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Passenger Transport Authorities
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to allow representation of transport users on passenger transport authorities. [32171]
Ms Keeble: Passenger Transport Authorities (PTAs) are formally composed of elected members from the relevant metropolitan district councils, as set out in primary legislation. I believe that PTAs have a good record of consulting passengers and their representatives, and therefore have no plans to change current arrangements.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on levels of remuneration of PTA members. [32154]
Ms Keeble: Passenger Transport Authorities are able to pay allowances to their members under the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Regulations under these acts provide that it is for each local authority to decide its scheme and
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the amounts to be paid under that scheme. These provisions apply to joint authorities such as Passenger Transport Authorities. The amounts of remuneration to PTA members under such schemes are therefore matters for local determination.
SRA Spending
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of Strategic Rail Authority spending will be made in (a) London, (b) the south-east of England and (c) Yorkshire and Humber in the next 10 years. [32096]
Mr. Spellar: Each individual rail project and improvements negotiated through franchise agreements will usually benefit more than one part of Britain. The Strategic Rail Authority has therefore not attempted to break down its planned expenditure on a regional basis.
Bellwin Scheme
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will modify the Bellwin scheme to allow unitary authorities to recoup costs incurred by flood damage. [32099]
Mr. Raynsford: Section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 already allows payment of Bellwin grant to any local authority that satisfies the conditions. Local authorities specified in the Act include county councils, district councils and London borough councils. This definition covers unitary authorities.
Integrated Ticketing/Transport Information
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 534W, on totaljourney.com, what assessments he has made of the impact of the decision to cease operation of the site on the delivery of targets for integrated ticketing and transport information. [32415]
Mr. Jamieson: Totaljourney.com made a valuable contribution to integrated ticketing and transport information by offering both rail and air tickets. There are currently other websites offering similar services but none which exactly replicate Totaljourney.com. In the longer term, Transport Direct will be introduced and will offer information and the ability to buy a ticket on all modes of transport. We are working with operators and local authorities to deliver this. The demise of Totaljourney.com is not expected to delay Transport Direct.
Rail Services
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 529W, if he will (a) place in the Library and (b) publish on the Strategic Rail Authority website the monthly punctuality of train operating companies. [32464]
Mr. Jamieson: The SRA publishes twice a year a bulletin (On Track) which includes information on the performance of each franchise operator. This bulletin is placed in the Library and on the SRA website.
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Telecommunication Masts
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many applications for planning permission for mobile phone masts were made in South Tyneside; and how many mobile phone masts were erected in South Tyneside in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [32091]
Ms Keeble: The information is not held centrally. I understand from information held by the local planning authority that South Tyneside council received 26 planning applications for the construction of mobile phone masts within its administrative area during the three year period 1999–2001: one in 1999, 11 in 2000 and 14 in 2001. 12 of these applications received planning permission. As a result of these decisions six masts were built during this period, four in 2000 and two in 2001.
Toll Bridges and Tunnels
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the (a) bridges and (b) tunnels in the United Kingdom subject to tolls; and what is the rate payable at each toll. [32900]
Mr. Jamieson: The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions only has policy responsibility for tolled bridges and tunnels in England. My hon. Friend should contact the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales for information about tolled undertakings within their jurisdiction.
Following is a list of statutory tolled bridges and tunnels. Toll rates at each of these crossings often vary based on the classification of vehicle using the particular crossing; therefore, for simplicity the list only shows the tolls charged for motorcars and large goods vehicles:
| Undertaking | Motorcar | Large goods vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Aldwark Bridge(26) | 0.15 | 0.80 |
| Clifton Suspension Bridge(26) | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Dartford Crossings(26) | 1.00 | 2.90 |
| Dunham Bridge(26) | 0.20 | 0.40 |
| Humber Bridge(26) | 2.40 | 9.60 to 16.10 |
| Itchen Bridge(26) | 0.60 | 1.00 to 25.00 |
| Mersey Tunnels(26) | 1.20 | 2.40 to 4.80 |
| Rixton and Warburton Bridge(26) | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| Severn Bridges(27) | 4.40 | 13.30 |
| Shrewsbury (Kingsland) Bridge(26) | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Swinford Bridge(26) | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Tamar Bridge(27) | 1.00 | 2.50 to 5.50 |
| Tyne Tunnel(26) | 1.00 | 1.20 |
| Whitchurch Bridge(26) | 0.08 | 0.50 |
| Whitney on Wye Bridge(26) | 0.50 | 1.00 |
(26) Each way
(27) One way
There are also a number of unregulated private bridges where a toll is charged for the right to cross private land. A complete list of these undertakings is not available.
Marine Accidents Investigation Board
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the (a) average time and (b) maximum permitted time taken to complete an investigation by the Marine Accidents Investigation Board in the last five years. [32198]
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Mr. Jamieson: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is required by the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 1999 to cause a report of an investigation into an accident to be made publicly available in the shortest time possible. The target time for publishing a report is nine months. The average time taken to complete an investigation and publish reports in the past five years has been 9.8 months. There is no maximum permitted time.
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the report by the Marine Accidents Investigation Board into the sinking of the Solway Harvester. [32199]
Mr. Jamieson: Subject to there being no unforeseen last minute delay, the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch intends to publish its report of the sinking of the Solway Harvester during the last week in February 2002.
Mobile Phones (Car Drivers)
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations his Department has received on the banning of mobile phone use by car drivers. [32248]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department regularly receives representations from the public and from Members of Parliament about banning the use of mobile phones use by drivers.
Community Transport Schemes
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 202W, on community transport schemes, what sources of finance will be available to sustain community transport schemes when the Rural Bus Challenge scheme is ended. [32861]
Ms Keeble: Current spending plans provide for at least two further annual Rural Bus Challenge competitions. However, it was never envisaged that the Rural Bus Challenge scheme would provide funding for particular projects on a permanent basis.
In addition to the possibility of further funding from an authority's existing Rural Bus Subsidy Grant allocation, which I mentioned in my previous answer, local authorities have powers to provide continuing support from their own resources for projects which meet a public transport need which would not otherwise be met. Authorities also have discretion to use capital funding allocated by my Department for small scale integrated transport measures to provide capital support for community transport projects, in line with the priorities in their local transport plans.
Funding is also available for community transport, and other, projects in rural areas through the Rural Transport Partnership and Parish Transport Grant schemes.
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