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10 Sept 2003 : Column 388W—continued
Hunting Bill
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to introduce financial aid to those disadvantaged by the Hunting Bill. [128685]
Alun Michael: No. It is not normal practice, nor a requirement of human rights legislation, to pay compensation to people affected by legislative change except where the legislation specifically deprives them of property. The Hunting Bill deprives no one of their property, but limits their use.
TRANSPORT
Aviation White Paper
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Department will publish the White Paper on the Future of Aviation. [129128]
Mr. McNulty: The Government intend to publish their conclusions on "the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom" consultation in a White Paper later this year.
BAe 146 Aircraft
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full assessment of international (a) research and (b) investigations into the causes of cabin air quality incidents affecting BAe 146 aircraft, with particular reference to problems with organophosphate jet engine lubricants; and if he will make a statement. [128543]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 8 September 2003]:The Department for Transport Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is to publish a report following the investigation of a series of cabin air quality incidents involving BAe 146 aircraft. The report also considers similar incidents involving Boeing 757, Boeing 737 and Fokker F100 aircraft.
The AAIB report will include details of investigations and research conducted into incidents in Australia, Canada, and Sweden, together with the results of an extensive programme of testing and research conducted in the UK in response to earlier AAIB safety recommendations.
The AAIB report is expected to be published in December.
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Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to establish the cause and nature of the emergency in the BAe 146 aircraft, when fumes in the cabin necessitated evacuation of passengers, on Friday 1 August; and if he will make a statement. [128599]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 8 September 2003]: The Department for Transport Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is conducting an investigation into the incident involving a BAe 146 aircraft on 1 August. The AAIB report will be published as soon as the investigation is completed.
European Aviation Safety Agency
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the purpose is of establishing the European Aviation Safety Agency; what powers it has in the United Kingdom; what its estimated annual cost is; and where it is located. [128822]
Mr. McNulty: The European Aviation Safety Agency has been established under Regulation (EC) 1592/2002. The principle objective of that Regulation is to establish and maintain a high uniform level of civil aviation safety in Europe.
The Agency has a pivotal role in achieving that objective through the drafting of common safety rules; through monitoring, where applicable, the implementation of those rules by member states' national aviation authorities; and through carrying out itself a number of certification tasks, initially mainly in the field of aircraft and product designs.
The Regulation gives the Agency all the necessary powers to carry out these duties in the United Kingdom, in particular powers to carry out relevant investigations for issuing certificates to UK applicants and for conducting standardisation audits of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The Agency is due to assume its certification responsibilities on 28 September 2003, initially outsourcing much of the work to national aviation authorities. The Agency's own staff will be built up over time and its annual costs will depend on decisions yet to be made by the Executive Director about the Agency's structure and working methods. A preliminary draft budget for 2004 of 17.24 MEuro has been agreed by the EASA Management Board, of which the majority of the costs will be met out of Community funds.
A decision about the permanent location of the Agency has not yet been made. It has established a temporary headquarters in Brussels.
Rail Services (Merseyside)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to increase the number of additional park and ride spaces serving the Merseyrail network for 2003–04. [128589]
Mr. McNulty: The following schemes are in progress at locations serving the Merseyrail network.
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Formby
Refurbishment of the car park, up-grading provision for blue badge holders, construction of a bus interchange and taxi stands. The number of spaces is to be determined. A further phase is being considered for land off Andrews lane.
Birkdale
Refurbishment of the car park, up-grading provision for blue badge holders and delivery of a further 14 spaces. A further phase depends on the availability of land.
Maghull
Extension of the existing car park, delivering a further 88 spaces.
Aintree
A scheme to deliver a further 50 spaces is being considered, subject to planning constraints.
Kirkby
Refurbishment of the car park, and up-grading of the bus interchange, taxi stands and provision for blue badge holders. The scheme will deliver a further 10 spaces. A further phase could deliver another 100 spaces.
Whiston
Construction of a new car park and bus interchange, delivering a further 45 spaces.
Prescot
Refurbishment and enlargement of the existing car park including provision for blue badge holders, delivering a further 32 spaces.
Seaforth and Litherland
Refurbishment and enlargement of the existing car park including provision for blue badge holders, delivering a further 20 spaces.
Mr. McNulty: Through the Strategic Rail Authority's Modern Facilities at Stations (MFAS) programme, 21 stations in Merseyside will receive improvements. This will involve the installation of real time passenger information at 20 stations and improved waiting facilities (waiting rooms with heating, integral seating and automatic doors) at 16 stations.
Merseytravel Passenger Transport Authority and Executive is seeking, via its own programme, to deliver improvements at a further 25 stations through the local transport plan. Where shelters, seats and customer information systems are included as part of the improvement the aim is to deliver to MFAS standards were possible.
Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of fare irregularities were detected in Merseyside over the past two years. [128592]
Mr. McNulty: The percentage of fare irregularities on Merseyside over the last two years was approximately 11 per cent. This figure is for all fare irregularities including passengers travelling with no ticket, those who travelled beyond the validity of the ticket and those travelling in the peak with an off-peak ticket, irrespective of intent. The figure is for the 24 months up to June 2003, being the most recent period for which data are available.
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Ferries
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Health and Safety Executive to discuss the risks associated with wake from ferries; and if he will make a statement. [127856]
Mr. Jamieson: My officials have regular contact with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) colleagues on a range of safety matters.
Conventional ferries, with relatively slow speed monohulls, do not generate undue wake and routine navigational safeguards are adequate to manage potential risk. However, we have been aware for some time of the hazards associated with the wake from fast ferries, in particular catamarans. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) requires a route risk assessment of passage plans for wake generation, as a pre-requisite to issuing a Permit to Operate for High Speed Craft. This requires the operator to identify circumstances where a hazardous wash may be created and take steps either to reduce the wake from the vessel or re-route the vessel as appropriate.
Ministerial Visits
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) foreign and (b) UK visits he has made since 1 April; what the cost was to public funds of each trip; who he met; and what gifts were received. [126891]
Mr. McNulty: The Government publish the overall costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits overseas by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis. The list for period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 was published by the Prime Minister on 16 July, Official Report, column 482W. The next list for period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 will be published at the end of the financial year.
Since the 1 April the Secretary of State for Transport has undertaken the following UK visits:
- On 8 April, he met representatives from South Central Trains at the Integrated Travel Centre, Brighton. The journey was made using the contracted Government car and train at a cost of £42.
On 24 April, he met the French Transport Minister and his delegation in Berkshire. The journey was made using the contracted Government car.
On 9 May, he met the Chief Executive of the DVLA and local staff at the DVLA, Edinburgh. The journey was made using a hired Government car at a cost of £62.50.
On 12 May, he met the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in Dover. The journey was made using the contracted Government car service and the train at a cost of £30.10.
On 20 June he met the Manchester and Liverpool Chamber of Commerce at Manchester Airport. He then went to the Stockport station and Edgely signalling Centre and met the Stockport project manager and Network Rail representative and Ann Coffey MP. The journey was made by plane, hired Government car and train at a cost of £453.60.
On 8 July he met representatives from Chiltern Railways and Laing Rail at Chiltern Railways, Aylesbury. The journey was made by contracted Government car.
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