| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 Apr 2006 : Column 832W—continued
Biodiesel
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is (a) taking and (b) plans to take to promote the use of biodiesel; and if he will make a statement. [65485]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Government's main support for biodiesel has, since 2002, come in the form of a 20p per litre fuel duty incentive. This has been sufficient to stimulate sales of several million litres a month. We announced last year, however, that we will introduce from 2008 a renewable transport fuels obligation, which will require all suppliers of transport fuels in the UK to ensure that a certain percentage of their total annual sales is made up of biofuels (or, in the longer term, some other renewable transport fuel). The level of the
24 Apr 2006 : Column 833W
obligation will rise from 2.5 per cent. in the financial year 2008–09 to 3.75 per cent. in 2009–10 and 5 per cent. in 2010–11. This should ensure that, by 2010, biodiesel sales in the UK will amount to over 1 billion litres a year—a 20-fold increase from where we are today.
Drink Driving (Lancashire)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drink driving accidents there were in (a) Ribble Valley and (b) Lancashire in each year since 1997. [65297]
Dr. Ladyman: Estimates of drink drive accidents in Great Britain as a whole are published each year in an article in Road Casualties Great Britain—Annual Report". Estimates below Government office region level are not available.
Drivers (Smoking Ban)
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to ban smoking while driving. [64618]
Dr. Ladyman: There are no plans to introduce legislation to ban smoking while driving.
Road traffic legislation already places responsibility on all drivers to have proper control of their vehicles. Any motorist who fails to do so, for whatever reason, such as smoking, or eating and drinking, is liable to prosecution.
Rule 126 of the current edition of the Highway Code highlights the need to concentrate and avoid distractions while driving. The consultation paper published in February 2006 on the revision of the code proposes the addition of smoking" in the list of potential distractions to be avoided.
Driving Instructors (Sexual Assault)
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions exist for the (a) suspension and (b) banning of driving instructors (i) accused and (ii) convicted of sexual assault. [65406]
Dr. Ladyman: Part 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) requires professional car driving instructors to be registered.
One of the conditions of registration is that the instructor is, and remains,
Failure to continue to meet, any of the conditions for registration can result in the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors taking action to remove the person's name from the register.
There is no power for the registrar to suspend an instructor.
Mini Motorcycles
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a system for regulating the driving of mini motorcycles by young people. [63164]
24 Apr 2006 : Column 834W
Dr. Ladyman: Appropriate legal requirements are already in place regarding the riding or driving or vehicles on the public highway. In addition to a range of powers under road traffic law—which includes seizure of offending vehicles under certain circumstances—the Police Reform Act 2002 enables the police to seize motor vehicles being used illegally and/or anti-socially, provided a warning has first been given. I have discussed enforcement issues with the Association of Chief Police Officers and have followed this up with a letter about the various powers available for use against offending mini motorcycles.
As far as we are aware only one of a vast range of miniature motorcycles offered for sale claims to have European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA). Unless a motorcycle—whether miniature or otherwise—has ECWVTA or has successfully passed through the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) process, it may not be used on the public road. Any mini motorcycles which do have ECWVTA or MSVA must be registered, taxed and insured in order to use the road. The riders, whether young or old, must hold an appropriate licence and wear a suitable helmet.
National Parking Adjudication Service
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the National Parking Adjudication Service will have in place the appeals process relating to bus lane and tramway enforcement in England outside London; and if he will make a statement. [64864]
Dr. Ladyman: The appeals service is for the local authorities to establish. I understand from the National Parking Adjudication Service that eight councils in England (outside London) hope to have completed all the necessary steps to commence bus lane enforcement this autumn which will include establishing the appeals service and appointing bus lane adjudicators, subject to the consent of the Lord Chancellor.
Railways (Lancashire)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money was spent on repairing railways in (a) Ribble Valley and (b) Lancashire in each year since 1997. [65299]
Derek Twigg: These are operational matters for Network Rail (NR). I have asked NR to write directly to the hon. Member.
Road Fatalities (Richmond)
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of people killed in road accidents on roads maintained by Richmond upon Thames Local Authority from 1998 to the last year for which figures are available. [65070]
Dr. Ladyman:
The number of people killed in road accidents on roads maintained by Richmond upon Thames Local Authority from 1998 to 2004 (the last year for which data are available) is given in the table.
24 Apr 2006 : Column 835W
| Number of fatal casualties | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 3 |
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 2 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 4 |
Source:
Transport For London
Search and Rescue
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) location and (b) composition is of each search and rescue team in the UK. [64964]
Dr. Ladyman: The organisation for Search and Rescue (SAR) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an amalgam of separate Government Departments, the emergency services and other organisations. A significant number of charities and voluntary organisations dedicated to SAR also play a significant role. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has responsibility for civil maritime search and rescue in the UK which is undertaken by HM Coastguard. The Coastguard primarily makes use of rescue resources from the MOD (RAF and RN helicopters and aircraft) and lifeboats from the RNLI and other volunteer lifeboat providers. In addition, land based search and rescue is led by the police service. Their statistics are not collated centrally.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) SAR service is divided into three coastguard regions—Eastern, Western and Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are further subdivided into nine areas. Each area has two Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs—a total of 19 in the UK). The areas are divided into a total of 64 Coastguard Sectors around the UK and within each sector there are a number of volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs). A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing the breakdown of teams and locations. The CRTs carry out coastal rescue operations (cliff and shoreline) and act as mobile lookouts when called out by their controlling MRCC to investigate reports of incidents, etc. In the UK there are 397 Coastguard Rescue Teams based around the UK coastline.
In addition the MCA operates four SAR helicopter units at Sumburgh airport, Stornoway, Portland and Lee-on-Solent. There are two helicopters at each base except for Portland where there is only one aircraft. One helicopter at each base is kept on immediate readiness 24 hours per day except at Portland which is, in general, a daylight hours only service (circa 8 am–8 pm).
| MCA (HM Coastguard) coastguard rescue teams | Number |
|---|---|
| Number of operational CRTs | 397 |
| Authorised staff compliment | 3,488 |
| Staff, in post | 3,395 |
24 Apr 2006 : Column 836W
The details of the Ministry of Defence Search and Rescue and Mountain Rescue Teams are as follows.
(3)This figure indicates the service personnel required to fulfil the mandated search and rescue tasks, which comes, under the remit of 771 Squadron. Additional military and civilian staff fulfil support duties to the whole squadron including search and rescue.
(4)The aeronautical rescue co-ordination centre located at RAF Kinloss is responsible for co-ordinating all SAR helicopter operations in the UK.
Note:
MOD contractors are not included in these figures.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many search and rescue operations were carried out in each of the last five years (a) in the UK and (b) by each search and rescue base. [64965]
Dr. Ladyman: The table shows the number of times that Maritime and Coastguard Agency, through their Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres, launched rescue missions in the UK in each of the last five years. The responsibility for the co-ordination of land-based and inland waters search and rescue rests with the police service and statistics for these operations are not collated centrally.
24 Apr 2006 : Column 837W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |