---

20 Jul 2005 : Column 1792W—continued

Safety Cameras

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance is given to (a) the Crown Prosecution Service and (b) the Court Service with regard to participation in safety camera partnerships. [11712]

Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.

Safety Camera Partnerships consist of local authorities, the police, the magistrates courts and other local stakeholders.

The Department for Transport issues a Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales which defines the rules and guidelines that partnerships are required to follow in order to participate in the netting off arrangement. The Handbook for 2005–06 can be found in the Library of the House and on the Department for Transport website, www.dft.gov.uk. No further guidance beyond that in the Handbook is issued by the Department to the Crown Prosecution Service or Courts Service.
 
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1793W
 

TRANSPORT

A14 (Kettering)

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 612W, on traffic statistics, what options the Highways Agency is considering for resolving the bottleneck on the A14 around Kettering; and what the timetable is for feasibility studies. [13620]

Dr. Ladyman: The Secretary of State's July 2003 response to the London to South Midlands Multi Modal Study recommendations to widen the A14 through the East Midlands to dual three lanes, tasked the Highways Agency (HA) with further work on the A14 Kettering Bypass section of the route.

The HA has commissioned an options study, and is currently gathering information and constructing a transport model for the area. The study is expected to report in February 2006. HA will then present the study's findings in spring/summer 2006 for a decision on how to proceed.

The traffic data requested are as follows. Further counts are being undertaken, which will be presented with the study.

Traffic counts

Traffic data are measured by automatic counters embedded in the A14 carriageway at three locations in the greater Kettering area. The data for the two most recent years are provided as follows, as average annual weekday traffic, rounded figures.

	Welford (A14 J0–1)	Kettering (A14 J8–9)	Thywell (A14 J11–12)
2003	44,700	70,000	44,200
2004	47,300	70,900	45,500
Increase	+2,600	+900	+1,300

Aviation (Complaints)

Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints his Department has received about (a) night flights, (b) aircraft noise and (c) aircraft pollution in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) airport, (ii) Government Office Region and (iii) constituency. [12750]

Mr. Darling: Complaints about night flights, aircraft noise and pollution (as distinct from representations about policy) are properly a matter for individual airports, many of which regularly publish their own summary statistics of complaints or enquiries. The Department also receives a number of representations direct from members of the public or via Members of Parliament and, in responding, is able to comment on the Government's overall policy on these matters. The Department does not operate a 'complaints database' and could not provide information in the form requested.
 
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1794W
 

Bus Lanes (Motorcycles)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend his Department's Local Transport Note 1/97, Keeping Buses Moving to take account of schemes which allow motorcycles to use bus lanes. [12922]

Ms Buck: Although Local Transport Note 1/97 recommends against generally allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes because of concerns for the safety of other road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians, and of motorcyclists themselves, it remains open to local authorities to permit this if they consider it appropriate. The Department will be reviewing the Local Transport Note advice but is awaiting the results of monitored trials by Transport for London before doing so.

Initial indications from the trials were that the number of collisions involving motorcycles during bus lane operating times increased when motorcycles were allowed in. Transport for London has extended the duration of the trial to gather more robust data before drawing conclusions. It is anticipated that 36-months of casualty data will be available for the trials in March 2006.

Container Handling Capacity

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects there to be a shortfall in the UK's container handling capacity in (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07. [13242]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not produced such an assessment and it is primarily for individual ports to assess their capacity requirements against short-term traffic expectations.

The Department has now commissioned consultants to produce national port traffic forecasts looking ahead to 2030, covering container and other major traffic sectors.

Delayed Traffic Light Phasing

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of delayed traffic light phasing on (a) traffic management, (b) pedestrian safety, (c) noise pollution and (d) air quality; and if he will make a statement. [13404]

Ms Buck: Urban traffic control techniques are a key part of the delivery of sustainable local transport. The introduction of traffic signal control at individual junctions or over wide areas often requires a balance of the conflicting demands of vehicular traffic capacity and provision for vulnerable users such as pedestrians.

Studies have shown that good, coordinated traffic signal operation can reduce delays to traffic which in turn can lead to reductions in pollution. Benefits will vary from site to site but typical delay reductions due to coordinated operation under the SCOOT urban traffic control system, used in many UK towns and cities, compared with un-coordinated operation were measured as 23 per cent. in Worcester and 30 per cent. in Southampton.
 
20 Jul 2005 : Column 1795W
 

The Department commissioned a research project in 2003 to explore how casualty rates for pedestrians and cyclists are affected by traffic signal control strategies ways of operating. It is intended that the findings of the project will form good practice guidance for local highway authorities who have responsibility for managing traffic in urban areas. The project is due to report around the end of 2005.

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the companies from which his Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company. [11732]

Ms Buck: Information in respect of companies from which the Department for Transport has purchased goods and services with a total value in excess of £1 million has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Separate figures are provided for the central Department and each executive agency. Details of companies where spend by the central Department and executive agencies is greater than £1 million in aggregate, but less than £1 million separately, are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff/Targets

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available. [11525]

Ms Buck: The information is available in table C of Civil Service Statistics 2004 which is available on the internet at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management _information/statistical_information/statistics/publica tions/xls/report_2004/table_c.xls.

This table shows the numbers of staff by Department and agency between 1998 and 2004, on a full-time equivalent basis. Copies of Civil Service Statistics are also available in the Library.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the targets that his Department has set for itself during the next 12 months. [12269]

Ms Buck: Public service agreement (PSA) targets are set every two years as part of the spending review. The Department's current set of PSA targets were set in spending review 2004 and came into effect in April 2005. All PSA targets and performance against them are reported in our annual reports and autumn performance reports, as well as on the Department's website.

---