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Bus Services

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 10 July 2002, Official Report, column 976W, on bus services, if he will list those traffic commission areas in which bus compliance officers have surveyed the performance of bus operators in each of the last five years. [71367]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: The Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) started its bus monitoring function in 1999–2000. In each of the three years since, VI has undertaken monitoring exercises in each of the eight traffic areas.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of households in rural areas were within 13 minutes walk of an hourly or better bus service for the last (a) quarter and (b) year, for which figures are available. [71342]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: The proportion of households in rural areas in England within 13 minutes walk of an hourly or better bus service was 42 per cent. for 1998–99. Rural areas are defined here as settlements of less than 3,000 population.

The source is the National Travel Survey and normally three years of data are aggregated because the small number of rural households in the sample means that

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estimates for single years may not be reliable. The rural sample numbers were exceptionally low for 2000, casting doubts on the validity of using the data for that year within the indicator, so the average for 1998 and 1999 has been used instead of the average for the three years 1998–2000, as previously published. Figures for the average of 1999 and 2001 will be published when the results for 2001 are released on 25 July. Quarterly figures are not available.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the powers of bus compliance officers with regards to (a) setting operators' punctuality targets and (b) enforcing operators' punctuality targets. [71346]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: Bus Compliance Officers function is to monitor the reliability and punctuality of local bus services registered with the Traffic Commissioners, who can impose penalties on operators who fail to comply with the registered particulars of the service. It is for the Traffic Commissioners to determine the punctuality target. Bus Compliance Officers provide the main source of evidence on which the Traffic Commissioners judge whether the appropriate level of punctuality has been achieved on individual services.

Twyford Railway Bridge

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when work on the Twyford railway bridge will be completed. [71483]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: I understand from Railtrack that work is expected to be completed in late August.

Train Operating Franchises

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost of safety case work undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive in relation to the (a) re-letting and (b) extension of train operating franchises has been since 7 June 2001; and if he will make a statement. [70643]

Mr. Jamieson: Since 7 June 2001, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has only assessed one re-let franchise safety case, for the Chiltern Railway Company, which was completed on 10 July 2002. However, it is not possible for the HSE to separately identify the costs of the assessment work.

Extensions of existing franchises do not normally result in additional safety case assessment costs.

Potter's Bar Crash

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) contractors and (b) sub- contractors involved in accident investigation into the Potter's Bar crash under the supervision of the Health and Safety Executive. [70652]

Mr. Jamieson: In addition to all the work undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) internal laboratory, the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), HSE engaged AEA Technology Rail to assist with the

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investigation of the derailment and the examination of the points. The investigation is continuing and further contracts may be let in due course.

Railways Vandalism

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance and directions have been given by his Department to the (a) British Transport Police, (b) Health and Safety Executive and (c) railways industry, regarding vandalism on the railways; what plans there are to update such guidance; and if he will make a statement. [70647]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 772–73W.

Strategic Rail Authority

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made as to the effect of changing the guidance issued to the SRA on the SRA's obligations under the funding package to be structured for the purposes of the SRA's accounts in such a way that disbursements under the funding package only constitute liabilities of the SRA for the accounting period in which the obligation to make disbursements arises, as issued on 22 March in the letter to Richard Bowker; and if he will make a statement; [68388]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 9 July 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement about Network Rail made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 27 June 2002, Official Report,

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columns 971–73, and the two associated minutes which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State laid before the House on the same day.

The letter of 22 March 2002 gave the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) certain directions and guidance as to the manner in which the SRA was to negotiate a funding and outputs package with any bidder seeking to become the network operator. Since then, negotiations progressed with Network Rail with the result that the transaction contemplated did not entirely reflect the directions and guidance issued on 22 March.

Consequently, my right hon. Friend wrote on 21 June to replace the guidance and directions issued on 22 March and to give the SRA new directions and guidance as to the manner in which the SRA was to seek to conclude the transaction with the Network Rail Group.

No representations were made on the initial guidance by anyone other than the SRA, as it was a letter to them, which was not published until recently.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his letter of 22 March to Richard Bowker Esq, concerning the Railtrack successor body, his letter of 21 June to Nick Newton Esq, concerning the Railtrack successor body, and his oral statement of 27 June 2002, Official Report, column 971, what representations he received from (a) the Strategic Rail Authority, (b) Network Rail, (c) ONS and (d) the NAO, regarding the initial guidance on the structure and disbursement of the Strategic Rail Authority's obligation under the funding package; and if he will make a statement. [68374]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given her today [68388].

Network Rail

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2002, Official Report, column 465W, on Railtrack, on what date he expects to authorise the change of control; and if he will make a statement on the conditions that must be satisfied by Network Rail before he authorises the change of control. [71374]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 19 July 2002]: I understand that Network Rail will shortly make an application. I will need to be satisfied that any change of control of Railtrack will not have an adverse effect on the ability of the operating company to continue to discharge its licence obligations.

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