House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Jan 2002 (pt 9)

Tanzania

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received from the World Bank and Oxfam regarding the impact of the pending sale of a military air control system by BAE Systems to the Government of Tanzania on that country's economic development; and if she will make a statement. [25457]

Clare Short: In my capacity as UK Governor of the World bank I am fully aware of bank concerns about the proposed sale of the BAE air traffic control system on the development of Tanzania. The concern relates to the system's technical applicability and value for money. These concerns were discussed with donors and undertakings made by the Government of Tanzania prior

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to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank board meetings at the end of November 2001. The Government of Tanzania undertook to work with the International Civil Aviation Organisation in identifying Tanzania's civil aviation requirements and to explore possible modification of the contract with BAE to meet these requirements. On this basis the bank and fund boards agreed that Tanzania would reach Completion Point under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative at their November meetings.

I raised the World Bank concerns with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who is responsible for decisions on export licence applications.

I have received no representations from Oxfam.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

THE REGIONS

Rents

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of rent increases in 2003–04 as a result of the formula rent on the pension credit arrangements to be brought in in 2003. [20839]

Ms Keeble: Under the Pension Credit, which replaces the minimum income guarantee from October 2003, all housing benefit recipients in the social sector will, as now, have any increases in their rent paid for in full.

In addition, DWP Ministers have announced that the starting income threshold for housing benefit will be raised in line with the pension credit, so that no pensioner loses housing benefit as a result of the more generous pension credit.

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 102W, for what reason it is not possible to estimate what cost might be involved if he decides not to proceed with PPP for the London Underground. [25132]

Mr. Jamieson: It is too early at this stage to say how much grant London Underground would require if the Tube modernisation plans were not to proceed. However, it is possible to state the compensation that London Underground has agreed to pay bidders if it should cancel the competitions for reasons other than value for money. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 19 December 2001 Official Report, column 503W.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the system-wide average mean distance between failure figures for trains operated by London Underground for each year between (a) 1990–91 and 1993–94 and (b) the latest figure for 2001–02. [23269]

Mr. Jamieson: This is a matter for London Underground who inform me that the system-wide average mean distance for 1993–94 and 2001–02 is 4,146 km and 6,472 km respectively. Unfortunately

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London Underground would need to undertake detailed archive research to obtain comparative data for 1990–91 and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library a detailed breakdown of the 48 per cent. of costs not subjected to sensitivity analysis in the assessment by London Underground Limited of the PPP and private sector comparison; and if he will make a statement. [24891]

Mr. Jamieson: London Underground is carrying out a thorough evaluation of the value for money of bids, including a wide range of sensitivity tests. I understand that London Underground intends to publish this evaluation, but not until it has concluded its negotiations with bidders. To publish the evaluation any earlier would reveal London Underground's negotiating position and so undermine its ability to achieve best value.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the reliability of the Circle line. [25385]

Mr. Jamieson: Day to day management of the Circle line is a matter for London Underground. This line, like other parts of the underground, has suffered historic under-investment and the service provided has encountered problems arising both from this and from staff shortages which affected the reliability of operations particularly in 2001–02. I am satisfied that these problems are in the process of being rectified in the short term, in particular through London Underground's programme of work to improve reliability across the network. In the medium and long term, the problems of under-investment will be resolved by the large-scale investment that will be brought into the system through our tube modernisation plans, which will deliver increased capacity, improved reliability and higher quality.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on how many days in 2001 platform announcements were made advising passengers awaiting Circle line services to take a District line train and change elsewhere because of failure to adhere to the timetable. [25386]

Mr. Jamieson: This is an operational matter for London Underground who inform me that this information is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the cost of maintaining the Charing Cross branch of the Jubilee line since it was closed to passenger traffic. [25384]

Mr. Jamieson: I understand from London Underground Ltd. that the Jubilee line track between Green Park and Charing Cross and the old Jubilee line areas of Charing Cross station are maintained at an annual cost of £155,000.

Although the track is not used by customers, it is still part of the underground's operational capability and is used by Jubilee line trains, eg for turning trains when necessary.

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Departmental Expenditure Limit

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the reasons for the difference between the final voted departmental expenditure limit and provisional outturn for financial year 2000–01, as listed in the Treasury document, Public Expenditure 2000–01: Provisional Outturn, for Vote III, Environment, Transport and the Regions, subcategories (a) 1 Housing, construction, regeneration, regional policy, planning and countryside and wildlife, England, (b) 2 Roads, local transport and transport industries and (c) 4 Local government: England; and if he will make a statement. [24110]

Dr. Whitehead: Full details of outturn against 2000–01 voted provision will be published in the appropriation accounts to be presented to the House of Commons by 31 January 2002. The departmental resource account on an accruals basis will also be presented to the House of Commons before 31 January. Updated estimates of the outturn for departmental expenditure limits in 2000–01 on an accrual basis were published in the 2001 pre-Budget report (Cm 5318), Table B16.

Bull Bars

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment the Government have made of (a) the benefits associated with the fitting of bull bars to vehicles in the UK and (b) the cost of removing bull bars from vehicles fitted with such bars in the UK; [24291]

Mr. Jamieson: A draft regulatory appraisal was prepared in 1997 in connection with a consultation on possible national action on bull bars. Although this identified the benefits of removing bull bars, it did not identify benefits associated with fitting them. The cost to owners of removing bull bars was estimated at £110 per vehicle, being £35 for physical removal and £75 related to assumptions linked to loss of utility.

We have not made a separate assessment of the benefits expected from the bull bar aspect of the European Commission's proposal on pedestrian protection.

Mobile Phones

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment the Government have made of the number of people using mobile phones while driving, since the publication of the White Paper "Tomorrow's Road—safer for everyone". [24297]

Mr. Jamieson: Three observational surveys of mobile phones use while driving have been carried out for the Department by TRL Ltd. The latest survey, carried out in October this year, showed that 2 per cent. of the 27,900 drivers observed were using a mobile phone. 85 per cent. of the phones observed in use were hand-held.

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The surveys are carried out at road junctions at the same time as the seat belt wearing surveys and may not be representative of the extent of mobile phone use by drivers on all roads. Proposals for more detailed surveys are currently being considered.

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