House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Sept 2003 (pt 6)

18 Sept 2003 : Column 886W—continued

Transport Infrastructure

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much transport infrastructure maintenance cost the Government in each year from 1990 to 2003. [130455]

Mr. McNulty: Transport infrastructure maintenance is taken to encompass maintenance on Road and Rail only, and is detailed as follows.

Table 1 shows the cost of maintenance from 1991–2002 road maintenance. Numbers are as detailed in the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey (NRMCS) annual report. These numbers are also given as cash prices.

Rail figures are detailed in Table 1 for the years 1996–2003, and have been taken from the Railtrack 2001 Network Management Statement (2001), and the 2003 Network Rail Annual Return. These have also been shown in cash prices. It is important to note that these figures also may include non-Government expenditure, but it is not possible to disaggregate this out.

Rail figures prior to 1996 are not immediately accessible and to obtain these numbers would present a disproportionate cost.

Road maintenance

Rail maintenance 2001–02 prices⁽⁴⁾ Cash prices⁽⁴⁾

2001–02 prices⁽³⁾ Cash prices⁽³⁾ Non-trunk roads Trunk roads⁽⁵⁾ Non-trunk roads Trunk roads⁽⁵⁾

1991–92 — — 2,401 741 1,803 556

1992–93 — — 2,379 796 1,844 617

1993–94 — — 2,409 838 1,913 665

1994–95 — — 2,387 841 1,921 677

1995–96 — — 2,225 665 1,842 550

1996–97 840 739 1,970 595 1,683 508

1997–98 780 707 1,793 648 1,578 571

1998–99 747 696 1,742 655 1,575 592

1999–2000 702 670 1,834 716 1,699 664

2000–01 725 698 1,907 757 1,807 717

2001–02 — 950 2,168 668 2,105 649

2002–03 — 1,184 — — 2,515 741

			Road maintenance
	Rail maintenance	2001–02 prices⁽⁴⁾	Cash prices⁽⁴⁾
	2001–02 prices⁽³⁾	Cash prices⁽³⁾	Non-trunk roads	Trunk roads⁽⁵⁾	Non-trunk roads	Trunk roads⁽⁵⁾
1991–92	—	—	2,401	741	1,803	556
1992–93	—	—	2,379	796	1,844	617
1993–94	—	—	2,409	838	1,913	665
1994–95	—	—	2,387	841	1,921	677
1995–96	—	—	2,225	665	1,842	550
1996–97	840	739	1,970	595	1,683	508
1997–98	780	707	1,793	648	1,578	571
1998–99	747	696	1,742	655	1,575	592
1999–2000	702	670	1,834	716	1,699	664
2000–01	725	698	1,907	757	1,807	717
2001–02	—	950	2,168	668	2,105	649
2002–03	—	1,184	—	—	2,515	741

⁽³⁾ 1996–97 to 2000–01 taken from Railtrack 2001 Network Management Statement. 2000–01 to 2002–03 Cash prices taken from Network Rail 2003 Annual Return.

⁽⁴⁾ 2001–02 prices taken from the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey (NRMCS) for road maintenance.

⁽⁵⁾ Including motorways.

US Warship Disposal

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of towing former US naval ships off the North East coast on their way to be broken up. [130727]

Mr. Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are aware of proposals to bring ships from the US reserve fleet to the UK for dismantling at a facility in Teesside.

Accessible pollutants will be removed from the ships before transit, as required by the Basel Convention on the control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes. The MCA monitors the standards of vessels entering UK waters and co-ordinates any response to pollution outside of harbour areas via the National Contingency Plan for Pollution from Shipping

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and Offshore Installations. It is empowered to take action should any pollution incident occur within the UK Pollution Control Zone.

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether UK agreement to a passage plan for the proposed tow of former US naval ships to the UK is required in advance of the vessels leaving the US. [130728]

Mr. Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is in close liaison with the US Government and the companies involved with these ships. A formal passage plan will be agreed prior to the ships leaving the US and will also be agreed with the French and Belgian Governments.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to extend reduced rates of vehicle excise duty to cars converted to LPG/autogas that were registered before March 2001; and if he will extend the powershift programme of grants to cars that are more than five years old. [130726]

Mr. Jamieson: Rates and structure of vehicle excise duty are a matter for the Chancellor in his budget. In deciding these rates he weighs a large number of social, economic, environmental and other factors.

The Chancellor announced in Budget 2003 that the Government would be consulting stakeholders on how best to ensure that future support for road fuel gases continued to reflect environmental and other policy objectives, with a view to announcing decisions on future duty rates and other forms of support in the 2003 Pre-budget Report. A joint Department for Transport, Treasury and Customs and Excise consultation document "Road fuel gases and their contribution to clean low-carbon transport: Establishing a consistent and durable framework of Government support" discussed the issues and invited comments by 17 September. The Government are now considering the responses received.

Working Time Directive

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made with implementing the 48 hour working week for workers in the transport sector. [130973]

Mr. McNulty: On 1 August 2003, the Department of Trade and Industry implemented "The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003". These apply the 48 hour average working week to non-mobile workers in the transport sector and drivers of vehicles subject to domestic drivers' hours rules in the road transport sector.

Mobile workers who are affected by the EU drivers' hours rules, will be subject to the average 48 hour week from March 2005, under the sector specific road transport directive (2002/15/EC). The Department for Transport has consulted and received comments from key stakeholders in the road transport industry. We will also publish a partial regulatory impact assessment and consultation document shortly, on our plans to implement the directive into UK law.

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government are doing to equip hospitals in Afghanistan. [129446]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Afghanistan Transitional Administration (ATA) has asked donors to concentrate on a few key areas of the reconstruction effort where they can have most impact. In response to this and after consultation with the ATA and other donors, the UK is concentrating on building the capacity of the Afghan Government, humanitarian aid and programmes to support the development of income generation.

Healthcare is not currently one of DFID's focus areas in Afghanistan, and we are therefore not involved in equipping hospitals. Nevertheless, we have funded a consultant that has worked with the Ministry of Health on hospital management.

We also fund Afghanistan's reconstruction effort through multi-lateral channels. The UK is the fourth largest donor to UNICEF and provided £44 million overall funding in 2002. We provide 19 per cent. of the European Union's £282 million package of reconstruction support for Afghanistan for 2003–04, of which £17.5 million is programmed for the health sector to help reduce infant and maternal mortality by providing a basic healthcare package. We are also contributing towards the World Bank's Afghanistan Health Sector Emergency Reconstruction and Development Project, which aims to help expand delivery of basic health services and works to ensure equitable access, particularly for women and children.

Since April 2002, the European Commission has worked with the United States to rebuild 72 hospitals, clinics and women's healthcare centres, revise the national curriculum for midwives and vaccinate £4.3 million children against measles. Over 2003 and 2004, the EC will channel support through the Government to deliver health services to three million people and help to reduce the unacceptably high levels of child and maternal mortality.

UNICEF has supported Emergency Obstetric Care services in 20 districts and refurbished Malalai hospital, the largest maternity hospital in Kabul, with 15,000 deliveries every year. UNICEF plans to launch other facilities in Kandahar, Herat and Jalalabad to build up the maternal health infrastructure.

AIDS/HIV

Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government is doing to help those suffering from AIDS and HIV in the developing world. [129059]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the most important development challenges. In recognition of this DFID has increased HIV/AIDS related bilateral expenditure from £38 million in 1997–98 to over £270 million in 2002–03.

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Intensive bi-lateral action on HIV/AIDS is under way including in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At a global level, the UK Government makes significant contributions to support HIV/AIDS programmes of multilateral organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations in a coherent effort to combat this disease.

The UK has pledged US$280 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, up to the year 2008 and has committed £14 million to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and £16 million to the Medical Research Council's Microbicides Development Programme.

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