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Railway Lines (Trespass)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many children have been found trespassing on railway lines in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [58339]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 22 May 2002]: Information held by the British Transport Police on the number of juvenile trespassers each year since 1997 is contained in the following table:
| Year | No. |
|---|---|
| 1998–1999 | 4188 |
| 1999–2000 | 3573 |
| 2000–2001 | 3175 |
| 2001–2002 | 2647 |
(Juvenile trespassers include those 17 or under.)
Hendy Cross Junction
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) whether the pavement condition assessment
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undertaken by the Highways Agency at Hendy Cross junction has been completed; and when it will be published; [58620] (2) whether the geotechnical investigation undertaken by the Highways Agency at Hendy Cross junction has been completed; and when it will be published; [58619] (3) whether a pre-order exhibition concerning the Hendy Cross junction will be held in High Wycombe in the autumn; [58669] (4) when he will publish the environmental statement in relation to the Hendy Cross junction; [58618] (5) when he will publish statutory orders under the Highways Act 1980 in relation to the Hendy Cross junction; [58617] (6) whether the Highways Agency has decided to use an early design and build contract for construction of the improvements at Hendy Cross junction; [58627] (7) whether short-term improvements to Hendy Cross junction are complete. [58616]
Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Kevin Davies to Mr. Paul Goodman, dated 24 May 2002:
I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the long-term improvements to the M40/A404 Handy Cross Junction. I am replying in the absence of Tim Matthews, the Chief Executive who is currently on leave. The Highways Agency has undertaken considerable work since the publication of the Integrated Transport Study in January 2001. The short-term improvements identified in the study have been substantially completed and we have also completed a validation of the long-term proposals including further preliminary design work. To assist in this validation we have collected more detailed information on traffic movements through the junction together with pavement condition assessment and geotechnical investigations. The results of these investigations would not normally be published at this stage because they are working documents. It is too early to outline the future programme for this work, or to state how it would be processed. However, we would consider the advantages of appointing a contractor under our Early Design and Build Contract. We would want to see what innovations a contractor can bring to the scheme in terms of both design and construction techniques before publishing the draft orders. Following the appointment of a contractor a pre draft Orders exhibition would be held. This would then be followed by publication of the Environmental Statement and draft Orders. If you would like to discuss this further please contact the Agency's Project Sponsor, Andy Finch. He can be contacted at our Dorking office on 01306 878342.
Electronic Voting
David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what projects have been commissioned by his Department into electronic voting since June 2001; which local authorities used electronic voting in the May 2002 elections; and in each case what the voting levels were in (a) 2002 and (b) the previous local authority elections. [58573]
Dr. Whitehead: In August 2001, we jointly commissioned research by a team led by De Montfort University into the potential barriers to electronic voting.
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Our partners in this research included the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association. The findings from this research were published on 23 May 2002.
The local authorities that used electronic processes in the May 2002 local and Mayoral elections, and the turnout figures for them have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Freight Trains
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many freight trains operated between France and the UK in the week of (a) 1 March 2001, (b) 11 November 2001, (c) 23 December 2001 and (d) 12 May 2002. [R] [58742]
Mr. Jamieson: I understand from the railway operator that the figures are as follows:
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Week of 1 March 2001 | 78 trains* |
| Week commencing 11 November 2001 | 23 trains |
| Week commencing 23 December 2001 | 11 trains** |
| Week commencing 12 May 2002 | 27 trains |
*1 March 2001 was a Thursday whereas the three other dates are Sundays. This figure is calculated from the total train movements for March 2001.
**This week covered the holiday period.
Housing Pilots (Teenage Parents)
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in which areas the housing pilots for lone parents under 18 years of age will be sited; who is running each of the pilots; how much the pilots have cost so far; what form the evaluation of the pilots will take; and when the pilots are due to finish. [58765]
Ms Keeble: The table below provides the information requested on the housing pilots for teenage parents under 18 being funded through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme and Supported Housing Management Grant.
| Registered Social Landlord | Area | Approved Development Programme (capital) spend to date | Supported Housing Management Grant (revenue) spend to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan HA | Brixton, Lambeth | 141,050 | 0 |
| Nottingham Community HA | Nottingham | 87,500 | 6,454 |
| Tuntum HA | Nottingham | 130,000 | 37,002 |
| West Penine HA | Oldham | 265,042 | 18,991 |
| Bromford Carinthia HA | Stoke on Trent | 165,000 | 0 |
| Bromford Carinthia HA | Sandwell | 0 | 17,006 |
| Bromford Carinthia HA | Sandwell | 171,600 | 0 |
The Department will shortly commission research to monitor and evaluate the Approved Development Programme pilots for teenage mothers and supported accommodation provision funded through the Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund. The research will track the users of the supported accommodation, assess how well it meets their requirements and support needs, and how successful they are in achieving independence when they are ready to move on. The research will also assess the success of the schemes in terms of outcomes achieved, relative to their cost.
We anticipate that these schemes will lose their pilot status on completion of the evaluation study in December 2003.
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Scottish Executive
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many representations the Scottish Executive has made to his Department since May 1999, broken down by (a) Scottish Executive department, (b) subject and (c) date; [59520] (2) how many times his Office has made representations to the Scottish Executive since May 1999, broken down by (a) Scottish Executive department approached, (b) subject and (c) date. [59521]
Mr. Raynsford: My Department has regular exchanges with the Scottish Executive, both formal and informal, at Ministerial and official level. Details are not collated centrally.
Reserved Powers
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to transfer the administration of reserved powers and functions of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies within its remit from to his Department the Scotland Office. [59519]
Fire Stations
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fire stations there were in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1997. [58903]
Dr. Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 19 March 2002, Official Report, columns 239–242.
Franchise
Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consultation his Department has initiated on the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. [58867]
Dr. Whitehead: We have initiated no consultation on the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. However, as I informed the House in my answer of 22 November 2001 to the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Opik), Official Report, columns 755W, we would welcome a public debate on the issue. It is also open to the Electoral Commission to consider it and make recommendations for future policy.
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