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1 Mar 2004 : Column 640W—continued
Road Fuels (Supply)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve security of supply of road fuels. [157179]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made on 25 February 2004, Official Report, column 41WS, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. In addition, on 6 February we published a voluntary code of practice on the security of dangerous goods by road. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The code implements the security provisions of the United Nations model regulations on the transport of dangerous goods by road until secondary legislation is in place in 2005. Similar provisions for the security of dangerous goods by rail are in preparation to supplement existing rail security measures.
School Parking
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines his Department issues to local authorities on the use of double yellow lines outside school premises. [156544]
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Mr. McNulty: Guidance on the use of double yellow lines and "SCHOOL KEEP CLEAR" markings outside schools has been published in sections 22.19–22.25 of Chapter 5 of the Traffic Signs Manual (Road Markings), ISBN 0–11–552479–7, available from The Stationery Office. I have arranged for a copy of Chapter 5 to be placed in the Library.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations were carried out by the Government's representative to ensure compliance with the undertakings made to Parliament during the passage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996 for the planning and construction of the North Downs Tunnel; and if he will place in the Library copies of the relevant reports. [157305]
Mr. McNulty: The Government's representative (The CTRL Project Representative) carried out audits, including audits of the North Downs Tunnel, during the construction period and in the run up to the opening of Section 1 of the railway.
There is a multitude of references to the audits within the CTRL Project Representative's records and it would not be practicable to place these within the Library.
Computer Hazard Perception Test
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the Computer Hazard Perception Test rates over the past three months. [156038]
Mr. Jamieson: The pass rate for the moving-image hazard perception testing element of the theory test for learner drivers, riders and those qualifying as Approved Driving Instructors since November 2003 are:
| November 2003 | December 2003 | January 2004 | February 2004 to date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 64.5 | 69.3 | 78.9 | 79.9 |
| Motorcycle | 79.8 | 81.6 | 89.9 | 89.0 |
| Lorry | 65.8 | 69.5 | 79.3 | 79.3 |
| Bus | 70.5 | 70 | 80.2 | 80.5 |
| Driving Instructor | 49.4 | 55.8 | 65.2 | 63.8 |
In December, the tutorial video that candidates are shown at the start of the hazard perception part of the theory test was revised following comments from candidates that they did not fully understand what they were expected do in that part of the test. A copy of tutorial in CD-ROM format was sent to all driving instructors. Since then, the pass rates for the hazard perception part of the test have increased significantly.
Driving Theory Tests
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving theory tests have been booked online in each year since the service became available. [158040]
Mr. Jamieson: Since 19 December 2001, when the facility to book theory tests online via the Driving Standards Agency's website became available, the following numbers of tests have been booked.
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| Number of bookings | |
|---|---|
| December 2001 | 157 |
| 2002 | 139,315 |
| 2003 | 364,085 |
| 2004 to date | 51,421 |
Energy Saving Trust
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there will be an increase in the funds allocated to the Energy Saving Trust for the next financial year. [156199]
Mr. Jamieson: The funds allocated to the Energy Saving Trust for the Transport Energy programmes in England and Wales will be maintained at their 2003–04 levels in the next financial year.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the extra money the Energy Saving Trust would require to provide Powershift grants to all qualifying applications received since the scheme was set up. [156200]
Mr. Jamieson: Prior to 2003–4, the Powershift grant programme had been under-subscribed. In November 2003, the Trust estimated that it would overspend the Transport Energy budget for England and Wales by at least £8 million if it continued accepting new applications to the end of the financial year.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to extend the Energy Saving Trust's (a) Powershift and (b) CleanUp schemes in the next financial year. [156201]
Mr. Jamieson: The Transport Energy programmes administered by the Energy Saving Trust, which include the Powershift and CleanUp schemes, will continue to receive financial support for 2004–05 at the same level as provided in 2003–04. However, in response to the increase in demand for Powershift and CleanUp experienced this year, individual grants levels provided by these two schemes (in England and Wales) are being reviewed by the Energy Saving Trust following discussions with stakeholders. The Trust will announce levels and arrangements for the 2004–05 programme shortly.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift scheme in increasing the number of vehicles using liquid petroleum gas. [156245]
Mr. Jamieson: The number of LPG vehicles converted or purchased with the aid of Powershift grants since 2000–01 is as follows:
| Number of Powershift LPG vehicles(1) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 3,971 |
| 2001–02 | 4,259 |
| 2002–03 | 2,086 |
| 2003–04 (Forecast) | 3,200 |
This can be compared to the growth in the total number of UK LPG vehicles since 2000.
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| Total Number of UK LPG Vehicles(2) | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 39,000 |
| 2001 | 65,000 |
| 2002 | 89,000 |
| 2003 | 107,000 |
(1) Figures from the Energy Saving Trust
(2) Figures from the Liquid Petroleum Gas Association
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) cars, (b) vans and (c) trucks have gained grants from the Powershift scheme. [157267]
Mr. Jamieson: The following numbers of cars, vans and trucks have gained grants from the Powershift scheme since 1997–08 (figures from the Energy Saving Trust).
| Year | Passenger cars | (3)Vans | (4)Trucks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 92 | 198 | 25 |
| 1998–99 | 285 | 373 | 39 |
| 1999–2000 | 685 | 695 | 26 |
| 2000–01 | 1,714 | 2,347 | 67 |
| 2001–02 | 2,260 | 2,382 | 31 |
| 2002–03 | 720 | 1,379 | 11 |
| 2003–04(5) | 1,638 | 1,410 | 66 |
| Total | 7,394 | 8,784 | 265 |
(3) Includes car derived vans
(4) Includes light trucks, refuse trucks and large commercial vehicles
(5) To date
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many taxis have claimed a Powershift grant. [157268]
Mr. Jamieson: No taxis have claimed a Powershift grant since 2000. Obtaining information for earlier years would incur disproportionate cost as it would require a manual trawl of the Energy Saving Trust's paper records. In addition, information on the number of passenger cars that received Powershift grants and were subsequently operated as taxis is not held on the Trust's record.
London, Tilbury and Southend Rail Line
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many rail passengers originating from Canvey Island on average each day use the London, Tilbury and Southend rail line; [157171]
- (2) how many passengers on average each day used (a) Benfleet Station and (b) Shoeburyness Station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Line in the last year for which figures are available. [157172]
Mr. McNulty: According to the London Area Travel Survey conducted by the Strategic Rail Authority, on a typical weekday in 2001, 4428 passengers boarded trains at Benfleet between 0600 and 1900. Of these, 1895 gave their origin address as Canvey Island. 476 passengers boarded trains at Shoeburyness. Another London area survey is planned for 2006.
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