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Vanessa Arscott

Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he had at his recent meeting with the Thai Prime Minister on the death of Ms Vanessa Arscott of Ashburton. [193844]

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister raised the murders of Vanessa Arscott and her partner Adam Lloyd when he met Prime Minister Thaksin on 8 October, and thanked the Thai authorities for their work in arresting the suspect.
 
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TRANSPORT

Aircraft Transponders

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what exemptions he will be introducing to the mandatory installation of Mode S transponders in aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [193032]

Charlotte Atkins: Legislation to require the carriage of Mode S transponders in aircraft will be introduced in two phases. The first of these will take effect from 31 March 2005 and will apply only to aircraft with a take off mass of more than 5,700kgs and a maximum cruising true airspeed of more than 250 knots that fly under Instrument Flight Rules. This does not include the majority of General Aviation aircraft. Exemptions to the carriage requirements are permitted for certain technical reasons and for those aircraft that infrequently operate under Instrument Flight Rules. The full details of the exemption criteria are available on the Eurocontrol website www.eurocontrol.int/mode s.

The second phase of Mode S introduction is expected to take effect on 31 March 2008. The details of the widened mandate and the associated exemption policy have not yet been decided. The Civil Aviation Authority will conduct a wide-ranging consultation on these issues commencing next year.

Air Navigation Services

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to charge aircraft flying under visual flight rules for aircraft navigation services; and if he will make a statement; [193031]

(2) what plans he has to provide non-commercial air traffic with air navigation services without charge; and if he will make a statement; [193033]

(3) what plans he has to impose Eurocontrol charges on aircraft with maximum take off weight below 2,000 kilograms; and if he will make a statement; [193035]

(4) what plans he has to impose Eurocontrol charges on (a) gliders, (b) microlight aircraft, (c) hangliders, (d) paragliders and (e) balloons; and if he will make a statement; [193036]

(5) what plans he has to charge for air navigation services in airspace classified as (a) E, (b) F and (c) G; and if he will make a statement. [193037]

Charlotte Atkins: The Single European Sky (SES) Regulations, which came into force on the 20 April 2004, require the development of a transparent common charging scheme for the recovery of the costs of air navigation services provided by the member states. One of the underlying principles of the charging scheme is that air navigation service costs should be recovered according to the 'user pays' principle, that is airspace users should pay for the services they use.

The current draft of the European Commission's Implementing Rules on charging provides for member states to exempt certain categories of airspace users from the charges scheme. The costs for such an exemption would have to met by the state. The text has not been finalised so it impossible to make any decision on whether or not to grant exemptions.
 
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Aviation (Emissions)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to ensure air flights carrying only freight reflect to a greater degree in their costs the environmental impact of such flights, with particular reference to climate change. [193082]

Charlotte Atkins: "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper recognises the importance of ensuring that, over time, aviation meets its external costs, including its environmental costs. Specific proposals to address the climate change impacts of aviation are set out in the White Paper (paras 3.35–3.43).

Birmingham Airport

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the proposals for compensation to near neighbours of the suggested second runway at Birmingham International Airport; what the (a) noise and (b) physical distance parameters will be; what the personal circumstances of qualifying claimants will be; and if he will bring forward a compensation scheme funded by central Government. [193694]

Charlotte Atkins [holding answer 25 October 2004]: Air travel is essential to the UK economy and we have set out in "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper (Cm 6046, December 2003) a balanced strategy that will deliver sustainable development of air transport. The Government's approach to the control and mitigation of aircraft noise impacts, which includes compensation, is set out in chapters 3 and 12. This makes it clear that it is for airport operators to develop schemes to tackle generalised blight. Birmingham International Airport (BIA) has developed a voluntary generalised blight scheme and is presently consulting on its terms. The consultation closes on 30 November.

Correspondence

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he responded to the communication from the Chief Executive of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association UK, dated 22 September; and if he will make a statement. [193029]

Charlotte Atkins: Martin Robinson wrote to a Department for Transport official on 22 September 2004. Department for Transport officials met with him on 5 October to discuss the issues raised by his letter and responded to the communication on 13 October 2004.

Cycling

Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what progress against national targets has been made by local authorities on increasing cycling; [191866]

(2) whether he has evaluated the work of the English Regions Cycling Development Team; and if he will make a statement; [191874]

(3) how his Department will (a) assist and (b) assess progress after May 2005 of local authorities in (i) developing cycling, (ii) setting local targets for cycling and (iii) preparing the cycling element of local transport plans. [191877]

 
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Charlotte Atkins: The number of cycling trips per person per year has remained broadly similar at a national level since 1996.

The Department for Transport is currently engaged in a review of the effectiveness of the National Cycling Strategy. This includes the work of the English Regions Cycling Development Team, which has been provided by AEA Technology under a contract that expires in May 2005. The Team carried out an important assessment of local highway authorities provision for cycling which has considerably improved our knowledge base. Its advice has also improved local and national practice. The Department is now looking for a more flexible resource than a single team to support the development of cycling and the contract will not therefore be renewed or extended.

Local authorities' provision for cycling will remain a key part of the second Local Transport Plans, which will be submitted to my Department in July 2005. Officials will be involved in the development of all aspects of those Plans and the advice of the English Regions Cycling Development Team will be sought on the elements related to cycling, including targets. Progress under the Plans will be measured through the established system of annual progress reporting.

East Coast Main Line

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much has been invested in East Coast Main Line infrastructure in each year since 1990; [192414]

(2) how much has been invested in railway infrastructure in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1990. [192415]

Mr. McNulty: These are operational matters for Network Rail. The company will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

GNER

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers GNER has carried in each year since its franchise began. [192412]

Mr. McNulty: The number of annual passenger journeys is shown in the table.

	Passenger journeys (million)
1996–97	11.9
1997–98	13.7
1998–99	13.9
1999–2000	15.9
2000–01	13.6
2001–02	14.5
2002–03	14.6
2003–04	15.8

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains per weekday on average GNER has run out of York in each year since its franchise began. [192413]

 
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Mr. McNulty: The information is not readily available in the form requested. However, in the summer 1996 timetable there were 29 northbound services and 28 southbound services out of York on weekdays. In the current timetable there are 32 northbound and 32 southbound services out of York on weekdays.

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