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14 Jan 2008 : Column 842W—continued
Driving Under Influence: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to lower the legally permitted blood alcohol concentration for driving on public roads. [178333]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We explained in the report of the second three-yearly review of the Road Safety Strategy, published in February 2007, that we will keep the case for a reduction in the legal alcohol limit for drivers under review. Our first priority is to improve the enforcement of the current limit, building on the recent achievements of the police. We believe this has the potential to deliver a substantial further reduction in deaths and serious injuries, so continuing the good progress of recent years.
Driving: Licensing
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Hendon pensioners over 70 years received free driving licence renewals in each of the last three years. [177502]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold information on the number of renewal transactions for specific geographical areas. All customers who have paid a life licence fee and renewed at the age of 70 (and over) would have been issued with a new licence free of charge.
Electrification
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on the electrification of the railway network; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the electrification on carbon dioxide emissions. [177348]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Government's position on rail electrification was set out in the rail White Paper “Towards a Sustainable Railway” published in July 2007. This was informed by a Rail Safety and Standards Board report which analysed a range of electrification schemes including their impact on carbon emissions.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the (a) cost and (b) benefits of the electrification of those non-electrified parts of the rail network between (i) Southampton and Salisbury, (ii) Wokingham and Aldershot South junction and (iii) Basingstoke and Salisbury; and if she will make a statement. [177349]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has not made such an assessment. The Government's position on rail electrification was set out in the rail White Paper “Towards a Sustainable Railway” published in July 2007.
English Language
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [177429]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport reports expenditure of £332 on English language classes for staff in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
First Great Western: Compensation
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the potential cost of compensation payable to First Great Western as a result of disruption to its services by the (a) construction and (b) operation of Crossrail. [178187]
Mr. Tom Harris:
Train operators will be properly compensated for the loss of, or disruption to, services during the construction and operation of Crossrail. The Secretary of State's policy is set out in Crossrail Information Paper H2, “Railway Compensation”
(http://billdocuments.crossrail.co.uk), and discussions are on-going with the rail industry to develop suitable arrangements.
The project cost estimate has taken into account that compensation will be payable to other train operators as a result of the Crossrail works, based on experience elsewhere on the national rail network. However, exactly what compensation might be payable to any given train operator will vary according to the detail of how the Crossrail works are carried out.
Once Crossrail services commence in 2017, they will be subject to the normal industry processes for compensation for disruption. It is not possible to estimate at this time what compensation might be payable between train operators and Network Rail.
International Labour Organisation Maritime Labour Convention
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the UK to ratify the International Labour Organisation Maritime Labour Convention. [177819]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK Government, in line with all other EU member states, are committed to ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention and aim to do so by 2010, or earlier if possible.
Intimidation
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what definition of bullying is used in her Department’s human resources policy. [178512]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power which undermines, humiliates or injures the person on the receiving end.
Irish Lights
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she plans to take in response to the Review of Funding of the Commissioners of Irish Lights; and if she will make a statement. [178964]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We expect the Irish Lights Study will be completed shortly and are working closely with the Irish Government to ensure a long term funding solution is reached. The study's findings will be published. We will then consider how to take forward any recommendations made.
M1: Motorways
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects work to (a) commence and (b) be completed in respect of the construction of junction 29A of the M1 motorway; what lane closures are planned to take place during construction; and if she will make a statement. [178017]
Mr. Tom Harris:
Work on the new M1 junction 29A started on the 13 August 2007. All the work has been outside the motorway carriageways but has involved
the closure of the hard shoulder on the southbound carriageway from mid-September 2007.
To enable the construction of the tie ins of the slip roads to the motorway, sign gantry removal, and installation of safety fencing, it will be necessary to close lane 1, and occasionally lane 2, of each carriageway between 10 pm and 6 am. These lane closures are planned to take place between 25 January and 31 March 2008.
The junction will be completely open for traffic by mid-April 2008.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected benefits are of the construction of junction 29A of the M1 motorway; what consultation was undertaken prior to approving the plan; what representations she received, and from whom, in favour of the project; and if she will make a statement. [178018]
Mr. Tom Harris: The new M1 junction 29A would provide good access opportunities with the Markham Employment Growth Zone area, an essential element to the viability of the Markham Vale development.
While the Department for Transport contributed funding towards the Markham Vale Employment Growth Zone, the scheme was led by Derbyshire county council. Therefore, consultation was undertaken by them. Consultation representations would have been made direct to Derbyshire county council.
Marine Accident Investigation Branch: Industrial Health and Safety
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many work-related deaths were investigated in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in the last five years. [178253]
Jim Fitzpatrick: From 2003 to 2007 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch carried out on-site investigations into:
(a) 16 deaths in Scottish waters (including inland waters)
(b) 41 deaths in all UK waters (including Scottish waters)
in which the fatally injured persons were working on commercially operating vessels.
Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average amount of carbon dioxide emitted per mile driven was for road traffic in each EU country in the latest year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [178131]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
There are figures for total CO2 emissions from all types of road transport, in million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the most recent year being 2005. These can be found in Table 10.11 of “Transport Statistics Great Britain 2007”, at:
Motorways: Lighting
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will ensure that motorway lighting is installed at and in the vicinity of junction 29A of the M1 motorway during construction. [178016]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Highways Agency has no plans to install lighting at junction 29A of the M1 motorway. The roundabouts which connect the motorway entry and exit slip roads to the local road network will be lit.
Network Rail: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will initiate an official inquiry into the performance of contractors employed by Network Rail on projects at (a) Liverpool Street station and (b) Rugby; and if she will make a statement. [177342]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation has launched an investigation into Network Rail's management of engineering projects including the causes of the engineering over-runs at Liverpool street and Rugby over Christmas and new year and expect to announce their preliminary findings by 29 February 2008. We will not seek to pre-empt the Office of Rail Regulation by speculating on causes before the report is issued.
North Sea SOx Emission Control Area
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to bring forward legislation to enforce the North Sea SOx Emission Control Area regulations and set penalties for non-compliance. [177820]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Legislation to implement the North Sea SOx Emission Control Area is currently being prepared for public consultation and is planned to be in force by summer of this year. Penalties for non-compliance will be included in this legislation.
Rail Services
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the potential extent of disruption of long-distance train services from Paddington to South Wales arising from the (a) construction and (b) operation of Crossrail. [178188]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Crossrail works are being planned to minimise disruption to existing railway services during construction. The detailed planning of these works, which Network Rail envisages undertaking, will be managed through the normal industry processes nearer to the start of construction. The Crossrail Environmental Statement (ES) contains an assessment of the expected disruption to services on the Great Western Main Line (http://billdocuments.crossrail.co.uk; ES Volume 1, 2.5.19 and Volume 8a, 6.15-6.16).
Crossrail services will subsume most of the suburban services that use the “slow” lines between Maidenhead and Paddington. Since the Welsh services will continue
to use the “fast” lines, no changes are proposed to services to Wales as a result of Crossrail during normal operations (ES, Volume 1, 2.4.9).
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of whether extra rolling stock is required for rail services provided in the North West by (a) Northern Rail, (b) Merseyrail; (c) First TransPennine Express, (d) Virgin West Coast and (e) Arriva Cross Country franchises. [177859]
Mr. Tom Harris: On 24 July 2007 the Secretary of State announced that around 1,300 extra carriages are to come into service between now and 2014. They will go on routes into London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool to provide the capacity to meet growing demand. It is now for the DFT to work with train operating companies and Network Rail to identify how these additional carriages will be distributed across each of the train operating companies.
Railway Network
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria will be used to allocate the additional 1,300 carriages referred to in the rail White Paper across the rail network; and if she will make a statement. [177857]
Mr. Tom Harris: The extra rolling stock will be deployed as necessary to provide the amount of extra capacity at London termini and in other urban areas as set out in tables A4 and A5 of The Railways Act 2005 Statement, subject to value for money.
Railway Stations
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many railway stations have been (a) opened and (b) re-opened since 1 May 1997. [178141]
Mr. Tom Harris: Since 1 May 1997, 36 stations have opened on the national network, two of which—Canning Town and West Ham—were resited because of Jubilee line works. Another three have reopened.
Railways: Freight
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the maximum additional (a) passenger and (b) freight capacity in percentage terms which can be delivered by the existing rail network without the reopening of lines or opening of new lines; and what additional capacity in percentage terms is likely to be delivered by the implementation of all proposals in the Government's Delivering A Sustainable Railway paper. [178181]
Mr. Tom Harris: No estimate has been made of the maximum additional capacity possible on the existing network. This would depend not only on the nature and extent of investment, but on the type, routeing, timetabling and mix of train services operated.
In the July 2007 White Paper ‘Delivering a Sustainable Railway’, the Government set out the
capacity required to meet forecast passenger demand in England and Wales to 2014, taking into account the needs of freight, and are investing in the railway to meet this growth.
Railways: Norwich
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of delays to trains on the Norwich to London railway line there were between the hours of (a) 6 am and 10 am, (b) 10 am and 3 pm and (c) 4 pm and 11.30 pm in each direction in 2007. [177329]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department does not receive the information at this level of detail. Data relating to punctuality of train services are collected and processed by Network Rail. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question.
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London NW1 2EE
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