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Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice his Department received from (a) SwiftRail and (b) Network Rail about the amount of time needed to conclude a bid and end the Railtrack administration. [49867]

Mr. Jamieson: SwiftRail has said publicly that the process envisaged by the administrator for transferring Railtrack out of administration could be prolonged. Network Rail said at the time of making a bid for Railtrack plc that, if accepted, Railtrack could be released from administration by the end of July. This is a very challenging timetable.

National Air Traffic Services

Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on how many occasions in the last six months there has been a significant computer failure at National Air Traffic

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Services leading to the disruption of aircraft movement in UK airspace; what action he is taking to prevent such failures; and if he will make a statement. [49000]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 17 April 2002]: This is an operational matter for NATS. I understand the position to be as follows.

There have been two occasions in the last six months, on 27 March and 10 April, when aircraft movements in UK airspace have been disrupted by unplanned computer stoppages. Both events occurred at West Drayton as a result of a software problem associated with an unusual set of circumstances connected with flight data.

NATS is conducting a full inquiry into the incidents, to establish whether further adjustments are required to ensure the long term robustness of the system.

Apart from these two incidents, NATS has experienced no significant computer failures in the last six months. Notwithstanding the incident on 27 March, the Flight Data Processing System at West Drayton achieved 99.6 per cent. availability in the year ended 31 March.

Pilotage

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 671W, on pilotage, when he will place a copy of the report in the Library; and what monitoring of the new arrangements has been conducted by his Department. [51449]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) on 16 April 2002, Official Report, columns 803–04W.

Port Marine Safety Code

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the statutory harbour authorities in the UK broken down by (a) companies, (b) local authorities and (c) trusts; which authorities had completed implementation of the port marine safety code by 31 December 2001; and what steps he is taking to ensure full compliance. [51440]

Mr. Jamieson: To date, the following harbour authorities have told my Department that they have completed implementation of the Port Marine Safety Code:

(a) Company Ports


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My officials are corresponding with, and visiting, a number of harbour authorities that have significant responsibilities for marine safety if they have not reported compliance with the code.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 671W, on marine and port safety, what subjects were discussed at the two exchanges of correspondence with the acting chairman; and if he will place copies of these exchanges in the Library. [51448]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department has now written on three occasions to the acting Chairman of Humber Pilots Ltd. (HPL), on four subjects—(1) the circumstances in which HPL's contract with Associated British Ports was terminated and the former pilots' authorisations revoked; (2) the requirement in the Port Marine Safety Code for pilotage services to be covered by a contract; (3) the numbers of Humber pilots now and formerly authorised by the competent harbour authority, and their qualifications; (4) the records of incidents kept by the authority and HPL. Letters between the Department and its correspondents are treated in confidence unless the originator chooses to make them public.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent changes there have been in the (a) measurement of and (b) legal duties for the safety of navigation by harbour authorities; and what progress has been made towards implementation of the port marine safety code. [51441]

Mr. Jamieson: There have been no recent changes in the legal duties for the safety of navigation of harbour authorities. The port marine safety code makes clear that the duties and powers that harbour authorities already have are generally sufficient to enable them to maintain

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proper standards of port marine safety. The Department is undertaking a review during 2002 to assess how far the code has been implemented and what has so far been achieved.

Port Developments

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance his Department issues on how alternatives to port developments should be assessed where adverse environmental impacts are likely; what decisions have been taken on who is to carry out these assessments; and if he will make a statement. [51376]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Wirral, South (Mr. Chapman) on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 517W, in which I announced that the Department had issued a consultation paper concerned with the development of an appraisal framework for ports in the UK. The period for consultation ran until 5 April and we are now analysing the results. These will assist the Department in drawing up a guidance note for all those involved with port developments requiring some form of official approval, which we aim to issue later this year. It will address how alternatives are to be assessed.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what means his Department intends to measure port productivity and efficiency to establish what scope there is for improved use of existing facilities; and if he will make a statement. [51375]

Mr. Jamieson: Our ports policy paper, "Modern Ports—A UK Policy", published in November 2000, recognised that it is important to have a clear overall picture of trends affecting the ports industry, and especially of the potential need for new port development. We said that the Government will consider with the industry and other interests how to benchmark port performance and best practice methods. We are discussing with the ports industry how this can be taken forward.

I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Reading, West (Mr. Salter) on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 296W-97W, in which I announced that the Department had issued a discussion paper, "Recent developments and prospects in UK container ports", which was aimed at promoting a better understanding of the ports and shipping business, and of the demands which are now causing pressure on capacity.

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