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17 Jun 2003 : Column 106W—continued

Correspondence

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for North Shropshire dated 29 April about improvements to the A5 and A483. [119110]

Mr. Jamieson: My right hon. Friend, the then Minister for State for Transport (Mr. Spellar) wrote on 13 June 2003.

Cycles

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a statutory requirement for train companies to provide a minimum number of cycle storage spaces relative to passenger capacity on commuter rail services; and if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to develop an integrated rail and cycle transport strategy. [119472]

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Mr. Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is currently considering, together with the National Cycling Strategy Board, ways to improve facilities for cyclists at stations and on trains. It will hold a consultation exercise on its proposals in due course. The SRA is expected, in examining proposals for new or replacement passenger rail franchises, to have regard to delivery of the 10-Year Plan for Transport, which sets out the Government's aims to improve integration between modes and to triple the number of cycling trips by 2010.

Driving Standards Agency

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the Driving Standards Agency introduces the new requirements under the Second EC Driving Licence Directive as an add on to the existing UK arrangements for motorcycle tests; and if he will make a statement. [119925]

Mr. Jamieson: European legislation adopted in 2000 requires Member States to conduct practical motorcycling tests that include extra and more demanding specific exercises than are currently contained in the UK test, in particular the inclusion of higher speed manoeuvring and braking exercises. Member States were required to implement these higher testing standards no later than October 2005, though the European Commission have indicated that they will shortly be bringing forward amending legislation that will allow a further three years for implementation.

We consulted in 2001 about the new European driving test standards, which affect theory as well as practical tests, plus tests taken by learners for other types of motor vehicle. The responses suggested that that the new higher speed exercises in the motorcycling test could only be tested safely and to a common standard off the public road.

Making provision for an off-road element in the motorcycling test would have significant estates and expenditure implications for the Driving Standards Agency. Therefore in 2002 we undertook further consultation about possible service delivery options involving both DSA and non-DSA delivery. The consultation period closed in April, and the responses are being analysed. We intend to announce our decisions later this year. These decisions will in due course be given effect in the domestic regulations that set out the driving test requirements.

Kyoto Agreement

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department is taking to contribute to the Government's implementation of the Kyoto Agreement. [119371]

Mr. Jamieson: The transport sector has an important contribution to make towards helping the Government to meet its Kyoto commitments. The 10 Year Plan for Transport, published in July 2000, envisaged a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the transport sector over the current decade, and some significant reductions against projected emissions of greenhouse gases have already been, or are being,

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achieved. The progress report on the 10 Year Plan, published in December 2002, showed a small reduction in CO2 emissions from road transport in the UK in each of the last two years, following a generally rising trend through the 1990s.

The Government's plans for moving towards a low carbon transport economy are set out in the Powering Future Vehicles Strategy, published in July 2002, and in the transport chapter of the Energy White Paper, published in February 2003. Central to these plans are the voluntary agreements with car manufacturers which are set, by 2008, to reduce average CO2 emissions from new cars by 25 per cent. against 1995 levels.

In developing transport policy, we give due weight to the need to limit emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The Kyoto agreement treats emissions from international and domestic transport somewhat differently. The forthcoming Air Transport White Paper and in the review of the Transport 10 Year Plan in particular will be taking account of the contribution the sector can make to helping meet the UK's domestic climate change commitments. The Department is also taking a leading role in the discussions required by the Kyoto agreement within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on how best to limit or reduce emissions from international aviation and shipping respectively.

Mail Transportation

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the relative costs of transporting freight by (a) road, (b) rail and (c) air, with particular reference to the transport of mail in the UK. [118688]

Mr. Jamieson: This is a matter for Royal Mail.

Motor Cycles

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department has taken to ensure that local authorities introduce secure parking for motorcycles following his Department's publication of a motorcycle parking traffic advisory leaflet in 2002; and if he will make a statement. [119924]

Mr. Jamieson: The motorcycle parking traffic advisory leaflet was sent out to all highway authorities. It is, however, for individual highway authority to decide whether to provide secure parking or not, depending on local circumstances.

National Travel Survey

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 3 June, Official Report, column 172W, on the National Travel Survey, if he will break down the information provided by region. [119535]

Mr. Jamieson: Sample sizes from the National Travel Survey (NTS) are too small to provide the requested detail and information by Government Office Region is only available from 1992–94. Some summary tables by region for 1992–94 and 1999–2001 will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

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Redhill Aerodrome

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of constructing (a) a road link to the M23 from Redhill Aerodrome and (b) a rail link from Redhill Aerodrome to Gatwick station; and what discussions he has had with Redhill Aerodrome Ventures as to who would meet the cost of these projects were approval to be given for the present proposals to expand Redhill Aerodrome. [119654]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 16 June 2003]: We have made no such estimates or held discussions with Redhill Aerodrome Ltd about who might meet the costs of these projects. Chapter 17 of The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom (South East) consultation document sets out the broad surface access funding principles.

Regulatory Impact Analysis

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 593W, on the equal treatment and non-discrimination directive, what the results of the Regulatory Impact Analysis was; and if he will make a statement on how the EU Directive on equal treatment and non-discrimination will affect the recruitment of foreign seafarers and the UK Ship Register. [119652]

Mr. Jamieson: The Draft Race Relations Act 1976 (Seamen Recruited Abroad) Order 2003 forms part of the implementation of the EC Article 13 Race Directive. A Regulatory ImpactAssessment was carried out. A total repeal of Section 9 of the Race Relations Act1976 was estimated to result in additional, annual wage costs to employers of around £40.5 million. Industry estimates, supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, indicated that up to 400 ships would leave the UK flag if a total repeal of Section 9 were to proceed. To revise Section 9 of the RRA 1976 was estimated to present the shipping industry with negligible additional costs and to protect the substantial increases in the UK flagged fleet that we have secured in recent years.

The proposals go beyond the requirements of the Directive: the amendment will prohibit discrimination on the basis of colour and national origins as well as on the basis of racial and ethnic origins as required by the Directive. This will provide more protection under the Race Relations Act 1976 to foreign seafarers recruited abroad to serve on UK flagged ships that will enter UK territorial waters.

Roadworks

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps were taken to co-ordinate the road works being carried out on the M1 Motorway north of Junction 26 with those under way south of Junction 25 on the same motorway. [119116]

Mr. Darling: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the right hon. Member.

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Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Greg Knight, dated 17 June 2003:

I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Transport to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the co-ordination of roadworks on the M1 Motorway north of Junction 26 and south of Junction 25.

There are currently two major sets of roadworks in progress between Junctions 24 and 27 of the M1. These are the Junction 24 to 25 maintenance scheme and a project to install an improved motorway communications system between Junctions 24 and 27. As David York mentioned in his letter of 9th April in response to your previous question on this subject, the two schemes were combined in order to co-ordinate the work and minimise disruption to road users.

Both schemes were awarded to the same contractor, Geoffrey Osborne Ltd. As I am sure you will appreciate, there are advantages with this approach. As well as economies of scale, the work can be more efficiently organised and the contractor is allowed greater flexibility to co-ordinate the different type of work involved and reduce the length of time taken to complete the contract.

The maintenance scheme is now due for completion in August and the communications work in Spring 2004. I should also mention that work to provide noise barriers and safety fencing at Junction 28 is due to start in late July and last for about 12 weeks. This will involve occasional night time closures of lane 1 with an associated 50 mph speed limit.

If you would like further information, Iftikhar Mir, the Agency's Route Manager for this part of the M1, would be pleased to help. He can be contacted at our offices at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8025.

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason highway authorities are not obliged to record their roadworks in the same way as utility companies; and what plans he has to ensure that all roadworks are recorded in the same way. [119557]

Mr. Jamieson: The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 places a range of requirements on utility companies concerning the recording of their works in the street. The Code of Practice for Maintenance Management, published in 2001, governs, among other things, the recording by highway authorities of their works.

We are reviewing what changes might usefully be made to the current legislative regime for highway authority and utility works in order to ensure that they are carried out more efficiently and to reduce the disruption that they cause. We intend bringing forward a Traffic Management Bill, incorporating appropriate changes, once parliamentary time allows.

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