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Rail Freight

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tonnes of freight were moved by (a) rail and (b) road in each of the last five years. [71058]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 18 July 2002]: The figures for Great Britain are set out below:

	Road billion tonne kms	Rail billion tonne kms
1997–98	152.4	16.9
1998–99	150.5	17.3
1999–2000	149.4	18.2
2000–01	149.5	18.1
2001–02	not available	19.7

Rail Investment

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) proportion and (b) total value is of the required passenger infrastructure and rolling stock investment, as outlined in the SRA plan, that is expected to be funded from increases in fare revenues. [71056]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 18 July 2002]: The Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan assumed no change to existing policies on fares regulation.

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Safer Stations

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 2 July 2002, Official Report, column 208W, on safer stations if he will list those train operating companies which are committed to seeking accreditation to which he refers; what steps have been taken; and when full accreditation is likely to be granted. [70642]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is working with the Train Operating Companies, as part of the franchise renewal and extension process, to agree commitments to both the Secure Stations Scheme and the Secured Car Park Scheme. As a number of these franchise negotiations are currently taking place, it would not be appropriate to disclose which Train Operating Companies are seeking Secure Stations accreditation for all their stations.

Nuclear Waste Shipments

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contingency plans have been put in place against the event of a shipwreck involving a ship carrying nuclear waste to Sellafield off the coast of the UK. [70372]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 17 July 2002]: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) response to an incident involving a ship carrying radioactive materials will follow the procedures laid down in the National Contingency Plan (NCP) for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations. The MCA would lead and co-ordinate a multi-agency response bringing in key organisations to provide advice and support as required.

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and its subsidiary Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) have produced emergency response procedures that are compatible with the NCP for their fleet of seven vessels which are specifically designed for the carriage of radioactive materials. Each ship of the fleet has a Shipboard Marine Emergency Plan which follows the guidelines prepared by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization. BNFL and other nuclear operators are technically competent in responding to incidents involving radioactive material and would provide radiological advice to the MCA as required.

National Air Traffic Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the appropriate level of insurance cover for NATS; [71117] (2) what level of insurance he is requiring from NATS; [71118] (3) what discussions he has held with NATS over their insurance cover. [71116]

Mr. Jamieson: With effect from 1 July NATS has obtained aviation third party liability insurance to a level comparable with that secured by other major aviation interests post the events of 11 September.

19 Jul 2002 : Column 572W

NATS is continuing to investigate alternative markets that it has been advised may facilitate further cover. NATS and its lenders will take a view of this matter once quotes have been obtained for this additional layer of insurance.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many air traffic controllers were (a) employed and (b) in training in each year since 1990; [71121] (2) what steps (a) have been taken and (b) are planned to increase the number of trained national air traffic controllers; and if he will make a statement; [71160] (3) how many air traffic controllers were (a) employed and (b) in training in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement; [71162] (4) what steps he has taken to increase the number of air traffic controllers; [71119] (5) what the target staff complement is of National Air Traffic Services; how many vacancies and at what levels are unfilled; how many individuals have (a) left, (b) retired from and (c) joined NATS in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [71163]

Mr. Jamieson: These are operational matters for National Air Traffic Services (NATS).

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what discussions he has had with NATS, the unions, the CAA and other air traffic control providers about increasing the number of air traffic controllers; and what representations he has had from these bodies on this subject; [71120] (2) what recent (a) representations he and his Department has received and (b) discussions he and his Department has had with (i) NATS and (ii) the CAA regarding the number of trained national air traffic controllers; and if he will make a statement. [71161]

Mr. Jamieson: Ensuring that there is an adequate number of air traffic controllers, is an operational matter for NATS.

However, the Department, in its capacity as a responsible shareholder, has regular meetings with NATS. It is understood that unions and management are working together to find an effective and acceptable solution, that accords with the requirements of the air traffic control approval granted by the CAA.

Railway Statistics

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the methodology used by the SRA in order to seasonally adjust passenger kilometres. [71063]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 18 July 2002]: Passenger Kilometres data are collected in four-weekly periods and are susceptible to seasonal effects. The SRA seasonally adjusts the four weekly data using a variant of the "X11 Arima" package, developed by Statistics Canada and used (and recommended) by the Office for National Statistics.

The SRA publishes both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted figures.

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Vehicle Charging

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he will publish guidelines related to (a) workplace parking and (b) road use charging; whether the guidance will be retrospective; and if he will make a statement; [70814] (2) when he will publish guidelines related to (a) work place parking and (b) road user charging; and if this guidance will be retrospective. [71051]

Mr. Jamieson: I am considering the nature and scope of guidance on the workplace parking levy and on road user charging.

Congestion

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of congestion in large urban areas in England was in 2000; and what criteria are used to define such areas. [71625]

Mr. Jamieson: We plan to publish congestion data relating to 2000 in the autumn. These data will form a baseline against which future congestion data will be compared. For the PSA congestion target, large urban areas are defined as all those urban areas with a population of above 250,000: Greater London; the former metropolitan counties centred on the cities of Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield; and the urban areas of Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Hull, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton and Stoke. These urban areas may include parts of neighbouring local authority areas to give consistency with the area definitions in the Department's National Transport Model.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of congestion was on the inter-urban trunk road network in 2000; and what criteria are to be used to measure changes in congestion each year. [71626]

Mr. Jamieson: We plan to publish congestion data relating to 2000 in the autumn. These data will form a baseline against which future congestion data will be compared.

Multi-Modal Studies

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are for (a) guidance and (b) legislation relating to the implementation of multi-modal studies; and if he will make a statement. [70742]

Mr. Jamieson: There are no plans for (a) guidance or (b) legislation relating to the implementation of Multi-Modal Studies. Implementation of agreed recommendations from the Studies will be the responsibility of the relevant delivery agencies. Government Offices will have a co-ordinating role.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the new trunk road and bypass schemes which (a) have been given approval and (b) are awaiting approval after being part of a multi-modal study. [70618]

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Mr. Jamieson: We have made announcements on three Multi-Modal Studies and have asked the Highways Agency and relevant local authorities to take forward work on the trunk road and bypass schemes listed below. Final decisions on schemes will be taken following completion of the normal statutory processes. Access to Hastings MMS — A21 Tonbridge to Pembury A21 South of Pembury Cambridge to Huntingdon MMS — Widening and partial realignment of the A14 in the Cambridge to Huntingdon corridor South East Manchester MMS — M60/M67/A57 Denton Interchange. A6 Stockport N/S Bypass A523/A555 Poynton Bypass A555 Manchester Airport Link Road West A34 Alderley Edge Bypass

A number of other Multi-Modal Studies have submitted Final Reports to Regional Planning Bodies. Study recommendations including those relating to trunk roads and bypasses will be considered in the light of Regional Planning Body advice.

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