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19 May 2004 : Column 1001W—continued
Railways
Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ask Network Rail to launch an urgent inquiry into track quality between Holyhead and Chester. [174069]
Mr. McNulty: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. However, Network Rail advises me that it is already undertaking a comprehensive programme to manage and monitor the track quality in this area and, at the same time, is investing to upgrade the track.
Rural Buses
Mr. Damian Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the £263 million cited in
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paragraph 5.14 on page 52 of his Department's Annual Report 2004 comes through the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and Rural and Urban Bus Challenge. [174167]
Mr. McNulty: In 2002–03, this Department paid a total of £74.7 million to local authorities under its three bus grant schemes. This consisted of £47.3 million under the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, £18.2 million under the Rural Bus Challenge and £9.2 million under the Urban Bus Challenge.
Speed Cameras
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to increase the number of speed cameras in the Humberside area. [171774]
Dr. Howells: Approval has been given to the request by the Humberside Safety Camera Partnership to place four additional fixed camera sites and 13 additional mobile camera sites in the 2004–05 financial year.
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the (a) installation costs and (b) annual maintenance and running costs of a speed camera. [171894]
Mr. Jamieson: The estimated cost of installing a camera site is around £7,000. The estimated cost of a speed or traffic light enforcement camera, which may be used at a site continuously or from time to time, is around £38,000.
Average running costs are estimated at around £5,000 per annum per camera site.
Transport Direct
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards delivering the targets relating to Transport Direct set out in the 10- year plan; and when he expects remaining components to be operational. [170867]
Dr. Howells: Transport Direct has overseen the implementation of 19 local authority schemes, which have resulted in approximately 40 per cent. of the English bus fleet having real-time capability. Also, real-time operating information for the whole rail network has been put in place.
The development of the internet portal was completed in November 2003. The portal will allow the user to plan multi-modal journeys, book long-distance tickets and consult internet maps. It will be first available to the public in summer 2004, as opposed to the 10-year plan target of 2003.
The portal is currently integrated with 12 remote journey planners, three retailers and several real-time travel information providers. The prime cause of delay in launching the portal has been the need to fully integrate all these services with the portal and to test the resultant outputs.
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HEALTH
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost was of performing abortions in NHS hospitals in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [165975]
(2) how many abortions have been performed under the Abortion Act 1967; and how many were performed to save the life of the mother. [165976]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The number of abortions performed in England and Wales on residents of England and Wales in the years 1968 to 2002 was 4.73 million. Of these 39,757 were performed under Sections 1(1)(c) and 1(4) of the Abortion Act 1967. These are cases where the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, or where the termination is immediately necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
The cost of performing abortions in national health service hospitals in England was £32.7 million in 2000–01, £35.7 million in 2001–02 and £38.2 million in 2002–03.
Agency Fees
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2004, Official Report, column 1127W, on agency fees, what definition has been used of non-NHS staff. [172813]
Mr. Hutton: The figures for non-national health service staff include all expenditure on agency staff and any other temporary staff not directly employed by NHS trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. Separate information on agency staff is not collected.
Allied Health Professions
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) consultants and (b) clinical specialists he estimates will be appointed within the allied health professions in the next (i) 12 months and (ii) 12 to 24 months; [173722]
(2) if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting targets for the number of consultants within the allied health professions; [173725]
(3) how many (a) clinical specialists and (b) consultants there are within the allied health professions. [173733]
Mr. Hutton:
Information on numbers of clinical specialists in the allied health professions in England is not collected centrally. The Department's non-medical
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workforce census records that there were 20 allied health professions consultants in England on 30 September 2003. In neither case have we made estimates of numbers for future periods.
Ambulances (Speeding)
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance drivers have been recorded as speeding by speed cameras while answering 999 calls in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; what the total cost has been to ambulance trusts; and if he will make a statement. [173021]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 17 May 2004]: The information requested is not collected centrally.
However, the Department is aware that speeding tickets issued to ambulances on emergency journeys are creating extra administration costs in some areas. Officials have already had useful discussions with the Home Office and are working closely with them to provide a solution.
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received in respect of ambulance drivers recorded as speeding by speed cameras when answering 999 calls; and if he will make a statement. [173022]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 17 May 2004]: The Department is aware that speeding tickets issued to ambulances on emergency journeys are creating extra administration costs in some areas. Officials have already had useful discussions with the Home Office and are working closely with them to provide a solution.
The issue of speeding tickets has been raised with the Department in a Lord's starred question, in questions from hon. and right hon. Members and by the Ambulance Service Association.
Barbecued Food
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many food poisoning incidents relating to barbecued food were recorded in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [172702]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Health Protection Agency receives reports of outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in England and Wales. A summary of the outbreaks from 1997 to 2003 that were reported as being associated with barbecues or with barbecued food is shown in the table.
However, outbreaks account for only a small proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases of IID (probably around 5 per cent.). The majority of cases are sporadic and in such cases, it is usually impossible to determine the source of infection. Laboratory confirmed cases of IID themselves represent only a fraction of all cases.
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Pathogen | Location | Number ill | Month of onset | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Salmonella Virchow PT8 | Restaurant | 3 | April | Chicken (BBQ) |
| 1998 | Escherichia coli 0157 | School | 2 | May | Sausages at BBQ |
| 2000 | Campylobacter | BBQ at Residential institution | 21 | May | BBQ held for residents and staff |
| 2001 | Salmonella Enteritidis PT6 | BBQ at Private House | 22 | Sept | Tiramisu |
(7) Provisional for 2003.
Note:
There were no outbreaks of IID associated with barbecues in 1999, 2002 and 2003.
Source:
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Gastrointestinal Diseases Department, Health Protection Agency.
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