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5 Jul 2004 : Column 480W—continued
Motorcycling
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the (a) benefits and (b) value for money of each of the motorcycling task groups; what the outcome of each task group was; and when the task groups met. [180880]
Mr. Jamieson: The Advisory Group on Motorcycling established five task forces to consider integration and traffic management, vehicle safety and security, environmental and fiscal issues, research, and statistics. They have been meeting as necessary since 1999. Their initial work was detailed in the Interim Report of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling published in April 2001 (and placed in the House Library).
The work of the Advisory Group is nearing completion and its final report will be published during summer. The task forces will be making recommendations to Government based on the outcome of their work; these will be included in the report. However it would be difficult to assess the value for money of the task forces. The nature of their work does not involve specific costs and benefits which can be quantified. But the work of the Advisory Group is highly valued by Government arid will be an essential input to the Government's future motorcycling strategy.
National Travel Survey
John Thurso:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) number and (b) distance of trips calculated by the National Travel Survey was by
5 Jul 2004 : Column 481W
(i) car driver, (ii) car passenger, (iii) bus, (iv) walking and (v) other modes of transport broken down by (A) commuting, (B) business, (C) education, (D) escort education, (E) shopping and (F) other reasons, broken down by (1) sex and (2) those (aa) under 17 years, (bb) 17 to 29 years, (cc) 30 to 49 years, (dd) 50 to 59 years and (ee) over 60 years in the most recent three-year period for which results are available. [180823]
Mr. McNulty: A summary of the information for 1999–2001 will be placed in the Libraries of the House. The sample sizes of the National Travel Survey are too small to provide a full breakdown at the requested level of detail.
Oil Transfers (Lyme Bay)
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 71W, on Oil Transfers (Lyme Bay), how many individual transfers of oil took place for each vessel off the coast of South Devon in Lyme Bay in each of the last 10 years. [178920]
Mr. Jamieson: Each ship to ship transfer operation before 2003 involved a single transfer of oil from one ship to another. The three transfers in 2003 involved 16 individual transfers of oil and 19 separate ships.
Pay Rates (Ships)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the levels of payment for ratings working on UK-registered ships. [181440]
Mr. Jamieson: Subject to the provisions of the national minimum wage, rates of pay are matters for negotiation between employers and employees.
Ports (Security)
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many official breaches of security have taken place at UK ports in each year since 2003, broken down by port and type of breach. [180888]
Mr. Jamieson: It is not the practice to disclose such security information.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the enforcement notices under provisions of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 which have been served on UK harbour authorities and harbour operators since 1 January 2003; and what the reasons were in each case for serving the notice. [180889]
Mr. Jamieson: No enforcement notices have been issued since 1 January 2003.
Press Releases
John Thurso:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what occasions press releases have been released on behalf of (a) his Department, (b) the Highways Agency, (c) the Health and Safety Executive, (d) other departmental agencies and (e) other transport non-departmental public bodies by the Government News Network North East in each year
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since 2002, broken down by those releases which are (i) regionally generated and (ii) despatched for the national department. [180855]
Mr. McNulty: Press releases have been issued by the Government News Network North East on behalf of the Department for Transport, the Highways Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and other departmental agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 2002 as follows:
| Department | Total dispatched | Regionally generated | Dispatched regionally for national Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department for Transport(7) | 62 | 28 | 34 |
| Highways Agency | 54 | 43 | 11 |
| HSE | 55 | 27 | 18 |
| Other agencies | 10 | 10 | — |
| Other non-departmental bodies | — | — | — |
| Total | 181 | 108 | 63 |
(7) Includes transport releases while as part of the former DTLR.
