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27 Jan 2003 : Column 526W—continued
Road Safety
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority last carried out a spot check on road vehicles being unroadworthy and untaxed; what action was taken against the owners; and if he will make a statement on the co-ordination of effort between the DVLA and local enforcement authorities in tackling unroadworthy and untaxed vehicles. [92587]
Mr. Jamieson: DVLA co-operates closely with the police and other enforcement agencies in attending joint roadside checks to target untaxed and unroadworthy vehicles.
The Agency took part in 656 roadside checks in 2000–01, and 1,102 in 2001–02. The keepers of all unlicensed vehicles detected by these checks were pursued for using an unlicensed vehicle on the road. So far in 2002–03 the Agency has taken part in 842 checks, 79 of which were held in conjunction with vehicle excise duty campaigns involving the Agency's wheelclamping teams and the Stingray camera units. Any unlicensed vehicles detected in these checks were also clamped as well as being pursued for having no tax disc.
The last two roadside checks on untaxed cars were undertaken on Friday 17 January at Stratford in East London and the St. Paul's area of the City of London.
DVLA can only tackle instances of unlicensed use identified at roadside checks. The police pursue cases of unroadworthy vehicles. Other enforcement agencies involved in roadside checks include Vehicle Inspectorate, Customs and Excise, Benefits Agency and the Immigration Service.
Strategic Rail Authority
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what guidelines his Department has set for the Strategic Rail Authority on consultation with (a) hon. Members, (b) local authorities and (c) passengers' representatives in advance of proposed changes to and withdrawals of rail services; [93462]
- (2) what consultations the Strategic Rail Authority undertook with (a) hon. Members, (b) local authorities and (c) passengers' representatives on the proposed withdrawal of Virgin train services from Blackpool North station; [93463]
(3) how his Department was consulted by the Strategic Rail Authority on changes to the May 2003 timetable; [93464]
(4) what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Strategic Rail Authority's consultation on changes to the May 2003 timetable. [93461]
Mr. Jamieson: The Directions and Guidance to the SRA state:
- "Section 206 of the Act requires the Authority, in formulating its strategies, to consult Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales, the Rail Regulator and such other persons as it thinks fit and paragraph 7.11 of these Directions and Guidance requires it to obtain the Secretary of State's consent. Subject to these specific requirements, the Authority will need to judge with whom and how it should consult. There is no general requirement to consult in relation to the exercise of the Authority's other functions .... Even where there is no specific
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- obligation to consult, the Secretary of State expects there to be the appropriate level of consultation with persons likely to be affected by the actions."
Traffic Calming (A49)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will review the decision by the Highways Agency regarding traffic calming at the junction between the A49 and the Condover turning; [93078]
- (2) what accidents have occurred in the last 10 years at or near the junction between the A49 and the Condover turning. [93079]
Mr. Jamieson : I am satisfied that the Highways Agency's decision not to extend the existing 30 mph speed limit on the A49 to include the Condover turning is correct. On the basis of the criteria that we use to decide appropriate speed limits, an extension would be very difficult to justify. In addition, West Mercia Police have confirmed that they would not support an extension in this case.
The Route Management Strategy for the A49 between Ross-on-Wye and Shrewsbury is looking at all existing speed limits along the route in the light of the criteria to ensure consistency. That work will include the Condover turning where there have been two personal injury accidents in the last 10 years. A report is due in the spring.
The introduction of speed limits is very carefully controlled as, to impose an inappropriate limit that would not appear reasonable to most drivers in the prevailing conditions could bring the national system of speed limits into disrepute and lead to greater non compliance.
Trains
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains broke down in each of the last five years, broken down by train operating company. [93164]
Mr Jamieson: That information is not held centrally.
Transport Infrastructure Projects
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of the largest transport infrastructure project in the United Kingdom constructed without recourse to public sector funding since 1973. [93281]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department for Transport does not hold information on the cost of private investments over this time period.
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Transport Safety Statistics
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of a life figure used is in cost benefit calculations relating to safety improvements in (a) rail, (b) road, (c) air, (d) pedestrian (e) cycling and (f) other modes of transport. [92620]
Mr. Jamieson: The value used for the prevention of a fatality in cost benefit analyses of all surface transport policies and schemes was published in DFT's "Highways Economics Note No. 1: 2001" which is in the Libraries of the House. There is no formal value set for measures affecting our passengers.
Transport Targets
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets the Government have for increasing (a) rail freight and (b) rail passenger use; and when he expects the targets to be met. [92947]
Mr. Jamieson: The Government published a report on its targets and progress in meeting them in relation to the 10 Year Plan on 17 December 2002. Copies are available in theLibraries of the House.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets the Government have for reducing traffic (a) pollution and (b) congestion; and when he expects the targets to be met. [92948]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department's PS A targets and progress against the objectives in the 10 Year Plan are set out in 'Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report' which was published 17 December 2002, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Virgin Train Services (Blackpool)
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the (a) economic and (b) other effects of withdrawing Virgin train services to and from Blackpool North station. [93460]
Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority made the changes to improve performance which had deteriorated with the introduction of Virgin's winter 2002–03 timetable. Frequent services will continue to be provided from Blackpool North to Preston from where passengers will be able to join Crosscountry and other main line services. This, by and large, was the position up to the end of the Summer 2002 timetable.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
BBC
Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her policy on the status of the BBC as a public sector, public service broadcaster in relation to the round of GATS negotiations. [91350]
Dr. Howells: Services supplied in the exercise of governmental authority are excluded from the scope of the GATS, provided they are supplied neither on a
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commercial basis nor in competition. The Government will not make commitments that could call into question the role of the BBC as a public service broadcaster.
Computer Misuse
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases of computer misuse there were in her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by each category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [93052]
Dr. Howells: DCMS has had 11 cases of computer misuse in the last five years, all occurring in one year, 1999.
Category: Accessing inappropriate material on the Internet:
2 cases one final formal written warning issued
Category: Inappropriate use of e-mail:
3 final formal written warnings issued
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