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Crossrail

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what issues are being considered by the Crossrail Equality Impact Assessment Project and Policy Assessment; what estimate has been made of its cost; and if he will make a statement. [52070]

Derek Twigg: The Crossrail Equality Impact Assessment seeks to identify and assess differential impacts that Crossrail may have upon particular groups within affected communities, in order to inform mitigation planning. The assessment process includes both direct impacts from construction or operation and secondary impacts such as effects on equality of opportunity and community relations.

Cross London Rail Links Ltd. have estimated that its Equality Impact Assessment work, including preparation of the Equality Impact Assessment Project and Policy Assessment Report, published in January 2006, has cost £314,000.

Consultation has been carried out in line with the code of practice, produced by the Cabinet Office, which was published in 2004.
 
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Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact Crossrail would have on the (a) capacity and (b) length of journeys from Paddington to Exeter. [54040]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 27 February 2006]: Once operational, Crossrail will use relief lines during normal operation and will not have an impact on fast lines used for longer distance services such as the service between Paddington and Exeter.

There will be some disruption from enhancement works to the Great Western Main Line between Paddington and Maidenhead that are part of the Crossrail project. The track possessions, which are assumed to be mainly at night and weekends, will be planned through normal industry processes.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how a Crossrail train will be taken out of action once it has entered the core tunnel between Stratford and Paddington. [55274]

Derek Twigg: The Crossrail service is being planned and developed to deliver high reliability. The planned trains will be highly resilient and, in the event of a failure in the central tunnel, will be designed to be pushed by a following train to a point where passengers can be safely evacuated. The same operational practice is used on the London underground.

Crude Oil

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions of (a) prices and (b) range of prices for crude oil in (i) 2010, (ii) 2015, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2025, (v) 2030 and (vi) 2050 are being used by his Department in (A) the National Transport Model, (B) the forthcoming review of the aviation White Paper and (C) the draft guidance on railway closures; when the Department last reviewed these prices; and whether these price assumptions have been subject to independent external review. [58326]

Ms Buck: The Department's National Transport Model uses fuel prices that are based upon DTI crude oil price projections. We update our fuel price forecasts in line with DTI oil price updates. DTI usually make their oil price projections (which they normally update one or two times a year) publicly available on their website and also subject them to periodic public review—most recently in the summer of 2005 (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/fossil_fuel_price_assumptions.pdf). Their latest projections are for crude oil to fall from its current high levels to $35 (in 2004 prices) in 2010 and then remain at that level in real terms through to 2020—the end of their projection.

The Aviation White Paper published in December 2003 says that DfT will continue to update forecasts in the light of trends. Movements in the oil price since publication of the White Paper are clearly one material factor; any further forecasts would need to take into account up-to-date departmental assumptions.

The draft guidance on rail closures is not itself based on any particular assumption about crude oil prices. Prevailing and anticipated future fuel costs are one of a range of issues which we will expect to be taken into account at the time a specific proposal is made.
 
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Driving (Sleep Problems)

Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken into the link between obstructive sleep apnoea and road traffic accidents; and what plans his Department has to collect information on road traffic accidents in which a sleep disorder is a contributing factor. [58539]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department for Transport has not commissioned or undertaken such research. The Department is aware however of many studies undertaken by others and in my answer of 2 December 2005, Official Report, column 810W, I explained the steps the Department has taken. There are no plans to collect information on accidents where a sleep disorder may be a factor. Police officers, who collect information at road crashes for the Department, are not trained to recognise specific sleep disorders. However, where appropriate, from January 2005, they have been able to state their opinion whether fatigue may have been a contributory factor. Information on numbers from such reports will be available in due course.

DVLA

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a lost passport section; how many people on average have complained that their passports have been lost by the DVLA in each of the last five years; whether the DVLA is considering (a) the use of registered mail and (b) other improvements to the arrangements for returning passports; and if he will make a statement. [57855]

Dr. Ladyman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a specialist section which deals with all inquiries relating to missing identity documents, including passports.

Over the past five years the total number of passports reported as missing by drivers was 20,660 (14,968 UK and 5,692 foreign). To date, only 7,740 (5,282 UK and 2,458 foreign) have become the subject of claims for compensation. Approximately 25 per cent. can be attributed to a DVLA error in keying the address, with 75 per cent. due to non-delivery by Royal Mail. Over 12,500,00 applications for first photocard driving licences (i.e. those requiring the submission of identity documents) were processed during this period.

The use of special/recorded delivery arrangements for the issue of documents has been considered, but this would involve substantial clerical intervention which would mean a significant increase in the fees charged for driving licences. The use of plain fit for purpose envelopes by DVLA has not revealed any widespread problems. Some drivers send their own envelopes for return, but this is a matter for personal choice.

Holders of UK passports can take their applications to 750 post offices for checking, with the passport returned immediately. DVLA's local offices offer the same service and will also check EU passports and those from certain other countries where agreements for the exchange of licences exist. DVLA now also has in place a computerised link with the UK Passport Service
 
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whereby holders of digitised UK passports need only quote their passport number on their application forms. A check is then made online and the applicant need not send or take their passport anywhere.

Metrolink

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will break down by main budget heading the latest estimated cost of the Rochdale-Oldham Metrolink Extension. [56611]

Derek Twigg [holding answer 7 March 2006]: Work on producing detailed cost estimates for the Rochdale-Oldham Metrolink Extension is ongoing. As promoters, GMPTE are leading on this work.

Nuclear Shipments (Carlisle)

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times shipments of (a) nuclear fuel and (b) nuclear waste have passed through Carlisle constituency by rail in the last five years. [58587]

Dr. Ladyman: Information is only available on shipments of irradiated nuclear fuel flasks from nuclear power stations to Sellafield. Because of the nature of the railway network it is likely that shipments from power stations in Scotland and north east England will have passed through Carlisle. The total number of flasks shipped from these power stations (Torness, Hunsterton and Hartlepool) during the last five years were:

	Number
2001	158
2002	150
2003	170
2004	133
2005	132

A single train may carry several flasks.

Information is not available on how many of these shipments passed through the Carlisle constituency as the route chosen is a matter for the rail operator.

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