| Department | Total dispatched | Regionally generated | Dispatched regionally for national Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department for Transport | 36 | 13 | 23 |
| Highways Agency | 62 | 56 | 6 |
| HSE | 51 | 31 | 20 |
| Other agencies | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| Other non-departmental bodies | — | — | — |
| Total | 161 | 109 | 52 |
| Department | Total dispatched | Regionally generated | Dispatched regionally for national Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department for Transport | 26 | 17 | 9 |
| Highways Agency | 33 | 22 | 11 |
| HSE | 26 | 14 | 12 |
| Other agencies | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Other non-departmental bodies | — | — | — |
| Total | 94 | 58 | 36 |
Quality Partnerships
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many quality partnerships are in operation, broken down by local authority area. [181270]
Mr. McNulty:
All quality partnerships currently in operation are voluntary agreements, which do not need to be notified to central Government, as distinct from statutory schemes made under the Transport Act 2000, which need to be registered with the traffic commissioner for the relevant area. There is no agreed definition of a non-statutory quality partnership and some partnership agreements cover more than one area or corridor. Comprehensive information is therefore not available. However, a survey in 2001 found that quality partnership schemes existed or were being developed in 65 of the 85 local transport authority areas of England. The number may well have increased since 2001.
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The first statutory quality partnership schemes under the Transport Act 2000 are expected to come into operation later this year.
Railways
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times each rail franchise holder has asked to exceed the prescribed maximum journey times; how many times these requests have been (a) approved and (b) denied; and if he will list the approvals granted. [180822]
Mr. McNulty: The answer in the format requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Train operating companies (TOCs) confirm to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) that their bid for timetabling paths delivers the passenger service requirement (PSR), which specifies maximum journey times. TOCs may seek derogations from the SRA where elements of the PSR cannot be delivered. The SRA reviews and considers each derogation request on its merits.
Minor compromises to the TOCs bids are also made by Network Rail which can extend the journey times by small amounts in defined circumstances. The SRA's contract with TOCs permits this to happen without permission and such incidences are numerous. On occasions this may cause a journey time to be extended beyond the maximum specified in the PSR.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidences of arson on the railways there were in each month since March 2003, broken down by (a) train operating company and (b) location. [180741]
Mr. McNulty: The British Transport Police have provided the following figures which cover incidences of arson in England, Scotland and Wales.
Such offences cover: (i) building works; (ii) rolling stock; (iii) endangering life; and (iv) other.
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Scotland uses the term "fire-raising" rather than "arson" when recording such crimes. The British Transport Police are unable to provide these figures by TOC or location.
| April 2003 | 52 |
| May 2003 | 19 |
| June 2003 | 32 |
| July 2003 | 39 |
| August 2003 | 38 |
| September 2003 | 50 |
| October 2003 | 39 |
| November 2003 | 27 |
| December 2003 | 31 |
| January 2004 | 22 |
| February 2004 | 36 |
| March 2004 | 33 |
| Total 2003–04 | 418 |
| April 2004 | 31 |
| May 2004 | 28 |
| Total (2 month) | 59 |
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Rail Passenger Partnership. [180744]
Mr. McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) suspended the Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) scheme to new bids in January 2003 for budgetary reasons. All contractually committed schemes are being honoured. These represent a total SRA commitment of more than £80m in RPP funding since the scheme was launched in November 1999.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the Strategic Rail Authority Performance Fund schemes (a) which have commenced, (b) where feasibility studies (i) have been completed and (ii) are continuing, (c) which have been placed on hold and (d) have been cancelled, indicating in each case funding from the Strategic Rail Authority (A) awarded, (B) approved and (C) projected in 2004–05. [180745]
Mr. McNulty: The information is in the following tables. Feasibility studies were completed for each scheme. No schemes have been cancelled.
