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15 Dec 2008 : Column 388W—continued

Glasgow Airport: Noise

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received seeking reductions in levels of noise pollution from Glasgow Airport. [243478]

Jim Fitzpatrick: One representation was received from a Member of the Scottish Parliament in February about the flight path of aircraft travelling to and from Glasgow International Airport. The correspondence was passed to the Scottish Government for a response as aircraft noise is an executively devolved matter.

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what (a) the model and (b) level was of tailpipe emissions of cars owned by the Government Car and Despatch Agency used by (i) members of the Cabinet and (ii) the Leader of the Opposition in the last year for which figures are available; [242898]

(2) what model of Government Car and Despatch Agency car is used by each member of the Cabinet. [242899]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Ministerial Code sets out what cars Cabinet Ministers may use. Currently, they are either a diesel powered Jaguar XJ saloon emitting 214 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g/km), a Toyota Prius (104 g/km) or a Honda Civic Hybrid (109g/km). The Government Car and Despatch Agency does not provide an official car to the Leader of the Opposition.

London Underground: Renewable Energy

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the potential for using heat produced by the London Underground for power generation; and if he will make a statement. [243586]

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is an operational matter for London Underground, Transport for London and ultimately London's Mayor to determine and implement any strategy for the use of waste heat from the underground to produce electricity.

Lorries: Accidents

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents resulting in fatalities or serious injury involved lorries on Britain's motorways in each of the last 10 years. [243185]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents on British motorways involving at least one heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and resulting in fatal or serious injury are given in the table:


15 Dec 2008 : Column 389W

Number

1998

357

1999

389

2000

368

2001

360

2002

353

2003

332

2004

308

2005

319

2006

262

2007

264


Lorries: Inspections

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of non-UK registered heavy goods vehicles which have been stopped for inspection in each of the last three years. [242812]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of non-UK registered heavy goods vehicles inspected in each of the last three years is as follows:

Number of roadworthiness checks Number of drivers' hours, tachograph and weight checks

2005-06

14,839

17,538

2006-07

31,010

27,017

2007-08

31,247

30,421

Note: Some of the roadworthiness checks and drivers' hours and tachograph checks may have taken place at the same time.

Lorries: Registration

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many registered heavy goods vehicles there were in the UK in each of the last three years. [242814]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total of licensed heavy goods vehicles in the UK in each of the last three years is:

Calendar year HGVs licensed

2005

456,446

2006

471,042

2007

472,096


Motor Vehicles: Navigation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the regulations governing dynamic in-vehicle information systems. [242893]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The “Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and information Systems) Act 1989”, and Statutory Instrument 865/1990, the “Driver Information Systems (Exemption) Order”, are already in the House of Commons Library.


15 Dec 2008 : Column 390W

Motorways: Road Signs and Markings

Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the accuracy of information conveyed to drivers by means of variable message signs on the motorway network. [241527]

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency currently assesses the accuracy of VMS messages in two key ways; customer satisfaction and performance measurement.

The latest customer satisfaction surveys for the period April to September this year tell us that 40 per cent. believe the messages are more accurate than they were a year ago, while only 1 per cent. think they are less accurate. 54 per cent. responded that they were about the same level of accuracy, and 5 per cent. replied that they had not seen a VMS in the period covered.

The Highways Agency measures the accuracy of the setting of VMS. Supervisory staff working in the Highways Agency's control centres assess the accuracy and timeliness of signs in real time and monthly performance indicators are produced. The following are the performance indicators used:

Railways: Fares

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average rise in regulated rail fares from Hemel Hempstead to London was in each year since 1997. [242674]

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Office of Rail Regulation publishes "National Rail Trends" on a quarterly basis, available at:

This document contains a variety of industry information and statistics including a national fares index.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will postpone fare increases on Southeastern rail services until the ticketing machines are made compatible with Oyster pay-as-you-go cards; and if he will make a statement. [243532]

Paul Clark: Negotiations between the train operators and Transport for London to enable the use of Oyster pay-as-you-go as a payment method for National Rail fares across the London Travelcard area are continuing. There is no association between Oyster pay-as-you-go introduction and fares regulation.

Railways: Kent

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on delivering 12-car trains on rail lines in North Kent. [243531]


15 Dec 2008 : Column 391W

Paul Clark: Discussions are continuing between London and Southeastern Railway and Network Rail over the timetable for the introduction of longer trains on the rail lines in North Kent. We hope to make a further announcement during spring 2009.

Railways: Standards

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many and what percentage of scheduled trains based on the (a) published timetable and (b) plan of the day arrived late in each month of (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008, broken down by train operating company; [242891]

(2) how many and what percentage of scheduled trains based on the (a) published timetable and (b) plan of the day were cancelled in each month of (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008, broken down by train operating company. [242892]

Paul Clark: Train performance data for the rail network is collected and held by Network Rail, and available from the Chief Executive at the following address:

Railways: Tickets

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that Southeastern
15 Dec 2008 : Column 392W
carries out efficient ticketing enforcement on its rail services; and if he will make a statement. [243533]

Paul Clark: All train operators are required to implement a structured revenue protection strategy as part of all franchise agreements entered into since 2004. The summer 2007 Rail White Paper included an undertaking to review station gating as the industry’s reported figure of 5 per cent. ticketless travel is believed to be an underestimate.

River Thames: Bridges

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the status of the proposed Silvertown Link Thames river crossing is; and if he will make a statement. [243538]

Jim Fitzpatrick: This scheme has been proposed by the Mayor of London as one possible option for a new east London river crossing. As such it is a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London and questions about its status should be directed to them.

Roads: Accidents

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) other outcomes there were in road traffic accidents in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire reported to his Department in each month in each of the last five years. [242673]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of casualties in reported personal injury road accidents in (i) the parliamentary constituency of Hemel Hempstead and (ii) the local authority of Hertfordshire in each month of the last five years are given in the following tables.


15 Dec 2008 : Column 393W

15 Dec 2008 : Column 394W
Hemel Hempstead( 1)
Number of casualties
Casualty s everity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total

2003

Killed

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Serious

6

5

6

5

3

5

6

5

4

5

8

9

67

Slight

45

41

28

34

39

46

38

34

29

44

38

84

500

Total

51

46

34

39

42

51

44 '

39

33

49

46

93

567

2004

Killed

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Serious

6

5

8

6

15

1

5

4

5

5

5

4

69

Slight

37

19

53

45

29

37

32

45

33

76

40

56

502

Total

43

24

62

51

44

38

37

49

38

81

45

60

572

2005

Killed

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

2

Serious

2

1

3

2

5

3

3

2

9

9

9

0

48

Slight

45

37

48

44

35

41

40

37

29

27

49

55

487

Total

47

38

51

46

40

44

43

40

38

37

58

55

537

2006

Killed

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

3

Serious

2

1

1

7

6

3

3

7

2

2

5

2

41

Slight

30

34

33

33

37

47

42

36

30

44

41

29

436

Total

32

36

34

40

44

50

45

44

32

46

46

31

480

2007

Killed

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

Serious

7

1

4

2

3

5

4

1

3

5

1

2

38

Slight

35

26

42

36

34

33

35

22

40

40

30

28

401

Total

42

27

48

38

37

38

39

23

43

45

31

30

441

(1) Based on 2004 Parliamentary boundaries

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