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Finningley Airport

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance was given to Peel Holdings to help with the Finningley Airport development. [165711]

Mr. McNulty: Peel Holdings have received no assistance from the Department for Transport to help with the Finningley Airport development. Our policy on Finningley is set out in the Future of Air Transport White Paper.
 
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Freight Future

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of producing the Freight Future newsletter was in the last year for which figures are available. [165149]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department issued two editions of the Freight Future newsletter in 2003–04. The cost of   producing them was £69,358. This includes management, design, printing of 80,000 copies of each issue and insertion into five industry publications.

Greenhouse Gases

Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's assessment is of the likely greenhouse gas emissions from transport in 2010. [165167]

Mr. Jamieson: Forecasts of 2010 emissions of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) from the transport sector, together with information on emissions of a number of other pollutants, are published in Transport Statistics Great Britain 2003, which is available via the DfT website.

Heavy Goods/Public Service Vehicles

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) heavy goods vehicle and (b) public service vehicle licences (i) were issued and (ii) were revoked in each of the last 10 years. [163839]

Mr. Jamieson: The number of licences issued in these categories can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the total number of applications processed by DVLA for licences to drive medium and large goods vehicles and passenger carrying vehicles over the last 10 years. The figures include applications for provisional entitlement, full entitlement, renewals and replacement licences.

	Applications processed
1993–94	403,854
1994–95	167,650
1995–96	167,645
1996–97	264,446
1997–98	254,244
1998–99	244,963
1999–2000	155,478
2000–01	167,966
2001–02	266,242
2002–03	306,601

 
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For revoked licences, the following table shows the number of medium and large goods vehicle licences and passenger carrying vehicle licences revoked over the last 10 years (where figures are available).

	Revoked by Traffic Commissioner	Revoked by DVLA	Total revoked
1993–94	1,520	(43)—	1,520
1994–95	555	(43)—	555
1995–96	510	12,432	12,942
1996–97	670	12,613	13,280
1997–98	925	13,092	14,017
1998–99	(43)—	(43)—	—
1999–2000	131	12,844	12,975
2000–01	94	14,500	14,594
2001–02	118	14,652	14,770
2002–03	104	14,354	14,458

⁽⁴³⁾ Figures not available

M6

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received from the Highways Agency plans for widening the M6 motorway between junctions 11 and 20; and if he will make a statement. [165307]

Mr. Jamieson: In my announcement on 10 December 2002 about the outcome of a number of multi-modal studies, I asked the Highways Agency to carry out further detailed work on proposals to widen the M6 from junction 11a to junction 19. In carrying out that work it has proved necessary to undertake more detailed traffic modelling and economic evaluation work than initially expected. However, this work is nearing completion and I expect to receive a report from the Highways Agency in the next few months.

Port Security

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what training is provided to port security officers in (a) scanning ships and containers, (b) scanning of workers and (c) testing for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials; and if he will make a statement. [165106]

Mr. Jamieson: The International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code does not set any training standards for Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) and each Contracting Government is able to determine the detail of the training course to be undertaken.

Unlike the vast majority of countries the UK requires PFSOs to complete a Government approved training course. My Department's Transport Security
 
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Directorate (TRANSEC) developed training standards and course criteria for PFSOs in the UK, and approves the training providers.

The UK's implementation of the IPSPS Code does not require ports to monitor chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) traffic. However the Home Office and Customs are taking forward a programme to install radiation detection equipment at points of entry into the UK (including airports, seaports and the Channel Tunnel). Under this initiative Customs Officers, who are responsible for detecting and deterring illicit import and export of radioactive materials, have received specialist training in operating the equipment and the incident response procedures.

PFSOs will however work in partnership with Customs Officers when necessary, and will be aware of the detection equipment at points of entry into the UK.

As required by the ISPS code each port will detail how it is going to achieve access control to its restricted areas, and this may include subjecting vehicles (including lorries), persons and their possessions to checks and searches. In addition ports will be required to formalise pass systems to help prevent unauthorised access to these operational areas of the port. Access control and how to maintain pass systems are covered in the PFSO training courses and security instructi9ons that have been issued to industry.

Rail Compensation

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 22 March 2004, Official Report, columns 513–14W, on rail compensation, what plans he has to ensure consistency among franchisees in the compensation arrangements offered to passengers. [164227]

Mr. McNulty: Passenger's Charters are consistent in that they must meet the minimum compensation arrangements as set out in the National Conditions of   Carriage. Franchisees are free to offer at their commercial discretion compensation arrangements that give more extensive rights than those in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage but they may not give less.

Rail Services (Kent)

Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the investment required to allow Channel Tunnel Rail Link domestic service trains to use 700-seater trains from Rochester, Strood and Gravesend. [162503]

Mr. McNulty: The platforms at Rochester, Strood and Gravesend can only accommodate trains up to 10 cars long. The proposed 700-seater Channel Tunnel Rail Link domestic service would be 12 car trains. The cost of extending the platforms at Rochester would be £12.4 million, Strood £1.2 million and Gravesend £8.6 million. Due to the prohibitively high cost of
 
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extending these platforms, the Strategic Rail Authority's Integrated Kent Franchise Consultation Document proposes a service of two Channel Tunnel Rail Link domestic trains per hour in each direction from Rochester, Strood and Gravesend using 350 seater six car trains.

Reduced Pollution Certificates

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for   Transport what the administrative charges are for a company applying for a reduced pollution certificate. [165181]

Mr. Jamieson: The current cost of a reduced pollution test carried out in conjunction with another statutory test e.g heavy goods vehicle or public service vehicle annual test or certificate of initial fitness examination of £15.50. When carried out on its own the cost if £26.00. There are supplementary fees of £5.50 payable if the test is carried out other than at one of Vehicle and Operator Service Agency's (VOSA) testing stations and £9.00 if the test is carried out outside normal working hours.
 
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