| Project | Sponsor | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modification package to Class 158 vehicles | Scotrail | 750,000 | 550,000 | — | 1,300,000 |
| Fitment of sanders to Class 156 | Central | 29,611 | 52,368 | — | 81,979 |
| Integrated Network Control Infrastructure (INCI) start-up funding | SWT | 587,500 | 0 | — | 587,500 |
| Brighton to Balcombe Route upgrade | NR | 732,134 | 0 | — | 732,134 |
| Compass upgrade | FGE | 64,100 | 0 | — | 64,100 |
| Additional Platform at Swindon (Platform 4) | |||||
| Long lead items | FGW | 160,000 | 0 | — | 160,000 |
| Goods loop design | NR | 200,000 | 0 | — | 200,000 |
| Construction | NR | 4,881,290 | 628,500 | 290,000 | 5,799,790 |
| TMIS for Bristol Temple Meads | Wessex | 6,454 | 0 | — | 6,454 |
| Class 321 door relays | FGE | 27,105 | 201,250 | — | 228,355 |
| Guilford north sidings electrification | NR | 76,175 | 0 | — | 76,175 |
| Class 507/508 axle 3 sanders | ATN | 0 | 769,100 | — | 769,100 |
| Replacement of windscreen wipers to entire DMU fleet | W&B | 0 | 125,000 | — | 125,000 |
| Replacement of windscreen wipers to entire DMU fleet | Wessex | 0 | 104,000 | — | 104,000 |
| Total | 7,514,369 | 2,430,218 | 290,000 | 10,234,587 |
5 Jul 2004 : Column 485W
| Project | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Acton Yard remodelling | EWS/NR | Deferred due to RPF suspension |
| Feasibility study | ||
| Construction | ||
| Earlswood Crossover Enhanced Renewal | NR | Deferred due to RPF suspension |
| FGW—HST air supply system upgrade | FGW | Deferred due to RPF suspension |
| Power supply reliability and reinstatement | FNW/NR | Deferred due to RPF suspension |
| Raynes Park Turnback Facility | NR | Deferred due to RPF suspension |
| SWT—New footbridge at Wimbledon | SWT | Insufficient information/RPF suspended |
| Shelters at key stations | SWT | Insufficient information/RPF suspended |
| Diverse Routing for TDM Telecom Circuits | Virgin/NR | Insufficient information/RPF suspended |
| WAGN—Class 317 traction motor modification | WAGN | Deferred due to RPF suspension |
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the total level of Rail Passenger Partnership funding (a) paid in 2003–04 and (b) to be paid in 2004–05 by the Strategic Rail Authority, with particular reference to the nature of the schemes to which such funding would be directed. [180749]
Mr. McNulty: £19,957,913 was paid in 2003–04, and £21,450,191 is contractually committed to be paid in 2004–05. The funding assists new or enhanced passenger rail services and facilities which contribute to the Government's wider objectives, including modal shift and integration with other modes, but which typically are not able to earn commercial returns.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much new rolling stock was ordered in each year since 2001 for each train operating company, broken down by type; [180841]
(2) what types of and how much new rolling stock have been ordered in each year since 2002 by each train operating company. [180879]
Mr. McNulty: The following tables show the new rolling stock that has been ordered since 2001 by train operator and type.
| Operator | Number of vehicles | Type of vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Arriva Trains Northern | 8 | Electric multiple unit |
| Chiltern | 7 | Diesel multiple unit |
| Great Eastern | 84 | Electric multiple unit |
| Midland Main Line | 10 | Diesel multiple unit |
| South Central | 240 | Electric multiple unit |
| South West Trains | 785 | Electric multiple unit |
| Operator | Number of vehicles | Type of vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Great Eastern | 8 | Diesel multiple unit |
| South Eastern Trains | 408 | Electric multiple unit |
| Midland Main Line | 127 | Diesel multiple unit |
| South Central | 460 | Electric multiple unit |
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| Operator | Number of vehicles | Type of vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Chiltern | 6 | Diesel multiple unit |
| Scotrail | 87 | Diesel multiple unit |
| South Central | 42 | Diesel multiple unit |
| Transpennine | 153 | Diesel multiple unit |
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what powers the Rail Regulator has to oblige train operating companies to make working toilets available to passengers on trains; and what regulations exist to oblige train operating companies to make working toilets available to passengers on trains; [180842]
(2) what powers the Strategic Rail Authority has to oblige train operating companies to making working toilets available to passengers on trains. [180843]
Mr. McNulty: Neither the Rail Regulator nor the Strategic Rail Authority has specific powers to oblige operators to provide toilets on trains. It would be inappropriate to give them such powers when not all rolling stock is fitted with toilets. Operators will, however, make the most of their commercial opportunities only where they meet the demands of passengers. Where toilets are provided on trains they are subject to normal environmental health requirements.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many broken rails there were on Britain's railways in each year since 2000–01. [180845]
Mr. McNulty: Network Rail advises that the annual totals of broken rails are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 706 |
| 2001–02 | 536 |
| 2002–03 | 444 |
| 2003–04 | 334 |
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the use of special purpose vehicles for securing third party investment in major infrastructure works on the railway; and what projects are (a) under way and (b) proposed. [180858]
