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7 Apr 2003 : Column 48W—continued
UNHCR (Funding)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of her Department's funding for the UNHCR has been allocated to support (a) Afghan refugees and (b) Iraqi refugees. [106915]
Clare Short: My Department provided a total of £5.8 million to UNHCR's Afghanistan Appeal in the 2002–3 financial year. This allocation includes £1.8 million agreed in March 2003 as part of a package of emergency support for Afghan refugees.
For Iraq, between February and March 2003 we gave £1.75 million towards UNHCR's Supplementary Programme Budget for contingency planning and preparedness,, We are in regular contact with UNHCR. They report that there have been no significant arrivals of refugees reported into any of the countries neighbouring Iraq. UNHCR is continuing its border monitoring and preparations in the Iraq region. We are committed to supporting an effective international humanitarian response and remain ready to contribute funds in the event of a refugee outflow. This is in addition to our contribution of £65 million to the UN Flash Appeal launched on 28 March in New York by Louise Frechette, the Deputy Secretary-General.
TRANSPORT
Air Passengers
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers on average (a) arrived and (b) departed from UK airports from (i) North America, (ii) mainland Europe, (iii) the Middle East and (iv) other in (A) 2002, (B) 2003 to date, (C) March 2003 and (D) monthly for the remainder of 2003 (projected). [107370]
Mr. Jamieson: The latest available information is as follows. The Department does not forecast monthly passenger movements by air.
7 Apr 2003 : Column 49W
| Passengers (million) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | January 2003 | |
| North America | 19.8 | 1.3 |
| Europe | 103.9 | 6.4 |
| Middle East | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Other | 19.9 | 1.6 |
| All | 146.7 | 9.6 |
(1) Available information does not separate arrivals and departures.
Air Travel and Health
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 25 March, Official Report, column 114W, on air travel and health, if he will place a copy of the review in the Library. [107295]
Mr. Jamieson: Copies of the report have today been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Aircraft Noise
Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures have been undertaken to minimise the effects of aircraft noise on people in the South East region of England. [107011]
Mr. Jamieson: All but the smallest civil jet aircraft flying into the UK have (subject to certain exemption provisions) since 1 April 2002 been required to be noise-certificated according to ICAO Chapter 3 standards.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are designated under s.80 for the purposes of s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. By notices under this section, a range of operational noise controls has been applied. These include night restrictions, departure noise limits, noise preferential departure routes, and noise-minimizing approach procedures.
Other airports have set their own noise controls, in some cases pursuant to planning obligations, and often similar in kind to the designated airports' controls.
Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there has been in the last year in the number of people affected by aircraft noise in the South East region of England. [107012]
Mr. Jamieson: My Department is responsible for the publication of annual daytime noise contours for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports. The contours for 2002, showing year-on-year changes, will be published shortly, and details will be made available on our website. Copies of the contour booklets will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Information about aircraft noise exposure elsewhere in the South East is a matter for the aerodromes concerned.
Aston Clinton Bypass
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest estimate is of the completion date for the Aston Clinton Bypass. [107103]
Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency's latest estimate for completion of the A41 Aston Clinton Bypass is late summer 2003.
7 Apr 2003 : Column 50W
Bicycle Safety
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money was set aside for maintenance of bicycle lanes in Britain in (a) 1998, (b) 2000 and (c) 2002. [107558]
Mr. Jamieson: The provisions for local highway maintenance are through the Highways Maintenance Formula for Standing Spending element of Revenue Support Grant and through the Local Transport Plan capital settlement.
It is for local authorities to determine their own priorities for highway maintenance spending, and no separate provisions for bicycle lanes are made. As these lanes form part of a vehicular highway, they would normally be maintained in conjunction with the rest of the carriageway, and this makes deriving separate expenditure figures difficult.
Bridges and Tunnels Regulations
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost implications are of the Trunk Road Charging Scheme (Bridges and Tunnels) (Keeping of Accounts) (England) Regulations. [107793]
Mr. Jamieson: These regulations will not impose any costs on business, voluntary groups or charities. They require the Secretary of State to prepare annual audited accounts, which are to be laid before each House of Parliament during the period the net proceeds of a charging scheme are to be made available for transport policies.
British Transport Police
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional funding the British Transport Police receive for duties undertaken in respect of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; and if he will make a statement. [107122]
Mr. Jamieson: The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 provides officers of the British Transport Police (BTP) with jurisdiction outside the railways in certain, specified circumstances. The number of incidents where BTP officers respond in such circumstances accounts for some 1 per cent. of their activities each year. The costs are absorbed within BTP's budget and are offset by the assistance provided to BTP by local police forces for which BTP are not charged.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the funding of the British Transport Police. [107369]
Mr. Jamieson: The British Transport Police (BTP) Committee sets the budget for the force and the users of the BTP, such as London Underground, Network Rail and the train operating companies provide the necessary funding.
Where the BTP contributes to national policing initiatives and wider public benefits are available, the Government accepts that central funding can be justified. Additional Government funding of over £5 million has been provided to allow the BTP to participate fully in the Street Crime Initiative and the new national police radio system.
7 Apr 2003 : Column 51W
Bus Passengers
Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys were taken by bus passengers in each passenger transport authority area in each of the last three years. [106452]
Mr. Jamieson: Revised bus patronage figures for the year 2001–02 for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and West Midlands passenger transport authority areas were published by the Department on Thursday 3 April 2003. Previous estimates were published by the Department in "A Bulletin of Public Transport Statistics GB: 2002 and in Regional Transport Statistics: 2002".
The revisions follow a National Statistics Quality Review of the Department's bus, coach and light rail statistics and discussions held with staff in the passenger transport authorities about differences in their estimates of bus patronage and those produced by the Department. The full set of figures is as follows:
| Area | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyne and Wear | 151 | 146 | 141 |
| West Yorkshire | 180 | 189 | 181 |
| South Yorkshire | 130 | 131 | 128 |
| Merseyside | 149 | 142 | (2)142 |
| Greater Manchester | 199 | 204 | (2)205 |
| West Midlands | 353 | 353 | (2)352 |
(2) Revised figure
Car Ringing (Wimbledon)
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received on the arrest of DVLA employees based in Wimbledon in connection with alleged car ringing activities. [107032]
Mr. Jamieson: On Thursday 30 January, four members of staff from DVLA's Wimbledon local office were arrested on charges of conspiracy to handle stolen vehicles and conspiracy to defraud.
The arrests were the result of a joint DVLA and police investigation.
The individuals concerned have been suspended by the agency, pending further police inquiries.
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