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Port Security

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on security inspections undertaken at British sea ports. [194697]

Mr. Jamieson: A compliance regime inspection programme is underway to monitor and evaluate compliance with the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code that came into force on 1 July 2004.

Both announced and unannounced inspections are undertaken by Department for Transport Security Directorate (TRANSEC) inspectors to ensure port and ship compliance with the new security requirements.
 
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It is not our policy to comment in detail on how many or which ports have been inspected, but our current programme of compliance inspection visits covers over 560 UK port facilities.

Potters Bar Rail Crash

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to hold a public inquiry into the Potters Bar rail crash. [194169]

Mr. McNulty: The Secretary of State expects to be in a position to take a decision on whether or not to hold a public inquiry after the Health and Safety Executive's investigation team has reported its conclusions to the Investigation Board and to him in November 2004 and decisions have been taken on prosecutions.

Rail Franchises

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when decisions will be made on the awarding of the (a) East Coast Mainline and (b) Integrated Kent Franchises; and whether these decisions will be made by the (i) Strategic Rail Authority and (ii) Department for Transport. [192601]

Mr. McNulty: The information is as follows:

(a) On 6 October the SRA issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the new InterCity East Coast franchise inviting the four pre-qualified companies to submit detailed bids. An announcement on a Preferred Bidder will be made early next year, (b) Invitations to tender for the Integrated Kent Franchise will be issued to the four pre-qualifying bidders later in the autumn. The franchise is expected to commence in late 2005.

Decisions on new or replacement franchises are currently taken by the Strategic Rail Authority with regard to the Directions and Guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

The Rail White Paper, "The Future of Rail", proposes the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority. The strategic and financial responsibilities of the SRA will pass to the Department for Transport. Implementing this will require primary legislation and we will introduce a Bill as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Regional Transport Plans

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost is of producing regional transport plans. [195126]

Charlotte Atkins: We do not hold information on the cost of producing regional transport strategies, which are prepared by Regional Planning Bodies as part of Regional Spatial Strategies. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ship Inspections

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 11 October, Official Report, column 6W, on ship inspections, whether inspections take place to enforce compliance with the International Ship and Port Facilities Code. [195692]

 
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Mr. Jamieson: An inspection programme exists to monitor and evaluate compliance with the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code. This involves both port facility and ship inspections. Enforcement action, if required would be taken on the basis of the results of the inspection.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 11 October, Official Report, column 6W, on ship inspections, what follow-up action is being taken in respect of those ships issued with non-compliance letters. [195694]

Mr. Jamieson: The respective Flag States were informed that control measures had been imposed on their ships. Further enforcement action on such ships has not been necessary because on subsequent return to the UK they have been found to be compliant.

Train Horns

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the Rail Safety and Standards Board review of the use of train horns and noise pollution; [194928]

(2) in what circumstances the use of train horns will be restricted on approaching unmanned pedestrian level crossings. [194929]

Mr. McNulty: The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is responsible for specifying the requirements for when and where train horns must be used and Network Rail is responsible for deciding how train operators comply with them. The RSSB's Review concluded with a number of recommendations which come into effect on 6 November 2004.

The main recommendations are that the minimum permissible level for train horns will be reduced by up to eight decibels and the sounding of train horns when entering a tunnel and at frequent intervals when passing through long tunnels will no longer be necessary.

It will still be necessary for train drivers to sound horns at all times, day or night, whenever anyone is seen on or near a line on which a train is travelling; when approaching any pedestrian crossings; where shunting movements are taking place and staff may be on the line; during failures of signalling equipment or other degraded operations and in an emergency.

The sounding of horns between the hours of 2330 and 0700 is not permitted, when drivers are approaching an automatic level crossing or an open level crossing except as an emergency.

These standards take into account the need to ensure effective safety management whilst also aiming to alleviate the noise disturbance experienced by residents living near railway lines.

Transfer Passengers (Airports)

Mrs May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many transfer passengers passed through UK airports last year. [195096]

Charlotte Atkins: The number of transfer passengers at surveyed UK airports in 2003 was 32 million.
 
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Transfer passenger statistics for 2003 are available only for those airports where the Civil Aviation Authority ran the Departing Passenger Survey. These were Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Exeter, Gatwick, Heathrow, Liverpool, London City, Luton, Manchester and Stansted. Transfer statistics for some of these airports are for the 2003–04 financial year.

Tsar Appointments

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tsars have been appointed with responsibilities which cover part of the work of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [191921]

Charlotte Atkins: None.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Lifts

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire representing the House of Commons Commission (1) how many lifts there are on the Parliamentary Estate; and how much energy was consumed by these lifts in each of the last three years; [194332]

(2) what measures are in place to ensure that lifts on the Parliamentary Estate minimise energy use by only moving to a floor when requested to by a user; [194333]

(3) how many escalators there are on the Parliamentary Estate; how many of these are potentially motion-activated; and how much energy was consumed by escalators in the last year for which figures are available; [194334]

(4) for what reasons the escalators connecting Portcullis House with the main building are no longer motion-activated. [194335]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: There are 66 passenger and heavy goods lifts on the parliamentary estate. The optimal balance between energy efficiency, short waiting times and emergency provision is subject to an engineered solution in each location. There are three escalators on the estate and all have the potential to be motion activated. The escalators at Portcullis House are not currently motion activated for reasons of safety and the high traffic rate during working hours. They change to manual control outside sitting hours. The lifts and escalators do not have individual electricity meters.

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