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Building Projects
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the building projects under construction; and what coolant will be used for the building services water chilling system for such projects. [52048]
Dr. Whitehead: The Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions currently has no significant building projects under construction. Wherever possible, building projects will be planned to avoid or minimise the use of air-conditioning. Where the need for air-conditioning and associated water chilling systems cannot be eliminated, the use of coolants that contribute to climate change will be avoided wherever this is safe, cost effective and technically feasible to do so.
2004 GLA Elections
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards a freepost mailshot to London electors during the 2004 GLA elections. [52064]
Mr. Byers: The Greater London Returning Officer has recently consulted on a range of issues relating to the 2004 GLA elections including the delivery of election addresses. We are awaiting his recommendations.
Infrastructure Charging Research
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what infrastructure charging research work his Department is funding. [52090]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 23 April 2002]: No such work has been commissioned by my Department. The former Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, commissioned the following work which is ongoing:
- Demonstration of Interoperable charging and telematics Systems (jointly with Leeds City Council and Highways Agency);
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- Dynamic Freight Analysis;
- Economic geography of congestion charging;
- Trade-off between practical and optimal cordon congestion charging;
- Charging Appraisal Frameworks;
- Scheme Design and User Acceptance;
- Measuring social—spatial inclusion and exclusion in charging infrastructures.
Fares Policy Review
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Strategic Rail Authority will report to his Department on its review of fares policy; and if he will make a statement. [52386]
Mr. Jamieson: No firm date has yet been decided by the Strategic Rail Authority.
Network Railcards
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he has met the Association of Train Operating Companies since 7 June 2001 to discuss ATOC's proposals for changes to network railcards; if he will publish the minutes and list the actions arising from these meetings; and if he will make a statement. [52385]
Mr. Jamieson: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.
Vehicle Fuels
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of vehicles registered to households in (a) Dumfries and Galloway, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK are (i) diesel engined, (ii) petrol engined and (iii) powered by other means. [52904]
Mr. Jamieson: The proportion of currently licensed vehicles registered to keepers with addresses in the Dumfries and Galloway unitary authority, Scotland and the United Kingdom powered by diesel, petrol or other means is shown in the table. The information for Great Britain is as at 30 September 2001; the information for Northern Ireland included in the United Kingdom total is as at 31 December 2001. The data include vehicles registered to companies and other entities as well as to individuals.
| Area | Diesel | Petrol | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumfries and Galloway unitary authority | 32.7 | 67.2 | 0.1 |
| Scotland | 23.6 | 76.3 | 0.1 |
| United Kingdom | 21.9 | 78.0 | 0.1 |
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Merchant Fleet
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the size of the UK registered merchant fleet was in each of the last five years. [52906]
Mr. Jamieson: The size of the fleet in both numbers of ships and tonnage is given in the following table.
| UK registered fleet (all vessels) | UK registered fleet (trading vessels)(2) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As at 31 December | Number of ships | Gross tonnage (Thousand gt) | Number of ships | Gross tonnage (Thousand gt) |
| 1996 | 1,506 | 4,437 | 381 | 3,291 |
| 1997 | 1,498 | 3,961 | 369 | 2,822 |
| 1998 | 1,498 | 4,389 | 378 | 3,081 |
| 1999 | 1,456 | 4,603 | 379 | 3,200 |
| 2000 | 1,518 | 5,971 | 417 | 4,579 |
| 2001 | 1,527 | 6,280 | 427 | 5,035 |
(2) 'Trading' vessels are those which carry cargo or passengers for commercial purposes. The remainder of the fleet consists of vessels which are deemed to be 'non-trading'. Examples of non-trading vessels are dredgers and trawlers, but vessels which were constructed for 'trading' purposes can also come into this category, if they have been converted to a non-trading use, e.g. storage or a floating restaurant.
Rail Safety
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many road barriers have been erected to increase safety and prevent road vehicles falling onto railway lines since the Selby crash; [52455]
- (2) what recent measures have been taken to ensure adequate protection and fencing at intersections between roads and railways. [52456]
Mr. Jamieson: Following the road/rail accident last year at Great Heck, near Selby, two working groups were set up, both of which published their reports on 25 February 2002. The Minister for Transport has accepted all 19 recommendations in the two reports and commended to highway authorities and rail infrastructure authorities the risk assessment framework prepared by the CSS (formerly County Surveyors Society) and Railtrack.
