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Ece (Loss at Sea)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the environmental consequences arising from the loss at sea of the Ece and its cargo. [49202]

Dr. Ladyman: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have consulted extensively with the statutory bodies with responsibilities for the marine environment—primarily Defra for fisheries interests and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee for seabirds and mammals. The cargo of phosphoric acid is not considered to be a significant threat to the marine environment as it will rapidly disperse. The bunker oil already released from the vessel has formed a thin layer of oil on the surface but is expected to disperse naturally. The sea area around the wreck is being monitored on a daily basis. The MCA will respond to any leakage of cargo or bunker oils according to the national contingency plan for marine pollution from shipping and offshore installations.

Eddington Report

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of producing the Eddington report. [43186]

Mr. Darling: Rod Eddington has been asked to provide advice to the Chancellor and myself. He is supported by a team of 10 civil servants drawn from the Department for Transport and HM Treasury. Programme costs are being shared between the Department for Transport and HM Treasury and being met from the existing budgets for those two Departments, with total spend to date totalling approximately £55,000.

European Transport Legislation

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the status is of legislation to establish a (a) European highway code and (b) vehicle register; and if he will make a statement. [48126]

Dr. Ladyman: I am not aware of any such proposals.

Harbour Revision Orders

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 January, to question 43154 on harbour revision orders, why it is not current practice to inform hon. Members about harbour revision orders affecting their constituencies; and if he will make a statement. [47815]

 
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Dr. Ladyman: The Department has reviewed its practice in this matter and will be asking applicants to inform hon. Members when applications for Harbour Orders are made affecting their constituencies.

Infrastructure Investment

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on each of the infrastructure investment projects announced by his Department on (a) 2 December 2004, (b) 9 July 2003, (c) 1 April 2003 and (d) 10 December 2002. [43567]

Dr. Ladyman: Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House which set out the current status of each of the infrastructure investment projects listed in the press releases announced by the Department on (a) 2 December 2004, (b) 9 July 2003, (c) 1 April 2003 and (d) 10 December 2002.

M1 (Junction 9)

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons trees have been felled on both sides of the M1 motorway south of junction 9; and if he will make a statement. [48401]

Dr. Ladyman: The tree and vegetation clearance works currently being carried out adjacent to the M1 motorway between junctions 6A and 10 are part of the advance works for the motorway widening scheme which is due to start construction in March 2006.

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) roadworks and (b) new road construction is planned in the vicinity of junction 9 of the M1 motorway over the next two years; how long such work will last; whether it will involve M1 lane closures; and if he will make a statement. [48402]

Dr. Ladyman: Construction of the M1 junctions 6A to 10 Widening scheme is due to start in late March 2006 and be completed by December 2008. The works will involve lane restrictions on the motorway, including contra-flow running at times. However, the contractor will be required to keep three lanes open in each direction during the day. Some lane closures will be needed overnight for specific work activities and details of these will be advertised in advance to forewarn motorists. There will also be occasions when this stretch of motorway will have to be closed overnight to allow bridge demolition works to be undertaken safely. The number of such closures will be kept to the absolute minimum and will be widely advertised in advance, along with details of the diversion routes. Advance works including site clearance of vegetation, site fencing and the construction of site compounds began in December 2005.

M181

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he intends to take to tackle the uneven surface of the M181 motorway; in what timescale; and if he will make a statement. [48404]

Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency expects to carry out localised repairs on the uneven surface of the M181 in the coming financial year (2006–07). The Agency will also be undertaking a study of the M181 road surface
 
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and depending on the findings of this study, resurfacing on parts of this route may be carried out within the next three years.

Ministerial Meetings

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the five largest bus companies in the last eight months. [48807]

Ms Buck: Department for Transport Ministers and officials have meetings with representatives from bus companies on a regular basis to discuss a range of bus and public transport issues.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list meetings he has held with (a) passenger transport authorities and (b) passenger transport executives in the last eight months. [48808]

Ms Buck: The Secretary of State has met members of the Passenger Transport Authorities and Passenger Transport Executives on several occasions during his programme of visits around the country in the last eight months.

Motoring Offences

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to make it a criminal offence for the driver of a motor vehicle deliberately to stop at a green traffic light and to refuse to move the vehicle; and if he will make a statement. [48723]

Dr. Ladyman: There is no need to create a new criminal offence. The existing provisions under the Highways Act 1980, the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 are adequate for dealing with people who drive without reasonable consideration for other road users, and with drivers of stationary vehicles that are causing danger or obstruction at traffic signals.

Off-peak Travel

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend free off-peak travel on public transport to all 14 to 19-year-olds. [48219]

Ms Buck: It is already open to individual local authorities to offer concessionary bus travel to people up to the age of 18. There are no plans at present to make such provision statutory.

Park and Ride

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which (a) cities and (b) towns new park and ride schemes have been established in the last five years. [40583]

Ms Buck: Local transport authorities outside London (county councils, unitary areas and, in each former metropolitan county, the passenger transport authority and metropolitan district councils jointly) produced their five year transport plans in 2000 and every year since then have produced progress reports annually. They include forms listing how many schemes have been
 
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completed, but not their exact locations. Also the website www.parkandride.net lists most park and ride schemes.

Quiet Lanes

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent guidance he (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to local authorities about the implementation of his policy of quiet lanes in rural areas. [47524]

Ms Buck: Quiet lanes are a Countryside Agency initiative that has the support of the Department for Transport.

In June 2004 the Department for Transport issued Traffic Advisory Leaflet 3/04 which described the two Quiet Lanes National Demonstration Projects and their impacts and offers advice for future schemes. Copies of this leaflet have been placed in the House Library.

The Department for Transport is currently finalising work on guidance on issues that local traffic authorities in England must consider when deciding whether or not to designate a road as a quiet lane (or a home zone) and when making use orders and speed orders. It is intended to publish the guidance as a Department for Transport Circular soon, in parallel with the publication of regulations.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the implementation of his policy of quiet lanes in rural areas, with particular reference to local authority areas in the south-east of England. [47525]

Ms Buck: Quiet lanes is a Countryside Agency initiative that has the support of the Department for Transport.

The Department commissioned research to examine the impact of the two National Demonstration Projects in west Kent and north Norfolk. The findings of this research were published by TRL Limited in 2004 and are summarised the Department for Transport's Traffic Advisory Leaflet 3/04 which was published in June 2004. Copies of this leaflet have been placed in the House Library.

The Transport Act 2000 gave local traffic authorities the powers to designate roads for which they are the traffic authority as quiet lanes. There is no requirement in the Act for authorities to provide the Department with details of their quiet lanes schemes.

Quiet lanes are identified in LTP guidance and contribute to the measures designed to improve shared priorities and quality of life issues. However, there has, so far, been no specific assessment of the impact they have had.

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