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Airline Passengers (Shared Information)

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on sharing information on airline passengers with the United States of America; what the Government's position is on the European Commission's policy on sharing information on airline passengers with the United States of America; and if he will make a statement. [81112]

Mr. Jamieson: The UK Government fully support the United States' Governments efforts to combat terrorism and asserts that the drive to improve global security

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should be realistic, achievable and practical. The UK Government notes the European Commission's view that some of the US Government's requirements for airlines to provide the US authorities with information about incoming passengers raises issues of compatibility with EC legislation. The UK Government support the Commission's request for urgent discussions with the US authorities.

Airport Charges

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made by his Department or is planned of the regime of landing charges at airports in the United Kingdom. [81402]

Mr. Jamieson: The Future of Aviation consultation document published in December 2000 stated in paragraph 221 the Department

Xwill work with the CAA to develop modifications to the current regulatory regime to improve incentives for timely investment and improved quality of service".

One proposal identified in paragraph 223 was to permit the CAA rather than the Competition Commission to undertake an investigation before they set the price cap, with the Competition Commission becoming an appeal body. This would bring the regime for economic regulation of airports into line with the system that exists for other regulated utilities. A further proposal identified was to give the CAA concurrent powers with the Director General of Fair Trading to enforce general competition law in the airports sector.

CO2 Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average CO2 emission per air passenger has been in each year since 1990. [80845]

Mr. Jamieson: Information is not available in the form requested. Table 2.8 on page 40 of XTransport Statistics Great Britain 2002" shows that the total contribution by civil aviation to CO2 emissions in the United Kingdom remained steady throughout each year from 1990 to 2000 and comprised 1 per cent. in 2000, the latest year for which data are available.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the average carbon dioxide emissions per person per journey from London to Newcastle by (a) air, (b) rail, (c) lorry and (d) car. [81579]

Mr. Jamieson: The estimates are as follows:

	kg
(a) Air (average per passenger)	49
(b) Rail (average per passenger)	16
(c) Lorry (average per lorry)
Articulated diesel	403
Rigid diesel	461
(d) Car (average petrol):
Per car	89
Average per passenger	56
(e) Car (average diesel):
Per car	54
Per passenger	34

Estimates are based on a journey distance of 270 miles. In the case of air travel and rail travel, they make no allowance for travel to the airport or railway station. In the case of lorries, it is assumed that fuel consumption for an articulated lorry is 0.35 litres per km, and for a rigid lorry, 0.40 litres per km. Emissions per passenger for travel by car will depend on the size of the vehicle, and the number of passengers. Estimates above are based on an average car and average car occupancy over all journeys of 1.59 passengers per car derived from National Travel Survey in the period 1999–2001.

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Cyclists

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the number of accidents caused by cyclists bumping into pedestrians on (a) pavements and (b) public carriageways in the last year for which figures are available. [80396]

Mr. Jamieson: In Great Britain in 2001, there were 64 accidents reported to the police between cyclists and pedestrians on pavements, and 148 such accidents on public carriageways. These figures include only those accidents in which a pedestrian was injured.

International Hub Airports

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what research (a) has been conducted and (b) has been assessed by his Department, or is planned on the (i) economic, (ii) social and (iii) environmental costs and benefits which (A) have been obtained and (B) could potentially be obtained from international hub airports in the United Kingdom; [81412]

(2) what research (a) has been conducted and (b) has been assessed by his Department, or is planned on the (i) economic, (ii) social and (iii) environmental costs and benefits which (A) have been obtained and (B) could potentially be obtained from changes in the number of international passengers passing through International hub airports in the United Kingdom. [81413]

Mr. Jamieson: These issues have been covered extensively in the Government's recent airport studies. In particular, the SERAS study included a report by the consultants Booz Alien on issues relating to hub airports. The economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of various airport options, including some which could be international hub airports, are set out in the consultation document XThe Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom". The economic benefits set out there do not include any benefits to international transfer passengers (i.e. those who are not travelling to or from the UK), but do take account of the benefits to travellers to and from the UK from air services which are made viable by international transfer passengers. The role of hub airports in a long-term sustainable airports policy is one of the central issues on which the Government are seeking views through the consultation. Copies of the consultation document and the SERAS technical reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

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Landing Charges

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) discussions his Department has had or plans to have and (b) representations have been received by his Department with regards the potential effect of changes in landing charges at airports in the United Kingdom upon passenger numbers at each airport; [81414]

(2) what research has been conducted by his Department, or is planned, on the potential effect of changes in landing charges at airports in the United Kingdom upon passenger numbers at each airport. [81403]

Mr. Jamieson: The impact of a 50 per cent. increase in airport landing charges was considered as a sensitivity test in the Department's most recently published air traffic forecasts (Air Traffic Forecasts for the United Kingdom 2000, published in May 2000). This showed that such an increase would have the effect of reducing forecast air passengers at UK airports by 7.5 per cent. in 2020, from 401 to 371 million.

London Traffic

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average speed is of traffic in central London; what it was (a) five and (b) 10 years ago. [81031]

Mr. Spellar: Surveys of average traffic speeds were carried out in London until the year 2000 by the Department for Transport. Figures are not held specifically for all the years requested. Central, Inner and Outer London were surveyed in turn, and results for Central London were published for 1990, 1994, 1997 and 2000. Speeds in Central London for these years are shown in the following table:

Central London average traffic speeds (mph)

Year	am peak (07:45 to 09: 15)	off-peak (10:00 to 12:00) (14:00 to 16:00)	pm peak (16:45 to 18:15)
1990	10.3	10.6	10.3
1994	10.9	10.9	10.8
1997	10.0	10.0	10.2
2000	9.9	9.0	9.6

Since 3 July 2000, Transport for London have taken over responsibility for running the London speed surveys.

Modal Shifts

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) discussions his Department has had or plans to have and (b) representations have been received by his Department with regard the causal processes and mechanisms responsible for (i) past and (ii) potential future modal shifts between air transport and other modes of transport for (A) passengers and (B) freight transport, distinguishing between (1) internal and (2) international flights. [81399]

Mr. Jamieson: This subject is likely to be covered in the responses to the national airport consultation which closes on 30 November. In preparation for the national consultation, the Regional Air Services Coordination Study [RASCO], available on www.airconsult.gov.uk describes work done by the Strategic Rail Authority on

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the potential for rail/air substitution so far as domestic passengers are concerned. XThe Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East ", available on the same website, refers [pages 155–56] to Tier 2 documents Nos. 39, 40, and 67 which deal with air freight. The service quality improvements resulting from use of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link are expected to result in some transfer of international air passengers to Eurostar.

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