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28 Nov 2002 : Column 454W—continued
Airport (Hullavington)
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he wrote to local authorities in Wiltshire formally as part of the consultation exercise, inviting them to submit representations in respect of the proposal to locate an airport at Hullavington; and if he will list the authorities concerned; [84073]
- (2) if he will rank in order of closeness by proximity of each district local authority area within a 20 mile radius of the prospective airport at Hullavington; [84072]
(3) what reason he has not held public (a) meetings and (b) exhibitions in North Wiltshire as part of the public consultation on locating an airport at Hullavington; [84071]
(4) in which local authority areas his Department has initiated (a) public meetings, and (b) exhibitions as part of the public consultation in respect of locating an airport at Hullavington. [84070]
Mr. Jamieson: As I explained to the hon. Member in my answer of 25 November 2002, Official Report, column 75W, the consultation on 'The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East', does not include any option for airport development at Hullavington.
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Airport Capacity
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which RDAs have contributed to investment in airport terminal capacity; and how much was invested at each airport. [82546]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 25 November 2002]: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not held centrally. Investment decisions are a matter for individual RDAs. We understand that some RDAs at least are supportive of airports' plans to expand terminal capacity and would consider investing in such projects, subject to EC state aid rules.
Cardiff and Bristol Airports
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action will be taken to open up routes to (a) Cardiff and (b) Bristol airports. [83387]
Mr. Jamieson: The Government encourages the use of regional airports. Community airlines are free to fly where they wish within the European Economic Area (EEA) under the Xthird package" of aviation liberalisation. In addition, since 1997 we have pursued a policy of offering foreign airlines from outside the EEA unrestricted frequencies to regional points in the UK on a reciprocal basis. It remains a commercial decision for airlines as to the services and frequencies that they offer.
Channel Tunnel Links
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received for direct links to the Channel Tunnel from the north-west for (a) passenger trains and (b) freight trains. [84058]
Mr. Jamieson: My Department receives representations from time to time about the development of passenger rail links to the Channel Tunnel. We are also considering proposals by Central Railway to construct and operate a dedicated freight link between Liverpool and northern France. We have received the Strategic Rail Authority's advice on this proposal and will respond to Central Railway in due course.
Cycling Helmets
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has recently assessed the change in the rates of injury from accidents for children cycling as a result of wearing helmets. [83897]
Mr. Spellar: This information is not available centrally. However, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust has been running a cycle helmet promotion scheme in Reading since 1992. During that time, cycle helmet use by children has trebled and there has been a 45 per cent. reduction in the number of hospital treated head injuries. A recent study commissioned by the Department on the effectiveness of cycle helmets found that overall, evidence suggests that cycle helmets are effective at reducing the severity of head, brain and upper facial injuries for all ages, especially children. This report will be published shortly.
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Jet Skis
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities there have been in UK waters in each of the last two years involving jet skis. [83318]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 25 November 2002]: HM Coastguard incident reports record a total of 494 incidents involving Personal Watercraft between January 2000 and 22 November 2002 around the UK coastline. One fatality was recorded. A breakdown by year is provided in the following table.
| Year | Number of incidents | Number of fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 150 | 0 |
| 2001 | 179 | 0 |
| 2002(36) | 165 | 1 |
(36) To 22 November 2002
Oil Tankers
Mr. Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on banning single hull ships in EU waters. [82531]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 25 November 2002]: The UK consistently supported measures to accelerate the withdrawal of single hull tankers which were introduced following the loss of the tanker ERIKA in December 1999. Jointly, with Denmark and the Netherlands, we took the lead in securing mandatory change in the International Maritime Organization's (MO) MARPOL Convention on an international timetable. The UK preferred a global programme to a regional arrangement, since coastlines outside the EU are equally deserving of protection, and also supported the consequential EU Regulation EC 417/2002, which imposed the IMO text in EU member states.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will propose international initiatives to bring forward the end of the use of large single-hulled oil tankers; [83027]
- (2) if he will bring forward the date when single-hulled large oil tankers are to be banned from UK waters; and if he will make a statement. [83026]
Mr. Jamieson: The recent amendment to the MARPOL Convention agreed in the International Maritime Organization, and implemented within the EU by Regulation No. 417/2002, requires that single-hull tankers having no additional protection, such as the PRESTIGE, must be phased out in order of age between 2003 and 2007. Single-hull tankers fitted with partial protection must be phased out in order of age between 2003 and 2015. It will be necessary for each category of single-hull tanker to satisfy an additional requirement for a rigorous condition assessment survey to be able to operate after 2005 and 2010 respectively. Investment in the newer double-hull tankers depends on the stability offered by this timetable.
Performance-related Pay
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which employees of (a) his Department, (b)
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the Strategic Rail Authority and (c) the Civil Aviation Authority are paid performance-related pay; and if he will make a statement on the nature and success of such schemes. [81740]
Mr. Spellar: All members of staff in my Department are eligible for performance pay which forms an integral part of my Department's pay systems. In addition, staff below the senior civil service may also receive special performance bonus awards to reward exceptional performance over a limited period in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Annual awards are subject to individual assessment against the level of achievement of pre-determined performance targets. Staff who are on fixed-term contracts are eligible to performance-related bonuses subject to the terms of their contract.
All Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) employees who are on standard SRA terms and conditions are eligible for performance-related pay.
All employees of the Civil Aviation Authority have access to performance related bonuses, but this is an internal matter for the CAA.
Rail Franchises
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which rail franchises are operated as a management contract; when each of these contracts began; why each was let as this type of contract in the first instance; and what changes to these franchises are planned. [81730]
Mr. Jamieson: The passenger rail franchises currently being operated as management contracts are set out in the table.
| Franchise | Start of management contract | Current franchise expiry date |
|---|---|---|
| Anglia | March 2002 | April 2004 |
| Arriva Trains Merseyside | February 2001 | February 2003 |
| Arriva Trains Northern | February 2001 | February 2003 |
| First North Western | March 2001 | April 2004 |
| Wales and Borders | October 2001 | April 2004 |
| Wessex | October 2001 | April 2004 |
None of these franchises was initially let as a management contract. Current arrangements have been negotiated by the SRA as interim measures to ensure the continued viability of services or to facilitate changes to the franchise map.
Road Closures (Greater London)
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much trunk road and motorway lane mileage has been closed to cars in the Greater London area in the past 12 months. [82657]
Mr. Spellar: Since re-classification to the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN), there are no trunk roads in the Greater London area. There have been a total of 87 miles of motorway lanes, for which the Highways Agency is responsible, temporarily closed to cars in the past 12 months and no permanent closures. These closures included overnight routine maintenance
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work, off-peak daytime works and emergency closures to deal with incidents and carriageway/safety barrier repairs.
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