy, launched by the Prime Minister in March 2000, for reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent. (and 50 per cent. for children) by the year 2010.

In the campaign to date we have given priority to addressing those behaviours that are most likely to put road users at risk, eg driving too fast, driving after drinking, driving while tired, passenger seat belt wearing, unsafe child pedestrian behaviour. Over the coming year we shall continue to address safety in these areas, particularly the safety of children. But in addition we shall be preparing a major effort to address the growing number of powered two wheeler casualties (almost one in six of the deaths on our roads last year were riders of these vehicles). The outline programme of forward activity is available on the "Think!" website at www.think.dtlr.gov.uk.

The estimate of expenditure for the next 12 months is £13 million.

A1

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans his Department has to upgrade the A1. [21605]

Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from David York to John Mann, dated 11 December 2001:

The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, asked Tim Matthews to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A1. I am replying in Tim's absence on official business.

Current policy is to target improvement schemes at particular problem areas, rather than have a large programme of schemes which are unlikely to be financed within a reasonable timescale.

For the A1, this means a series of improvement schemes at specific locations aimed at increasing safety and tackling congestion. The lengths between Ferrybridge and Hook Moor, in South and West Yorkshire and Wetherby and Walshford, in North Yorkshire are due to be upgraded to motorway standard as part of a Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract which is currently at tender stage.

In the East Midlands, the Highways Agency has identified, as part of its Ten Year Plan, a number of major improvements to existing junctions on the A1 between Peterborough and Blyth, in Nottinghamshire. These include the replacement of roundabouts with flyover junctions at Carpenter's Lodge near Stamford, Colsterworth, Gonerby Moor near Grantham, Markham Moor (junction with A57), Apleyhead (A57/A614 junction) and Blyth.

This project is at an early stage, having only recently entered the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements for trunk roads and it is too early to give a detailed timetable. However, public consultation on options for providing a two level junction at the existing Blyth roundabout is expected to start in the spring of next year, with consultation on options for the other five roundabouts starting later in the summer. Progress thereafter will depend on how quickly the proposals can be taken through the necessary statutory procedures, which involve the publication of Orders and the

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opportunity for objection. Subject to that, construction of a new junction at Blyth could begin in 2004/05, with the other improvements phased to minimise traffic disruption.

In addition, three other initiatives have implications for the A1. The length between London and the South Midlands is included as part of a wider ranging "multi modal" study which is examining all transport needs within that corridor. The section between Peterborough and Blyth has been selected for a new approach to the future management of trunk routes.

Consultants are preparing a 10 year Route Management Strategy for this length which will look at all aspects of its operation, including junctions, laybys, accesses and cross-over gaps. Further assessment work is being undertaken as a result of a safety study on the section between Bramham, West Yorkshire, and Barton, North Yorkshire.

We shall be writing to you again in more detail as part of the consultation process for the Peterborough to Blyth roundabout scheme but if you would like further information, please contact the Project Sponsor for the scheme, Neil Owen, at the Agency's Birmingham office. He can be contacted at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL or by telephone on 0121 678 8223.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what further plans he has to improve the A1 motorway. [21758]

Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from David York to John Mann, dated 11 December 2001

The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, asked Tim Matthews to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A1. I am replying in Tim's absence on official business.

Current policy is to target improvement schemes at particular problem areas, rather than have a large programme of schemes which are unlikely to be financed within a reasonable timescale.

For the A1, this means a series of improvement schemes at specific locations aimed at increasing safety and tackling congestion. The lengths between Ferrybridge and Hook Moor, in South and West Yorkshire and Wetherby and Walshford, in North Yorkshire are due to be upgraded to motorway standard as part of a Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract which is currently at tender stage.

In the East Midlands, the Highways Agency has identified, as part of its Ten Year Plan, a number of major improvements to existing junctions on the A1 between Peterborough and Blyth, in Nottinghamshire. These include the replacement of roundabouts with flyover junctions at Carpenter's Lodge near Stamford, Colsterworth, Gonerby Moor near Grantham, Markham Moor (junction with A57), Apleyhead (A57/A614 junction) and Blyth.

