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21 Jan 2004 : Column 1239W—continued
Kazahkstan (Air Transport)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to argue, in his discussions with the Government of Kazahkstan, that a charter service from Uralsk to Amsterdam cannot be considered as a replacement for a service from Uralsk to London; what recent discussions he has had on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [149485]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 14 January 2004, Official Report, column 745W.
We are pursuing this matter with the Kazakh Government. Our objective is to ensure that the services offered by airlines meet passenger demands and that no unreasonable obstacles are put in the way of those services.
Lower Airspace Radar Service
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) why he has initiated a regulatory impact assessment on the funding of his Lower Airspace Radar Service; and if he will make a statement; [149597]
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- (2) what plans he has to charge general aviation users for the Lower Airspace Radar Service. [149598]
Mr. McNulty: The Secretary of State has not initiated a regulatory impact assessment on this matter as funding of the Lower Airspace Radar Service (LARS) is the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) through its Directorate of Airspace Policy.
I understand that the CAA will shortly be issuing a consultation document setting out the options for the future funding of the service.
Roads
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the proportion of congestion on roads in England and Wales which is caused by poorly planned and lengthy street works carried out (a) by utilities and (b) by or on behalf of highway authorities. [145530]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 5 January 2004]: The Department does not hold figures for the proportion of congestion cause by street works that are poorly planned or lengthy, whether carried out by utilities or highway authorities. However, Transport Research Laboratory figures indicate that all types of road and utility works cause around 10 per cent. of congestion on the Highways Agency's Trunk Road and Motorway system. The proportion of this carried out by Utility Companies is under 2 per cent.
The Department does not hold equivalent figures for local roads. Relatively little utility apparatus is located under motorways and trunk roads. Therefore, congestion caused by utility works on local authority roads will be significantly higher than the equivalent figure for Highways Agency roads given above.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the Highways Agency's budget was spent on road maintenance projects in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. [149147]
Mr. Jamieson: The proportion spent in 2002–03 and forecast to be spent in 2003–04 is about 46 per cent.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what major improvements are planned to the trunk road network. [148927]
Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) to the trunk road and motorway network currently comprises 72 schemes each costing more than £5 million. These are:
A1(M) Ferrybridge—Hook Moor (under construction)
A1(M) Wetherby—Walshford (under construction)
A2—Cobham Phase 1 (under construction)
A5 Weeford—Fazeley Improvement
A10 Wadesmill Colliers End (under construction)
A14 Rookery Crossroads Grade Separated Junction
A21 Lamberhurst Bypass (under construction)
A34 Chieveley/M4 J13 Improvement (under construction)
A63 Selby By-pass (under construction)
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A120 Stansted—Braintree Improvement (under construction)
A249 Iwade—Queenborough Improvement
A500 City Road and Stoke Junction Improvement
M25 J12–15 Widening (under construction)
M60 J5–8 Widening (under construction)
All Fiveways—Thetford Improvement
M6 Carlisle to Guardsmill extension
A63 Melton Grade Separated Junction
A14 Haughley New St—Stowmarket Improvement
A595 Parton—Lillyhall Improvement
Al Peterborough—Blyth Grade Separated Junctions
A46 Newark—Widmerpool Improvement
A5117/A550 Deeside Park Junctions Improvement
A66 Temple Sowerby and Improvement at Winderwath
Al Bramham—Wetherby (Including Wetherby By-pass)
M40/A404 Handy Cross Junction Improvement
A47 Blofield to North Burlingham Dualling
A66 Greta Bridge to Stephen Bank Improvement
A66 Carkin Moor to Scotch Corner Improvement
A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick Improvement
Al Stannington Junction (under construction)
M4 Junction 18 Eastbound Diverge
M5 Junctions 17–18 Northbound Climbing Lane
M5 Junctions 19–20 Southbound Climbing Lane
M5 Junctions 19–20 Northbound Climbing Lane
A14 Ellington— Fen Ditton Improvement
A57/A628 Mottram in Longdendale, Hollingworth and Tintwistle By-pass
A45/A46 Tollbar End Improvement
Al Adderstone to Belford Dualling
A1/A19/A106 8 Seaton Burn Junction Improvement
A19/A184 Testos Grade Separated Junction
A505 Dunstable Northern Bypass (A5 to Ml Link)
A421 Bedford to Ml Junction 13
A64 Colton Lane Grade Separated Junction
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A590 High and Low Newton By-pass
A30 Garland Cross to Chiverton Cross
A30 Temple to Higher Carblake Improvement
Speed Cameras
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how sums of money raised in fines from speed cameras in Essex which have exceeded the totals spent on purchasing and operating speed cameras in Essex have been spent in each of the five years prior to 2001–02; and whether these sums have been allocated to another Department. [149383]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 20 January 2004]: Prior to the start of the cost recovery system to fund safety camera activity in 2000–01 all revenue from speeding fines was passed to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answers of 6 January 2004, Official Report, columns 215W and 216W, and his answer of 13 January 2004, Official Report, columns 676–7W, how the £520,357, that was collected in fines from speed cameras that was not spent in purchasing and operating speed cameras in Essex in 2001–02, was spent; and whether this sum was allocated to another Department. [149384]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 20 January 2004]: Under the netting off scheme the amount returned to the safety camera partnership can only cover the cost of purchasing and operating safety cameras. The rest is passed to the Consolidated Fund at HM Treasury.
London Underground
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made representations to Transport for London regarding (a) reliability and (b) comfort, under each of the PPP contracts for the London Underground. [149014]
Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport has not made specific representations to Transport for London on either of these issues. I have regular meetings with the Mayor for London, London Underground and Transport for London. At these meetings a wide range of issues are discussed, including the operational performance of the Underground and the delivery of improvements to the network.
WALES
Student Finance
9. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary on the devolution of higher education funding for students to the National Assembly for Wales. [148359]
Mr. Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas) today.
21 Jan 2004 : Column 1243W
National Minimum Wage
10. Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the national minimum wage in Wales. [148360]
Mr. Hain: Around 60,000 people in Wales stood to benefit from the introduction of the National Minimum Wage in April 1999 and for the increases since.
Prisoners (Police Cells)
11. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with North Wales police authority about reducing the numbers held in police cells in north Wales. [148361]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with representatives of the police forces in Wales.
Cells are normally used only to accommodate people who need to be held in custody by the police. Occasionally, prison inmates are held overnight because they cannot reach their prison by a reasonable time, or to facilitate their return to court the next day.
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