| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Bus Services
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus services in each metropolitan transport authority area for which his Department pays subsidy have been (a) temporarily and (b) permanently suspended in the last 12 months. [66880]
Mr. Jamieson: My Department does not collect information in the form requested.
All local bus services following a registered route and timetable are eligible to receive grant from the Department in the form of fuel duty rebate. However, in the vast majority of cases (nearly 90 per cent. of total bus provision in the areas of passenger transport authorities) decisions on service provision are for commercial operators.
In the remaining cases, the service is provided under contract from the passenger transport authority and subsidised by that authority from its own resources. The resources available to authorities are augmented by payments from the Department's rural bus subsidy grant scheme. I understand that only one service supported by a passenger transport authority with funding form this scheme has been withdrawn in the last 12 months.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to increase the take-up of concessionary fares on rural bus services. [66781]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 4 July 2002]: Our minimum requirement for concessionary fares schemes has, since June 2001, guaranteed at least half-fares for pensioners and disabled people on local buses to the benefit of seven million people overall, some of whom will be travelling in rural areas. This is an improvement on the previous position where 16 mostly rural areas had no concessionary travel scheme at all. From April 2003 the Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Act 2002 will ensure that men aged 60–65 will also receive the benefit of concessionary travel. Further, our Rural Bus Subsidy Grant has provided an additional 1,800 services upon which concessionary travel is possible. Many of the innovative schemes supported by our Rural Bus Challenge competition also provide further scope for take-up of concessionary travel.
Baldock Bypass
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the funding of the Baldock bypass and progress on the project. [67952]
8 Jul 2002 : Column 670W
Mr. Jamieson: Hertford county council originally proposed that the Baldock bypass should be funded through the Private Finance Initiative. However, following a re-evaluation of the scheme, Hertfordshire concluded that the Baldock bypass should be procured through conventional funding. They agreed to provide revised cost estimates in support of this view.
We have been in discussions with Hertfordshire to determine what procurement would represent value for money for this scheme and are currently awaiting information from Hertfordshire. When this information is received I hope to be in a position to make a decision about how the Baldock bypass will be funded.
John Cordle
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers spoke to a constituent, Mr. John Cordle of Salisbury, on 18 June. [67202]
Northern Line
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people on average (a) entered and (b) left the Northern Line in each 15 minute period of a working day for each station on the Northern Line in the most recent period for which figures are available. [67713]
Mr. Jamieson: Detailed in-year operational information of this nature is a matter for London Underground.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the percentage of people, taking the Northern line (a) south from Euston and (b) north from Kennington, who travelled on the (i) Charing Cross branch and (ii) Bank branch in the most recent period for which figures are available. [67714]
Mr. Jamieson: None, detailed operational information of this nature is a matter for London Underground.
London Underground
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the length of train, in numbers of carriages, that each station on the London Underground Network (a) can accommodate and (b) is most frequently served by. [67718]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport (Mr. Spellar) gave to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Brake) on 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 196W.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) crowded and (b) very crowded links, as defined by London Underground, as at 1 July of each of the last eight years, on the London Underground network. [67721]
Mr. Jamieson: Detailed operational information of this nature is a matter for London Underground who inform me, furthermore, that it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
8 Jul 2002 : Column 671W
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times each day (a) a station and (b) a platform, on the London Underground network has been temporarily closed owing to overcrowding in the most recent period for which figures are available. [67716]
Mr. Jamieson: Detailed operational information of this nature is a matter for London Underground.
Network Rail
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 774W, on Network Rail, if he will list the (a) funders and (b) customers to whom he refers; and if he will provide details of the obligations in each case. [66067]
Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority would fund Network Rail by means of future grants and will provide back-stop credit facilities as set out in the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 27 June 2002, Official Report, columns 971–989, and in the minutes, mentioned in the statement, which have been laid before the House. In addition to the SRA, Network Rail would have a number of commercial funders. Network Rail's customers would be the train and freight operating companies. Their obligations would be in accordance with the track and station access agreements for each operating company. These agreements are available from the office of the rail regulator.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, under the Network Rail proposal, what call there is on Railtrack Group PLC under the outstanding guarantees in respect of (a) the European Investment Bank facilities made available to Railtrack PLC and (b) the bank facilities which have been made available to London and Continental Railways Limited in connection with the CTRL. [66531]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 2 July 2002]: None.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the incentive arrangements with regard to Network Rail and possible enhancement projects; and if he will make a statement. [66602]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 2 July 2002]: Network Rail will prepare and publish an incentive plan annually. The plan will cover both the short and the long run delivery of the business and be focused on delivery of the business plan, including enhancement projects, and on meeting licence and contractual obligations.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the mechanism by which members of Network Rail will be held accountable by (a) customers, (b) the general public, (c) the Executive and (d) Parliament. [66543]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 2 July 2002]: Network Rail would be accountable via its network licence and contractual obligations. Its customers could ensure that the company meets its contractual obligations to them; the Rail Regulator would continue to monitor and enforce delivery against the network licence; and the Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan will set the framework within which the company would deliver and particularly within which enhancements will be taken forward.
8 Jul 2002 : Column 672W
The strategic plan is laid before Parliament. The SRA would also appoint a non-executive director to the Network Rail board.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the mechanism for selecting the members of the nominating committee for Network Rail members; [66542]
- (2) by what mechanism people and groups will be appointed to be members of Network Rail; how many will be appointed; and on what date. [66540]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 2 July 2002]: Network Rail would have three categories of members: "industry members"—railway licence holders; "public interest members"—drawn from the community at large, with a clear interest in the railway and the ability to make a genuine contribution; and the "SRA member"—nominated by the Strategic Rail Authority. Network Rail expects there to be around 100 members in total.
Network Rail intends to recruit public interest members by invitation and through advertisement and will appoint a membership selection panel (MSP), with an independent majority, to consider applications against a membership policy. The board would appoint public interest members on the recommendation of the MSP. The detail and timing of these arrangements are matters for Network Rail to determine.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |