| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1060W—continued
Speed Cameras
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras are installed, broken down by police authority area. [43331]
Dr. Ladyman: Information held on the number of speed camera sites, broken down by partnership area, within the safety camera programme as at 31 December 2005 is shown in the table. This information is provided to the Department by the safety camera partnerships.
Traffic Management Act
Mr. Greg Knight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make an assessment of the
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1061W
effects of the Traffic Management Act 2004 on traffic congestion on motorways following an accident; if he will publish each assessment; and if he will make a statement. [48864]
Dr. Ladyman: The Traffic Management Act (004) enabled the Highways Agency to establish a Traffic Officer Service on motorways and on a limited number of all purpose trunk roads in England. The congestion reduction benefits derived from the introduction of the traffic officer service are not due to be assessed until 2008 when the service will have been fully operational for 12 months. I would expect the assessment, which will cover the impacts of introducing the traffic officer service on reducing incident related congestion; improving safety; improving the accuracy of information on variable message signs and freeing up police resources for tackling criminality, to be published after this time when the data have been gathered and analysed.
Transport Innovation Fund
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projections his Department has made of how much money will be raised through road user charging under the Transport Innovation Fund until 2015; and whether the proceeds will go to (a) HM Treasury, (b) the Department for Transport and (c) local authorities. [48249]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has made no projections of how much money will be raised from local road user charging schemes. The Transport Act 2000 sets out the current arrangements for proceeds from local road user charging schemes.
Transport Staff (Alcohol/Drug Tests)
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) commercial and (b) recreational mariners have been tested for (i) drugs and (ii) alcohol since 2001; and what proportion have been found to be above the legal limit. [48269]
Dr. Ladyman: Responsibility for testing professional mariners under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 for the effects of drugs and alcohol rests with the relevant local police force. These statistics are not collated nationally.
Under existing legislation recreational mariners are not required to take such tests. The Department carried out a public consultation in 2004 entitled 'Alcohol Limits for Non-Professional Mariners' on whether the Railways and Transport Safety legislation should be extended to include recreational mariners. The results of this exercise are currently being reviewed, together with other supporting evidence.
Urban Road Network
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the urban road network is covered by the 10 largest urban areas. [48228]
Dr. Ladyman:
The latest available figures relate to 2004 when the length of the urban road network in England was 121,455 km, of which 41.7 per cent. was
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1062W
covered by the 10 largest urban areas. Road lengths, by road class, for individual local highway authority areas are available on the Department for Transport website.
Wheelchairs/Mobility Scooters
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the conspicuity of wheelchairs and mobility scooters; and what discussions he has had with the manufacturers of wheelchairs and mobility scooters on this subject. [48820]
Ms Buck: We have no plans to improve the conspicuity of wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Class 2 and Class 3 invalid carriages, when used on the carriageway, must already comply with the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989.
Workplace Parking
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether it is his policy to introduce (a) charges and (b) other forms of levy on the provision of workplace parking; [47374]
(2) whether he has had discussions with the Treasury about the introduction of (a) charging and (b) taxation of workplace parking places; [47428]
(3) what his policy is on the provision of workplace parking. [47461]
Dr. Ladyman: It is for employers to decide what parking provision they make available to employees. However, in our published guidance on workplace travel plans, we explain how effective travel plans can help employers manage the cost and demand for parking spaces.
Local highway authorities in England and Wales already have discretionary powers under the Transport Act 2000 to introduce Workplace Parking Levy schemes. For a scheme to come into force an order has to be approved by the appropriate national authority, which is the Secretary of State for Transport in England.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport discusses a wide range of matters with Ministers at HM Treasury.
LEADER OF THE HOUSE
Public Information
Mr. Gale: To ask the Leader of the House how much was spent on public relations and information services by his Office in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [49199]
Mr. Hoon: Information services to the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons are provided by the Communication Group of the Cabinet Office, which bears the cost.
No money has been spent on public relations by the Office in the last five years.
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1063W
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
2012 Business Summit
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which companies and representatives from (a) Wales and (b) Blaenau Gwent were invited to participate in the 2012 Business Summit on 24 January held in Canary Wharf. [46574]
Tessa Jowell: Both the Chairman and the Chief Executive of the Welsh Development Agency were invited to attend the 2012 Business Summit; unfortunately neither was able to attend, but they sent a representative of Trade and Invest Wales in their place. Plans are being developed for future similar events, including a conference to be held in Leeds in July, which will focus on how best to spread the benefits of the 2012 Games throughout the UK.
Licensing Act
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) evidence she considered and (b) account she took of existing legislation when deciding to license (i) live music in bars and restaurants, (ii) Punch and Judy shows and (iii) circuses under the Licensing Act 2003. [44028]
James Purnell:
With regard to (a) , the Government considered the responses to a consultation on public entertainment licensing conducted in 1996 and the findings of a review of licensing law conducted with stakeholders between 1998 and 1999. The outcome of the Government's consideration of the evidence was reported in the White Paper Time for Reform: the Modernisation of our Licensing Laws" (Cm 4696). The Government subsequently considered about 1200 responses to the White Paper and the views of relevant stakeholders, including the Arts Council for England, the Musicians' Union, Equity, the Independent Street Arts Network and the Circus Arts Forum. With regard to (b) , the Government examined the operation of the Licensing Act 1964, particularly section 182, Schedule
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1064W
12 of the London Government Act 1963, the Private Places of Entertainment Act 1967, the Theatres Act 1968 and Schedule 1 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
The evidence showed that live music in bars and restaurants was generally licensable under the 1963 and 1982 Acts, save for the narrow exemption under section 182 of the 1964 Act applying to live music performed by not more than two people throughout the day on premises licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises. Punch and Judy shows were licensable under the Theatres Act 1968, but in practice this law was rarely, if ever, enforced. The position of circuses was unclear under the 1963, 1982 and 1968 Acts because of anachronistic exemptions in the 1982 Act which related to entertainments at pleasure fairs and the lack of any obvious exemptions under the 1963 and 1968 Acts. However, in practice circuses were not being licensed, though some were being controlled by local authorities through the unsatisfactory use of public health legislation.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |