Written Answers to Questions
Monday 17 July 2006
Transport
A127
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for improving the A127; what improvements have been made to the A127 between Basildon and Southend-on-Sea during 2005; and if he will make a statement. [85169]
Dr. Ladyman: The A127 is not a trunk road and so is the responsibility of local highway authorities; these are Southend on Sea borough council for the section of the road within the borough boundary and Essex county council for the section beyond to Basildon. Plans for future improvements to the road, and details of any which have already been carried out, are therefore matters for these authorities.
A2 Roadworks
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect on holiday and business traffic of the proposed roadworks to be carried out on the A2 at Boughton Green between 17 July and 8 September; and why it is necessary for the roadworks to be carried out at the peak of the summer holiday season. [85319]
Dr. Ladyman: When assessing the effect on holiday and business traffic of the essential safety works on the A2 at Boughton, the Highways Agency has considered average daily traffic flows and the variation of traffic flows in the peak and off peak hours.
No material differences in average daily flows were found for July, August and September, with August flows being some 3 per cent. lower than July and September. This indicates that there is no significant summer peak in traffic flows.
In terms of the variation of traffic flows in the peak and off peak hours, after 9.30 am until 4 pm one lane will provide sufficient capacity enabling one lane to be closed for the roadworks.
A3 Tunnel (Hindhead)
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the Inspector’s Report following the Public Inquiry into the A3 Tunnel at Hindhead; and whether he has accepted the recommendations of the Inspector. [84871]
Dr.
Ladyman [holding answer 14 July 2006]: The
Inspector’s report will be published with the decision on the
scheme taken jointly by the Secretary of State for Transport, the
Secretary of State for Communities
and Local Government and the Secretary of Statefor Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs. This willbe issued soon and convey
whether the Inspector’s recommendations have been
accepted.
Car Journeys
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Department’s working assumption is about the number of car journeys a year is generated by each new house built. [84931]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 13 July 2006]: The number of car trips generated by each new house built is considered to be the same as the number of car trips generated by existing houses and, in Great Britain, is approximately nine trips per week.
Underlying this average are trip rates for different categories of households using information from the National Travel Survey. A key determinant of trip rate is the number of cars owned and the location of the household. For an existing household in Kettering and Great Britain, the averages for households by numbers of cars owned is tabled as follows:
| Number of cars owned by household | Average car trips made in Kettering per week | Average car trips made in Great Britain per week |
It should be noted that households with no car can still have a car available to travel. For example, they can hire a car or have access to a company car.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the Department was ofthe most recent inquiry into the toll levels on the Clifton Suspension Bridge; how many people lodged objections which led to the calling of that inquiry; and if he will make a statement. [85044]
Dr. Ladyman: Since the coming into force of the Clifton Suspension Bridge Act 1952, toll charges at the Clifton Suspension Bridge have been revised three times: in 1976, 1982 and most recently 2003. The Department has no record of whether inquiries were held for the 1976 and 1982 toll revisions. The 2003 toll revision application received no objections and was considered and approved without the need for a local inquiry.
The operator of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Trustees of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, applied to the Secretary of State Department in October 2005 for an order to revise the maximum tolls for using the bridge. Five objections have been received to this application. The trust has been advised that if it wishes to continue with its application, there will have to be an inquiry. No date, as yet, has been set for this inquiry.
High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the high occupancy vehicle lane on the M1 will be the (a) outside and (b) inside lane of the motorway. [84833]
Dr. Ladyman: It is currently anticipated that the dedicated high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes onthe M1 would be positioned in the outside lane,i.e. adjacent to the central reservation in both directions. However, the final decisions on how the proposals for HOV lanes at this location will be taken forward will be made only once the Highways Agency has completed further work to elaborate the detailsof the proposed scheme.
Highways Agency
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by the Highways Agency in using trenchless technology for cabling, ducting and underground service installation in each year since 2001; and what proportion this represents of the overall spending for this work in each year. [85053]
Dr. Ladyman: A single figure for how much has been spent is not held centrally.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Transport to what extent the Highways Agencyuses minimum dig or trenchless technology when undertaking works for the installation of cables, ducts and underground services on the road network; and what technology it uses. [85055]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency's use of minimum dig or trenchless technology is limited to thrust-boring beneath carriageways where existing cross-carriageway ducts are unserviceable. When undertaking works for the installation of cables, ducts or underground services in the verges of its roads, it installs armoured cables or ducts in trenches in accordance with BS7671, at a sufficient depth to avoid cables or ducts being damaged by any reasonably foreseeable disturbance of the ground.
M6
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Transport whether he has granted funding to the Heysham M6 Link, subject to planning approval. [85031]
Dr. Ladyman: The Heysham scheme does not yet have scheme approval but Ministers have agreedwith the region’s recommendation that it may receive funding in the next three years.
