| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
16 Apr 2007 : Column 50W—continued
Zimbabwe
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she plans to make to her European Union counterparts on the extension of existing EU sanctions against Zimbabwe; and if she will make a statement. [129975]
Margaret Beckett: We have proposed to EU partners that the key perpetrators of the violence on 11 March should be added to the list of those subject to a visa ban and assets freeze.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she last discussed Zimbabwe with her South African counterpart; and what the outcome was of the discussion. [129976]
Margaret Beckett: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 19 March 2007, Official Report, column 600W.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been frozen under measures applied in accordance with the EU Common Position on Zimbabwe. [129978]
Margaret Beckett: In the United Kingdom, 42 accounts containing a total of £172,000 are currently frozen under the terms of the EU Common Position.
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations encouraging the Government of Zimbabwe to provide medical assistance to pro-democracy activists detained following a prayer meeting in Highfield, Harare in March 2007. [131244]
Mr. Hoon:
My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary called for all those who were arrested and beaten following the prayer meeting at Highfield to be given immediate access to proper medical attention. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, made similar representations directly to the Zimbabwe Ambassador on 13 March.
Those arrested on 11 March were eventually released and received medical attention in private hospitals.
Transport
A1307: Accidents
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the (a) total number of accidents, (b) average daily traffic flow and (c) accident rate per million vehicle kilometres was for the stretch A1307 between the junctions with the A143 in Haverhill and the A11 in Abington in each of the last 10 years; and what the latest figures are for 2007; [130976]
(2) how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured on the stretch of the A1307 between the junctions with the A143 in Haverhill and the A11 in Abington in each of the last 10 years; and what the latest figures are for 2007. [130975]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents, the number of resulting casualties, the annual average daily traffic flow and the accident rate per million vehicle kilometres, for the road requested are given in the table for each year from 1996 to 2005. 2005 is the most recent year for which data are available. Data for 2007 will be available in summer 2008.
| Number of accidents, annual average daily traffic flow, accident rate per million vehicle kilometres and number of casualties on the A1307 between the junction of A143 in Haverhill and the A11 at Little Abington in Cambridge, 1996-2005 | |||||
| Number of accidents( 1) | AADF( 2) | Accident rate( 3) | Killed | Injured | |
| (1) Personal injury road accidents reported to the police. (2) Annual average daily traffic flow. (3) Accident rate per million vehicle kilometres. | |||||
A6 and A45 Interchange
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Higham Ferriers to discuss proposed improvements to the Chown Mills A6/A45 interchange with the hon. Member for Wellingborough and constituents. [131665]
Dr. Ladyman: There are no immediate plans by the Secretary of State to visit Higham Ferrers. The A45 is categorised as a regional route. The East Midlands region advised in January 2006 that, within their indicative regional funding allocation, a potential grade-separation scheme was not a priority for funding in the period up to 2015/16. It will be for the region to review the priority for such a scheme in future rounds of the regional funding process.
In the meantime, the Highways Agency will undertake a junction capacity review of Chowns Mill junction in 2007/2008. This review will investigate what interim measures can be introduced, short of a grade separation, to alleviate the current operational problems at the Chowns Mill Interchange.
Biofuels: North West Region
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to promote alternative fuels in the north-west in the last five years. [130718]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government encourage the use of alternative fuels through reduced rates of Vehicle Excise Duty for cars run on certain alternative fuels and registered after 1 March 2001, and through differentials in fuel duty between petrol and diesel and other fuels. There are no specific initiatives for the north-west.
The Government also provide funds to the Energy Saving Trust to run an Infrastructure grant programme. The grants assist the building of refuelling stations for alternative fuels (natural gas/biogas, hydrogen and bio-ethanol).
The Government are also due to introduce a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation in April 2008 which will ensure a significant and stable market for biofuels in the UK, and is likely to mean that biofuels are available in low blends at the majority of forecourts in the UK.
