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11 Jun 2007 : Column 728W—continued
Motorways: Walls and Fences
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) estimate he has made of the cost and (b) assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (i) galvanised metal central reservation barriers and (ii) concrete barriers made of concrete in use on motorways; and if he will make a statement. [141349]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency commissioned TRL (formerly the Transport Research Laboratory) in 2004 to examine the cost effectiveness and performance of central reservation barriers installed on major roads in Great Britain.
Typical installation costs for a metre of Double Sided Tensioned Corrugated Beam barrier (galvanised metal) and Vertical Concrete Barrier were £33 and
£155 respectively. Over a 50 year period the whole life costs of concrete barriers were estimated to be about 15 per cent. to 20 per cent. lower than metal barriers.
The accident statistics examined in the study showed that the number of serious casualties per kilometre is comparable between metal and concrete barriers, but there was a lower rate of slight casualties and accidents where concrete barriers were installed. No fatal casualties have resulted from an impact with a concrete barrier.
Railways: Eastbourne
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost is of an (a) peak and (b) off peak (i) daily, (ii) return, (iii) weekly, (iv) monthly and (v) yearly ticket for an adult travelling between Eastbourne and London stations. [141895]
Mr. Tom Harris: The standard class peak day return is priced £39.80, the off peak at £20.60. The Pricebuster off peak day return to London Victoria is £13. Season tickets cost £81 for seven days, the monthly fare is £311.10 and the rate for an annual ticket is £3,240.
Railways: Freight
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to develop a national policy framework for railfreight interchanges. [140975]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Government are currently consulting on the proposals in the White Paper “Planning for a Sustainable Future” for a new planning regime for nationally significant infrastructure, within which Government would set out clear strategic objectives in the form of National Policy Statements (NPS). We have yet to decide on the scope of NPS for Transport, including the extent to which they might deal with railfreight infrastructure, under the proposed new regime.
Railways: Gravesham
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to increase capacity on commuter trains between Gravesham and London measured by (a) new carriages and (b) passenger numbers. [141848]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Government will detail the outputs they wish to purchase from the railway for the period 2009-2014 in the high level output specification to be published in July. No further information is available before then.
Railways: Offensive Weapons
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers have been found carrying offensive weapons on trains between Gravesham and London in each of the last five years. [141619]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but 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.
Road Traffic: Wellingborough
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Wellingborough to discuss traffic movements with local residents. [141591]
Gillian Merron: There are currently no plans for Ministers to visit Wellingborough to discuss traffic movements with local residents.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cost increases he approved for road schemes in the Highways Agency targeted programme of improvements in each year since 1998. [138903]
Dr. Ladyman: Details of Highways Agency major road schemes that have had cost increases approved between 2000 and July 2006 are available in Appendix Two of the National Audit Office report—Department for Transport: Estimating and Monitoring the Costs of Building Roads in England—published on 15 March 2007. A copy of the report can be downloaded from the following website link:
Since July 2006, we have also approved cost increases on the following major road schemes:
A2 Bean—Cobham widening Phase 2
A2/A282 Dartford improvement
M25 J1b-3
A14 Haughley New Street to Stowmarket improvement
A3 Hindhead improvement
A38 Dobwall bypass
A595 Parton to Lillyhall improvement
A46 Newark to Widmerpool
A1 Dishforth to Barton
A1 Bramham to Wetherby (including Wetherby bypass)
A66 Long Newton GSJ
A69 Haydon Bridge bypass
A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton
A57/A628 Mottram—Hollingworth—Tintwhistle
M1 J10-13
A5—M1 Link (Dunstable Northern bypass)
A27 Southerham to Beddingham improvement
M25 J28/A12 Brook Street interchange.
South Hampshire Rail Group
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reply to the submission made by the South Hampshire Rail Group on the franchise operated by South West Trains; and if he will make a statement. [141187]
Mr. Tom Harris: The group sent a submission to the Department which was received on 22 May 2007. It is now being considered and I expect a reply to be sent shortly.
South West Trains: Surveys
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a study of the views of passengers carried by South West Trains which seeks their views on (a) comfort, (b) punctuality, (c) ease of purchasing tickets and (d) value for money; and if he will make a statement. [142095]
Mr. Tom Harris: The National Passenger Survey reported by Passenger Focus provides a network-wide picture of customers' satisfaction with rail travel. Passengers opinions are collected twice a year from a representative sample of passenger journeys. It is for train operators rather than Government to decide whether there is a need for more detailed surveys of their own passengers.
