13 May 2003 : Column 133W
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 13 May 2003
CABINET OFFICE
Crown Copyright
26. David Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the role of the Advisory Panel on Crown Copyright. [112593]
Mr. Alexander: As I announced on 14 April to the House through a written ministerial statement the role of the Advisory Panel on Crown Copyright is:
- To advise Ministers on how to create opportunities in the information industry for greater reuse of Government information;
To advise Her Majesty's Stationery Office about changes in the information industry, so that the licensing of Crown copyright information is aligned with emerging developments; and
To advise on the impact of complaints under the Information Fair Trader Scheme.
Public Appointments
27. Mr. Luke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress is being made to increase the number of members of ethnic minorities who take up public appointments. [112594]
Mr. Alexander: Good progress is being made. "Public Bodies 2002" published on 31 January 2003, showed that members of ethnic minorities held 6.2 per cent. of public appointments, up from 4.8 per cent. in the previous year.
Government Services (Disabled People)
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps have been taken towards making Government services accessible to the disabled. [112592]
Mr. Alexander: 2003 is the European Year for Disabled People and the Government are committed to ensuring the delivery of accessible electronic information and electronic services to disabled users.
The Government first issued "Guidelines for UK government websites", requiring all new or re-designed web-based services to be made accessible to the disabled, in December 1999. It is now a condition of registering a .gov.uk domain name that websites comply with these guidelines.
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TRANSPORT
Rail Freight
11. Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the volume of freight carried on the rail network, with particular reference to changes in funding arrangements. [112577]
Mr. Darling: The Strategic Rail Authority published its "Freight Progress Report" on 8 May. A copy is in the Library.
£54 million of Freight Facilities Grants have been awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority, matched by £31 million of private sector investment, which together keep over 4 million lorry journeys off the roads.
The Strategic Rail Authority plans to reopen the Freight Facility and Track Access Grant schemes in the autumn for spend from April 2004, subject to available funding.
A556
12. Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements he plans to make to the A556 link between the M6 and the M56. [112578]
Mr. Spellar: In his announcement on 1 April 2003, the Secretary of State for Transport was not convinced that the proposal for a new motorway in open countryside between M6 Junction 19 and M56 was acceptable. Instead, he has asked the Highways Agency to work with local stakeholders to identify smaller-scale measures to address congestion and safety on the A556. Consultation will take place this summer, with the full involvement of local stakeholders. The Highways Agency has a scheme at Bucklow Hill, which is expected to start in the next 12 months.
Village Bypasses
14. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the provision of village bypasses. [112580]
Mr. Jamieson: Proposals for village bypasses are appraised against the Government's objectives for the environment, safety, economy, integration and accessibility, and decisions on particular bypasses are made on a case-by-case basis.
Rail Services (Gloucestershire)
15. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on rail services to and from Gloucestershire. [112581]
Mr. Jamieson: In order to improve reliability and performance on the Virgin Crosscountry network, the Strategic Rail Authority has decided that most Virgin Crosscountry trains should no longer serve Gloucester station from the beginning of the summer 2003 timetable on 18 May. Instead, new services operated by Central trains and Wessex trains will provide a more reliable service to a range of destinations including Cardiff, Cheltenham, Worcester and Birmingham, from where onward connections can be made.
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Detrunking (Lancashire)
16. Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the detrunking of roads in Lancashire. [112582]
Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency is planning to detrunk the A59, A565, A65, A646 and A679 in Lancashire on 1 July. They are working with the local highway authority and any objectors to resolve any outstanding issues.
Ticketing
17. Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to facilitate joint ticketing between public transport companies. [112583]
Mr. Spellar: Operators may agree ticketing schemes falling within the block exemption from the Competition Act 1998. Local authorities have statutory powers to make ticketing schemes for buses, with or without tram or rail connections.
My Department has encouraged the Journey Solutions organisation to deliver a simple add-on bus option to rail tickets called PlusBus.
Gourock Station
18. David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the actions of Network Rail in relation to the redevelopment of Gourock station. [112584]
Mr. Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has recently spoken to the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, met representatives from both Network Rail and Inverclyde council, and has written to the Chairman of Network Rail about the company's participation in the Gourock Interchange Project.
Totnes Castle
19. Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail about the proposed construction of a telecommunications mast in front of Totnes Castle. [112585]
Mr. Jamieson: None. I am advised that Network Rail has an on-going dialogue with South Hams local district council regarding the location of the GSM-R mast in Totnes.
Airports (Transport Links)
20. Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to improve public ground transport links to airports. [112586]
Mr. Jamieson: We have looked closely at possible improvements to public transport links, as part of our studies of airports and air services across the UK, on which we are presently consulting. We will set out our conclusions in the air transport White Paper. Airports are also working with the relevant parties to improve public transport links, in accordance with the policies set out in the 1998 "New Deal for Transport" White Paper.
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Alconbury Airfield
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for a further public display of proposals for the construction of an airfield at Alconbury, held at a venue close to the airport site. [112640]
Mr. Jamieson: There are no plans for further public exhibitions on the options presented in "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" (second edition).
Public exhibitions providing information about the published consultation options were held last year, This included an exhibition on 3 October at the Huntingdon Marriott Hotel concerning the option for the small-scale airport development at Alconbury airfield.
On 27 February 2003 the Government published a revised South East consultation document, including runway options for Gatwick airport, A public exhibition about these new options was held recently with a further day planned for later this month,
Cycling
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to (a) develop and (b) promote cycling as an element of multi-modal transport planning (i) in England, (ii) regionally and (iii) in Teesside. [112716]
Mr. Jamieson: Our National Cycling Strategy (NCS) aims to quadruple the number of journeys made by bike (based on 1996 figures) by 2012. We have established the NCS Board for England to take this forward. The Board combines expertise on transport engineering, marketing, local government and research. It has established a team of regional champions—the English Regions Cycling Development Team—to work with local authorities to promote and monitor cycling and deliver an improvement in conditions for cyclists.
At local level, provision and improvement of facilities for cyclists are largely funded through Local Transport Plan funds, All authorities have developed a local cycling strategy as part of these plans. This must identify gaps in the local infrastructure and potential improvements to the cycling network. In the 2003–04, Tees Valley authorities plan to spend over £1 million on cycling schemes.
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