---

26 Apr 2004 : Column 778W—continued

TRANSPORT

Bus Lanes (Burnley)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of priority bus lanes have been created in Burnley since 1997. [167884]

Mr. McNulty: Four stretches of priority bus lane have been created in Burnley since 1997, on St. James street, Church street, Westway and Padiham road, with a total length of 1.2 km.

Civil Servants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each civil service grade within his (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies, the total number of staff employed, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) ethnic group (iii) registered disabled and (iv) age group; and how many are registered disabled. [166392]

Mr. McNulty: Data on staffing levels in the Civil Service is collected by the Cabinet Office and published in Civil Service Statistics. A copy of Civil Service Statistics, 2002 is available in the Library, and at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics. The 2003 edition will be published in summer 2004.

Cycle Lanes (Burnley)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new cycle lanes have been provided using public funds in Burnley since 1997. [167882]

Mr. McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested. There are currently 1.3 km of on-road cycle lanes, 6.7 km of off-road cycle paths, and 7.8 km of improved canal towpaths where cycling is allowed, in Burnley. The majority of these have been provided since 1997.

Cycling (Gloucestershire)

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage cycling in (a) the City of Gloucester and (b) the rest of Gloucestershire. [167596]

Mr. McNulty: The Department does not hold information for the City of Gloucester specifically, but by the end of the period 2000–01 to 2005–06, Gloucestershire county council and South Gloucestershire council project that they will have spent £4.5 million of Local Transport Plan funding on cycling schemes.

Both authorities have now drawn up action plans to improve their performance on cycling, building on a review of promotion and provision carried out by the English Regions Cycling Development Team.

Green Transport Schemes

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made on the Department's strategy towards the implementation of green transport schemes. [167974]

 
26 Apr 2004 : Column 779W
 

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 April 2004]: The main focus of the Department's work to promote sustainable travel is by supporting the development and implementation of school and workplace travel plans. However, the Department also promotes and supports other sustainable travel measures such as car clubs and car sharing.

On 17 September last year, the Secretaries of State for Transport and for Education and Skills published "Travelling to School: An Action Plan" and announced £50 million funding over the next two years to support this. The Action Plan asks schools and local authorities to work together to develop and implement travel plans for all schools before the end of the decade.

We have also announced the continuation of our £500,000 a year programme of free Site Specific Advice to help organisations develop workplace, tourism and leisure site travel plans.

Motorcycle Diesel Spillage

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many (a) accidents and (b) fatal accidents involving motorcycles diesel spillage has been found to be a cause or a contributory factor in each of the last three years. [168625]

Mr. Jamieson: The available information does not   indicate whether diesel spillage was a cause or contributory factor in accidents. However the following table shows the number of accidents where at least one two wheeled motor vehicle was involved and where oil or diesel was present.

	Fatal	Serious	Slight	Total
2002	0	35	166	201
2001	1	32	168	201
2000	1	37	178	216

Rail Review

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a report on the current rail review. [168072]

Mr. McNulty: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, said in his Statement to the House on 19 January, the review's conclusions will be published in the summer.

Railways

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many peak-time train services serving (a) Chelsfield, (b) Knockholt and (c) Dunton Green (i) there are at present and (ii) are proposed by the Strategic Rail Authority in the Integrated Kent Franchise. [167651]

 
26 Apr 2004 : Column 780W
 

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 April 2004]: The numbers of peak trains (arriving at the London terminus between 0700 and 0959) are:

	Present	Proposed
Chelsfield	12	6
Knockholt	7	3
Dunton Green	7	3

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the passenger usage data for (a) Chelsfield, (b) Knockholt and (c) Dunton Green that the Strategic Rail Authority used in their consultation document on the Integrated Kent Franchise, broken down by (i) passengers buying season tickets and those not and (ii) passengers taking fast peak-hour trains to London and those taking slow, stopping trains in the peak period. [167652]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 April 2004]: This information is not available in the format requested. Ticket information for the year 2002–03 suggests that the average number of passenger journeys to and from these stations per day was:

	Season	Ordinary	Total
Chelsfield	1,700	350	2,050
Knockholt	180	130	310
Dunton Green	110	40	150

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions were made by the Strategic Rail Authority in the Integrated Kent Franchise document about (a) current and (b) future capacity in the peak-hour train services between Chelsfield, Knockholt, Dunton Green and London. [167653]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 April 2004]: Based on current rolling stock diagrams, and assumed train formations under IKF, the total number of seats on trains that stop at these stations in the morning peak period will be as follows:

	Current	Proposed
Chelsfield	8,200	4,620
Knockholt	5,300	2,310
Dunton Green	5,300	2310

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions were made by the Strategic Rail Authority in the Integrated Kent Franchise about the number of peak-time passengers who will be diverted from (a) Chelsfield, (b) Knockholt and (c) Dunton Green to other stations because of the reduction in services; and what plans there are to (i) identify and (ii) address the consequences of diversion of passengers for (A) car parking and (B) disabled access. [167654]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 April 2004]: The modelling work undertaken to date has been at a strategic level. Bidders for the Integrated Kent
 
26 Apr 2004 : Column 781W
 
Franchise will be expected to tailor train capacity and local infrastructure based on their own demand forecasts.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Rail Review is expected to be completed; and when he plans to make a statement. [167973]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 23 April 2004]: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, said in his Statement to the House on 19 January, the review's conclusions will be published in the summer.

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the owners of rolling stock leased by train operators. [168181]

Mr. McNulty: Virtually all the rolling stock leased by passenger train operating companies is owned by either Porterbrook Leasing, HSBC, Angel Trains or Halifax Asset Financing.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the progress being made in improving disabled access to trains; [168659]

(2) if he will bring forward the end date for inaccessible trains to 2020. [168662]

Mr. McNulty: Since the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations into force in 1999, hundreds of new trains, which comply with the high standards of access for disabled people required by the regulations, have been introduced. These include 1,400 new carriages which have come into service in the last 2½ years. Another 1,000 are due in the next 18 months. In addition, many older trains, while not meeting full RVAR standards already have wheelchair accommodation and other features to assist disabled passengers.

We have recently consulted on a number of proposals to amend the rail provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. These include setting an 'end date' by which time all rail vehicles would have to comply with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations. We have not yet taken a final decision on the best date to set. We are currently analysing the consultation responses and looking carefully at the costs and benefits of a range of options, including 2020. We will consult on the draft regulations needed to implement our proposals when the required new primary legislation is introduced in the form of the Disability Discrimination Bill.

---