Tolls
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate the Government have made of the minimum daily charge by local authority road pricing schemes required significantly to alter driver behaviour. [139837]
Dr. Ladyman: We have made no such estimate. It is up to interested local authorities to propose local schemes as local solutions to local problems.
The Secretary of State announced in a written ministerial statement on 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 47WS, the publication of guidance for local authorities interested in developing business cases for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for local schemes to tackle congestion. The road pricing section of this guidance sets out the Government's position on these points.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what impact he expects EC Directive 2004/52 on the interoperability of electronic toll collection systems to have on the (a) choice and (b) implementation of local authority road pricing systems; [141493]
(2) what provisions he plans to make for the transfer of electronic on-board units fitted to vehicles using local authority road pricing schemes, in the event that the user changes their vehicle; and who will be responsible for the costs incurred thereby; [141495]
(3) what provision will be made for the issuing of single invoices where drivers and operators register with multiple road pricing schemes; and what arrangements will be made for the sharing of data between authorities to enable this to happen. [141519]
Dr. Ladyman: On 8 February 2007 the Secretary of State announced in a written ministerial statement, Official Report, column 47WS, the publication of guidance for local authorities interested in developing business cases for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for local schemes to tackle congestion. The road pricing section of this guidance sets out the Government’s position on this point.
Traffic Commissioners: Licensing
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers the traffic commissioners have to grant vehicle operator licences; and whether these powers have been delegated to other officials. [141152]
Dr. Ladyman: Traffic Commissioners have powers under the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 and the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995, to grant and take disciplinary action against operator licences for public service vehicles and large goods vehicles.
For many years, Traffic Commissioners have delegated responsibility for issuing licences, in cases where the application is straightforward and it is clear that the eligibility criteria are met, to administrative staff employed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.
Trains: Bicycles
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the provision for cycles on trains operated by South West Trains. [140698]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department has received several hundred letters about the integration of cycling and rail. Of those a small number refer specifically to issues on South West Trains.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specifications to franchises he is able to make regarding provision for cycles on trains. [140699]
Mr. Tom Harris: Bidders for the South Western franchise were asked to consider cycle-rail integration matters in their bid submissions as are the three current franchises that are out to tender; East Midlands, West Midlands and New Cross Country are also being asked. The Intercity East Coast franchise replacement specification will also require bidders to consider bike-rail integration and facilities at stations.
Vehicle Number Plates: Theft
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidance to car vendors requesting that they advise people of the availability of anti-theft number plates when cars are sold. [142064]
Dr. Ladyman: When the tamper resistant plate initiative was launched after the first manufacturer passed the standard in 2006, DVLA provided publicity material for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) to distribute to all their members. A second manufacturer has now passed the test and further publicity is planned.
International Development
Departments: Carbon Emissions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions. [140787]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development is strongly committed to the new set of sustainable operation targets launched in June 2006, including the specific commitments on reducing carbon emissions. DFID calculates all carbon emissions from buildings and travel from guidance and conversion factors supplied to us by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Departments: Travel Agents
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997. [139905]
Mr. Thomas: Specific data for agency commission for the central travel contract for the Department for International Development is only available from 2003-04 as follows:
| £000 | |
Between 1997 and 2003 the management charges were calculated on the basis of a combination of volume and savings incentives, but central records do not exist of the total fees paid during this period, and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Guinea-Bissau: International Assistance
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral aid projects are being undertaken with UK funding in Guinea-Bissau. [141749]
Hilary Benn: The UK does not have a bilateral development assistance programme with Guinea-Bissau, though we have recently supported the Government to develop a security sector reform framework, and an NGO to conduct a demining assessment.
The UK's imputed share of multilateral agency development assistance to Guinea-Bissau was £2.517 million in 2005 (based on the UK's total funding for each multilateral and that multilateral's distribution of official development assistance and official aid each year). Agencies normally pool donor funding, so no breakdown of UK spending against individual projects is available.
Overseas Aid
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid was given to (a) Guinea-Bissau, (b) Guinea, (c) Sierra Leone, (d) Liberia, (e) Mali, (f) Mauritania and (g) Senegal in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2004. [141750]
Hilary Benn: The figures are set out in the following tables:
| UK Bilateral Aid | ||
| £000 | ||
| Destination Name | 2004 | 2005 |
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