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Mr. McNulty: Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) are developed to take forward particular infrastructure: upgrades. The Chiltern Line upgrade has been taken forward in this way and it is proposed that in future such schemes as the East London Line project will also be taken forward by an SPV.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of trains running into (a) cows, (b) horses and (c) other animals where the animals were subsequently (i) killed, (ii) injured and (iii) retrieved from railway lines there were in each year since 2001–02. [180859]
Mr. McNulty: The Health and Safety Executive (USE) has provided the following information on the number of incidents involving trains striking animals for the period 1 April 2001–31 March 2004 in the table below:
| 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cows | 50 | 57 | 36 |
| Horses | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Other Animals | 50 | 47 | 34 |
| Total | 106 | 111 | 75 |
(8) Provisional figures
The data is based on trains striking animals on the railway network, reportable by the railways to HSE's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95). Under RIDDOR the railways are required to report all incidents of a train striking a cow or horse, and for all other animals, where the train sustains damage requiring immediate or temporary repairs. There is no requirement under RIDDOR to report if the animal was killed or injured or if retrieved from the line. Trains only resume their journeys when it is safe to do so.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) warning letters and (b) enforcement notices have been given by the Health and Safety Executive to (i) Railtrack and (ii) train operating companies for each year since 2001–02, broken down by type. [180865]
Mr. McNulty: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that warning letters are not a formal enforcement tool and that it is not possible to provide figures for the number of letters it has written to railway dutyholders raising issues that need to be addressed as HSE corresponds with dutyholders on a range of issues and such letters are not separately identified.
The HSE's Railway Inspectorate has issued the following number of enforcement notices each year since 2001–02:
| (i) Railtrack plc/network rail | (ii) Train operating companies | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 51 | 58 |
| 2002–03 | 46 | 33 |
| 2003–04 | 26 | 16 |
HSE describes some of its enforcement activities in its Annual Reports on Railway Safety, copies of which are
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available from the House Library. HSE plans to publish its Annual Report on Railway Safety for 2003–04 in the autumn.
Details of these enforcement notices are publicly available on HSE's website at http://www.hse-databases.co.uk/notices/.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the arrangements by which train operating companies (a) purchase and (b) lease rolling stock from rolling stock companies. [180866]
Mr. McNulty: Whether changes are needed to the present arrangements in this area is among the issues being considered as part of the rail review announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 19 January.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the total length of track on the rail network which has been replaced was in each year since 2000 (a) in total, (b) subdivided by zonal area and (c) subdivided by train operating company area; [180867]
(2) how many speed restrictions on railways there were for each month since June 2001 (a) in total and (b) subdivided by zonal area; [180872]
(3) what the length of railway track not meeting the minimum required standard for each year since 1997 was (a) in total and (b) subdivided by zonal area; [180873]
(4) how many reported signal failures there were on the railway infrastructure controlled by Railtrack for each month since November 2001. [180874]
Mr. McNulty: These are operational matters for Network Rail. I have passed these questions to Network Rail, for them to respond directly to the hon. Member.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state, for each train operating company (a) when the franchise was first renewed, (b) the length of the original franchise awarded, (c) the dates on which the franchise has since been awarded, (d) when the franchise is next due to be awarded and (e) details of changes in the ownership which have taken place since the franchise was first awarded. [180875]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place in the Library the number of each different type of rolling stock in use by each train operator, indicating those which are Mark 1 slam door vehicles; [180876]
(2) what the current life expiry of rolling stock on the network is, broken down by (a) vehicle type, (b) number of vehicles and (c) franchises. [180909]
Mr. McNulty:
The life of rolling stock can change for a number of reasons. Major refurbishments and mandatory modifications are examples. It is therefore impossible to be certain about the last date of a vehicle's operation. The table, which has been placed in the Libraries of the House, nevertheless shows the date when vehicles are currently expected to be removed from passenger service.
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John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) passengers in excess of capacity and (b) total number of passengers figure was (i) for each London commuting service train operator, and (ii) in total, broken down into (A) am peak, (B) pm peak and (C) total; and what the total number was of peak passengers into London for (1) am peak, (2) pm peak and (3) in total for each London commuting service train operator as measured in the annual surveys since 2001. [180905]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
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