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13 May 2004 : Column 494W—continued
Railway Stations
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many stations are not served by at least one train in each direction on one or more weekdays each week; [171941]
(2) which stations are not served by trains on (a) Saturdays and (b) Sundays; [171942]
(3) which stations are served by one train a week in each direction; [171943]
(4) which stations are served by fewer than 14 trains a week. [171944]
Mr. McNulty: The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost because it would involve very detailed analysis of the National Rail Timetable, table by table.
Railway Travel Bans
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals have been banned from travelling on the railways in each year since 1997. [171905]
Mr. McNulty: The British Transport Police (BTP) has only had the power to apply for ASBOs (antisocial behaviour orders) since December 2003. Since then the BTP have successfully applied for 52 orders. There are also presently 30 suspects who have football banning orders that stop people from travelling on the railway on certain match days.
Rural Bus Services
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the numbers of (i) rural bus services and (ii) rural bus passengers during the last five years. [172518]
Mr. McNulty: We monitor annually the number of services supported by local authorities with funds provided under the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) scheme and the number of passenger journeys made on these services. In 1998, the year the grant was introduced, it provided 850 new and enhanced services, rising to over 2,100 services in 2002–03. In 2002–03 26 million passenger journeys were supported in England through RBSG.
We have commissioned research into the impact of the Department's two funding streams for rural bus services, RBSG and the Rural Bus Challenge. A report is on the Department's website.
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We also monitor the accessibility of rural communities to bus services through the National Travel Survey. The latest Survey published in December 2003 shows 48 per cent. of rural households to be within a 10 minutes walk of an hourly or better bus service compared to 39 per cent. in the 1997–1999 Survey. This shows the position for all bus services, including those supported by RBSG.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government funding has been provided for rural bus services in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [172519]
Mr. McNulty: The following table shows specific rural bus funding provided by Government since 1998 the year each of the funding schemes concerned were introduced:
| Countryside Agency grants(6) | Rural Bus Challenge(7) | Rural Bus Subsidy Grant | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2.3 | 11.4 | 24.1 | 37.8 |
| 1999–2000 | 3.3 | 16.8 | 32.0 | 52.1 |
| 2000–01 | 4.8 | 21.2 | 32.3 | 58.2 |
| 2001–02 | 7.5 | 20.5 | 41.2 | 69.2 |
| 2002–03 | 13.5 | 20.0 | 47.3 | 80.8 |
| 2003–04 | 35 | 20.3 | 48.4 | 103.7 |
(6) Countryside Agency Grants 1998–2000 Rural Transport Partnership (RTF) and Rural Transport Development Fund, since 2001 RTF and Parish Transport Grant.
(7) Rural Bus Challenge funding awarded for projects typically lasting 2–3 years.
In addition local transport authorities use some of their general funding to subsidise socially necessary local bus services in rural areas, and Bus Service Operators Grant is paid to bus operators and community transport providers.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the expected level of subsidy for rural bus services for future years. [172520]
Mr. McNulty: As announced in the 2003 Budget, Rural Bus Subsidy Grant will continue until April 2006. Allocations to local authorities for 2005–06 will be announced in due course. Decisions on the grant beyond that year, and on the future of the Rural Bus Challenge scheme, will be announced following completion of the current review of bus subsidies and the Government's Spending Review.
Shell Haven
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the risk relating to explosives remaining on the SS Richard Montgomery in the Thames from the possible operation of Shell Haven Port; and if he will make a statement. [172560]
Mr. Jamieson:
The main Yantlet shipping channel is over 2 km from the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, and is separated by the extensive Nore Sands sandbank. This whole area lies within Port of London Authority jurisdiction, and they have undertaken a risk assessment of the whole London
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Gateway Project. This suggests that there would be no additional risk from vessel movements which could not be handled by the Vessel Traffic Services.
Special Advisers
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many special advisers and political advisers were employed by his Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997. [171962]
Mr. McNulty: The following table states the numbers of special advisers employed in the Department for Transport and its predecessors since 1997.
Title of Department | Number of special advisers in post | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Department for Transport | 1 |
| 2003 | Department for Transport | 2 |
| 2002 | Department for Transport | 2 |
| 2001 | Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions | 2 |
| 2000 | Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions | 1 |
| 1999 | Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions | 1 |
| 1998 | Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions | 2 |
| 1997 | Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions | 2 |
Speed Cameras
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cameras at legacy sites meet the Government's criteria for the siting of speed cameras; and if he will make a statement. [171892]
Mr. Jamieson: These safety camera sites were established before the current criteria for location of new safety cameras, under the guidance contained in the 1992 Circular 'Use of technology for traffic enforcement: Guidance on deployment', which asked highway authorities to base sites on systematic analysis of accident statistics, but did not set quantified criteria.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money raised through speed cameras has been returned to the Treasury in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [171893]
Mr. Jamieson: Safety Camera Partnerships operating within the cost recovery scheme returned £6,281,051 of their receipts resulting from fixed penalty fines to the Treasury in 2001–02. The figures for 2002–03 will be available shortly. All fine receipts resulting from safety cameras operated outside the cost recovery scheme accrue to the Treasury. I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary that information on the amount of these receipts relating to convictions from safety cameras is not separately identifiable.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many legacy camera sites maintained cameras with film in them on 31 March. [171921]
Mr. Jamieson:
Any safety camera housing may have a camera operating in it at any time, deployment of cameras around safety camera sites is a police operational matter.
13 May 2004 : Column 497W
Timber
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to contribute financially to the establishment of the second phase of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. [167619]
Mr. McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Agri-Environment on 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 31W.
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