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7 Feb 2006 : Column 1057W—continued
Piracy
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to tackle piracy on the coast of Devon. [49082]
Dr. Ladyman: The UK Government has published on the Department's website a counter-piracy strategy which sets out the actions that it has committed to taking to tackle the menace of piracy. However, the Department has not been notified of any act of piracy on the coast of Devon.
Ports/Airports (Critical Infrastructure Protection)
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what actions he proposes to take in UK ports and airports in pursuance of the EU policy on critical infrastructure protection. [48801]
Ms Buck [holding answer 6 February 2006]: The European Commission's proposals in respect of Critical Infrastructure protection are currently in the form of a Green Paper. The UK Government has recently submitted its comments.
The Commission will be considering these, and other member states' comments, before developing its policy further.
UK ports and airports are already subject to EU and national standards on security and we will continue to ensure that such standards are maintained.
Public Service Agreement
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department expects to publish the baseline figure for Public Service Agreement target 1 to make journeys more reliable on the strategic road network by 2007–08. [48222]
Dr. Ladyman: We expect to publish the baseline data this month.
Railways
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total amount of (a) public sector subsidy is and (b) new loan guarantees are for the rail industry in 2005–06; and what his Department's planned financial support is for each category in each of the next two years. [43602]
Derek Twigg:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement to the House of 10 February 2005 sets out how the Department intends to allocate money on railways up to April 2009.
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There are no new loan guarantees for the rail industry in 2005–06. However, Network Rail's borrowing facilities are fully backed by credit support arrangements provided by the Secretary of State for Transport.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projections he has made of the growth in rail capacity to 2025. [48224]
Derek Twigg: Rail capacity is a measure of the ability of the network to accommodate passenger and freight demand. The UK network is an intensive mixed traffic railway and its capacity depends on the mix of the type, speed, length, routeing and stopping patterns of passenger and freight trains. The Department is working with Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation to determine the forecast demand for passenger and freight.
The Government will specify the passenger capacity outputs it seeks from the rail network for Control Period 4 (which runs from April 2009 to March 2014) in the High Level Output Specification. Future High Level Output Specifications at five-yearly intervals will similarly specify the two successive Control Periods to 2025.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the decision on the direct train link between Bexhill-on-Sea and London Victoria. [49179]
Derek Twigg: The Brighton Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy was published on 2 February 2006. This strategy recommends truncation of the London Victoria-Hastings service to terminate at Eastbourne. Some through services from Bexhill to/from Victoria will be retained at peak times. The Department for Transport will now undertake further work in respect of the recommendations and will develop an implementation plan in due course.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to cut train services between Bexhill-on-Sea and Pevensey and Westham during the next 18 months; and if he will make a statement. [49180]
Derek Twigg: The Brighton Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy was published on 2 February 2006. Train services on the route between Hastings and Eastbourne are being reviewed in light of the recommendations contained in the strategy.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the major (a) rail and (b) light rail infrastructure projects initiated by the Government and completed since 1997. [43184]
Derek Twigg: Major rail infrastructure projects initiated by the Government and completed since 1997 are as follows:
The following schemes have been completed since 1997:
The following schemes have been initiated by the Government since 1997, still under way and to be completed:
Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) Section 2—Southfleet Junction to St. Pancras via Ebbsfleet and Stratford
Light rail schemes are initiated by local transport authorities. I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 30 June 2005, Official Report, column 1660W and 20 July 2005, Official Report, column 1795W, which list the light rail schemes completed and opened since 1997 and those where construction has commenced since 1997.
Road Pricing Schemes
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment his Department has made of the effect on congestion of (a) a national road pricing scheme and (b) road pricing schemes in local authority areas; [48251]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of (a) a national road pricing scheme and (b) road pricing schemes in local authority areas on car use; [48252]
(3) whether his Department has made an estimate of how much travel on (a) rural roads, (b) urban roads and (c) motorways would cost per mile under a national road pricing scheme. [48254]
Dr. Ladyman: The Feasibility Study of Road Pricing in the UK", published by the Department for Transport in July 2004, showed that road pricing could potentially reduce congestion by some 40 per cent. with benefits of up to £12 billion a year in time savings and increased reliability. The study modelled a wide range of theoretical schemes and charges including variants of national road pricing and of charging in local authority areas. A copy of the study report was placed in the Library, and is also available on the Department's website.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the (a) availability, (b) cost and (c) viability of technology to support (i) a national road pricing scheme and (ii) road pricing schemes in local authority areas. [48253]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Feasibility Study of Road Pricing in the UK", published by the Department for Transport in July 2004, (a copy of which is in the House Library), concluded that the equipment necessary to deliver a full
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position-based charging scheme would probably not be available in a mass-market, low-cost form, until 2014. The Department is continuing to explore how the market might develop over the coming years and what synergies and opportunities this could offer in terms of road pricing.
Technologies which could support local or regional schemes, such as microwave tags and automatic number plate recognition, are well proven and are already used both in the UK and internationally. The costs of technology for local schemes will depend on the individual area and would need to be evaluated as part of the development of the business case for the scheme.
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