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18 Feb 2008 : Column 152W—continued
Roadside surveys were not conducted in 2000, 2001 or 2003, and estimates are therefore unavailable for those years.
Motor Vehicles: Insurance
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of (a) motorcars and (b) motorcycles being used on the road without insurance in each region in each year since 2001. [181623]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Our latest estimate (2005) for uninsured driving is based on a comparison of the vehicle register, maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing agency and the Motor Insurance Database. The estimate is that about 2.1 million licensed vehicles (about 6.5 per cent. of the UK fleet) are being driven by uninsured drivers. There is no similar comparison for earlier years and no separate information for motorcars and motorcycles or by region.
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to review the future use of the MOT vehicle testing scheme. [186310]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department will be consulting later this year on the frequency of MOT testing.
Network Rail
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the reports on the west coast route modernisation submitted to the Office of Rail Regulation in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007 by its regulatory reporters appointed under Condition 23 of Network Rail's network licence. [180875]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is a matter for the ORR. The ORR informs me that its views on the programme, based directly on the reports, are published in ORR's quarterly ‘Network Rail Monitor’ and in the ‘Annual Assessment of Network Rail 2006-07’. Copies of these publications are available on ORR's website at:
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what conditions (a) train operators and (b) other persons are entitled to have access to the asset register established by Network Rail under Condition 24 of its network licence. [180878]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is a matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to her questions.
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London
NW1 2EE
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals (a) she and (b) the Office of Rail Regulation have for enhancing the accountability of Network Rail to its train operator customers. [180879]
Mr. Tom Harris: Network Rail is accountable through its network licence and to its customers through its contracts and industry codes. The ORR keeps these under review.
Network Rail: Finance
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by Network Rail in each region in each year since its establishment; and what its projected spend in each region is in each of the next three years. [183545]
Mr. Tom Harris:
This is a matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network.
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 NW12EE
Network Rail: Pay
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to arrange the method of bonus calculation for Network Rail directors so as to incentivise growth of the network. [182540]
Mr. Tom Harris: Decisions on bonuses are a matter for Network Rail’s independent remuneration committee, not for Government. The level of bonuses is determined by the degree of achievement of key performance indicator regulatory targets under Network Rail’s annual management incentive plan, produced in accordance with a licence requirement of the independent Office of Rail Regulation.
Official Cars: Carbon Emissions
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what volume of carbon dioxide was emitted from ministerial vehicles in each year for which information is available. [181919]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The figure for the ministerial fleet is currently 147.62 grams per kilometre (g/km). However, the average CO2 emission profile for all new cars purchased since April 2006 is currently 130 g/km.
Official Cars: Excise Duties
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the Government’s ministerial car fleet is in each of the vehicle excise duty bands. [181918]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Of the 85 cars currently in the ministerial fleet provided by the Government Car and Despatch agency, 53 (62.3 per cent.) are vehicle excise duty (VED) band B, one (1.2 per cent.) is in VED band C, 30 (35.3 per cent.) are in VED band F and one (1.2 per cent.) is in VED band G.
Pollution
Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the Government to ratify the (a) convention on hazardous and noxious substances 1996, (b) convention on oil pollution preparedness and co-operation/hazardous and noxious substances 2000, (c) anti-fouling convention and (d) ballast and water management convention; and if she will make a statement. [185786]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The United Kingdom, together with many other EU and third country states, has not yet ratified the International convention on liability and
compensation for damage in connection with the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances by Sea (HNS), 1996, because of a number of technical and legal difficulties with the current text. To overcome these difficulties the International Maritime Organisation’s legal committee will consider the text of a new draft legal instrument at its meeting in October 2008. This legal instrument is likely to be in the form of a protocol. Once new text has been agreed at IMO, the UK will take the necessary steps to ratify the convention, as amended by the protocol.
The UK intends to accede to the oil pollution preparedness, response and co-operation (OPRC) Convention Protocol 2000” as soon as possible, following the introduction of secondary legislation later this year.
Legislation to implement the international convention on the control of harmful anti-fouling systems on ships 2001 (anti-fouling convention) is currently in draft, and will be issued for public consultation later this year. The Government will ratify the convention once this consultation has been satisfactorily completed and the legislation is in place.
