| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
29 Apr 2008 : Column 273W—continued
Heathrow Airport: BAA
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what meetings took place in 2007 between her Department’s (a) officials and (b) Ministers and representatives of BAA to discuss the project for the development of Heathrow Airport; and on what date each took place; [201310]
(2) if she will publish the minutes or notes of each meeting that took place in 2007 between her Department's officials and representatives of BAA to discuss the project for the development of Heathrow Airport. [201311]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 24 April 2008]: No such meetings took place between Ministers and BAA. Notes of all meetings with officials prior to the issue of the recent Heathrow consultation document have been released in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act. That information is on, or can be requested via, the Department’s FOI response website (March 2008). I will see that the hon. Member is sent copies of all the relevant documents.
Heathrow Airport: Consultants
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much her Department paid to WS Atkins for its work on the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow resulting in the October 2007 technical report entitled Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow: Population Exposure to Air Pollution; and if she will make a statement; [201467]
(2) how much her Department paid to WS Atkins for its peer review work which resulted in the November 2007 report entitled Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow: Demonstrating Confidence in the PSDH Air Quality Work; and if she will make a statement. [201468]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 24 April 2008]: The two reports in question were commissioned as part of the suite of supporting technical documents to the recent Heathrow consultation. The work to produce them was part of the contract with Atkins to provide technical assistance throughout the project on local air quality issues and has not been separately costed.
Kemble to Swindon Railway Line
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the Network Rail evaluation of proposals to re-double the Kemble to Swindon line, including any cost predictions. [201573]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation is currently evaluating proposals published by Network Rail this month for enhancing both the North Cotswold and the Stroud Valley lines and expects to publish its preliminary determination in June 2008.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) hon. Members and (b) local authorities have made representations to (i) her and (ii) Network Rail on the re-doubling of (A) the Kemble to Swindon line and (B) the North Cotswold line. [201574]
Mr. Tom Harris: The following hon. Members have made written representations to the Department in the last three years:
Geoffrey Clinton-Brown MP
David Drew MP
Mark Harper MP
Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP
Laurence Robertson MP
David Cameron MP
Geoffrey Clinton-Brown MP
David Drew MP
Michael Foster MP
Peter Luff MP
John Maples MP
We have received no written representations from local authorities about either line during this period.
My hon. Friend will need to contact the chief executive about representations made to Network Rail. His address is:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London
NW1 2EE
Lorries
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) foreign and (b) British-registered lorries made at least one journey on UK roads in each year since 1997. [202128]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is not centrally collected.
M5
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on proposals to modify junction 12 of the M5; and what plans she has for consultation prior to the introduction of any modifications. [201572]
Mr. Tom Harris: Committed developments in Gloucester will increase pressure on the M5 junction 12. Following the first release of funds from developers, the Highways Agency is about to commission the preparation of design works in respect of an improvement at the junction.
The Highways Agency will be developing a communications strategy, to include stakeholder involvement. This will provide an opportunity for interested parties to see and discuss the improvement scheme proposals.
North Cotswold Railway Line
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria were used to (a) accept the North Cotswolds line and (b) reject the Stroud Valleys line for future re-doubling. [201430]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Government are supportive of rail growth to meet the needs of our growing economy and we have specified and funded the high level improvements in capacity, safety and reliability required by 2014. It is for the rail industry to determine the enhancement schemes required to deliver this specification, subject to independent evaluation by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).
The ORR is currently evaluating proposals published by Network Rail this month for enhancing both the North Cotswold and the Stroud Valley lines and expects to publish its preliminary determination in June 2008.
Ports: Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to install number plate recognition systems at all major British ports. [200676]
Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
It is not possible, for reasons of operational security, to divulge the current level of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems currently in use at British ports. It is however, the Government's intention to ensure that ANPR systems are installed in all major British ports in the future, subject to the necessary funding being made available.
Public Transport: Yorkshire
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the tram trains for use on the Penistone line will be built in the UK. [200630]
Mr. Tom Harris: Northern Rail will undertake the procurement of tram-trains for the Penistone line trial, acting in accordance with European procurement regulations.
Railway Stations: Halifax
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will estimate the number of passengers who used Halifax railway station in each of the last five years. [202093]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) publishes data on station usage which is available from their website:
Railways
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the feasibility and cost of a maglev rail system. [200629]
Mr. Tom Harris: In the preparation of the 2007 rail White Paper, “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”, the Department for Transport commissioned a report into maglev systems. This report reviewed a number of features of maglev systems including safety, environmental, and engineering feasibility. A copy of this report is available on the Department’s website at:
The only operational maglev in the world had costs three times higher than equivalent high speed lines.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the division of responsibilities is between (a) her Department and (b) Network Rail on (i) the safeguarding of lines for possible future expansion of the network, (ii) the building of new lines, (iii) the collection of data relating to passenger numbers before and after new lines have been opened and (iv) decisions relating to the electrification of existing lines; and if she will make a statement. [201267]
Mr. Tom Harris: Regional and local planning authorities are responsible for the safeguarding of alignments via spatial plans. The Secretary of State for Transport may issue safeguarding Directions under the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995. The Office of Rail Regulation regulates the disposal of land owned by Network Rail.
Towards a Sustainable Transport System describes a new, multi-modal approach to transport planning. Network Rail, working with the rail industry, will provide a view on the ways in which the railway can contribute most effectively to the Secretary of State's
wider transport objectives for the period from 2014. This may include new lines and electrification proposals.
Passenger demand is forecast by the sponsor of a scheme and train operators collect data on subsequent patronage.
Railways: Death
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths of (a) railway workers and (b) others occurred as a result of electrocution by the third rail in each year since 1997. [201260]
Mr. Tom Harris: The number of railway fatalities caused as a result of electrocution by the third rail in each year since 1997 are provided in the following table.
| (a) Railway employees | (b) Others (members of the public) | |
| (1 )The data for 2007 is provisional. Source: Data provided by the Office of Rail Regulation | ||
Most fatalities result from members of the public trespassing on railway infrastructure.
Railways: Electric Cables
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many railway overhead lines fell down in each year since 1997. [201261]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is an operational 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 questions:
Iain Coucher
Chief Executive
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London
NW1 2EE
Railways: Theft
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much copper from signalling cables on the railways has been stolen in each of the last five years; how many thefts there were in (a) England and Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) North East of England, (d) Yorkshire and Humber, (e) South East, (f) Midlands and (g) South West in each of those years; and if she will make a statement. [201482]
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: parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk
Roads
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the Nichols costs review of Highways Agency road schemes to be completed; and whether the review will be published on her Department's and the Highways Agency's websites. [201247]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Highways Agency is currently in the final stages of completing revised cost estimates for their major roads projects. We expect to be in a position to publish these on the Department for Transport’s and the Highways Agency’s websites in the late spring.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |