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Disused Railway Lines
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what financial support is available in 2001–02 to re-open disused railway lines; [37282]
- (2) what support is available from his Department for feasibility studies to examine the possibility of re-opening disused railway lines. [37283]
Mr. Jamieson: Projects to reopen disused railway lines would be eligible to apply for Government support from the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme. Already the RPP scheme has supported reopenings in the Vale of Glamorgan, Swanage and Beaulieu station.
The RPP scheme was re-launched in December 2001 with an extended budget of £430 million over the next 10 years.
Transport (Salisbury)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what was the local transport plan capital settlement for the Salisbury transport package; and how much was identified for (a) roads and (b) the non-roads element of the scheme; [36786]
- (2) what annual spending profiles have been agreed for (a) the roads and (b) the non-roads elements of the Salisbury package of the LTP capital settlement. [36785]
Ms Keeble: The annual spending profiles agreed for the road and non-road elements of the Salisbury transport package are as follows.
| Non-road | Roads | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 3.58 | 0.0 |
| 2002–03 | 5.8 | 0.0 |
| 2003–04 | 3.72 | 1.38 |
| 2004–05 | 0.35 | 11.05 |
| 2005–06 | 0.13 | 0.650 |
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Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date the Government office of the south-west (a) signed a contract with and (b) issued a decision letter to Salisbury district council specifying the annual percentage increase in the city parking changes to be imposed as part of the Salisbury transport capital settlement; in what way those increases are conditional on the opening of the first to the fifth park and ride sites; and if he will place a copy of that document in the Library. [36784]
Ms Keeble: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions has not signed a contract nor issued a decision letter to Salisbury DC specifying the annual percentage increase in the city parking charges. A failure to implement any significant part of the package of measures, including both the park and ride sites and the increase in parking charges, contained in Wiltshire's LTP for Salisbury could undermine the benefits that the £13.7 million we have earmarked for this scheme will provide.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the A36T detrunking has been delayed; when it will come into effect; and what are the implications for (a) the Wylye Valley relief road, (b) the Brunel Link in Salisbury and (c) the Harnham relief road. [36787]
Mr. Jamieson: The Secretary of State confirmed in December 2000 that the A36/A46 route was to remain non-core, and would be detrunked in due course. Negotiations on detrunking between the Highways Agency and the local highway authorities commenced early in 2001. However, the South West Regional Assembly placed a holding objection to detrunking, pending the outcome of a further study into the management of the route and the traffic problems in Bath. This study, entitled the "Bristol/Bath to South Coast Study" is to be commissioned shortly, and is due to report at the end of 2002. Detrunking negotiations are therefore likely to be on hold until early 2003.
The Wylye Valley relief road will be constructed by Wiltshire county council as a local road scheme following detrunking.
The Brunel Link and the Harnham relief road is a local road scheme promoted by Wiltshire county council and is not directly affected by the detrunking of the A36.
Alternative Fuels
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the regulatory impact assessment will be agreed and published on the (a) Commission Communication on alternative fuels for road transportation and on a set of measures to promote the use of biofuels, (b) draft directive on the promotion of the use of biofuels for transport and (c) draft directive amending Directive 92/81/EEC with regard to the possibility of applying a reduced rate of excise duty on certain mineral oils containing biofuels and on biofuels. [37237R]
Mr. Jamieson: The Government will shortly be publishing a preliminary regulatory impact assessment covering the draft directive on the promotion of biofuels for transport, copies of which will of course be laid in the Library of the House; there are no plans to publish
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a regulatory impact assessment for the Commission Communication on alternative fuels as this has no formal legislative implications for the United Kingdom.
The draft directive amending Directive 92/81/EEC with regard to the possibility of applying a reduced rate of excise duty on certain mineral oils containing biofuels is fiscal legislation and the responsibility of Her Majesty's Treasury.
Lorry Parks
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans his Department has for the development of new lorry parks. [37086]
Mr. Jamieson: I am concerned to ensure that lorry drivers have the facilities they need. We have already agreed to provide signs from motorways to nearby lorry-only facilities where existing motorway service areas are unable to meet the demand for lorry parking. My officials will shortly be meeting service area operators and representatives of the haulage industry and drivers themselves to explore what more might be done to provide more and better facilities on both motorways and other roads.
Strategic Rail Authority
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many meetings he has had with the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority since 24 October 2001. [37459]
Mr. Byers: I, and other departmental Ministers, meet the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority on a regular basis.
Haven Gateway
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the improvements to the road and rail infrastructure needed to support the contribution that the Haven Gateway sub-region can make to the economic and social regeneration aspirations of the Eastern Region. [37226]
Ms Keeble: The London to Ipswich Multi-Modal Study is investigating ways in which the road and rail network in the A12 and A120 corridors between London and Ipswich and Harwich can be improved. This will help to increase the accessibility of the Haven Gateway sub-region. The study will shortly be presenting options to the public and is expected to report in the summer.
The Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi-Modal Study has identified improvements to the A14 which will also assist in improving access to Felixstowe, and the SRA is assessing the work required to upgrade the railway line between Felixstowe and Nuneaton to enable trains carrying the larger containers which are now being utilised to run on that particular stretch of track.
The results of all these studies will be incorporated into the Regional Transport Strategy for the East of England which is currently being prepared and will form the basis of transport policy in the Region in future.
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Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to support the work of the Haven Gateway Partnership; and if he will give to the Partnership recognition similar to that bestowed on the Thames Gateway Partnership. [37225]
Ms Keeble: We warmly welcome the Haven Gateway initiative and when it begins to show some concrete achievements I would be happy to include an engagement with the Partnership as part of a visit to the area.
The Government Office for the East of England is participating in a number of the initiatives which are being undertaken and is represented at all partner meetings of the Partnership.
Advertising
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the expenditure was per campaign for the five most expensive media advertising campaigns his Department undertook in the past five parliamentary sessions including the current parliamentary session in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary sessions and the current session, when each advertising campaign (i) began and (ii) ended in (A) Scotland, (B) England, (C) Wales and (D) Northern Ireland; [37399]
- (2) what the cost was of media advertising in each of the past five parliamentary sessions including the current session, for his Department in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary sessions and the current parliamentary session, what the media advertising expenditure was per month in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland; [37411]
Dr. Whitehead: For details of my Department's five most expensive campaigns over the years requested, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1037W; and to the reply by the then Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport, and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Beverley Hughes), to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 20 December 2000, Official Report, columns 168–69W.
Expenditure on our "Think!" road safety campaign is ongoing and covers England, Scotland and Wales as too is our fire safety campaign which covers England and Wales. "Are you doing your bit?" campaign expenditure commenced in March 1998 and focused on England following budgetary transfers to the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly. Responsibility for that campaign transferred to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs after the last General Election. Foot and mouth public information ran in March to April 2000 in England and Wales. "Traveline" campaign expenditure commences in three English regions in March 2002.
UK campaign spend is normally divided by region by percentage of population, although advertising on satellite TV is carried nationally.
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Campaign expenditure occurs at various times during the year. While campaign budgets are monitored constantly, we do not keep records of individual campaign expenditure on a monthly basis. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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