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Rail Passengers
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 220W, on rail passengers, for what reason growth in Eurostar passenger and revenues is expected to continue. [40270]
Mr. Jamieson: Economic growth is the main cause of long term growth in Eurostar passenger demand and revenues. Eurostar will also benefit from the completion of Sections 1 and 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which will allow Eurostar to reduce journey times, improve reliability and increase the frequency of services.
Rail Network
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if the Strategic Rail Authority has provided (a) his Department and (b) the Treasury with an estimate of the total renewal cost of the UK rail network; [40222]
- (2) if his Department has made an assessment of the total renewal cost of the UK rail network; and if he will make a statement; [40221]
(3) what estimate he has made of how much is required fully to renew the United Kingdom rail network; [40224]
(4) if his Department has provided information to the Treasury to enable it to carry out an estimation of the total renewal cost of the UK rail network; [40223]
(5) what estimate he has made of the ratio between the total renewal cost of the UK rail network and the average annual amount allocated for renewals under the 10-Year Plan. [40202]
Mr. Jamieson: The appropriate level of renewals is a matter for the Rail Regulator and for bidders for Railtrack Plc. Bidders are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the investment needs of the rail network, to develop plans to improve the knowledge of the state of the rail network and to propose their renewal investment plans.
Local Government
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what level of population growth in each of the Government's regions is being used to plan local government functions in the next (a) five years, (b) 10 years and (c) 20 years. [39550]
Dr. Whitehead: Estimates of the population change by Government Office region are available, but the Department does not hold centrally information on the extent to which these estimates are used by Government Departments. The estimates are given in the report by the Office for National Statistics entitled "1996-based Subnational Population Projections—England" (series pp3 no. 10). The table provides the overall summary.
(13) Base
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Road Safety
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secreatry of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much his Department has spent on road-safety related matters in each of the last three years. [40225]
Mr. Jamieson: In the financial years 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, my Department spent £68 million, £84 million and £97 million respectively on road safety. These figures exclude the Department's internal administration costs. While they include Highways Agency expenditure on specific safety schemes, it is not possible to estimate the cost of the safety benefits inherent in larger projects.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the ratio between total road safety spending in the United Kingdom and the number of vehicle journeys each year. [40227]
Mr. Jamieson: Expenditure on road safety by my Department and by local authorities in England in 1999–2000 totalled £318 million. It is estimated that motor vehicles travelled 398 billion kilometres in England in 1999. This suggests that annual expenditure on road safety is of the order of £8 per 10,000 vehicle kilometres travelled.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations apply to speed limit indicators painted on the road surface in restricted areas. [40292]
Mr. Jamieson: Departmental policy is to authorise carriageway roundels only when used in conjunction with upright repeated signs. Research has shown when used alone roundels have little effect on vehicle speeds and adverse weather conditions can render them invisible.
Direction 10 of Traffic Signs Regulation and General Directions 1994 states that repeater signs are prohibited on restricted roads. Consequently carriageway roundels are only authorised when used in conjunction with an upright sign at the gateway/terminal of a restricted road.
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment he made of the extent of reporting of road crashes that involve children. [40548]
Mr. Jamieson: After a study for my Department in 1996, the Transport Research Laboratory reported that "around half of casualties aged 0–4 and 15–19 and a third of those aged 5–14 were reported but the reporting rate
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increased to around two-thirds or more for older casualties". The reporting rate also varied with road user group: 56 per cent. for children aged 0–14 who were car occupants but only 12 per cent. for pedal cyclists.
The main reasons given by casualties interviewed in hospital accident and emergency departments for not reporting an accident were that the accident was too trivial or that no one else was involved.
Light Aircraft Noise
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he plans to limit light aircraft noise. [39691]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 1 March 2002]: All light aircraft issued with a UK Certificate of Airworthiness are required to comply with ICAO Annex 16 international noise certification requirements, which are currently implemented through the Aeroplane Noise Regulations Order 1999. These certification requirements place a maximum decibel limit on the noise level that an aircraft may produce.
The air transport White Paper, which we plan to publish this year, will cover aircraft noise policy generally including such legislative changes as we conclude may be appropriate in respect of the operational noise controls (including on light aircraft) available to aerodromes and to the Secretary of State.
Writing Paper
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the Minister for Housing, Planning and Regeneration's official writing paper does not include his correct style and title; and if he will amend it. [39904]
Ms Keeble: The Minister's writing paper is headed with his name. He has no plans to amend it.
Rail Journeys (Staff)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in his Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets. [40446]
Dr. Whitehead: Rail travel is ordinarily undertaken on standard class tickets. However staff in my Department at Band 5 (Senior Executive Officer) and above may choose
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to travel first class where there is a business need and the extra expense is justified, for example, better to facilitate working during the journey.
With the exception of a few staff at Band 4 (Higher Executive Officer) who may choose to travel first class, staff below Band 5 may not choose to travel first class except where:
- (a) they are travelling with someone who is travelling first class;
- (b) the facilities provided in standard class do not meet their needs, for example if they are pregnant or suffer from a disability;
- (c) there are no seats available in standard class, or in circumstances when it is necessary to buy a meal on the train and this is not possible when travelling in standard class;
- (d) there is a need to travel overnight and use a sleeping berth.
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