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14 Apr 2003 : Column 599W—continued

Sickness Absence

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department were on long term sick leave in each of the last five years. [109247]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 518W.

South African Driving Licences

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that people driving in the United Kingdom on South African driving licences are qualified to do so. [109228]

Mr. Jamieson: Following South Africa's request to have its driving licences recognised for licence exchange purpose, the driver testing and licensing standards in that country were assessed by Departmental officials and found to be satisfactory and comparable to those in GB. As a result from 2 July 1999 residents in Great Britain with valid South African licences have been able to exchange them for British licences without passing a further driving test.

Statutory Instruments

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the statutory instruments issued by his Department in the last 12 months, indicating (a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [106329]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002. From that date until 31 March 2003 the Department issued 117 general statutory instruments and 1,156 local statutory instruments. The purpose of each instrument is explained in its explanatory note.

The Department does not have the information requested concerning the actual cost of implementing the instruments in question. However, in the case of a number of instruments a regulatory impact assessment was prepared which indicates the likely cost of the measure on business, charities and the voluntary sector. Copies of these assessments will have been placed in the Library of each House of Parliament.

The general instruments referred to above have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list identifies those for which a regulatory impact assessment was prepared.

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Thelwall Viaduct

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many vehicles on the M6 use the Thelwall viaduct each day; [108896]

(2) what plans his Department has made to ensure that the Thelwall viaduct is opened as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement; [108894]

(3) what plans he has for re-routing traffic in the north-west in order to minimise the disruption caused by the closing of the Thelwall viaduct; [108899]

(4) what assessment he has made of the economic impact on local business of the closing of the Thelwall viaduct; [108898]

(5) what estimate his Department has made of how long it will take to repair the Thelwall viaduct; and if he will make a statement; [108895]

(6) what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the longevity of the Thelwall viaduct after the repairs; and whether there are plans to avoid similar problems in the future. [108897]

Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Woodward, dated 14 April 2003

I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your six recent Parliamentary Questions about ongoing works to the northbound bridge of the M6 Motorway Thelwall Viaduct, in Cheshire.

The Highways Agency is responsible for the operation, management, maintenance, and improvement of the trunk road and motorway network in England, including the Thelwall Viaduct, which typically carries some 150,000—160,000 vehicles per day. All but one lane of the northbound viaduct was closed in July 2002, following the discovery of a failed roller bearing.

Detailed investigation has concluded that all 136 roller bearings on the northbound viaduct should be replaced before further traffic lanes can be opened on the viaduct. The increased scale of the problem has led to a thorough analysis of all the issues on the viaduct and, over the course of the next few months, this further work will enable us to establish a realistic programme for the works.

The current restrictions comprise three narrow lanes in each direction on the new southbound viaduct and a single lane on the northbound viaduct, to facilitate traffic leaving the M6 at Junction 21, in Warrington. There are advance warning signs on all the motorway approaches to the works advising of likely delays, but there is no convenient diversion route using the motorway network. Traffic could be diverted along the M62, M60, M56, and A556, but this would add around 15 miles to

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journey lengths, and parts of this diversion are already at full capacity during peak periods. We will continue to monitor traffic patterns closely and keep under review all possible diversion routes to mitigate the effect of the restrictions.

Laboratory testing and investigations into how the bearings have failed is substantially complete. These findings will be used to inform the design process for the replacement of the bearings and associated works required to bring the structure back fully into long-term service. A different kind of bearing has been specified to replace the failed roller bearings. We are content that these bearings will not be susceptible to the same failure as the existing bearings, and that there is no risk of a repetition of the problem. Our thorough maintenance inspection regime revealed the current problems and this regime will continue to monitor the condition of this and our other bridges in future years.

We are conscious of the effects that restrictions on the viaduct are having on local businesses, and are working closely with affected stakeholders, in particular Warrington Borough Council, to identify the scale of the impact on the local community. Traffic-count information on both motorways and the local road network is being collected to enable the changes in driving patterns to be quantified and appropriate mitigation measures devised.

We are currently looking at a phased re-opening of lanes on the northbound viaduct. Initially, the strategy will be to open a second lane on the northbound viaduct at the earliest opportunity. This will enable four running lanes to be reinstated in each direction and should significantly reduce delays for southbound traffic, which is currently restricted to three lanes.

I hope this is helpful. If you would like any further information about this matter, you may wish to contact the Agency's Project Manager for the viaduct repairs, Paul Hupton, Room 703, Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, Ml 4BE (Tel [phone]).

Transport Police

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of the (a) Mersey Tunnels Police Force and (b) British Transport Police in the context of a major emergency. [109210]

Mr. Jamieson: The Mersey Tunnels Police Force's jurisdiction is the Mersey Tunnels, the approaches and any marshalling area. A written accord exists between the Tunnels Police and Merseyside Police of close co-operation in the event of a major emergency where the tunnels are involved.

The British Transport Police (BTP) play a full part in the British police service within their railways jurisdiction, including the response to any national emergencies. The response to any major incident on the railways would be a matter for a joint response involving the BTP and the local police force.

Travel Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in 2002. [106348]

Mr. Jamieson: My Department came into existence on 29 May 2002 following Machinery of Government changes.

Staff in the Department for Transport must use the most efficient and economic means of travel commensurate with meeting operational needs. They are encouraged to use public transport wherever practicable rather than the use of cars in accordance

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with the Governments policy on "Green Transport". The estimated cost of travel by train for the period 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003 was £783,000.

Trunk Roads

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research evidence underpins the work of the Highways Agency in deciding the best environmental protection measures for major trunk road developments, with particular reference to motorway widening. [108659]

Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency's approach in deciding the best environmental protection measures for major trunk road development is founded on advice contained within the Agency's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. This advice is supported by the results of research undertaken by the Agency and others. Details of the Agency's research activities can be found in the research compendium on the Highways Agency website.

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