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Road User Charging

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work he has asked the Highways Agency to do to develop a policy for road user charging for inter-urban motorway and trunk roads since 1 July 2002. [101925]

Mr. Jamieson: None.

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Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the objectives of road-user charging. [101973]

Mr. Jamieson: Road-user charging is one of a number of measures that a local authority can use to assist in managing congestion.

Rolling Stock

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety risks associated with the delay in the replacement of Mark I carriages. [102166]

Mr. Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) decision to accept an exemption application from three South East train operators to run Mark 1 stock without an 'override preventing' safety modification was taken in light of the accelerated Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) fitment programme that was agreed between the HSE and the industry. TPWS mitigates some of the risks associated with this type of rolling stock by reducing the risk of collision caused by signals passed at danger.

The Strategic Rail Authority is currently discussing the delay in replacing some Mark 1 stock with the HSE, including the safety implications.

Smoking

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what policy his Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100926]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department for Transport operates a no smoking policy except in certain specifically designated smoking rooms.

South Central Line

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what timescale the Strategic Rail Authority estimates for the power upgrade of the South Central line to accommodate the Bombardier Electrostar trains; [101197]

(2) what date of completion he estimates for the power upgrade for the South Central line. [101182]

Mr. Jamieson: Contract work to lay cables has already commenced and it is estimated that work will be completed by 2005.

Train Services (Macclesfield and Stoke)

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority on the reduction of train services to Macclesfield and Stoke as part of the Strategic Rail Authority's plans for a higher speed service between London and Manchester. [101622]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is currently considering responses to its draft strategy to deliver the West Coast Route Modernisation project and expects to finalise the strategy shortly.

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Vehicle Inspectorate

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he plans in the organisation of the Vehicle Inspectorate; what representations he has received; and if he will make a statement. [102089]

Mr. Jamieson : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 23 July 2002, Official Report, columns 964–65W, and the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 15 October 2002, Official Report, columns 714–15W. From 1 April 2003 the Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) and the Traffic Area Network (TAN) will merge to form a new agency to be known as the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). There will be little change in the organisation of VI immediately as VI and TAN will work as two operating divisions of VOSA. There will be a progressive integration of activities and services over the following months.

West Coast Main Line

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the level of rail service to (a) Macclesfield and (b) Stoke-on-Trent, following (i) the upgrade of the West Coast Mainline in 2004 and (ii) the introduction of the half hourly London to Manchester service. [101741]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is currently considering responses to its draft Strategy to deliver the West Coast Route Modernisation project and expects to finalise the Strategy shortly.

SCOTLAND

A1 (Dualling)

8. Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive about the dualling of the A1 from Edinburgh to Newcastle. [101102]

Mrs. McGuire: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Scottish Ministers on a variety of transport matters. There is dialogue between the Government, its agencies and the Scottish Executive on cross-border routes. I understand officials of the Highways Agency and the Scottish Executive were due to meet yesterday to discuss progress on current schemes and take forward detailed planning for future improvement works on the A1.

Common Fisheries Policy

9. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has received on reform of the common fisheries policy; and if she will make a statement. [101103]

10. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has received on reform of the common fisheries policy; and if she will make a statement. [101104]

Mrs. Liddell: I have received direct representations on issues relating to the common fisheries policy from the Scottish Fishermen's Federation.

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The European Commission adopted a Green Paper on the common fisheries policy in March 2001 and subsequently brought forward specific proposals for reforming the policy. These proposals were discussed at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December 2002. Her Majesty's Government welcomes the package of reforms that the Council decided to adopt.

Manufacturing Industry

11. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the First Minister about prospects for manufacturing industry in Scotland. [101105]

Mrs. Liddell: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a wide range of matters. Scottish Executive Ministers recently received a report from the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group and I have undertaken to assist in securing consideration by the relevant Government Departments of recommendations in the report relating to reserved matters.

Broadband Services

12. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) rural and (b) urban areas in Scotland have equal access to broadband services. [101106]

Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 February 2003, Official Report, column 131W.

Sunday Working

13. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the impact of the Sunday Working (Scotland) Bill on workers in Scotland. [101107]

Mrs. McGuire: Our Regulatory Impact Assessment, published on 7 February 2003, set out the likely impact, costs and benefits of the Sunday Working (Scotland) Bill on workers in Scotland.

Unemployment Figures

14. Mr. Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures for Scotland. [101109]

Mrs. Liddell: The latest figures show that employment in Scotland is around its highest ever level. Unemployment is at its lowest level since the mid-1970s, and since 1997, youth and long-term unemployment have both fallen by almost 80 per cent. The Government's management of the economy is driving down unemployment and establishing solid foundations for achieving high and sustainable levels of growth and employment.

TREASURY

Euro

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the five economic tests for determining whether there is a clear and unambiguous

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case for UK membership of the euro will be applied separately to the economies of (a) overseas territories and (b) Guernsey; [99751]

(2) if the five economic tests for determining whether there is a clear and unambiguous case for UK membership of the EMU will be applied separately to the economy of the Bailiwick of Jersey. [100062]

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell) of 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 383W, on Gibraltar, whether the Treasury's five economic tests take account of the effects of membership of the Eurozone on the UK's crown dependencies. [101928]

Ruth Kelly: Under Article 299(6)(c) of the EC Treaty, read together with the treaty of Accession, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are outside the scope of the EC Treaty for the purposes of EMU.

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the White Paper, "Meeting the Challenge: Economic Reform in Europe" with the second economic test for entry to the euro. [101865]

Ruth Kelly: A comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the five economic tests will be completed within two years of the start of this Parliament.

As we said in "Meeting the Challenge: Economic Reform in Europe", published in February 2003, "The Government will continue to argue that employability, flexibility and stronger competition policies must be a top priority, so that EMU can be sustained success".

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