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Hazel Grove Bypass

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a decision on authorising a public inquiry into the route of the A555, Hazel Grove Bypass; and if he will make a statement. [210049]

Mr. Jamieson: The A523/A555 Poynton Bypass, A6 Stockport North/South Bypass and the A555 Manchester Airport Link Road West are included in the Stockport Development Plan and it will be for the local authorities to determine the priority and timetable to implement the schemes. Until the highway authority submits any statutory Orders to the Secretary of State
 
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for Transport for confirmation for the scheme(s) it is not possible to say whether Public Inquiries will be decided upon or, if that were to be so, when they would be.

IT Projects

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list his Department's IT projects for each year since 1997, broken down by (a) amount spent, (b) purpose, (c) cost of over-run and (d) time of over-run. [205789]

Charlotte Atkins: The requested information has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Pay Television Subscriptions

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pay television subscriptions the Department had in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year. [207663]

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002 and as a result the information provided only relates from the year 2002–03 onwards.

The only pay television subscriptions the Department had during 2002–03 and 2003–04 were situated at its headquarters buildings in London where there were 30 NTL boxes providing access to satellite channels at a cost of £11,000 per year for the years 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Rail Safety

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the safety of passengers who are (a) sitting and (b) standing in the event of (i) a rail crash and (ii) a derailment. [208509]

Mr. McNulty: A report by the Health and Safety Executive in 1999, entitled 'Implications of overcrowding on railways', concluded that whether a passenger on a train involved in an incident is sitting or standing makes little difference to the overall severity of any injuries sustained. A copy of this report is available in the House Library.

As part of the follow-up to the Ufton Nervet derailment, the Rail Safety and Standards Board is looking at seatbelts on trains, At the same time, it is also researching passenger survivability issues.

Railways

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he expects the total cost of the Crossrail project will be; what percentage of this money will be provided by the Government; what percentage will be provided by private finance; and what form the private finance will take. [209428]

Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement on Crossrail that the Secretary of State for Transport made on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 23WS.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Passenger In Excess of Capacity levels were for fast and semi-fast services into London Paddington
 
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from (a) Maidenhead and (b) Twyford in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) morning and (ii) evening peak time. [210442]

Mr. McNulty: For trains calling at Maidenhead, the autumn 2004 figures were 3.1 per cent. in the morning peak and 1.7 per cent. in the evening peak. For trains calling at Twyford the figures were 3.1 per cent. in the morning peak and 0.8 per cent. in the evening peak.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Passenger In Excess of Capacity levels for commuter journeys into London Paddington were in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) morning and (ii) evening peak time. [210443]

Mr. McNulty: The autumn 2004 figures for First Great Western Link were 2.5 per cent. in the morning peak, 1.5 per cent. in the evening peak, and 2.1 per cent. for both peaks combined. This compares with the contractual thresholds of 4.5 per cent. for either peak in isolation or 3 per cent. for both peaks combined. First Great Western are not subject to PIXC.

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether links to and from the Tees Valley was a criterion in the recent East Coast Mainline franchise bid; and if he will make a statement. [210615]

Mr. McNulty: Services to the Tees Valley from the East Coast Main Line will continue to be provided at Darlington by Northern Rail The 'base case' specification (present service levels with minor alterations) contained within the Invitation to Tender for the new InterCity East Coast franchise does not contain any requirement to offer direct services to the Tees Valley.

Road Accidents

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned on the survival rates of drivers and passengers in different types and makes of vehicle in each type of road accident. [210679]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department has no research on the survival rates of drivers and passengers in different types and makes of vehicle in each type of road accident. Nor has the Department recently commissioned any research into this. Estimates have been produced for the risk of driver injury in popular models of car if they are involved in a two-car injury accident. A report on the study is published on the DfT website.

Speed Restrictions

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what speed restrictions may be imposed on vehicles and bicycles using by-ways open to all traffic. [210448]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 24 January 2005]: Local highway authorities are responsible for setting local speed limits on their roads, depending on local needs, This includes any by-ways that may be considered part of the public highway. They can introduce speed limits from 20 mph to 60 mph without the need for consent from the Secretary of State. Speed limits below 20 mph would require consent from the Secretary of State.
 
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Telephone Usage

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers are in use by his Department; and what services can be accessed by calling each of them. [205831]

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport headquarters do not have any 0870 telephone numbers in use.

VOSA have two 0870 numbers in use and DVLA have 14.

Transport Industry Support

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Government support for the transport industry in the last financial year. [210904]

Charlotte Atkins: The Government's strategy for transport was set out in the White Paper, The Future of Transport", published in July 2004, At the end of the financial year the Department will be publishing its Annual Report which will set out what financial and other support has been provided for transport during 2004–05.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Angela Cannings Case

Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether cases similar to the Angela Cannings case are subject to non-judicial investigations. [210002]

Paul Goggins: There are currently no other cases, similar to that of Angela Cannings, being considered for eligibility for compensation.

Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for his decision not to offer financial compensation to Mrs. Angela Cannings for wrongful conviction and imprisonment. [210003]

Paul Goggins: Angela Cannings has not been awarded a payment of compensation for her wrongful conviction, as she did not meet the criteria of section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 for a statutory payment of compensation for her wrongful conviction. Nor did she meet the criteria for an ex-gratia payment of compensation under the terms of the then Home Secretary's statement to the House of Commons on 29 November 1985, Official Report, columns 691–92.

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