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25 July 2007 : Column 1067W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 25 July 2007

Transport

Aviation: Radioactive Materials

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the numbers and movements of flights involving radioactive materials carried within UK airspace. [151924]

Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no regulatory requirement for consignors of radioactive material routinely to notify this Department of shipments. Consequently this Department does not hold detailed information on the numbers of flights or materials carried.

In 2003 the National Radiological Protection Board (now the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency (HPA)), acting under contract to the Department for Transport carried out a survey into the radiological consequences of the transport of radioactive material by air. This survey involved gathering data on the numbers of flights transporting radioactive material and hence will provide picture of operations during one particular year (2001).

The report of this work ‘Survey into the Radiological Impact of the Normal Transport of Radioactive Material by Air—Final Report March 2003 (NRPB-W39)’ has been placed in the House Library and is available on the HPA website at the following address:

Departments: Land

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what land she expects to be disposed of by (a) her Department and (b) Network Rail between 2007 to 2011; and whether she plans to require that land to be used for social housing. [149895]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information on current and expected surplus Department for Transport land, covering the next three years, has been placed in the Library of the House. Information on 2011 is not yet available and not all of the sites would necessarily be suitable for housing.

Network Rail is a private sector company whose activities are governed by the regulatory regime and general law. The independent Office of Rail Regulation regulates and monitors the disposal of Network Rail's land.

It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to identify and release land for housing as part of the planning process. This means that the requirement for the provision of social housing will need to be negotiated and agreed with the local planning authority. The
25 July 2007 : Column 1068W
Government have implemented a number of initiatives to assist with land supply for housing. A register of surplus public sector land held by central Government bodies has been established.

English Partnerships review the sites on the register to identify those which could have the potential for housing development. As at June 2007 there were over 700 sites on the register. Sites are continually being added as they are identified as surplus by landowners and removed once expressions of interest are received after a site has been marketed.

Departments: Legislation

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Bills introduced by her Department in the last five years did not contain sunset clauses; and if she will make a statement. [152491]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Of the enacted Bills introduced by the Department for Transport in the last five years, for the following Acts did not contain any sunset clauses.

The appropriateness of a sunset clause for the whole or any part of any proposed legislation is considered on a case-by-case basis. It is also addressed when a regulatory impact assessment relating to legislation is being prepared.

Driving Offences: Mobile Phones

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has allocated in each of the next two years to raising awareness of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving; and if she will make a statement. [152769]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our communications activity to raise awareness of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, forms part of the Department’s £16 million THINK! road safety campaign, which conveys messages/advice on issues such as drink-driving, speed, motorcycling, use of seat belts and child/teen road safety. Priorities within the campaign are informed by the killed and seriously injured statistics.

In financial year 2006-07, we allocated £1.6 million to raise awareness of the dangers and changes in penalties for using a mobile phone while driving. A high profile campaign was launched in January 2007 using a mix of television, press, radio and online advertising. There was also an enforcement element to the campaign which was supported by the work of the police.

Expenditure allocated to the campaign for financial year 2007-08 is £1 million. We are planning an advertising campaign in February 2008 to mark the one-year anniversary of the change in legislation. It is expected that the campaign will comprise television, radio, online and PR activity.


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Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment she (a) has made and (b) plans to make on the effectiveness of section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in reducing the number of (i) males and (ii) females driving while using a mobile telephone; [152863]

(2) what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on driving standards if persons guilty of an offence under section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988, in lieu of a fine, attend a driving safety course paid for by the offender that includes instruction on the dangers of driving while using a mobile telephone; and if she will make a statement. [152864]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department undertakes observational surveys of the number of drivers using mobile phones while driving on a regular basis. The survey for 2007 is under way at the moment and the results will be published later this year. The survey does not differentiate the gender of drivers using mobile phones. The most recent survey published in August 2006 is TRL Leaflet 2100 which is available online at www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211

Research has not been specifically undertaken or commissioned on the effect on driving standards if drivers who would otherwise be prosecuted were to attend driver improvement courses that explained the dangers of using mobile phones while driving.