This project is at an early stage, having only recently entered the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements for trunk roads and it is too early to give a detailed timetable. However, public consultation on options for providing a two level junction at the existing Blyth roundabout is expected to start in the spring of next year, with consultation on options for the other five roundabouts starting later in the summer. Progress therefore will depend on how quickly the proposals can be taken through the necessary statutory procedures, which involve the publication of Orders and the opportunity for objection. Subject to that, construction of a new junction at Blyth could begin in 2004/05, with the other improvements phased to minimise traffic disruption.

In addition, three other initiatives have implications for the A1. The length between London and the South Midlands is included as part of a wider ranging "multi modal" study which is examining all transport needs within that corridor. The section between Peterborough and Blyth has been selected for a new approach to the future management of trunk routes. Consultants are preparing a 10 year Route Management Strategy for this length which will look at all aspects of its operation, including junctions, laybys, accesses

11 Dec 2001 : Column: 792W

and cross-over gaps. Further assessment work is being undertaken as a result of a safety study on the section between Bramham, West Yorkshire, and Barton, North Yorkshire.

We shall be writing to you again in more detail as part of the consultation process for the Peterborough to Blyth roundabout scheme but if you would like further information, please contact the Project Sponsor for the scheme, Neil Owen, at the Agency's Birmingham office. He can be contacted at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL or by telephone on 0121 678 8223.

Unitary Authorities

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what was the average cost associated with (a) job losses, (b) removal costs, (c) informing the resident population of the change, (d) changes to records, (e) administration costs and (f) election costs incurred by the establishment of the new unitary authorities in 1996; [21634]

(2) what responsibility (a) local and (b) central Government have for the costs associated with changes in (i) finance structure and (ii) administration structure when setting up a new unitary authority. [21635]

Dr. Whitehead: These costs were met by the local authorities concerned and this information is not held centrally. The Government expected local authorities being reorganised to take the opportunity to cut costs and improve efficiency. So supplementary credit approvals (SCAs) were given for authorities to borrow money to meet the one-off indirect costs of reorganisation until the savings and receipts arising from the process were realised. The SCAs provide a rough proxy for the transitional cost of reorganisation, though they do not necessarily capture all local authorities' expenditure. The total for the 1995–96 authorities was £143.8 million.

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many unitary authorities are buying in services from neighbouring authorities; and what the net effect is on expenditure for each authority of this action; [21411]

(2) what research has been commissioned investigating the cost saving benefits of unitary authorities buying in essential services from neighbouring authorities; and if he will publish the results. [21410]

Dr. Whitehead: The Government do not collect any local authority trading information centrally.

However, we recently commissioned research for the Byatt Review of Local Government procurement which showed that 42 per cent. of authorities overall have joint contract arrangements with other authorities, that is 98 authorities. 17 of the 30 unitary authorities responding to this question have joint arrangements with other local authorities. Many of these joint arrangements are facilitated through buying consortia.

We believe that a truly mixed economy of service provision is the best way to ensure genuine innovation and true competition. We want to see partnerships that are public-public, public-voluntary and public-private. This could involve the best in-house providers using their expertise in wider markets within the public service.

We envisage laying orders before Parliament in the new year to allow local authorities to be able to use the new trading powers proposed in the consultation paper "Working With Others To Achieve Best Value".

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Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the total amount of Government funding to the unitary authority of Torbay since its creation. [21697]

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Dr. Whitehead: Torbay unitary authority has reported the following government funding:

Revenue grants paid into general fund revenue account (GFRA) and capital grants£000

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
	Outturn	Outturn	Outturn	Budget
Specific grants inside AEF	4,215	3,880	(13)11,597	10,664
Revenue support grant	45,489	46,700	46,209	48,886
Redistributed non-domestic rates	29,087	31,366	35,416	34,910
Revenue grants paid into GFRA	78,791	81,946	93,222	94,460
Capital grants	1,159	1,670	(13)5,798	1,682
Total	79,950	83,616	99,020	96,142

⁽¹³⁾ Includes extra funds to support a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project.

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