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Railtrack
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when each of the asset registers are expected to be placed in the data room that is being prepared by the administrators of Railtrack; [65283]
- (2) what the status of the data room being prepared by the administrators to Railtrack is; and if he will make a statement; [65280]
(3) what the location is of the data room being prepared by the administrators of Railtrack; [65282]
(4) if he will place in the Library the index of reports in, or due to be placed in, the data room by the administrators of Railtrack. [65281]
Mr. Jamieson: These are matters for the administrators.
Railway Byelaws
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 771W, on railway byelaws, for what reasons (a) Union Railways (North), (b) Union Railways (South) and (c) Hull Trains have written to the Department about their proposals for making byelaws based on the framework set; what advice, guidance and directions were given by his Department in response; and if he will list the questions raised related to the (i) interpretation and (ii) application of current byelaws by (A) GNER, (B) Arriva Trains Merseyside and (C) Thameslink. [66075]
Mr. Jamieson: Union Railways (North) Ltd. and Union Railways (South) Ltd. approached the Department in respect of the application of the framework set of byelaws to infrastructure for which they are responsible. The Department is in discussion with them on the most appropriate means. Hull Trains Ltd. sought advice on the procedure for making byelaws, which the Department has provided.
GNER inquired about the level of fine available for the offence of trespass under their byelaws. Arriva Trains Merseyside inquired about changing the name of the
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operator on their byelaws. Thameslink inquired about the scope of the definition of 'authorised persons' in their byelaws.
Strategic Rail Authority
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Strategic Rail Authority's balance sheet will reflect the potential liabilities incurred as a result of its underwriting of loans to Network Rail. [65403]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, on 27 June 2002, Official Report, columns 971–73, and to the subsequent reply given to a question from the hon. Member, Official Report, column 983.
Potters Bar Rail Crash
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for a public inquiry into the Potters Bar rail crash. [64606]
Mr. Jamieson: A formal independent investigation into the causes of the Potters Bar train derailment is being undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The terms of reference allow for a thorough and broad investigation into all the circumstances and the root causes. We will await the outcome of HSE's investigations before deciding whether they raise issues which would merit further investigation by a public inquiry. Any safety-critical information that comes to light will immediately be disseminated to the railway industry to prevent any further similar accidents in the future.
Rail Freight
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he will implement to help achieve the Government's target for an increase in rail freight; and if he will make a statement. [65170]
Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority set out in its Freight Strategy last year the detailed plans for achieving the rail freight growth envisaged by the Government's 10-year Plan for Transport.
Reading Station
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age is of the rails at Reading station. [64597]
Mr. Jamieson: My Department does not hold such information. It is an operational matter for Railtrack.
Railways
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) guidance he has given and (b) legislation is in place with regard to delay attribution on the railways; what plans there are to change them; and if he will make a statement. [64150]
Mr. Jamieson: Delay attribution is undertaken in accordance with internal rail industry processes and is not specifically regulated. The Track Access Agreements between Train Operating Companies and Railtrack (which are overseen by the Rail Regulator) contain a schedule (Schedule 8) which gives high level guidance about delay
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attribution. An Industry Delay Attribution Board, with representatives from the whole of the rail industry handles the day to day detailed attribution of individual delays.
Women's Refuges
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many women's refuges have received Government funding in each of the last five years; [59841]
- (2) how many refuges for women have been built in Britain in each of the last five years. [59842]
Mr. McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
The Government's main capital and revenue funding for refuge and support provision is provided from the following sources:
- The Housing Corporation's Approved Development Plan (ADP) provides capital allocations to RSLs for the provision of social housing, including women's refuges. Revenue funding for housing management and support is provided via the Corporation's Supported Housing Management Grant (SHMG).
Transitional Housing Benefit: provides rent and housing support costs, for those women who are eligible. (Note that from 1 April 2003, the elements of THB that provide support, and SHMG, will become part of Supporting People Grant.)
Over the past five years, women's refuges will also have been eligible for funding from Government regeneration programmes, such as the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB).
Local Government funding is provided by many local authorities, who provide a range of services, including housing and support, advice, advocacy and children's services.
| Number of: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Schemes approved | Units completed | |
| 1998–99 | 13 | 177 |
| 1999–2000 | 17 | 234 |
| 2000–01 | 30 | 45 |
| 2001–02 | 41 | 226 |
| 2002–03 | 30 | n/a |
Note:
Figures for Scotland and Wales are a matter for the devolved Administrations.
Performance Targets
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the performance targets that his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet, apart from those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004; and if he will specify for each target (a) who sets it and (b) who monitors achievement against it. [60462]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
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In addition to its PSA targets, the former DTLR had a number of targets set in the supporting Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) agreed between the then DETR and Treasury Ministers following the 2000 Spending Review. (Those relating to the Fire Service were agreed with Home Office Ministers, whose responsibility the Fire Service then was.) Achievement against these targets is monitored by the Department's Finance Directorate and reported quarterly to Ministers and to the Treasury. The 19 SDA targets and progress against them were published in the DETR Annual Report for 2001 (Command 5105) and in the DTLR Annual Report for 2002 (Command 5405).
Each of the former DTLR's 10 executive agencies were set key targets for 2002–03 by Ministers. These were announced to Parliament through written answers, details of which are set out as follows. Each agency chief executive is accountable to Ministers for the performance of their agency. The Department also regularly monitors performance against each agency's targets. All DTLR agencies publish annual report and accounts at the end of every financial year, which report on their performance against their targets.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answers on DTLR agencies targets as given on:
- 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 203W—Highways Agency
26 March 2002, Official Report, column 678W—Planning Inspectorate
26 March 2002, Official Report, column 947W—Maritime and Coastguard Agency
29 April 2002, Official Report, column 554W—The Rent Service
9 May 2002, Official Report, column 298W—Fire Service College
15 May 2002, Official Report, column 674W—Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
16 May 2002, Official Report, column 795W—Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driving Standards Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, Vehicle Inspectorate.
The Secretary of State has no powers of direction over the General Lighthouse Authorities' operational activities and those bodies are responsible for setting their own performance targets and the level of service required. A business plan for the Standards Board for England (created in 2001) is being prepared and performance targets will be agreed with the Department. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is required, by its Directions and Guidance from the Secretary of State, to work within its statutory framework to deliver the key rail targets set out in "Transport 2010: the Ten Year Plan" and to work with the rail industry to achieve substantial improvements in performance. Statistics in SRA's regular publications, "On track" and "National Rail Trends", provide an indication of achievement.
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No performance targets are set for the former Department's advisory NDPBs. Each advisory body normally sets its own programme of work for each year within its remit to advise Ministers on the particular policy area and agree this with the Department. No formal monitoring of performance takes place for these advisory bodies but outputs are set out in each body's annual report.
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