The Department’s provision of funding will, of course, be subject to the scheme securing all necessary statutory powers, demonstrating sufficient value for money, and being supported by a satisfactory business case in line with the departmental requirements.
Pavement Parking
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation proscribes vehicle parking on pavements; and what penalties the legislation provides. [85790]
Gillian Merron: There is no specific national legislation which proscribes vehicle parking on pavements. However, local traffic authorities can make traffic regulation orders, under powers in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to both ban pavement parking in certain areas and also allow specific exemptions from the ban.
Section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 makes it an offence to obstruct a highway without lawful authority. The pedestrian footway is part of a highway. The police may issue a fixed penalty notice for such obstruction. However, in London, by virtue of section 8 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003, authorised officers of borough councils and Transport for London are also empowered to issue a fixed penalty notice for the offence of obstruction under section 137 of the 1980 Act.
Speed Limits
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will increase the discretion to local highways authorities in respect of the installation of national speed limit signs at the end of any zone where a lower speed limit is in operation. [84960]
Gillian Merron: Local highway authorities have the power to set speed limits at an appropriate level. All changes of speed limit are required by law to be clearly signed to allow drivers ample time to adjust their speed accordingly and drivers are required to know the speed limit in force at any given time. It is important to retain national consistency.
Leader of the House
Cabinet Committees
Derek Conway: To ask the Leader of the House which Minister chaired the Cabinet Sub-Committee which considered including the Armed Forces Discipline Bill in the current legislative programme; and which Ministers were members of the Sub-Committee. [83841]
Mr. Straw: All Bills are considered by the Ministerial Committee on the Legislative Programme (LP), whose terms of reference are “to consider legislation and related matters”. Membership at the time was as follows:
Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons (Chair)
Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Defence
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip
Home Secretary
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Wales
Minister without Portfolio
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Minister for the Cabinet Office)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Chief Whip, Lords, Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentleman-at-Arms
Attorney-General
Advocate-General
Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.
Parliamentary Questions
Anne Main: To ask the Leader of the House if he will ensure that all Ministers comply with the Resolution of the House of 18 December 1972 as it applies to the timeliness of answers to parliamentary questions. [85902]
Mr. Straw: All Ministers recognise the obligation, deriving from the decisions of the House of18 December 1972, that a written question tabledfor a named day should receive an answer on that day and an ordinary written question should receive a substantive response within a working week of it being tabled. I attach great importance to the timeliness of responses to parliamentary questions tabled in the House and, as I have indicated to the House, I have raised the matter directly with ministerial colleagues.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wellingborough on 10 July 2006, Official Report, column 1560W.
Prime Minister's Questions
Mr. Bone: To ask the Leader of the House (1) how many Prime Minister's questions sessions there were in each year since 1990; [85010]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of Prime Minister's question sessions likely to be heldin 2006. [85071]
Mr. Straw: The information is available by parliamentary session. The number of days on which oral questions to the Prime Minister were taken in each session is given in the following table. The figures for sessions for the period before 1997 to 98 are not comparable with those subsequently. The arrangements for Prime Minister's questions were changed at that time, with twice weekly fifteen minute slots being replaced by one weekly thirty minute slot so that no less time is spent in the Chamber. To make a more accurate comparison a table of the approximate hours involved is also given.
| Before 1997 to 98 | |||
| Session | Number of sessions | Approximate number of hours involved | Total sittings days |
| After 1997 to 98 | |||
| Session | Number of sessions | Approximate number of hours involved | Total sittings days |
The number for the 2005-06 session so far (up to and including Wednesday 12 July) is 41 (20.5 hours). Given the planned dates for further sittings so far announced, four more Prime Minister's questions days can be expected up to the end of October. The number of such days for the remainder of the session, and for the beginning of the next session, will be dependent on the dates for prorogation and the Christmas recess.
Sitting Days
Mr. Bone: To ask the Leader of the House (1) how many days the House sat in each year since 1990; and how many days were allocated to Private Members' business; [85009]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of days the House is likely to sit in 2006; and how many days are expected to be allocated for Members' Bills. [85072]
Mr. Straw: The information is available by parliamentary Session. The number of days on which the House sat in each Session, together with the number of private Members' days, is given in the table. Private Members' days include days allocated to private Members' Bills and (up to 1993-94) balloted private Members' motions. (Balloted private Members' motions were ended after that Session, in favour of greater opportunities for Back-Bench adjournment debates).
| Session | Private Members' days | Total sitting days |
| (1)
Short Session. (2) Long
Session. | ||
The
number of sitting days for the 2005-06 Session up to and including 14
July is 182, of which 12 have been allocated to private Members' Bills.
Given the
planned dates for further sittings so far announced,21 more
sitting days can be expected up to the end of October, of which one
would be allocated to private Members' Bills. The number of sitting
days for the remainder of the Session, and for the beginning of the
next Session, will be dependent on the dates for prorogation and the
Christmas recess.
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