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26 Jan 2004 : Column 33Wcontinued
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether airlines operating in UK airspace are banned from (a) Swiss, (b) Belgian and (c) Dutch airspace. [149971]
Mr. McNulty: [holding answer 22 January 2004]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso), on 12 January 2004, Official Report, column 546W which describes the database we have on actions taken by other European states. I understand that some restrictions have been placed on the use of specific aircraft, but am not aware that any airlines have been prevented from operating in Swiss, Belgian or Dutch airspace.
Mrs. Shephard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's timetable is for consultation on the implementation of the EU bio-fuels directive; and what consideration has been given to ensuring that the UK's 2005 target for implementation of the directive is notified in the EU by July. [150782]
Mr. Jamieson: The European Union's Biofuels Directive requires member states to set their own indicative targets for sales of biofuels for road transport to be met in 2005 and 2010. The Directive must be transposed by 31 December 2004. The Government will be consulting shortly on the level of possible targets for the UK and on the steps it might take to meet them. This will allow us to report our intentions to the European Commission by July 2004.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Bristol and Bath to South Coast study will be published. [149881]
Mr McNulty: The study, which was commissioned to address the concerns of Bath and North East Somerset council and the South West Regional Assembly over the proposed detrunking of the A36/A46, has been further delayed because it has taken longer than anticipated for the consultants to complete the modelling and firm up their conclusions. However, I am pleased to be able to report that the revised final reports were cleared by the Steering Group when they met on 21 January 2004. It is anticipated that the reports will be printed at the end of January or in early February and copies will then be sent to the South West Regional Assembly for comment.
Following receipt of the study comments from the Regional Assembly, I will be in a position to make a response.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what precautions his Department has advised British Airways to take concerning threats posed to its aircraft over the Middle East and Arabian sub-continents; and if he will make a statement. [148432]
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Dr. Howells [holding answer 19 January 2004]: The security of UK aviation, including that of UK airline operations overseas, is kept under active review, and security measures are adjusted as and when necessary. The Government do not disclose their advice to airlines.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department has received concerning a threat to British Airways flights from light aircraft in flight over Saudi Arabian airspace; and what representations he has made to his Saudi Arabian counterpart. [148468]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 19 January 2004]: The Government keep the threat to civil aviation in all countries, including Saudi Arabia, under continuous review. We do not comment on intelligence matters, or on exchanges we may have had with foreign governments about them.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with (a) French authorities, (b) Breton authorities, (c) the Ministry of Defence and (d) others following the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh off The Lizard on 15 January. [150988]
Mr. Jamieson: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) of the Department for Transport has been providing proactive support and advice to their counterparts in FranceBureau Enquêtes-Accidents Mersince the loss of the Bugaled Breizh. During the incident, HM Coastguard at Falmouth was in regular contact with French search and rescue authorities regarding details of the stricken vessel, and maintained regular contact with them throughout the incident. Subsequently, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has provided French authorities with assistance in attempting to identify the movement of shipping within the area of the accident.
No specific discussions have been held with Breton regional authority separately from French national authorities.
The MAIB has been in contact with the UK Ministry of Defence with regard to the fact that the accident took place in a designated sea training exercise area.
Discussions have also taken place between MAIB/MCA and Devon and Cornwall police and HM coroner in Truro.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much space, expressed in square metres, the Department occupies for the offices of civil servants in (a) central London and (b) Greater London. [150288]
Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport occupies 21,521m 2 in Greater London, all of which is in central London.
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John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value was of (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the section of (i) his Department and (ii) predecessor departments with responsibility for aviation, in each year since 1992. [149706]
Mr. McNulty: The Department was formed on 29 May 2002. In 200203 and the first 9 months of 200304 consultancy valued at £71.19 million and £4.74 million respectively was commissioned in relation to aviation.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value was of (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the section of (i) his Department and (ii) predecessor departments with responsibility for transport strategy and local transport, in each year since 1992. [149707]
Mr. McNulty: The Department was formed on 29 May 2002. In 200203 and the first nine months of 200304 consultancy valued at £20.71 and £7.43 million respectively was commissioned in relation to transport strategy and local transport.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact which increased use of the crosswind runway, as outlined in the Aviation White Paper, will have on (a) noise and (b) pollution levels in (i) North Gyle, (ii) Gogarloch, (iii) Wester Broom and (iv) Broomhall areas. [149362]
Mr. McNulty: Our assessment of noise and air quality impacts relating to increased use of the crosswind runway is summarised in the Scottish Consultation Document and set out in more detail in the supporting RAS 3 Study Technical Reports, which were published concurrently.
These indicate that there would be no local air quality exceedences affecting the four locations specified, that only at Gogarloch would the increased level of noise experienced exceed 57dBA Leq16 (taken to represent the approximate onset of significant community annoyance). These impacts would be eliminated if the crosswind runway closed following the opening of a new close parallel runway.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what compensation will be made available to those residents living close to Edinburgh airport who face a loss in their property value in advance of the proposed construction of a second runway as outlined in the Aviation White Paper; [149667]
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Mr. McNulty: The White Paper recommends that people should have access to some form of redress at beyond the current statutory provisions, for example to help them relocate before any development takes place. Arrangements are being made for non-statutory schemes to be brought forward locally by the airports operators.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment was made of the case for protection of the ancient Catstane site north of the existing Edinburgh airport runway in the formulation of the proposals for a second runway as outlined in the Aviation White Paper; and for what reason no mention was made of the site in the White Paper. [147833]
Mr. McNulty: Carlowrie Cat Stane is one of a number of Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the vicinity of Edinburgh Airport that were identified in the optioneering and appraisal studies that underpinned the Scottish Consultation Document. The Cat Stane was taken into account, alongside a range of other factors, in the design and appraisal of the options for a new runway at Edinburgh and the development of White Paper policy. The ancient monument would ultimately lie between a new runway and the existing one and is therefore unlikely to be affected by development. The necessary protection of the Cat Stane will be addressed in the master plan for the airport and any future planning application for the development of a new runway.
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