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HGV Drivers

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of projected demand for additional HGV drivers in the UK; and what measures he will introduce to counter skill shortages in this area. [106409]

Mr. Jamieson: My officials are in contact with the industry to address the issue of demand for drivers. Under the Government's Road Haulage Modernisation Fund, over £7 million has been allocated for training initiatives to help the industry meet its future labour and skills needs. The measures aim to recruit more young people to the industry, develop a UK specification lorry driver training simulator and will look at ways of protecting employer investment in training. The Modernisation Fund is intended as a pump-priming initiative and the industry must achieve a self-sustaining position where operators recruit, train and retain staff in sufficient numbers and with the relevant skills to support their future needs.

Pay Review

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made with the pay review in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible,

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with particular reference to the gender pay gap; and if he will make a statement. [106743]

Mr. Jamieson: Following the Government's response to the Equal Opportunity Commission Task Force 'Just Pay' report, all Departments and agencies are committed to reviewing their pay systems by April 2003 and to prepare action plans to close any equal pay gaps. The Cabinet Office has issued guidance to assist in these reviews. The Department for Transport and its agencies are on course to complete the reviews by the end of April. NDPBs were not formally covered by the commitment, but they are undertaking reviews as a matter of good practice.

Potters Bar Derailment

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive a further report from the Health and Safety Executive regarding the Potters Bar derailment; and if he will make a statement. [107226]

Mr. Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive have advised that the Potters Bar Investigation Board intends to publish its next progress report shortly.

Public Sector Pensions

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) funded and (b) unfunded public sector pension schemes for which his Department, its agencies and its non-departmental public bodies are responsible; when the last actuarial valuation was of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and if he will make a statement. [104927]

Mr. Jamieson: The following lists the pension schemes, with other requested information, for which the Secretary of State for Transport is responsible.

Pension scheme/section	Designated employer	Last actuarial valuation	Valuation result
Funded
Railways pension scheme (RPS) 1994 pensioners section	Secretary of State for Transport	31 December 2001	Assets £4,917 million—Deficit of £127 met from release of relevant amount from Special Reserve Fund in the section assets
RPS—ex BR section	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2001	Assets £57.3 million— Surplus of £4.7 million
RPS—ex OPRAF section	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2001	Assets £8.3 million—Deficit of £2.3 million
British Transport Police Force superannuation fund	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 1999 (valuation pending)	Assets £562.6 million—Surplus of £80.7 million
British Railways superannuation fund	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2001	Assets £449 million—Surplus of £51 million
Great Western Railway supplemental pensions reserve fund	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2001	Assets £56.4 million—Surplus of £6.5 million
Great Western Railway Inspectors' and foremen's special pension fund	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2000	Assets £0.224 million—Surplus of £0.117 million
Great Northern Railway superannuation fund	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2000	Assets £600—Deficit £4,300
Great Western Railway salaried staff widows' and orphans' pension society	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 2000	Assets £11.2 million—No surplus/deficit
London and North Western Provident society for providing pensions for widows and orphans of salaried staff	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 1999 (valuation pending)	Assets £1.3 million—Surplus of £0.1 million
Civil Aviation Authority pension scheme (CAAPS)—Civil Aviation Authority section	Civil Aviation Authority	31 March 2001	Assets £1,747 million—Surplus of £129 million
LRT pension fund	London Transport (TfL also participate)	31 March 2000	Assets £3,744 million—Surplus of £46 million
National Ports Council pension scheme	Secretary of State for Transport	30 June 2002	Assets £9.12—Surplus of £2.015 million

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Pension scheme/section	Designated employer	Valuation of liabilities	Valuation result
Unfunded
BR (1974) fund [Customary Practices and BTC (Male Wages Grades) arrangements]	Strategic Rail Authority	31 December 1998 (valuation pending)	Liabilities £3.9 million, met from Government support payments under Part III, Transport Act 1980 (in respect of pre-1974 liabilities of BR) and contributions from former employers within the British Transport Commission
Commissioners of Irish Lights pension scheme	Commission of Irish Lights	31 March 2002	Liabilities of £63 million
Northern Lighthouse pension scheme	Northern Lighthouse Board	31 March 2002	Liabilities of £47.3 million
Trinity House Lighthouse service pension scheme	Trinity House	3 March 2002	Liabilities of £100.3 million

Railways

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the short listing of railway operating companies for the Greater Anglia franchise; and if he will take action to reinstate First Great Eastern's application. [107677]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 7 April 2003]: It is for the SRA to shortlist applications for franchises, subject to the Directions and Guidance issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he expects to make a decision on the level of rail freight grants to be provided to the industry in 2004–05; [107027]

(2) what assessment he will make of the environmental impact of the Strategic Rail Authority's decision to suspend new grant awards to the rail freight industry for 2003. [107028]

Mr. Jamieson: No assessment has been made of the environmental impact on the suspension of new grants awards under the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA's) Freight Facilities Grant Scheme. The SRA's Strategic Plan provides an indicative budget of £20 million for freight Facilities Grants and £20 million for Track Access Grants for 2004–05.

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding arrangements have been made as a part of the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan 2003 to provide for Edinburgh to London Euston rail services. [107029]

Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is consulting on its West Coast Main Line Strategy, which will be published later this year. One of the options which is being considered, and on which local stakeholders' views are being canvassed, is the possibility of operating direct services from Edinburgh to London Euston either via Glasgow or via Motherwell. If such services came into existence, they would be part of the West Coast franchise. Accordingly, they would be funded under the normal arrangements for that franchise.

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what performance indicators are in place to ensure that personal security issues and measures for rail travel are tackled satisfactorily; and if he will make a statement. [106889]

Mr. Jamieson: The Secure Station and the Secured Car Park Schemes are the two benchmark schemes for reducing crime and the fear of crime in the railway

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environment. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has an obligation in its Directions and Guidance set by the Secretary of State to encourage accreditation under both award schemes.

The SRA published its new franchising policy in November 2002. This includes the development of key-performance indicators relating to personal safety and security in the railway environment.

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to require future editions of the annual report on Railway Safety to incorporate all known data and performance measures on the (a) personal security of passengers and (b) outcomes of action taken. [106895]

Mr. Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Annual Report on Railway Safety only covers data recorded under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations, 1995 (RIDDOR). Information on the personal security of passengers and members of the public is not reportable under RIDDOR. However, the railway industry's own safety body, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) (formerly Railway Safety) publish data and performance information on the personal security of passengers and members of the public in their Annual Safety Performance Report. In addition, the British Transport Police publish an annual Statistical Bulletin that includes data on all reported crimes on the railways in accordance with Home Office instructions and standards.

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