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Water Privatisation

Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's policy is on whether to support within the EU the inclusion of a requirement for countries to privatise their water delivery under the terms of GATS. [210306]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID's overall objective in the water sector is to ensure that poor people lead a healthier and more productive life by increasing their access to safe drinking water supplies.

It is for this reason that DFID believes that there is an important role for the private sector to play in helping meet these targets (and the Millennium Development Goals) through providing investment and sharing technical expertise and more efficient management practices.

The GATS negotiations are a request and offer process hence there is nothing under the GATS that compels countries to liberalise the water sector if it is not in their national interest. Governments remain free to, and should, regulate to address market failures and national policy objectives.
 
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Zimbabwe

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who signed Council Decision 2004/804/EC L356 volume 47 of 1 December on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe; where the signing took place; and whether sanctions were lifted to enable this procedure to take place. [207131]

Mr. Mullin: I have been asked to reply.

Mr. Gift Punungwe, the Zimbabwean ambassador in Brussels, signed Council Decision 2004/804/EC L356 volume 47 of 1 December on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe. EU sanctions were not lifted to enable this procedure to take place, and did not need to be lifted. Mr. Punungwe is not on the EU's visa ban list.

TRANSPORT

A15

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requests for funding he has received from local authorities to (a) widen and (b) dual the A15 in Lincolnshire. [210424]

Charlotte Atkins: I have received no request for funding from local authorities to either (a) widen or (b) dual the A15 in Lincolnshire.

A3

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on negotiations between the Highways Agency and Balfour Beatty on the future of the A3 Hindhead Road Tunnel. [208758]

Mr. Darling: There have been no formal negotiations between the Highways Agency and Balfour Beatty on the future of the A3 Hindhead Road Tunnel. However, discussions have started on the programming and delivery of the scheme, following the outcome of the 2004 Spending Review announcement.

Dana Footbridge

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements Network Rail plan to carry out to the Dana footbridge. [209723]

Mr. McNulty: This is an operational matter for Network Rail who will write to the hon. Member.

Departmental Policies (Clwyd, South)

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [210321]

Charlotte Atkins: The Department has put in place a considerable programme of improvements across a wide range of transport policy areas since 1997. I am confident that the Clwyd, South constituency will have benefited from these. For example, the injury totals for all road casualties in Great Britain fell from 327,803 in 1997 to 290,607 in 2003, and the numbers of children aged under 16 years killed or seriously injured on our
 
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roads fell from 6,452 in 1997 to 4,100 in 2003. On our railways, passenger kilometres have increased from 32.1billion in 1996–07 to 40.9 billion in 2003–04, a rise of 27 per cent. In terms of improvements to air quality, emissions of the UK's two main pollutants—nitrous oxides and particles—fell by 31 per cent. and 27 per cent. respectively between 1997 and 2002.

Responsibility for a number of transport functions has been devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government. For example, it is the Assembly that provides funding to local authorities in Wales in support of their local transport plans,

Finally, the Department for Transport's website also contains data on transport trends over the past 20 years at http://www.dft.gov.uk.

Departmental Staff

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of his Department's staff is based in London. [208041]

Charlotte Atkins: Information on regional distribution of staff is available in the Libraries of both Houses, and also at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/statistical_information/statistics/contents_forcivilservice_statistics_2003_report/index.asp.

Table D shows the numbers of staff by regional distribution.

Figures relating to 1 April 2004 are due to be published during February 2004.

Edinburgh-Paris Rail Link

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the viability of a direct rail link between Edinburgh and Paris. [209626]

Mr. McNulty: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions commissioned Arthur D. Little to make a comprehensive analysis of the costs and benefits of the options for Regional Eurostar services and their report, Review of Regional Eurostar Services" was published on 17 February 2000. It concluded that there was not a positive economic business case for any of four options for direct regional services to Paris, including from Glasgow or Edinburgh. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has reviewed the market for direct international regional services, including demand from Glasgow via Edinburgh and the east coast main line, and has concluded that in terms of likely demand the position has if anything worsened.

EU Presidency

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's priorities for the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union will be; and if he will make a statement. [209559]

 
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Mr. McNulty: The overall Transport Council agenda for 2005 is outlined within the Luxembourg-UK Annual Operating Programme (AOP), copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

Ongoing work includes; the Third Railway package"; the framework for charging heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures; and the European satellite radio navigation system Galileo". New legislative proposals may also be brought forward by the Commission, possibly including: airport slot allocation; extension of scope of the European Aviation Safety Agency; access to air transport for passengers with reduced mobility; and maritime safety proposals (Erika III").

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, leads on the telecommunications and energy aspects of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council.

In the telecoms part it is expected that the e-Europe strategy up to 2010 will be taken forward and concluded, and that the future direction of the existing Universal Services Directive will be discussed. In the energy part of the TTE Council it is expected that the End Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive and the revised Energy Labelling Framework Directive will be taken forward, and any new proposals and communications put forward by the Commission ahead of the December TTE Council might be discussed.

The final agenda for the UK presidency cannot yet be decided. It will be determined to a large extent by the agenda we inherit from the current presidency, and when specific Commission proposals are published.

Eurostar Platforms

Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will enable the Eurostar platforms at Waterloo Station to be made available to serve South West Trains passengers after April 2007; [209793]

(2) if he will provide a new separation system at Clapham Junction to enable commuter trains to gain access to the disused Eurostar platforms after April 2007. [209794]

Mr. McNulty: Officials are working with the Strategic Rail Authority on a review of the possible future uses of Waterloo International station and associated infrastructure after Eurostar transfers its operations to St. Pancras. An announcement will be made in due course.

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