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6 Mar 2006 : Column 1092W—continued
Road Safety
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in dissuading motorists from using hand-held mobile telephones whilst driving. [56075]
Dr. Ladyman:
Twice yearly surveys for the Department observe drivers using mobile phones as they pass a number of fixed observation points. Over 100,000 drivers are observed in each survey, conducted on weekdays. The proportion of drivers passing those observation points in the latest published survey while using a hand-held phone was 1.5 per cent. for car drivers and 2.4 per cent. for the drivers of other vehicles. This compares with 1.5 per cent. and 2.3 per cent. in September 2003.
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The most recent published results are contained in TRL's report, Lf 2097, which is available online at
www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211&pno=6&searchtext=&advancedsearch=&allwords=&submitted=1"
under 'Reports numbered 51–58'.
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to publicise the requirement for children under the height of 1.3 metres to use an appropriate booster seat in road vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [56248]
Dr. Ladyman:
Subject to parliamentary approval of the draft regulations, the Department will be advertising the requirement for children under 135cm to use an appropriate child car seat during the summer months in national newspapers, parenting and women's magazines, national radio and on-line. We will also be working with various media to secure wider editorial features. Our key audiences will be parents, carers and others who carry children in cars and goods vehicles.
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Roads Funding (Kent)
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding from his Department Kent county council has received for its roads budget in each year since 1997. [54938]
Dr. Ladyman: Between 1997 and 2000 Kent county council received approximately £159 million for local transport capital investment. Some additional support was provided for the South Thames-side Development Route Section 4 (in total £16 million).
Since 2000 and the introduction of local transport plans, Kent county council has received around £160 million to support its transport budgets. This amount is provided for road maintenance and integrated transport: it is for the council to decide how much should be spent on roads. The support includes major scheme funding for the Kent Fasttrack public transport scheme.
I have set out the information requested as follows in chart form.
| Nature of funding(3) | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Maintenance | 12.149 | 15.108 | 16.705 | 19.995 |
| Integrated Block | 8.129 | 8.926 | 7.896 | 6.375 |
| Major Schemes | 3.726 | 0.700 | 8.650 | 8.868 |
| Total | 23.998 | 24.728 | 33.251 | 35.199 |
(3) Figures for 1997–98 to 1999–2000 are grants supplied under the Transport Policies and Programmes, an annual bidding system.
In addition to the above we have also completed a number of Highways Agency strategic road schemes in Kent. These include the A2/M2 Cobham to Junction 4 widening totalling around £303 million. This funding was not provided to Kent county council.
Rolling Stock
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements are to be made to (a) First Great Western Trains and (b) Arriva Trains Wales rolling stock on services from Swansea under current franchise agreements. [56133]
Derek Twigg: The current First Great Western Trains franchise agreement which expires on 1 April 2006 has no further rolling stock improvements for services from Swansea. There is no specific requirement in the ATW franchise agreement about rolling stock improvements for services from Swansea.
In the early years of the new Greater Western Franchise, First Group will invest £200 million to upgrade trains, improve stations, fund community rail and improve performance.
Sheppey Crossing Bridge
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding was made available by the Department to run the competition to name the Sheppey Crossing bridge linking Kent with the Isle of Sheppey. [55006]
Dr. Ladyman: No funds were made available by the Department to run the competition to name the Sheppey Crossing bridge. Local newspapers involved in the initiative covered their advertising costs and the winner's prize was donated by the DBFO company.
Tachographs
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reduce the size threshold for vehicles requiring tachographs. [55159]
Dr. Ladyman: We have no such plans. European Union (EU) Regulations require the use of tachographs in most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and in certain buses and coaches operating within the UK.
Changes in the new EU Regulation on drivers' hours which has recently been adopted by the EU institutions will mean that tachographs will have to be fitted to some previously exempted vehicles by 31 December 2007. But these changes do not affect goods vehicles under 3.5 tonnes.
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Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how long it will take for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to complete the issuing of the required numbers of (a) driver, (b) vehicle and (c) company smart cards connected with the introduction of digital tachographs. [55160]
Dr. Ladyman: As there is no requirement for a digital tachograph card until the driver or company is using or likely to use a vehicle fitted with a digital tachograph unit, it is not possible for the DVLA to answer this question. The timescale by which all cards are issued will depend upon when drivers or companies apply for their driver or company cards. There is no vehicle smart card.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tachograph analysis companies are (a) operating in the UK and (b) subcontracted by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. [55161]
Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) do not hold records of how many tachograph analysis companies are operating in the UK.
(b) Currently there are three companies subcontracted by the VOSA to analyse tachograph record sheets.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles are forecast to be equipped with digital tachographs in the UK (a) by May 2006 and (b) in each of the next five years. [55173]
Dr. Ladyman: The operators and drivers of certain heavy goods and public service vehicles are required to use tachographs to record drivers' compliance with the EU drivers' hours rules.
At the moment, either analogue or digital tachographs can be used. However, digital tachographs should become mandatory for in-scope vehicles put into service for the first time after early May 2006.
Since digital tachographs are not yet mandatory, it is not known how many vehicles have been so equipped. The number of vehicles to be digital-tachograph equipped in each of the next five years will depend on the numbers of in-scope vehicles put into service for the first time during that period.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of digital tachographs for recently registered large goods vehicles in the UK. [55231]
Dr. Ladyman: Until digital tachographs become mandatory, operators are free to choose whether to fit analogue or digital tachographs to new vehicles. As far as the Department is aware, neither tachograph nor vehicle manufacturers are reporting any difficulties in supplying type-approved digital tachographs to whoever requires them.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what date has been set for the introduction of the digital tachograph. [55348]
Dr. Ladyman:
The operators and drivers of certain heavy goods and public service vehicles are required to use tachographs to record drivers' compliance with the EU drivers' hours rules. Under Council Regulation (EC) No. 2135/98, such in-scope vehicles put into service
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for the first time after 5 August 2004 were required to be fitted with a digital tachograph. However, digital tachographs were not available by that date and the requirement could not be enforced.
The Council and European Parliament agreed last December to change the August 2004 date to ensure legal clarity. This will be achieved through a clause in a new EU Regulation on drivers' hours which will amend Regulation (EC) No. 2135/98. The effect of this amendment will be to require the use of a digital tachograph in vehicles put into service for the first time from a date 20 days after formal publication of the new EU Regulation on drivers' hours. Publication is expected in early April and digital tachographs should become mandatory for new vehicles from early May 2006.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has evaluated on the quality of analysis by independent tachograph chart analysis bureaux. [55745]
Dr. Ladyman: We have not conducted an evaluation—operators make their own commercial judgments about the use and quality of independent tachograph chart analysis bureaux.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tachographs were issued in the UK over the last five years. [55750]
Dr. Ladyman: Tachographs are not issued as such, but the operators and drivers of certain heavy goods and public service vehicles are required to use tachographs to record drivers' compliance with the EU drivers' hours rules.
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