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11 May 2006 : Column 429W—continued
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle accidents have occurred on motorways in each year since 1990; and how many (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries occurred as a result in each year. [69676]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police on motorways in Great Britain and resulting fatalities and serious injuries in each year from 1990 to 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the table.
This information has been published in annual publication series “Road Casualties Great Britain”, which are available in the Library of the House.
| Accidents, fatalities and serious injuries on motorways, GB: 1990 to 2004 | |||
| Total number of personal injury accidents on motorways | Fatalities | Injuries | |
Road Construction
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) local road major schemes and (b) local public transport schemes were remitted to the regions and are now being considered for approval. [68099]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 3 May 2006]: The following schemes were remitted to the regions in December 2004 for advice on their priority for funding:
(i) Schemes seeking Provisional Approval under the Local Transport Plan programme:
South East Manchester Relief Road
A1073 Spalding to Eye Improvement Scheme, Lincolnshire
A509 Isham to Wellingborough Improvement Scheme, Northamptonshire
A47 Earl Shilton Bypass, Leicestershire
East Kent Access Phase 2, Kent
Rotherwas Access Road, Herefordshire
A41 Expressway/All Saints Way Junction Improvement, West Midlands
A452 Chester Road Access Improvement, West Midlands
A142 Ely Southern Bypass, Cambridgeshire
A5225 Wigan Gateway
A228 Colts Hill, Kent
A31 Hickley Corner, Surrey
A415 Marcham Bypass, Oxfordshire
A41 Expressway/A4031 All Saints Junction Improvement, Sandwell
A457 Dudley Road Traffic Management Stage 2
Westbury Bypass, Wiltshire
Beverley Integrated Transport System, East Riding of Yorkshire
(b) local public transport schemes
Manchester Yellow Bus
Rochdale Bus Station
Altrincham Bus Station
Aylesbury Public Transport Scheme
Birmingham New Street Station
Coventry Rapid Transit
West Midlands Urban Traffic Control
Bradford Interchange
East Riding Beverley Integrated Transport scheme
(ii) Schemes which had previously received Provisional Approval under the Local Transport Plan programme:
A1056 Tyneside Northern Gateway, North Tyneside
Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor, Darlington
A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn Link Road, Durham
Wigan Inner Relief Route
A34 Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass, Cheshire
Ashton Northern Bypass Stage 2, Tameside
A57 Glossup Spur, Tameside
Hall Lane Area Improvements, Liverpool
Kiln Lane Link Road, Surrey
M4 Junction 11 and Mereoak Roundabout, Reading
A24 Ashington to Southwater, West Sussex
A24 Horsham to Capel, West Sussex
(b) local public transport schemes
Manchester JETTS Quality Bus Corridor
Leigh-Salford-Manchester Quality Bus Corridors
Warrington Bus Interchange
Leeds A65 Kirkstall Road Quality Bus Corridor
Advice submitted by the regions in January 2006 covers both the remitted schemes listed and other schemes considered for funding within Regional Funding Allocations. We will be responding to the regions' recommendations in due course.
Road Tax
Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at what age the Government ceases to exempt motorists with disabilities from road tax. [69753]
Dr. Ladyman: Exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is available to motorists in receipt of certain mobility allowances; the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) and war pensioners mobility supplement (WPMS). There is no age limit as long as the motorist is in receipt of a qualifying allowance.
Subsidies
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the subsidies paid to each (a) passenger transport authority and (b) other county council and transport authority area in each of the past ten years. [60025]
Gillian Merron: The largest subsidy is the Revenue Support Grant, which is provided to all local authorities to assist in their delivery of services. Services supported by this grant include, for example, procurement of public transport services and routine maintenance of highways. As RSG is provided as a 'single pot' it is not possible to identify the amount used by each passenger transport authority or local transport authority specifically on transport.
Local transport authorities receive subsidy for capital investment through supported capital in the local transport settlement for integrated transport and highways maintenance, and through direct grant in respect of major schemes. A table has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing the total allocations. Most authorities have also received Rural Bus Subsidy Grant since 1998, which is shown in the second table that has also been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Smaller subsidies to local authorities include the Rural and Urban Bus Challenge Grant and Kickstart. Information on these grants is available in the Library of the House. Information on rail grants is contained in the strategic rail authority's annual reports.
Trade and Industry
Christmas Day Trading Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of the Christmas Day Trading Act 2004; and what recent representations he has received about the operation of this Act. [69634]
Mr. McCartney: The public consultation during 2003 showed 97 per cent of respondents in favour of maintaining the special nature of Christmas Day. The Department has received no representations about the operation of the Act and we have no plans to revisit this issue.
Corruption (Kenya)
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of whether British companies have been involved in corruption in Kenya. [68228]
Mr. McCartney: The UK takes a firm stand on combating corruption in international trade. The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 includes provisions on bribery and corruption. The UK also ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in February 2006. There have so far been no cases brought to our attention under the legislation alleging that UK companies have been involved in corrupt practices in Kenya.
Developed Countries (UK Trade)
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the UK's international trade with developed countries. [68475]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 8 May 2006]: The Government's approach to international trade is set out in the 2004 trade and investment White Paper: “Making globalisation a force for the good”. We are committed to a global trading system that is fair as well as free. The UK's trade (imports and exports) in goods and services with OECD countries totals around £490 billion.
Domestic Dog and Cat Fur
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken since his written ministerial statement of27 January 2005, Official Report, columns 33-4WS, on
domestic dog and cat fur (alleged imports), to investigate the alleged import of domestic cat and dog fur into the UK. [68077]
Mr. McCartney: The Government have sought to establish the facts about the extent of the alleged trade in domestic cat and dog fur in the UK. We have found no evidence that such fur is being imported into this country in significant volumes. The Government have also been working to establish a scientific test to make it possible to ascertain reliably from what species of animal any given fur sample has come.
We firmly believe that action on this issue should and would best be taken at EU level as a harmonised approach would have greater impact, enhance animal-welfare standards within the EU itself and avoid obstacles to the operation of the single market. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supported calls for the European Commission to investigate these allegations when the Agriculture and Fisheries Council met in May 2005.
In January 2006, the Commission published its Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals,
which proposes action in the course of 2006 to address public concerns on the trading of cat and dog fur and derived products. On 20 February, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Kyprianou stated at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council that the Commission was planning to publish a proposal on the import of cat and dog fur within the next few months.
Energy Imports
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of UK energy imports of (a) gas, (b) oil and (c) electricity was in each of the last five years. [69684]
Malcolm Wicks: Energy value balances produced by the DTI show the following values for imported gas, oil, and electricity. Further information on the methodology used to produce the value balances is contained in Chapter 1 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics, copies of which are available in the House Library or on the DTI website at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/filel9257.pdf.
| £ million | |||||
| Commodity | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005( 1) |
| (1 )Data for 2005 are provisional |
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