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19 Nov 2003 : Column 924W—continued

Freight

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much freight in (a) actual and (b) percentage terms was carried by (i) road, (ii) rail and (iii) water in each year from 1974 to date. [133111]

Dr. Howells: The information requested is as follows:

Domestic freight transport by mode: Great Britain 1974–2002

Goods moved (billion tonne kilometres) Goods moved (percentage share of total)
YearRoadRail(4)WaterPipelineAll modesRoadRailWaterPipelineAll modes
197490223151486115214100
197592212861476314194100
197696213061536314204100
197798204191685812245100
19781002048101785611276100
19791032056101895411305100
1980931854101755310316100
198194185391735410315100
198295165910179539335100
198396176010183529335100
1984100136010183557336100
1985103155811187558316100
1986105175510187569296100
1987113175411195589285100
1988130185911219608275100
1989138175810223628264100
19901361656(5)11219627265100
1991130155811214617275100
1992127165511208617265100
1993135145112211647245100
1994144135212221656245100
1995150135311227666235100
1996154155512236656235100
1997157174811233677215100
1998160175712245657235100
1999157185912246647245100
2000158186711255627264100
2001157195912247648245100
2002157196711254627264100

Source :

(4) Road and water—DfT ; Rail—Strategic Rail Authority ; Pipeline—DTI

From 1991 figures for rail are for financial years ie 1991/92 etc, and from 1998 are calculated on a new basis.

(5) The increase in 1990 is largely due to changes in coverage


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Heathrow Pollutants

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what research he has commissioned on methods of maintaining levels of nitrogen dioxide around Heathrow Airport within EU limits; [138839]

Mr. McNulty: The Government has reviewed a wide range of evidence, including information contained within the BAA pic Air Quality Strategy and Action Plan, in considering the future development of Heathrow. The Government remains of the view that a new runway at Heathrow could not be considered unless it could be confident that levels of all relevant pollutants could be consistently contained within EU limits. Final decisions will be announced in the forthcoming air transport White Paper.

Missile Incidents

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents since 1997 have been caused by missiles thrown from bridges over (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads. [138882]

Mr. Jamieson: Police and Highways Agency procedures for recording details of incidents on motorways and trunk roads do not support identifying those caused by missiles being thrown from bridges.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures the Government is taking to reduce the number of incidents caused by missiles thrown from bridges over motorways and trunk roads. [138883]

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Mr. Jamieson: The Agency is tackling the problem of missiles thrown from bridges and trunk roads in several different ways.

These include education initiatives, visits to schools by Police and local Road Safety officers, to make younger children more aware of the consequences of this type of activity. The Agency is also looking to support the Police in implementing additional enforcement measures, including increased CCTV coverage and warning notices on the approaches to problem sites. The Agency has also incorporated guidance on measures to prevent missile throwing within the latest version of its standard for the design of footbridges.

NM Rothschild and Sons Ltd

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on services provided to his Department by NM Rothschilds since 1997. [139967]

Mr. McNulty: The Department was formed in May 2002. No services have been provided to the Department by NM Rothschilds.

Rail Industry

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to take back into full public ownership (a) rail operations, (b) full responsibility for track renewal and (c) London Underground; and if he will make a statement. [137898]

Mr. McNulty: The Government aims to deliver a safer, more reliable and efficient rail system.

What is essential is for the public and private sector working together to focus on delivering improvements. Major structural change can be disruptive and would detract effort from making improvements to the day to day management of the network.

Network Rail have said they will continue to use contractors to carry out renewals, upgrading lines or installing a new signalling system—areas where there is

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a competitive supply market. This work is typically carried out on a project basis, making use of a specialist workforce and is well-suited to competitive tendering.

Responsibility for London Underground (LUL) transferred from central Government to Transport for London, an agency of the London Mayor on 15 July 2003. It is now for London Underground, working with the infrastructure companies, to ensure the stable long-term funding that Government is providing is used to bring the Tube up to modern standards.

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessments his Department has made of the potential of high-speed rail as an alternative to short-haul flights. [139354]

Mr. McNulty: Scope for the railways to provide an alternative to short-haul air services was among the many issues on which we invited views in our consultation on the future development of air transport in the United Kingdom.

We will set out our conclusions in the air transport White Paper, which we expect to publish next month.

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place a list of the stations which have secure station accreditation in the Library. [139743]

Mr. McNulty: The list of the 163 stations currently accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme has been placed in the House Library today. Seventy three of these stations have been reaccredited.

Approximately two thirds of all overground rail journeys, and approximately one half of all London Underground journeys now involve passengers starting or finishing their journey at a Secure Station.

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new train carriages will be ready for use by December but cannot be used due to insufficient power supply. [133039]

Mr. McNulty: Over 2,000 new carriages are being introduced to replace all the slam-door trains—most of which are over 30 years old—across the three south-of-the-Thames franchises. Railtrack failed to plan for the associated upgrade of the power supply. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) now has a grip on the project and expects to complete it early in 2005. Meanwhile, many of the new carriages are already in service and none is in store because of power shortages. As deliveries continue, around a 100 out of over 2,000 new carriages may be stored by December, but the SRA is leading work on ways in which they might be introduced into service using existing power supplies.

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made towards reducing the train journey time between London and Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [134556]

Mr. McNulty: Work is currently underway to modernise the West Coast Main Line which will substantially reduce the current journey time of two hours 41 minutes. The Strategic Rail Authority's West Coast Main Line Strategy, published in June 2003, projects a reduction in minimum journey times between London and Manchester of around 40 minutes by 2007.

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