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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 16 November 2004

TRANSPORT

King's Cross

11. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the comprehensive review of phase 2 of the London Underground Limited and CTRL redevelopment of King's Cross St. Pancras station. [198112]

Mr. McNulty: I have been carefully considering the review report, which raises a number of complex engineering, operational and funding issues. I hope to make an announcement on the way forward shortly, and expect to publish the report at the same time.

Uninsured/Unlicensed Drivers

12. Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the measures his Department is taking to ensure that (a) uninsured and (b) unlicensed drivers are kept off the road. [198113]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department commissioned Professor David Greenaway of Nottingham University to carry out a review of motor insurance arrangements in the UK, publication of the report was on 11 August and we set up an implementation board in September to see that action follows.

Working jointly with the insurance industry we now plan to introduce legislation, improve procedures and design education, publicity and enforcement programmes to drive down uninsured driving.

These build on measures we announced last year to tighten the vehicle registration and licensing system.

Public Transport Accidents

13. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving public transport occurred in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands in the last year for which figures are available. [198114]

Charlotte Atkins: Figures are available in this form for bus accidents in 2003.

In Coventry there were 64 injury accidents involving buses, of which two were fatal and three serious. In the West Midlands region there were 844, of which six were fatal and 86 serious.

Comparable figures for rail are not available but in 2003 there were no passenger fatalities related to rail incidents anywhere in Great Britain.
 
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A30

14. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make an announcement on the decision on dualling the A30 Goss Moor section following the public inquiry. [198115]

Mr. Jamieson: We have received the Inspector's report of the local inquiry and I hope to make an announcement on the outcome shortly.

Railways

15. John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce costs within the railway industry. [198116]

Mr. McNulty: The White Paper "The Future of Rail", published in July 2004 sets out a comprehensive package of reforms to provide a coherent and effective management structure for the railway and an effective control of costs.

Road Safety

16. Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his plans are to improve road safety. [198117]

Mr. Jamieson: We will continue to develop and implement our wide ranging and successful road safety strategy which has already cut the number of people killed or seriously injured to 22 per cent. below the 1994–98 average and child deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent.

Public Transport

17. Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Government policy towards vulnerable public transport users. [198118]

Charlotte Atkins: Our aim is transport that works for everyone. We sponsor a wide programme of research and consultation on issues such as people's mobility needs and personal security. We have developed legislation and issued good practice guidance to assist planners and providers to deliver services that meet peoples' needs, including those of the most vulnerable.

Rail Estate Disposals

18. Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the disposal of land ancillary to railway stations. [198119]

Mr. McNulty: Network Rail is regulated by the Office of Rail Regulation. Condition 26 of Network Rail's network licence prevents the disposal of land, including that ancillary to railway stations, by Network Rail unless the Office of Rail Regulation consents to the disposal. Where consent is given the decisions on whether, when and how land should be disposed are commercial ones for Network Rail.

A303 (Stonehenge)

Mr. Terry Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish his response to the public inquiry into the planned A303 road scheme at Stonehenge. [198013]

 
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Mr. Jamieson: The Secretary of State will issue a decision after the Inspector's report has been received and the Inspector's recommendations given proper consideration.

A555 Submission Documents

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in evaluating the A555 submission documents received by his Department earlier this year; and when he expects to report his findings. [197891]

Mr. Jamieson: Ministers will make a decision on the A555 submission in time for the 2005–06 Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlement.

Bus Services

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of improvements to accessibility to bus services for disabled people in the last 12 months. [198111]

Charlotte Atkins: Approximately 30 per cent. of full size buses operating in Great Britain as public service vehicles are low floor wheelchair accessible vehicles. The percentage operating in any given area will vary but in major cities it is likely to be considerably higher.

This increase in the accessibility of the fleet is delivering real benefits to disabled people.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government is on course to meet its target for an increase in bus usage by 10 per cent. by 2010. [197222]

Mr. Darling: Local bus patronage grew by 6.0 per cent. from 2000–01 to 2003–04, ahead of the straight-line trajectory for 10 per cent. growth over ten years.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the transport projects in the last 10 years in which a single local authority has compulsorily purchased land outside its own boundaries; [198205]

(2) on how many occasions in the last 10 years a local authority has been granted power compulsory to purchase land outside its own boundaries. [198508]

Charlotte Atkins: In respect of compulsory purchase orders granted to local authorities by the Secretary of State for Transport, information is not held in that form.

Departmental Salaries

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in his Department earn more than a whole-time equivalent salary of £57,485 per year. [195286]

Charlotte Atkins: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 11 November 2004, Official Report, column 856W. In addition, at 1 April 2004 the number of whole-time staff at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) whose salary exceeded £57,485 was eight.
 
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Galileo Project

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the location of the EU Galileo Project in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [197429]

Mr. Jamieson: The Welsh Assembly and the East Midlands Development Agency have submitted proposals for locating the Galileo Supervisory Authority (GSA) in their region.

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