| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 July 2006 : Column 1297W—continued
Journey Times
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require the local authorities in each of the 10 largest urban areas in England to make an assessment of how journey times per mile can be reduced by road users using motorcycles, scooters or mopeds for urban journeys. [89103]
Gillian Merron: It is for each local authority to determine how best to tackle congestion in their area, consistent with local priorities and circumstances. Local authorities’ plans for tackling congestion are included in their ‘Local Transport Plans’, published in March (for London, the Transport for London business plan).
Liverpool Street/Stratford (Trackside Buildings)
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will have discussions with Network Rail, the One Railway Company and organisers of the London 2012 Olympics on improving the appearance of the buildings, structures and trackside between London Liverpool Street Station and Stratford Station. [87413]
Derek Twigg: As the operator and owner of the national rail network, Network Rail has responsibility for trackside maintenance and appearance and between now and the games. We will discuss with them and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) what practical steps can be taken to improve the appearance of the route. The Olympic Transport Plan is due to be issued for consultation in the autumn by the ODA and will include the arrangements for working with the rail industry on the transport required to stage the games.
Local Transport Budgets
Mr. Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria were used in deciding to reduce Stoke-on-Trent city council’s transport budget for each year until 2010. [81769]
Gillian Merron:
The levels of Stoke-on-Trent city council’s transport budgets are ultimately a matter for the council to determine. Government funding support for local transport in Stoke is provided in a variety of
ways including through the revenue support grant, which is not allocated between individual council services.
Government support for councils’ transport capital programmes is provided in three main areas. The support provided to Stoke-on-Trent city council for one of those areas is planned to reduce.
This is because, following consultation, a formula is being introduced over the five years up to 2010-11 to distribute much of the support for integrated transport improvements over the next five years. The factors considered in this formula are set out in my reply of 4 July 2006, Official Report, columns 922-23W.
Further details of its rationale can be found in the paper about financial planning guidelines for local transport plans on the Department’s website (www.dft.gov.uk) in the consultation paper sub-section of the regional and local transport section.
Stoke-on-Trent city council has been issued with planning guidelines for this part of its funding support for the years 2007-08 to 2010-11. Stoke-on-Trent city council may mitigate the planned funding reduction in a number of ways, including through demonstrating strong delivery of its previous programme.
London Transport (Offences)
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many offences were committed on London Transport in each year since 1997. [87709]
Derek Twigg: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Information relating to offences committed on the London Underground system and on the rail system in London is held by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail:
general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.
M40
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the projected increase in traffic flow between junctions 3 and 7 of the M40 for each year between 2006 and 2026. [88320]
Dr. Ladyman: The table shows the factors by which the previous year's traffic flows would be multiplied in each year, according to current long-term forecasts in themselves, as outcomes for each year will vary in ways that reflect unpredictable events and other short term factors.
| OV( 1) | HGV( 2) | |
|
(1) Vehicles below 5 metres in length (2) Vehicles above 5 metres in length | ||
Ministerial Journeys
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ministerial journeys he has made on public transport in each of the last five years. [86409]
Gillian Merron: Since the Department for Transport was formed on 29 May 2002, my right hon. friend the Secretary of State and his predecessor have made 221 journeys on ministerial business using scheduled public transport for which the Department has paid. The number undertaken in each financial year is:
| Number | |
| (1)Up to 5 July 2006. | |
No information is available on short journeys which may have been made using public transport locally during the course of visits or in undertaking visits within London.
Ministerial Offices
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times his ministerial office has been decorated in each of the last five years. [87637]
Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State’s office has been decorated once in the last five years, in 2002-03.
Nightstar Rolling Stock
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who received the revenue from the sale to Canada of Nightstar rolling stock; and if he will make a statement. [82437]
Derek Twigg: The proceeds from the sale were credited to London and Continental Railways.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent from public funds on the manufacture of Nightstar rolling stock; and if he will make a statement. [81628]
Derek Twigg: The order for Nightstar stock was placed in 1992 by European night services, a consortium of European railway operators, which included British Rail.
The financial consequences of the decision not to proceed with Nightstar services were described by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in his statement to the House of 3 June 1998.
Noise Hotspots
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to publish the Highways Agency’s report An Assessment of Noise Hotspots Alongside the M40. [88337]
Dr. Ladyman: The report has just been finalised and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The report is to be published on the Highways Agency’s website shortly.
Noise Severity Index
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will alter the formula for calculating the noise severity index to take account of the local environment. [88319]
Dr. Ladyman: No. The calculation of the index is already carried out in such a way as to ensure resources are targeted at locations where noise levels are greatest and where the greatest number of people would derive benefit from the measures taken.
North London Line
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys were subject to delays on the North London line in each year since 1997. [87716]
Derek Twigg: The information is not held by the Department in the format requested. Information on delayed trains is held by Network Rail.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) assaults and (b) robberies there were on the North London line in each year since 1997. [87719]
Derek Twigg: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Information relating to assaults and robberies on the North London line is held by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many freight journeys there were on the North London line in each year since 1997. [87720]
Derek Twigg: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Ministerial Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [84010]
Gillian Merron: Between 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2006 the current Secretary of State and his predecessor visited the English regions on departmental business as set out in the following table:
| Region | Number of visits |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |