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Drug Enforcement Training (Iran)
Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the type and level of hardware and training support given to Iranian law enforcers tackling drug smuggling on the Iran/Afghanistan border. [66986]
Mr. MacShane: Iran is very successful in disrupting the drugs trade: it accounted for 85 per cent. of the world's opium seizures and 47 per cent. of the world's heroin seizures in 1999. Iran is the largest recipient of UK anti-drugs assistance: around £3.5 million since 1998, including £650,000 announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary during his visit there last September. Much of it is spent on training and equipment for law enforcement which bears the brunt of the fight with the drugs trade; over 3,000 law enforcement officers have been killed in clashes with armed traffickers in the past 20 years.
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We continually review the type of equipment and training we give to those engaged in tackling the drugs trade including Iranian law enforcers operating on the Afghan-Iranian border.
Departmental Statements
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department provides to its personnel regarding statements made in the public press. [70036]
Mr. Straw: FCO officials who deal with the press are governed by the Civil Service Code and are guided by Cabinet Office advice to Government information and communication officers (Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service), both of which can be found on the Cabinet Office website (www.cabinet- office.gov.uk). UK Heads of Mission abroad are encouraged to develop good relations with local media as part of the UK's public diplomacy strategy and to use their discretion as to media appearances.
Trinidad and Tobago
Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the constitutional position within Trinidad and Tobago. [68857]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: A general election was held in Trinidad and Tobago in December 2001. The result was an unprecedented tie of 18 seats each to the ruling United National Congress Party (UNC) and the People's National Movement (PNM). President Robinson appointed Patrick Manning, leader of the opposition PNM, as the new Prime Minister. We understand that this decision, once taken by the President, cannot be challenged.
Parliament has to be called within six months of a new Administration being sworn in to elect a speaker. PM Manning called Parliament on Friday, 5 April 2002. They failed to elect a speaker and Parliament was prorogued. Under the constitution, elections have to be called if Parliament has not reconvened within six months of its last sitting. This is an internal matter for the President and Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
PRIVY COUNCIL
Public Consultations
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the public consultations undertaken by his Department since 8 June 2001, indicating the (a) length and (b) number of responses received in each case. [68703]
Mr. Robin Cook: There have been no public consultations undertaken by my Department since 8 June 2001.
Comprehensive Spending Review
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how many staff have contributed to his Department's input to the Spending Review. [68694]
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Mr. Robin Cook: Three members of staff made a significant contribution to my Department's input to the Spending Review.
TRANSPORT
Public Transport (Safety)
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been injured on (a) buses and (b) trains in each of the last five years through being unseated by (i) sudden braking and (ii) fast cornering. [65635]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 1 July 2002]: Information on the number of people injured through being unseated in buses and trains through (i) sudden braking and (ii) fast cornering is not available.
The numbers of bus and coach passengers who were injured while (a) seated and (b) standing when the vehicle was either stopping or turning left or right are given in the table.
| Bus/coach manoeuvre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Accident year | Stopping | Turning left or right |
| 1997 | 610 | 423 |
| 1998 | 674 | 441 |
| 1999 | 689 | 524 |
| 2000 | 670 | 493 |
| 2001(1) | 663 | 415 |
(1) Figures for 2001 are provisional
| Bus/coach manoeuvre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Accident year | Stopping | Turning left or right |
| 1997 | 552 | 85 |
| 1998 | 523 | 82 |
| 1999 | 516 | 91 |
| 2000 | 518 | 122 |
| 2001(2) | 499 | 89 |
(2) Figures for 2001 are provisional
West Coast Main Line
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the projected costs are of upgrading the West Coast main line to allow trains to run at 140 mph. [67582]
Mr. Jamieson: The SRA is carrying out a strategic review of the West Coast project. The precise costs of the project will not be known until the final outputs have been determined.
Devolution
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Restricted Committee of the Safety and Health Commission for the Mining and other Extractive Industries is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [67747]
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Mr. Jamieson: The restricted committee of the Safety and Health Commission for the Mining and other Extractive Industries is due to meet next on 11 December 2002.
Officials from the Health and Safety Executive, which is sponsored by my Department, represent the UK on the Committee as policy responsibility for health and safety is a reserved matter. However, officials consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the devolved Administrations.
Road and Bridge Maintenance
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of (a) guidelines and regulations and (b) statutory requirements issued and published within the last two years with regard to improving the co-ordination of road and bridge maintenance in urban areas. [68307]
Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Act 1980 places a duty on local authorities to maintain highways, but this does not extend to the co-ordination of road and bridge maintenance.
In DfT's guidance on the Local Transport Plan Annual Progress reports for 2002–03, local authorities are encouraged to adopt an integrated highway maintenance policy and to ensure that this policy contributes towards delivering the vision for towns and cities contained in the Urban White Paper.
The Code of Practice for Maintenance Management "Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance", published in July 2001, is an advisory code for local authorities and contains guidance on integrated highway network management.
Copies of these publications are being placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made as to the quality of road and bridge maintenance in urban areas over the last two years. [68308]
Mr. Jamieson: In July 2000 all local highway authorities in England produced local transport plans (LTPs), which set out the condition of their roads and bridges, as well as work planned over a five-year period (2001–6). These documents were examined by the then DETR, in order to calculate authorities' funding requirements for road and bridge maintenance, over the five-year period.
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Last year, all highways authorities submitted annual progress reports (APRs), which included any supplementary road and bridge maintenance funding requirements, as well as progress made in this area since the previous year.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made as to the disruption to traffic caused by road and bridge maintenance in London in (i) 1998 and (ii) 1999. [69183]
Mr. Jamieson: During the period in question, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions, through the Highways Agency, was highway authority for trunk roads in London. It was then—and still is—the Highways Agency's practice to assess the likely traffic impacts of maintenance projects before they start and plan them so as to minimise disruption. In 1998 and 1999, the planning of highway maintenance on other roads in London was the responsibility of the relevant authority.
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