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27 Jan 2003 : Column 522W—continued
Investment Strategy
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Departmental Investment Strategy will be published. [93226]
Mr. Jamieson: We expect to publish our Departmental Investment Strategy, incorporating the latest detailed expenditure plans for the next three years, shortly.
Late Trains
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains were late in reaching their destination within (i) Railtrack's southern zone, (ii) the south-eastern network and (iii) Kent and Sussex in each month since November 1997. [93818]
Mr Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority publish performance statistics for all train operating companies every three months in "National Rail Trends" and every six months in "On Track". The figures for each operator are not broken down to route level. The most recent editions of each were published on 12 December. Copies of these publications are available in the Libraries of the House.
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M6
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles that use the M6 in Staffordshire each day. [93279]
Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Ms Joan Walley, dated 27 January 2003:
- I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent question about the number of vehicles that use the M6 in Staffordshire each day.
- The annual average daily totals of vehicles using the M6 between Junctions 12 and 16 in Staffordshire for the period September to December 2002 were as follows:
| Junction | Northbound | Southbound |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 13 | 53,367 | 52,657 |
| 13 to 14 | 52,653 | 52,546 |
| 14 to 15 | 49,754 | 49,673 |
| 15 to 16 | 54,326 | 55,675 |
Note:
These figures are averaged over a seven-day week. The equivalent figures for a five-day (Monday to Friday) period would be approximately 3,000 above those shown.
I hope this is helpful. If you would like any further information, the Highways Agency's Route Manager for the M6, Godfrey Short, would be pleased to help. He can be contacted at our offices at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham B15 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8135.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to start on widening the M6 in Staffordshire; and if he will make a statement. [93280]
Mr. Jamieson: At this stage it is too early to say when work on the M6 widening scheme will start. The Secretary of State announced his response to the Midlands to North West Multi-Modal Study on 10 December 2002. At the same time he asked the Highways Agency to carry out further detailed work on the implementation and timing of the widening between junctions 11A and 19 and to bring forward a scheme for inclusion in the Agency's Targetted Programme of Improvements in the first half of 2003.
Marinair
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the costs of the Marinair scheme for a proposed new airport in the Thames Estuary. [93257]
Mr. Jamieson : A broad estimate of the costs of the former Marinair scheme, based on historical information, was made during the 'Preliminary Site Search of Options for New Airport Capacity to serve the South East and East of England'. No cost estimate has been made relating to the proposal for a new airport on an artificial island in the Thames Estuary, submitted by the Thames Estuary Airport Company Limited (TEACO) as a written response to the airports consultation.
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MIDMAN Multi-modal Study
Ms Walley To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will respond to the MIDMAN multi-modal study; and if he will make a statement. [93278]
Mr. Jamieson: Our response to five multi modal studies, including the West Midlands to North West (MEDMAN) study was announced on 10 December 2002 both in an Oral statement to the House of Commons and Press Notice.
The letter which we sent to the West Midlands Regional Planning Body concerning MIDMAN was copied to all constituency MPs in the West Midlands as part of the briefing pack covering the announcement. This letter is also available on the Government Office for the West Midlands website at: http://www.go-wm.gov.uk/static/gems/news/Midman.doc
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the total expenditure by his Department on ministerial travel (a) in the UK and (b) abroad, in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92454]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on Wednesday 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.
Motor Cycling Strategy
Dr. Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress in drawing up a national motor cycling strategy; and when he expects it to be published. [93995]
Mr Jamieson: The Advisory Group on Motorcycling has established five Task Forces to consider integration and traffic management, vehicle safety and security, environmental and fiscal issues, research, and statistics.
Good progress is being made including the publication of guidance to assist local authorities in installing secure parking for motorcycles, the start of monitored trials of motorcycles in bus lanes, congestion studies and safety research.
Some of the key work streams including safety research, congestion research and environmental assessment, will not reach fruition until 2004. The Interim Report of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling published in April 2001 (and placed in the House Library) explained that when these results were available the Government would be able to determine its strategy for motorcycling.
Oil Spills
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further assessment he has made of the possibility of the satellite tracking of oil spills around the coastal waters of the United Kingdom; what assessment he has made of the Maritime and Coastguard pilot experiment into such tracking; and if he will make a statement. [93624]
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Mr. Jamieson: Trials and operational use of radar satellites in a number of countries, including the UK, have proved that this technology can be used to detect oil spills.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry completed several satellite trials last year. The report on the trials indicated that the integration of satellite images with routine flights of surveillance aircraft would increase visual detections of slicks and promote opportunities for evidence gathering on polluters.
During the next financial year the MCA will be using radar satellite technology operationally. In addition the MCA is working very closely with the EC and Bonn Agreement Members with a view to establish a collaborative approach to funding of such operations.
Private Hire Vehicle Regulations
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role he had in approving the regulations under the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 written by the Greater London Authority; and if he will make a statement. [92855]
Private Tolls
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultation paper on the introduction of VAT on privately operated tolls. [93326]
Mr. Jamieson : I have arranged for a copy of the paper titled "The introduction of VAT on privately operated tolls" that has been sent to operators of privately owned statutory tolled undertakings to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Public Sector Workers (Public Transport)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of public sector workers who commute to work via public transport. [92669]
Mr. Jamieson: The Autumn 2001 Labour Force Survey showed that 13.4 per cent. of public sector workers usually travelled to work by public transport.
Rail Services (Shrewsbury)
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) punctuality, (b) reliability and (c) number of complaints for rail services running to and from Shrewsbury in each year since 1997. [93084]
Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority publish performance statistics for all train operating companies in their quarterly National Rail Trends publication and their six-monthly "On Track" publication. Figures giving the number of complaints by train operating company are included in "On Track". The figures for each operator are not broken down to route level, but reflect the performance of their services in aggregate. The most recent editions were published on 12 December. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
27 Jan 2003 : Column 526W
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