British Railways Board (Residuary)
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by the British Railways Board (Residuary); what that body's budget was in 2006-07; and what the functions of the residuary body are. [131059]
Mr. Tom Harris: BRB (Residuary) Ltd. (BRBR) currently employs 36 full-time equivalent members of staff. The company is forecast to incur net costs of £35.7 million in 2006-07 and generate gross sales proceeds of £71.5 million. These figures are subject to audit.
BRBR was created as a consequence of the privatisation of the railways and discharges a range of legacy responsibilities inherited from the British Railways Board. These responsibilities include the management of industrial injury claims submitted by ex-British Rail employees and the management and disposal of a diverse property portfolio.
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioners in Hartlepool constituency (a) are eligible for and (b) have used the free local bus travel scheme. [130900]
Gillian Merron: (a) The number of residents of Hartlepool aged 60 and over, who, from 1 April 2006, are entitled to free off-peak local bus travel is around 19,200.
(b) Information on take-up of the concession in Hartlepool is not held centrally. Local authorities hold details of their residents who applied for concessionary travel.
Bypasses: Kettering
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what joint assessment the Highways Agency has made with the local highways authority of the case for a new eastern bypass around Kettering. [131658]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency has not carried out any joint assessment with Northamptonshire county council of the case for a new eastern bypass around Kettering.
Such a bypass would not be a trunk road proposal as it would cater mainly for local traffic. However, North Northamptonshire Development Company and Northamptonshire county council are considering the need for a new distributor road to the east of Kettering as part of the proposed urban extension. This road is referred to in the draft North Northamptonshire core spatial strategy. Such a scheme would only be promoted by developers and/or the county council.
Driving Offences: Insurance
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of motor vehicle accidents in England involving drivers without adequate insurance. [131124]
Dr. Ladyman: The latest figures available on uninsured accidents reported in the UK to the Motor Insurers' Bureau are as follows:
| 2004 | 2005 | |
No separate breakdown is available for England alone.
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of regular drivers without adequate insurance in England. [131125]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my Friend the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Dr. Wright) on Thursday 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 1063W. Separate figures for England are not available.
Exhaust Emissions
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on the emissions cost assessment initiative announced in December 2006. [131727]
Gillian Merron: As we announced in the future of air transport progress report last December, we intend to launch a consultation on the development of an emissions cost assessment for the aviation sector in the first half of 2007.
First Great Western: Rolling Stock
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the additional 1,000 train carriages that he proposes to introduce he expects to be used on the First Great Western network. [130864]
Mr. Tom Harris: It is too early to say where precisely the additional rolling stock will be used. The deployment of new rolling stock will be agreed with the industry following the publication of the High Level Output Specification and the long-term rail strategy this summer, in accordance with the Periodic Review timetable set out in the Office of Rail Regulation's advice to Minister published in February 2007.
HGV Drivers
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2007, Official Report, column 1245W, on HGV drivers, what steps he is taking to ensure that foreign-licensed HGV (or its equivalent) drivers with medical conditions which would make them ineligible for HGV licences in the UK, but not in other countries, are unable to drive in the UK. [130913]
Dr. Ladyman: EU licence holders who live in the UK have a legal obligation to notify DVLA of certain existing and worsening medical conditions. Failure to do so is a road traffic offence, carrying a penalty of £1,000. This information is available through a number of channels, including guidance leaflets.
Holders of EC/EEA licences are required to register with the DVLA vocational (LGV/PCV) entitlement to drive, within 12 months of becoming resident here. The registration process aims to ensure that these drivers meet the UK health and conduct standards.
New residents from non-EC/EEA countries may not drive vehicles over 3.5 tonnes until they have passed the relevant British driving test.
Enforcement of road traffic law is a matter for individual chief officers of police.
HM Coastguard: Privatisation
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consultation his Department has held with (a) the Fire and Rescue Service and (b) the Fire Brigades Union on the part-privatisation of HM Coastguard; [131403]
(2) when preferred bidders will be announced for the part-privatisation of HM Coastguard; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the specification; [131404]
(3) what the estimated cost savings are of the part-privatisation of HM Coastguard; and how those savings are to be made. [131405]
Dr. Ladyman: There are no plans to privatise HM Coastguard.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |