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Buses

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many local bus passengers there were in each year since 1998–99 in (a) London, (b) English metropolitan areas, (c) English shire counties and (d) England. [125343]

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Mr. McNulty: Information on the number of local bus passenger journeys in each year since 1998–99 in each of the areas of England is published by the Department in Table 10 of "A Bulletin of Public Transport Statistics GB, 2002 edition". The publication is available in the Libraries of the House and on the Department's website at www.transtat.gov.uk/tables/2002/pts/pts.htm.

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the public subsidy is for 2003–04 to local bus services for (a) London, (b) English metropolitan areas, (c) English shire counties and (d) England, separately identifying the (i) concessionary fare subsidy and (ii) fuel duty rebate. [125345]

Mr. McNulty: Local transport authorities make their own decisions on the amount to be spent on supporting local bus services and subsidising concessionary fares. No forecasts of the totals expected for the current year are available. However, the figures for 2001–02, the last year for which information is currently available, were:

Public transport support for local bus services⁽²⁾

	£ million
London	193
English met areas	122
English shires	138
Total England	453

⁽²⁾ Includes administration costs and expenditure met from the Department's grant schemes

Concessionary fares reimbursement (for local buses)

	£ million
London	122
English met areas	194
English shires	131
Total England	447

Expenditure by my Department in the current financial. year on payments to bus operators in England of Bus Service Operators Grant (formerly called fuel duty rebate) is forecast to total £335 million, of which about £75 million is expected to be to London operators. No estimates are available of the split of this expenditure outside London between operators in metropolitan areas and shire counties.

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the financial assistance given by the Government to local authorities for the implementation within their areas of concessionary bus fares. [125500]

Mr. McNulty: In England about £450 million per year is spent by local authorities on concessionary travel by bus. That expenditure, along with other costs falling on local authorities, is covered by the contribution that the Government makes to local authorities through the annual grant settlement.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average number of passengers carried by a bus in general public service was in the last year for which figures are available. [125746]

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Mr. McNulty: The average number of passengers carried by a local bus in England was nine in 2001–02, the latest year for which a figure is available.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average number of passengers travelling at any one time on a bendy-bus was in the last year for which figures are available. [125747]

Mr. McNulty: The average number of passengers travelling at any one time on a bendy-bus in London is 24.

Car Travel

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average number of people travelling in a car on public roads was in the last year for which figures are available. [125751]

Mr. Jamieson: The National Travel Survey shows that in the three years 1999–2001 the average car occupancy was 1.6 people per car on public roads.

Driving Tests

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the performance of the Driving Standards Agency booking hotline for practical driving tests; how many telephone calls have been received on average per day by the Driving Standards Agency booking hotline for practical driving tests; how many staff are employed to handle calls to the Driving Standards Agency booking hotline for practical driving tests; and what the average waiting time has been for allocation of (a) a driving theory test and (b) a practical driving test by the Driving Standards Agency. [125290]

Mr. Jamieson: The Driving Standards Agency has a single national telephone number for booking theory and practical driving tests. Over three quarters of those who call the number reach a call centre agent, and 93 per cent. of those who get through speak with an agent within 20 seconds.

During 2002–2003, some 13,730 calls a day were made to the Driving Standards Agency's national practical test booking telephone line. The Agency currently employs some 220 call centre agents to handle calls for practical test bookings.

During 2002–2003, 99 per cent. of theory test candidates got an appointment at their preferred test centre within two weeks of their preferred date. During the same period, the national average waiting time for a practical driving test was 7.8 weeks.

Maritime Safety

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what revisions he proposes to make to maritime safety procedures off the West Coast of Scotland, with particular reference to the sinking of the Jumbo on 29 June. [125258]

Mr. Jamieson: We await publication of the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch into this incident and will consider carefully any recommendations for improving maritime safety procedures.

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Motorway Speed Limits

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 8 July 2003, ref 123834, if he will place in the Library the assessment his Department has made of the road safety implications of increasing motorway speed limits. [125186]

Mr. Jamieson: The assessment carried out in 2001 into the possible effects of raising the motorway speed limit was an internal review of the available evidence. In its evidence to the Transport Select Committee on Road Traffic Speed, the Department gave both oral and written evidence to support its conclusion that the current motorway speed limit should be retained. The Select Committee's Report refers to this information together with other evidence. These documents are already available in the Libraries of the House.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the environmental implications of increasing motorway speed limits to 80 mph. [125187]

Mr. Jamieson: The assessment carried out in 2001 showed that any increase in the motorway speed limit would result in an increase in both emissions and noise.

Rail Accident (Worcestershire)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) investigations and (b) inquiries he will conduct into the incident at Charlton, Worcestershire on Monday 7 July involving a mini-bus and First Great Western train; and if he will make a statement. [125052]

Mr. McNulty: There is an on-going British Transport Police (BTP) investigation into the accident at the Pools user worked level crossing, at Charlton in Worcestershire on 7 July involving a minibus and a First Great Western high-speed train. The Health and Safety Executive is providing technical support to the BTP-led investigation.

Network Rail is carrying out a full internal investigation into the cause of the accident, to ensure that any lessons are learned to minimise the risks associated with this type of level crossing.

Rail Freight

Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact the decision to cut funding for rail freight schemes will have on the environment. [125511]

Mr. McNulty: Suspension of the freight grant schemes was a short-term budgetary decision. The Strategic Rail Authority plan to reopen the Freight Facility and Track Access Grant schemes in the autumn for spend from April 2004, subject to available funding.

Rail Safety

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new safety standards have been put in place following the Hatfield rail disaster. [124486]

Mr. McNulty: Following the Hatfield derailment, Network Rail (then Railtrack), the infrastructure controller, made two significant changes to the way

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railway maintenance safety standards are managed on the railways. The first specified more detailed and prescriptive requirements for the inspection and rectification of rails exhibiting rolling contact fatigue. The second involved the implementation of more stringent requirements for general track inspections to enable better monitoring of rail condition.

Network Rail is fundamentally changing the way it manages rail maintenance. Its New Maintenance Programme ensures that Network Rail decides what work is completed and when. Network Rail is also taking direct control of three maintenance contract areas. This will give Network Rail clearer control of the works being completed and will help provide a safer, more reliable and efficient railway infrastructure.

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