The highway authorities and rail infrastructure authorities are working closely together and are examining the relevant sites on their networks to consider what, if any, mitigation measures might be appropriate to help prevent the incursion of vehicles on to the railway. Details of measures taken where roads meet, cross or run close to railways is not held centrally.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many road to rail accidents have been recorded in each year since 1997. [52458]
Mr. Jamieson: Information held by the Health and Safety Executive on the number of incidents each year since 1997 where road vehicles have encroached on to railway lines is contained in the table.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 23 |
| 1998–99 | 33 |
| 1999–2000 | 28 |
| 2000–01 | 31 |
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Health and Safety Executive
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what technical support contracts were awarded by the Health and Safety Executive between 1 January and 31 December 1998. [53071]
Dr. Whitehead: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Construction Industry
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many self-certification schemes are in operation relating to the construction industry; and what the cost is of joining each scheme. [53001]
Dr. Whitehead: Five schemes are operating self- certification under the Building Regulations in England and Wales. These are for installers registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI); the Oil Firing Registration Scheme run by the Oil Firing Technical Association for the Petroleum Industry (OFTEC); the Registration Scheme for Companies involved in the Installation and Maintenance of Domestic Solid Fuel Fired Equipment run by HETAS Ltd.; the Approved Contractor Person Scheme (Building Regulations) run by the Institute of Plumbing; and the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme run by FENSA Ltd.
We understand the costs for joining each scheme are as follows:
- For an installer registered with CORGI the joining fee is £189, with an annual membership fee of £170 included in the first year's costs. Where the registered installer is a company, they can register additional employees at £49 per annum.
For OFTEC the annual fee is £36 for an individual, and £20 for a company, payable five years in advance. An individual must be employed by an OFTEC registered firm.
For HETAS the first year's fee is £150 for a firm followed by and annual membership fee of £100. For an individual the fee is £25 per annum. An individual must be employed by a HETAS registered firm.
For the Institute of Plumbing we understand that there will be no separate charge for membership of the Approved Contractor Person Scheme, but it will be necessary to be a member of the Institute of Plumbing (IoP). There is an IoP joining fee of £30 and an annual membership fee of £50.50.
For the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme all firms are required to pay a standard registration fee of £100, in addition to the vetting fee of £200. The vetting fee is not required, however, if the firm has already been vetted by another body which has standards comparable to FENSA. There is also an annual membership charge of £50 included in the first year's costs. Registered firms are required to purchase Approved Documents L1 and N which provide details on how to comply with the Building Regulations.
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Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what criteria the Government used to determine who should be consulted regarding the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2002. [53002]
Dr. Whitehead: The criteria used were the same as normally followed when introducing a new initiative under the Building Regulations. There was an initial consultation with the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC), followed by two extensive written consultations with interested representative bodies. This was followed up by further consultation with BRAC, including the creation of a separate BRAC working party. There was final consultation on the detailed regulations with BRAC along with requests for comments from the schemes involved and individual experts.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who will be responsible for policing the self-certification schemes introduced by the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2002. [53000]
Dr. Whitehead: The scheme operators will be responsible for maintaining the standards necessary for their members to self-certify their work. Working with the scheme operators my Department will monitor the extent to which standards have been maintained and improved as a result of the self-certification initiative.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how the self-certification schemes introduced by the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2002 will operate in connection with the existing quality mark scheme. [53005]
Dr. Whitehead: In the consultation document 'Taking Forward Self-Certification Under the Building Regulations' we noted that the first stage of self- certification would develop a body of experience which it might be able to apply more widely when other bodies join. It was also noted that this process would "allow synergies to develop with the quality mark initiative . . .". We have started this process. In relation to the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme (FENSA), quality mark members are eligible for a discount on initial membership, and further discussions are currently taking place between the Department of Trade and Industry and FENSA over how the two schemes can work more closely together over the coming months. We will also be working with the other schemes during this first stage to see how they can work more closely with the quality mark initiative.
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