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19 Oct 2004 : Column 605W—continued

Mobile Phones

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many mobile phones were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in her Department in each year since 1997; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; and what their cost was. [191432]

Mr. Caborn: The number of mobile phones used by Ministers, special advisers and officials in the Department is as follows:

		Mobile phones used by
	Total handsets	Officials	Ministers	Special advisers
1998	30	27	3	—
1999	36	33	3	—
2000	39	36	3	—
2001	43	39	3	1
2002	50	46	3	1
2003	57	54	2	1
2004	68	65	2	1

It is not possible to provide figures for 1997.

Lost or stolen during same period:

	Number
1998	4
1999	0
2000	0
2001	0
2002	1
2003	0
2004	0

The cost to my Department of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials was £25,500 in 2000–01, £21,000 in 2001–02, £29,000 in 2002–03 and £36,000 in 2003–04. It is not possible to provide figures prior to 2000 save at disproportionate cost.

New Opportunities Fund

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund has been allocated to Carlisle in each year since 1997. [191571]

Estelle Morris: The following amounts have been allocated by the New Opportunities Fund in Carlisle in each year since 1997:

	Amount (£)
1999	1,990,623
2000	377,381
2001	1,442,965
2002	1,318,532
2003	887,146
2004	(21)6,010

⁽²¹⁾ To date


 
19 Oct 2004 : Column 606W
 

The information is freely available from the Department's searchable Lottery award database at www.lottery.culture.gsi.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

TRANSPORT

Nottingham Tram Extension

13. Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will decide on funding for the proposed Nottingham tram extension. [192000]

Mr. McNulty: The Department has received a bid for the extensions, but is awaiting more detail on the procurement and financing aspects. A decision will then be made on whether to grant approval in principle.

Disabled Parking Bays

15. Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the provision of disabled parking bays. [192002]

Charlotte Atkins: Advice has been issued to local authorities about the provision of such parking bays.

Authorities also have powers to designate a space outside a disabled people's residence. In deciding whether to do so they will take account of local traffic management issues, as well as the needs of the person requesting the space.

Public Service Order Obligations (Air Services)

16. Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement regarding the provision of public service order obligations for regional air services. [192003]

Mr. Darling: The Department for Transport is currently consulting in relation to the implementation of Public Service Obligations. The consultation was due to run for three months but has been extended to end on 8 November.

A1 Roundabouts (East Midlands)

17. John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when construction work will begin on replacing the roundabouts on the A1 in the east midlands. [192004]

Mr. Jamieson: Following the outcome of the recent Spending Review 2004, we are currently considering funding allocations across departmental programmes, including all schemes in the Targeted Programme of Trunk Road Improvements. I shall not be in a position to confirm when construction work on replacing the roundabouts on the Al in the east midlands will begin until this exercise has been completed. I will write to my hon. Friend when the position is clearer.
 
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Ferry Safety

19. Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the seafaring unions on (a) ship safety and (b) crewing levels on ferries. [192007]

Mr. Jamieson: None. However, officials in my Department and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency meet regularly with representatives of the seafaring unions through formal committees and day-to-day contact to discuss matters related to the safety of ships, their crews, passengers and cargoes.

A36

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the speed limit on the A36(T) between Salisbury and Wilton has been reduced to 40 mph. [191763]

Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency has a temporary speed restriction order in place on this section of the A36 between Salisbury and Wilton given that the new lighting columns are not protected by safety barriers.

The need for either speed restrictions or safety barriers has arisen from a recent change in the standards for provision of road restraint systems. The installation of safety barriers at this location is not feasible due to space constraints as there is a footpath between the road and the lighting columns.

The agency is investigating the feasibility of making the temporary Traffic Regulation Order permanent and is currently consulting other interested parties.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the 40 mph speed limit on the A36(T) west of the Wiltshire county boundary has not been extended in a similar way to the speed limit on the Hampshire side of the boundary. [191769]

Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency has undertaken a consultation with a number of statutory bodies regarding the reduction of the speed limit on the A36 from 50 to 40 mph on the Wiltshire side of the county boundary. The agency has, however, received objections from some consultees to the proposed reduced speed limit.

The agency is currently progressing a scheme to introduce a package of traffic calming measures on this section of the A36. These measures should address the issues raised in the objections.

It is anticipated that the safety measures will be introduced early next year. The Highways Agency will then be in a position to re-apply for the reduction of the speed limit from 50 mph to 40mph.

Birmingham North Relief Road

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it cost per mile to build the Birmingham North Relief Road; and what the latest average cost per mile to build a motorway is under conventional procurement procedures. [189576]

 
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Mr. Jamieson: The 27 mile M6 Toll (formerly known as the Birmingham Northern Relief Road) was privately financed by Midlands Expressway-Ltd. (MEL) under a 53 year concession agreement awarded by the Government in 1992. The construction costs awarded by MEL to its contractor at tender stage were £485.5 million. The overall costs are a matter for MEL but I understand that the development cost incurred is in the region of £900 million. This includes the cost of land, interest on loans, consultancy, management, and legal fees.

The cost of building a new dual 3-lane rural motorway, with hard shoulder, is currently estimated by the Highways Agency to be between £20 and £25 million per mile. However, there are many variables to be considered in arriving at a figure for the cost of creating a new length of motorway, including the difference between urban and rural areas. Factors such as quality of land, geology, drainage, environmental mitigation, traffic management and restricted access can all have a significant bearing on costs.

Commercial Cargoes

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he can exercise to prevent the transportation of cargoes (a) in UK waters and (b) beyond the UK limit. [190626]

Mr. Jamieson: The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which the UK acceded in 1997, gives rights of innocent passage through territorial waters and rights of navigation on the high seas. The Secretary of State has no powers to curtail such rights which benefit UK ships in particular and world trade in general. Other international Conventions allow the UK as a port state to inspect ships upon port entry and if necessary detain them if found defective.

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