Previous Section Index Home Page

28 Jun 2005 : Column 1416W—continued

Illegal Drivers

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of drivers who have never taken a driving test. [7240]

Dr. Ladyman: It is not known how many full driving licence holders have never taken a driving test. The Road Traffic Act 1934 provided that all new applicants would have to undertake a test of competence to drive. The Act provided an exemption from the need to take a driving test for those drivers who had held a provisional licence prior to 1 April 1934. In addition between 18 February 1947 and 17 February 1948 provisional licences obtained during the second world war were converted to full licences without the requirement to sit a driving test. Records kept at this time did not distinguish between full licence holders who obtained full entitlement as a consequence of passing a test and those who relied on the exemptions contained in the appropriate Acts.

M18

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to erect fencing alongside the carriageways of the M18 motorway. [7427]

Dr. Ladyman: There are currently no plans to erect any new boundary or noise fencing alongside the carriageways of the M18 motorway.

Rail Freight

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to encourage the transporting of freight by rail. [5901]

Derek Twigg: Rail plays a crucial role in goods transport and we wish to see freight travelling by rail instead of road wherever this makes sense. This is delivered most effectively by a competitive and dynamic private sector rail freight industry, with our role to maintain the conditions where the industry can flourish.

We plan to provide approximately £24 million of grants in each of the next two years, and the industry also benefits from the current unprecedented level of investment in the network, including some investment specifically supporting rail freight traffic, for instance the £30 million Felixstowe gauge enhancement completed last year.

In addition, the ORR has recently published its policy on long-term contracts, providing a platform for continued investment by the industry and greater commercial confidence for their customers.
 
28 Jun 2005 : Column 1417W
 

Rail Passengers

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of passengers who used the London to Scotland sleeper in each of the last three years; and at which stations it stopped in this period. [6636]

Derek Twigg: The London to Scotland sleeper service is part of the Scotrail franchise and is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

Figures for the number of passengers using sleeper services between London and Scotland in each of the last three years are not held centrally. However, industry data shows the following level of patronage:
Fiscal yearPassenger journeys
2002–03234,000
2003–04237,000
2004–05236,000

Rail Projects

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Government funding for the (a) Euston rail development and (b) extension of the Eurostar route. [5220]

Derek Twigg: The Government has no plans to fund the extension of Eurostar services which will transfer to St. Pancras upon completion of Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2007, but the connection from new St. Pancras International station to the West Coast Main Line is being built under the CTRL Project.

Railway Stations

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which railway stations in Lancashire have CCTV. [6638]

Derek Twigg: I have been advised by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) that the following railway stations in Lancashire have CCTV:

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a feasibility study into the provision of a new parkway rail station for Canvey Island linking into the Fenchurch Street line at Pitsea. [7383]

Derek Twigg: There are no plans for a new parkway station for Canvey Island. The hon. Member may wish to refer to the Strategic Rail Authority's document, New Stations: A Guide for Promoters (copy in the Library of the House) which outlines the process to be followed by third party sponsors of new stations. Improvements are being made to Pitsea station at a cost of £1 million.
 
28 Jun 2005 : Column 1418W
 

Railways

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress there has been towards a higher frequency train service on the North London line. [6926]

Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) are working on opportunities to give the London Mayor more responsibility for the delivery of the North London line. It is hoped that agreement will be reached over the course of the summer on how the Mayor will play an increased role in specification and delivery and he is now considering how enhancements to the current service can be achieved to deliver value for money.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average increase was in long distance fares charged by each of the rail franchise holders operating in England between 2004 and 2005. [6945]

Derek Twigg: The information is not available in the form requested. The Strategic Rail Authority publishes a Rail Fares Index in its 'National Rail Trends', of which a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. This indicates that the real terms change in average prices for all the long distance operators between 2004 and 2005 was 1.5 per cent.

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent studies his Department has (a) carried out and (b) evaluated into the viability of introducing passenger community rail services on a seasonal basis. [6973]

Derek Twigg: The Strategic Rail Authority's Community Rail Development Strategy" provides the flexibility for local initiatives to reflect seasonal requirements in planning timetables. The cost of providing additional resources solely for seasonal services is high and may not always represent value for money.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the report from the Association of Train Operating Companies advocating a congestion charge for the railways at peak hours. [7054]

Derek Twigg: There are no plans to introduce a congestion charge for the railways.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what constraints exist on an increase in passenger capacity on the Fenchurch street to Shoeburyness rail line; and if he will make a statement. [7083]

Derek Twigg: The rolling stock formations now in use on the Fenchurch street to Shoeburyness rail line are sufficient to accommodate demand within the limits prescribed to control overcrowding. Constraints that would place a limit on increased passenger capacity include the number of trains available; the fact that platforms on the Tilbury loop section of the c2c network cannot accommodate trains longer than 8 cars; and signalling headways and therefore the number of trains that can stop in the West Ham area.
 
28 Jun 2005 : Column 1419W
 

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) rail bridges and (b) embankments there are over roads in the Stroud constituency; and what measures have been put in place to improve safety around them. [7242]

Ms Buck: This information is not held centrally in the Department. Rail infrastructure is a matter for Network Rail.

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 535W on Railways, how many prosecutions there were for trespassing on railways in the UK in each of the last five years. [7969]

Derek Twigg: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given on 21 June 2005, Official Report, column 920W.


Next Section Index Home Page