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Private Hire Vehicles

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements his Department makes for the regulation of private hire vehicle companies employed by local authorities to transport (a) adults and (b) children with (i) autism and (ii) other disabilities. [105209]

Mr. Jamieson: Primary legislation requires that private hire vehicle companies must be licensed by district or borough councils, unitary authorities or Transport for London. However, it is a matter for the local authorities making the arrangements with private hire vehicle companies to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place with regard to the carriage of passengers with particular needs.

Departmental Invoices

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the occasions on which (a) his Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2001–02. [104320]

Mr. Jamieson: Information in respect of the financial year 2001–02 is not available as my Department came into being in May 2002. The Department currently has a service delivery agreement target to pay at least 98 per cent. of valid invoices within 30 days of receipt. The overall performance of the Department and its agencies is monitored centrally and corrective action taken when necessary.

Rail Performance

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on changes in rail performance since May 1997. [104938]

Mr. Jamieson: Rail performance is measured using the Public Performance Measure (PPM). This takes account of both the punctuality and reliability of trains.The SRA publish PPM data each quarter in National Rail Trends. The latest edition, published Wednesday 12 March, gives information PPM from Ql 1997–1998 to Q3 2002–2003. The document is in the Libraries of the House.

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Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement of his policy on minor improvements to the rail network designed to improve reliability of punctuality of services; and how he expects Network Rail and the Strategic Rail Authority to assess the cost and benefits of such minor schemes. [104988]

Mr. Jamieson: Securing the development of the rail network is a specific purpose of the Strategic Rail Authority. The Authority's strategic plan, published at the end of January, explains their investment priorities and approach to appraisal. The Authority must ensure that any expenditure from their budget is affordable and provides value for money. As stated in their directions and guidance, the Authority's assessment of value for money should be consistent with Treasury guidance in the green book.

Rural Roads

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made with the proposals contained in the report, "Development of a Rural Road Hierarchy for Speed Management", published in November 2001. [105963]

Mr. Jamieson: Following the publication of the Rural Road Hierarchy Report in November 2001 we are progressing work to improve safety across our rural road network. This includes simplifying the procedures to introduce 30mph village speed limits and the development of a framework to assess what speeds are appropriate, together with surveys of what speeds are actually being driven on rural roads. The first results of this work should be available shortly and will feed into other work, including a review of the guidance on setting speed limits due to start later this year.

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish good practice guidance on rural road speed management. [105964]

Mr. Jamieson: Guidance on the setting of rural road speed limits already exists in the form of Circular Roads 1/93. This remains good advice. The Government recognise, however, the need to build in the new experiences gained over the last 10 years. Work is due to start on revised guidance later this year. This will incorporate the on-going work to address the problems associated with vehicle speeds on rural roads.

Airport Noise

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to monitor aircraft disturbance around airports, with particular reference to Stansted; and what plans his Department has for improving existing measures. [105241]

Mr. Jamieson: At Stansted, as at Gatwick and Heathrow, the noise climate is monitored by noise exposure contours, published each year to form an aircraft noise index. There are also fixed and mobile noise monitors in the vicinity of each airport which are part of the Noise and Track-keeping (NTK) system operated by BAA plc.

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The contours are determined by a computer model which calculates the emission and propagation of noise, using a database that is regularly updated with operational data gathered at the airports.

The location of the fixed noise monitors was determined after a lengthy review and consultation on the departure noise limits and associated monitoring arrangements was announced on 18 December 2000, Official Report, columns 11–12W. In announcing that decision, my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin), confirmed the commencement of a further review of both monitoring efficiency and of the departure noise limits. The findings of that review will be published shortly.

The mobile noise monitors are used to collect data for technical studies by the Civil Aviation Authority, for information gathering and to investigate local problems. At Stansted, as at Gatwick and Heathrow, it is normal practice for the deployment of monitors for local purposes to be discussed at meetings of the NTK working group on which local people are represented by members of the airport consultative committee.

Stansted Airport

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment of alternative runway mode has been undertaken in connection with the proposals for three additional runways at Stansted Airport outlined in 'The Future of Air Transport in the South East'. [105242]

Mr. Jamieson: The option for three new runways at Stansted that was developed for the SERAS study provides for four runways arranged in two close parallel pairs. For the purposes of the study certain assumptions were made about the operation of the runways. The assumptions are set out in the SERAS Stage 1 report (option 7 on page 214), which is publicly available.

One runway in each pair would be used for take-offs, the other for landings. In the case of the western pair, the outer (new) runway would be staggered to the north-east of the existing runway. On the basis that landing aircraft should land on the first runway they encounter, aircraft would land on the outer runway in westerly operations and the inner runway in easterly operations.

The eastern pair would not be staggered so either runway could be used for landings and take-offs.

The SERAS study did not appraise other possible ways of operating the runways. Consultees may wish to comment on these assumptions and any other aspect of the options for Stansted.

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessments his Department has made of the potential cost to public funds of a significant transfer of Heathrow's long haul and USA scheduled services to Stansted airport, if a second runway were to be built there. [105243]

Mr. Jamieson: No detailed assessment has been made. Chapter 15 of 'The Future Development of Air Transport—South East' consultation document considers issues relating to the funding of one or more new runways at Stansted and gives examples of the sort of Government action that might be required to allow Stansted to be developed as a hub.

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

China

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese authorities concerning the treatment of Tibetan political prisoners. [105244]

Mr. Rammell: We have raised specific cases of Tibetan prisoners three times this year, in both London and Beijing.

We raise Human Rights concerns both publicly and privately with the Chinese Government. We raise individual cases of concern, both Tibetan and Chinese, with the Chinese authorities in the context of the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, the last round of which was held in London in November 2002. We expect the next round to take place in May.

Cyprus

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of the presidential election in Cyprus for the future of the Annan plan. [99611]

Mr. MacShane: President Papadopoulos has taken a constructive approach towards the UN process. At the meeting in The Hague on 10–11 March, he was prepared to put the UN Secretary-General's plan to referendum.

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