London Underground: Repairs and Maintenance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what future maintenance arrangements for the London Underground are being considered by her Department following the entering into administration of Metronet. [152620]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is for the PPP administrators, working with Transport for London and London Underground, to identify the best long-term outcome in terms of the continuance of Metronet’s tube maintenance activities. It would be premature to comment on what form this may take while the administration process is still in its early stages.

Lorries

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 520W, on lorries, what level of heavy goods vehicle movements per day on (a) A-class roads and (b) motorways causes significant structural or surface wear effects. [152704]

Mr. Tom Harris: The effect on the structural and surface conditions of a road as a result of an increase in heavy goods traffic is dependent on the prior condition of the road. A detailed survey of a particular road would be necessary to establish the prior structural and surface conditions in order to assess the impact of future traffic. However, motorways in England are well built and typically a busy motorway carries 20,000 heavy goods vehicles per day. A doubling of this flow is likely to have a significant effect on the structural and surface conditions. On the A class roads, the type of construction and the structural and surface conditions are extremely variable. It is not possible to produce a similar estimate.


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Metronet: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public sector finance commitment is expected to be incurred following the entering into administration of Metronet. [152621]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Transport for London and London Underground are in discussions with PPP administrators to identify the best long term financial outcome resulting from the administration of Metronet’s activities. It would be premature to comment on any public sector finance commitment while those discussions are still in their early stages.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the MOT failure rate is for cars at (a) three, (b) four, (c) five, (d) six, (e) seven, (f) eight, (g) nine and (h) 10 years old. [151465]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The data held by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) for the failure rate for class 4 vehicles (cars) completed MOT tests carried out from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 is shown in the following table. VOSA does not hold these records by vehicle age but by the year of registered first use.

Year of first use Total MOT tests( 1) (number) Failure rate (percentage)

2004

782,616

20.51

2003

2,679,600

21.56

2002

2,671,415

24.58

2001

2,538,661

28.57

2000

2,245,549

33.52

1999

2,109,115

37.81

1998

2,025,417

41.64

1997

1,813,091

44.58

(1) Excludes retests

VOSA publishes the overall failure rate for vehicles in an effectiveness report which is available from the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport section. This is also available online at:

Railway Stations: Coventry

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the proposals to build a railway station at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry; what discussions she has had with Coventry city council on the proposals; and what estimate she has made of the cost of the establishment of such a station. [151908]

Mr. Tom Harris: It is for the local authority to develop a proposal for a new station which is deliverable, affordable and has a business case. Discussions took place over three years ago following a report which was submitted to the Strategic Rail Authority. The report concluded that the business case was low and there were questions over its deliverability.

The Department would consider any further work showing that such a station was feasible, fundable and offered value for money.


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Roads: Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roads originally built under private finance initiative contracts have had to undergo reconstruction in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost was to the public purse for the reconstruction of these roads. [152472]

Ms Rosie Winterton: No roads originally built under private finance initiative contracts have had to undergo reconstruction in the last 10 years.

Shipping: Radioactive Materials

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times nuclear flasks were shipped from (a) Torness, Hunterston and Hartlepool power stations and (b) Bradwell, Sizewell and Dungeness power stations to Sellafield in each of the last five years. [151926]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total number of flasks shipped from each power station were as follows:

(a) AGR st ations
Torness Hunterston B Hartlepool Dungeness B

2002

50

50

50

24

2003

47

60

63

49

2004

42

43

48

48

2005

46

51

35

41

2006

51

55

52

44

2007 (to July)

27

14

12

35


(b) Magnox stations
Bradwell Sizewell A Dungeness A

2002

43

59

77

2003

34

75

53

2004

52

72

50

2005

75

25

24

2006

36

48

48

2007 (to July)

0

31

20


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