The Government intend to begin work on implementing and ratifying the international convention for the control and management of ships ballast water and sediments 2004 (“Ballast Water Convention”), once outstanding issues relating to the availability of treatment systems and the associated guidance are resolved through the International Maritime Organisation.
Railway Stations: Bicycles
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her Department has had with Network Rail and train operating companies on the provision of secure bicycle parking at stations; and if she will make a statement. [183654]
Mr. Tom Harris: The rail White Paper “Delivering a Sustainable Railway” announced the setting up of a Cycle and Rail Task Force (CRIT) to look into how bike and rail journeys can be better integrated. The task force includes the Association of Train Operating Companies, Network Rail, Passenger Focus, Cycling England and the Department for Transport. Secure bicycle parking is one of the issues that the task force will be considering.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has considered setting minimum standards for the provision of secure bicycle parking at major railway stations. [183655]
Mr. Tom Harris: Guidance on the provision of secure bicycle parking is contained in the “DFT Bike and Rail Policy” document published by the former Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) in 2004 and since adopted by the Department for Transport. This can be found on the Department's website at:
This guidance was referenced in the invitations to tender for the recent rail franchise awards when directing bidders to submit proposals for improving facilities at stations for cyclists.
The new Cycle and Rail Task Force was created to help the Government get right the detail of the franchising regime with respect to the integration of bike and rail.
Railways: Concessions
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effects of the terms of the young persons railcard on the purchase of rail passes and season tickets; and what representations she has received on extending the use of such railcards for peak time travel. [185844]
Mr. Tom Harris: The young persons railcard is a product targeted at promoting leisure travel. The terms and conditions of use are such that it should not affect the purchase or demand for rail passes and season tickets.
No formal representations have been received in respect of the extension of use of young persons railcards to embrace commuter travel, although it allows peak time travel subject to minimum fare levels.
Railways: Fares
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to limit the increases in rail fares for rail users without season tickets. [183929]
Mr. Tom Harris [holding answer 1 February 2008]: In addition to most season tickets, fares regulation encompasses standard day singles and returns in urban commuter areas and saver fares for long-distance travel (or a standard day return for long-distance journeys for which there was no saver). Regulated fares are usually limited to average fares increases of RPI+1, though operators are free to raise individual fares up to RPI+6 per cent. as long as this is matched by decreases in other regulated fares on their network.
Other fares are unregulated: train operators are free to set prices as they wish subject to competition from coach, air travel and car.
The Department continues to listen to the representations of Passenger Focus, and has invited it to take a greater role in commenting on the specification of future franchises.
Railways: Fines
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints were made following on-the-spot fines on the railways in each of the last five years; and how many of these were upheld. [183651]
Mr. Tom Harris: The train operators on the National Rail network do not issue on-the-spot fines and therefore there have been no complaints about them. In areas where a penalty fares scheme is in place, passengers travelling without tickets, or who for other approved reasons are liable to be issued with a penalty fare notice, are subsequently entitled to make an appeal. The approved appeals bodies themselves keep records of all such appeals.
Railways: Freedom of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans her Department has to bring forward measures to make (a) train operating companies and (b) Network Rail subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [183643]
Jim Fitzpatrick: None at this stage. The Government keep the Freedom of Information Act under continuous review and a consultation period on the extension of its scope has recently ended.
Railways: Portsmouth
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specifications requested by her Department were written into the franchise documents for mainline express journeys from Portsmouth to London via Basingstoke for (a) seating and (b) stand alone tables prior to the franchise being won by South West Trains. [184073]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department did not specify the internal specification of the rolling stock on the South Western Franchise.
Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many timetabled engineering projects Network Rail has carried out in each of the last five years; [180260]
(2) how many timetabled engineering projects run by Network Rail have overrun their timetable in each of the last five years; and what percentage of works this represents. [180261]
Mr. Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions.
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London
NW1 2EE
Office of Rail Regulation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what capacity measurement tools are used by the Office of Rail Regulation in relation to (a) track, (b) stations and (c) light maintenance depots. [180884]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). ORR informs me that it makes use of industry standard models as appropriate. It can also require Network Rail and other stakeholders to carry out capacity modelling or commission its own.
ORR also requires Network Rail to report on specific capacity metrics in its annual return. ORR uses
this data in its annual assessment of Network Rail. The “Annual Assessment of Network Rail 2006-07” is available on ORR’s website at:
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