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Blue Badge Scheme
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will take steps to extend the blue badge scheme of parking concessions for disabled people to people who are only temporarily disabled. [52294]
Ms Keeble: The administration of the Blue Badge Scheme is the responsibility of individual local authorities. When they have received the information they require to process an application they should be expected to do so without delay.
A comprehensive review of the Blue Badge Scheme is currently being undertaken by my Department, which will look at the administration of the Scheme and will also consider the case for temporary badges. Consultation on a discussion paper, which was issued to the main stakeholders, including disability organisations and local authorities, ended recently. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC- our statutory advisers on the transport and mobility needs of disabled people) are considering responses and are due to report their recommendations to the Secretary of State around the end of this month. In the light of those recommendations we aim to decide on the way forward with the scheme over the summer.
Helicopter Rescue Services
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the contract for the supply of Maritime and Coastguard Agency helicopter rescue services at (a) Portland and (b) Lee on Solent will expire; whether the MCA intends to keep the arrangements as they are now; and when the MCA will sign a new contract. [51642]
Mr. Jamieson: The current contracts for the supply of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) civilian search and rescue helicopter services at Portland and Lee on Solent both expire on 13 May 2003.
The agency is considering future contracts and discussions about the detail are continuing.
Any new contracts should be signed by 12 May 2003 to ensure no break in the provision of the service.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has to upgrade facilities at (a) Lee on Solent and (b) Portland for the Maritime Rescue Helicopter Service. [51641]
Mr. Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is currently in discussion with relevant organisations regarding improvements at Lee on Solent and Portland but no firm decisions have been made.
25 Apr 2002 : Column 400W
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which locations for helicopter rescue services the Maritime and Coastguard Agency funds; and if he will make a statement about the MCA's future plans for helicopter rescue services. [51640]
Mr. Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) funds contracted civilian search and rescue helicopter services at Stornoway, Sumburgh, Lee on Solent and Portland.
The MCA is currently engaged with the Ministry of Defence about the future provision of UK search and rescue helicopters with a view to harmonising the service in the future.
Rail Freight
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps have been taken by his Department and the SRA to introduce piggyback freight carriers on Britain's railways. [50906]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (Ms Walley) on 15 March 2002, Official Report, column 1274W.
Railways
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 959W, on railways, how the figures in the baseline period compared to (a) the previous quarter, (b) the average for the previous year and (c) the average for the previous five years. [49837]
Mr. Jamieson: Figures on punctuality are available in "National Rail Trends", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
The Department's rail performance indicators publication of 18 February contained information on serious Signals Passed at Danger (SPAD) in the first, second and third quarters of 2001–02 plus the rolling annual total at the end of each of these quarters. Information on serious SPADs for earlier periods is provided in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) SPAD reports available on the HSE website.
Information on average age of rolling stock at the end of the first, second and third quarters of 2001–02 was published in the second rail performance indicators report on 18 March. Average age of rolling stock is a new measure and information for earlier periods is not available.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has received a completed report from Mercer on the proposed future structure of regulation in the rail industry. [49872]
Mr. Jamieson: Mercer Management Consulting have been commissioned to carry out a wide-ranging consultation of the rail industry stakeholders to gather views about all aspects of the UK railways. This work is not yet completed.
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Railway Stations
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new railway stations have been opened since rail privatisation; how many new stations were planned at the time Railtrack went into administration; whether, in administration, Railtrack is continuing to plan to open those stations; when work will commence on the new station at Corsham; and if he will make a statement. [52338]
Mr. Jamieson: I understand that 24 new stations have been opened since the privatisation of Railtrack. A number of potential new stations are at various stages of feasibility evaluation and planning. During railway administration, the administrators are keeping the network operational and running Railtrack plc on a "business as usual" basis. This process includes the consideration of potential new stations.
I also understand that commercial agreements between all the parties involved in the project to build a new station at Corsham are close to being finalised, with a view to securing delivery of the station by May 2003.
Windoff
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on Railtrack and its successor body of the German manufacturer Windoff going into receivership. [51981]
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Mr. Byers: Such matters are for the company to consider.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received from (a) the SRA, (b) Railtrack plc, (c) Newtrack Rail and (d) the Office of the Rail Regulator regarding the potential repercussions resulting from Windoff going into receivership. [51982]
Multi-Modal Studies
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when each of the modal studies proposed in the 10-year transport plan will be (a) completed and (b) published. [50041]
Mr. Jamieson: The multi-modal studies that have been completed and a final report published are as follows.
| Multi-modal study and location | Reported |
|---|---|
| Access to Hastings | December 2000 |
| Cambridge to Huntingdon (A14) | August 2001 |
| South East Manchester (Stockport, Manchester Airport Link West, Poynton) | September 2001 |
| West Midlands area (M5/M6 and M42 between M40 and M6) | October 2001 |
The following table shows expected completion/final report dates of the multi-modal studies that are currently in progress:
| Study | Date expected to report |
|---|---|
| West Midlands to North West (M6) | May 2002 |
| London to South West and South Wales (A303, M4) | May 2002 |
| A1 (North of Newcastle) | May 2002 |
| North/South movements in the East Midlands (M1 Junctions 21 to 30) | May 2002 |
| Hull (East/West) corridor (A63 and A1033 to Port of Hull) | May 2002 |
| A453 (M1 to J24 (Nottingham) | June 2002 |
| South and West Yorkshire motorway box (M1 J30 to A1 West Yorks/M18/M62 and A1(M) | June 2002 |
| Tyneside area (A1/A19) | June 2002 |
| London to Ipswich (A12) | July 2002 |
| South Coast (Southampton to Folkestone coastal corridor)—(M27, A27 & A259) | August 2002 |
| M60 Junction 12–18 (West to North Manchester) | November 2002 |
| Thames Valley (London to Reading—M4) | November 2002 |
| ORBIT—Transport solutions around London (M25) | Autumn 2002 |
| London to South Midlands (A1, M1, M11, A5 and A421) | December 2002 |
| Norwich to Peterborough (A47) | February 2003 |
| West Midlands to East Midlands (A42/M42 to M6 corridor and M69 and A38) | April 2003 |
The final two multi-modal studies have yet to commence. Dates have yet to be confirmed although we would expect these to report by end of 2003/early 2004.
- Multi-modal study and location
A52 (clifton Bridge to Bingham, Nottinghamshire)
A34 (North from Southampton).
- (2) when the summary papers for the DTLR multi- modal study infrastructure charging seminar on 1 February were produced. [52087]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 23 April 2002]: The summary papers were produced at the end of January and early February. The titles of those attending are Director, Divisional Manager, Branch Head, Senior Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer, Network Strategy Manager, MMS Project Manager, Assistant Project Manager, MMS Technical Director.
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