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18 Sept 2003 : Column 882W—continued
TRANSPORT
Airport Consultation
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received on prospective promoters in respect of (a) the Cliffe airport proposal and (b) other North Kent estuarial airport proposals. [130995]
Mr. McNulty: In response to "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" consultation, a number of proposals for new airport capacity that are alternatives to, or variants of, options set out in the Government's consultation document, have been submitted. These include two sites in North Kent and the Marinair proposal for an airport on an island in the Thames estuary.
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the identification and recommendation of airport sites for further development in the air transport White Paper will be based on (a) commercial viability and (b) availability of private sector funding to meet the full cost. [130996]
Mr. McNulty: We are currently analysing the many thousands of responses received to "the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom" consultation. Ministers will take decisions based on the factual appraisal and views expressed by interested parties, which will help Ministers come to a view on what weight they should attach to different considerations, and how to balance these. Commercial and financial viability are considerations specified in the published SERAS appraisal methodology.
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The Government intends to publish its conclusions in a White Paper later this year.
Biofuels
Mrs. Shephard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date under the EU Directive 2003/30/EC Article 4 he is required to set a target for biofuel use in the UK by the end of 2005. [130869]
Mr. Jamieson: The Directive must be implemented in full by 31 December 2004, but the European Commission has asked member states in advance of this to submit targets for biofuel use in 2005 by July 2004. We will be consulting stakeholders on possible UK targets in early 2004, before deciding on the UK targets.
Commercial Flights
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many commercial flights were made from British airports in each of the last five years; and what percentage were (a) four hours or longer and (b) four hours or less. [129800]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is as follows:
| Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number (thousand) | Short haul(2) | Long haul | |
| 1998 | 1,504 | 88.6 | 11.4 |
| 1999 | 1,580 | 88.6 | 11.4 |
| 2000 | 1,663 | 88.7 | 11.3 |
| 2001 | 1,690 | 89.0 | 11.0 |
| 2002 | 1,683 | 89.2 | 10.8 |
(1) Landings and take-offs of aircraft engaged in commercial air transport. Includes all scheduled movements (loaded or empty) and loaded charter movements, but excludes empty positioning flights.
(2) Domestic flights, flights between the UK and Europe or North Africa, and flights to/from oil rigs.
Source:
Civil Aviation Authority
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek amendments to the Warsaw Convention to permit claims for compensation by air travellers who suffer deep vein thrombosis. [130975]
Mr. McNulty: The Warsaw Convention will be subject to no further amendment or reform. The 1999 Montreal Convention, which is due to come into force internationally later this year, will consolidate, update and eventually replace all previous international agreements on air carrier liability, including the 1929 Warsaw Convention.
The purpose of the Warsaw Convention is to cover risks inherent to travelling by air, not damage occurring co-incidentally while in flight. For this reason, claimants must show that an "accident" had occurred. This question has been considered by the English High Court within the context of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and it concluded that such an occurrence does not fall within the accepted understanding of an "accident". I believe the legal framework for establishing liability to be satisfactory and that it is for the courts to decide specific cases within that framework.
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London Underground
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last travelled by London Underground on official business. [130948]
Mr. Darling: I last travelled by London Underground on official business on 17 September 2003.
M6
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received from the Highways Agency about the options for widening the M6 motorway between junctions 11 and 20; and what arrangements he intends to make for public consultation on his plans for this widening. [130978]
Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency is currently examining options for widening the M6 motorway. This has raised some complex issues and the Agency expects to bring forward further detailed advice early in 2004. Once a scheme has been approved for inclusion in the Targeted Programme of Improvements there would be further statutory and non-statutory procedures including consultation. In the meantime the Highways Agency has been liasing with both affected local authorities and with the Statutory Environmental Bodies in progressing their work.
Mayor of London
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Mayor of London. [130949]
Mr. McNulty: Ministers have regular meetings with the Mayor at which a wide range of transport matters are discussed. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport last met the Mayor on 7 September at the Osiris II exercise at Bank station.
Microsoft
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05. [130682]
Mr. McNulty: Since 2000 there have been two Machinery of Government changes affecting what is now the Department of Transport. As a result the number of staff has changed considerably. It is not possible to analyse the total cost of licensing to identify where the costs were incurred on behalf of what is now DfT. Therefore the figures given for DfT(c) reflect spend by the Department as it was at the time.
The amount paid to Microsoft for the last three years is:
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Budgets for spend in the current year, 2003–04, and future years are withheld on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.
Motorways
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorway service areas there are in England; and, of these, how many have CCTV cameras installed in public parking areas to guard against thefts of, and from, vehicles. [130976]
Mr. Jamieson: There are 69 motorway service areas (MSAs) in England.
Close Circuit Television coverage of the public parking areas is provided at 14 MSAs. Most MSA operators offer full CCTV coverage of the commercial areas of their sites. In instances where MSA operators are aware of a problem of theft from parked vehicles, particularly within the lorry compounds, they have taken separate action.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it a condition of all future licences to operate motorway service areas that CCTV cameras be installed in public parking areas. [130977]
Mr. Jamieson: Motorway service areas (MSAs) are private sector enterprises, subject to the normal planning processes. It is for them to decide on the most appropriate form of security measures at each site. The Government do require certain minimum requirements as a condition of their signing and access from the motorway. It would be inappropriate for these to include a stipulation on how security at each site should be provided.
Redhill Aerodrome
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what analysis he has made of the air safety aspects of plans to develop Redhill Aerodrome, with special reference to provisions for missed approach procedures; and if he will make a statement; [130691]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the height above the M23 of incoming aircraft if the proposal to develop Redhill Aerodrome were to proceed. [130692]
Mr. McNulty: In response to "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" consultation, a proposal for the development of Redhill aerodrome has been submitted. This proposal is being considered in the on-going analysis of responses to the consultation.
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