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3 Feb 2009 : Column 1131W—continued
Heathrow Airport: Finance
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether the Government plans to provide guarantees in relation to the financing of construction of a third runway at Heathrow; [252158]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of construction of a third runway at Heathrow. [252159]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 28 January 2009]: The Government will not be providing guarantees for the financing of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow. The financing of new infrastructure at Heathrow airport is a matter for the airport operator, subject to economic regulation.
Heathrow is a designated airport for the purposes of price control. These controls are set by the independent regulator the Civil Aviation Authority. Part IV of the 1986 Airports Act requires the CAA, when setting price controls, to (among other things)
‘encourage investment in new facilities at airports in time to satisfy anticipated demands by the users of such airports.’
Heathrow Airport: National Policy Statements
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to publish a national policy statement on expansion of Heathrow Airport. [252657]
Jim Fitzpatrick: We have stated our intention to publish a national policy statement on airports based on the Air Transport White Paper, which satisfies the requirements set out in the Planning Act.
Heathrow Airport: Planning Permission
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether a planning application for a third runway at Heathrow would fall to be decided by the Infrastructure Planning Commission. [252656]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The decision to submit a planning application for a third runway at Heathrow and the timing of such an application are matters for the airport operator. The Government envisage that the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will be established and able to start giving advice to potential applicants this autumn and ready to begin receiving applications from spring 2010. Whether or not the IPC would act as the decision maker on such an application is also dependent on the availability of a designated national policy statement on airports, which is planned for publication in draft by 2011.
Humber Bridge: Tolls
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue has been generated by tolls on the Humber Bridge in each year since its opening; and if he will make a statement. [251842]
Paul Clark: The following table sets out the revenue generated by tolls on the Humber Bridge each year since its opening in 1982.
| Humber Bridge toll income | |
| Financial year ended 31 March : | £ |
| (1) Subject to audit. | |
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of people exempt from Humber Bridge tolls; and if he will make a statement. [252052]
Paul Clark: There are 11,500 individuals registered for exemption from tolls at the Humber Bridge.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of holding an inquiry into the application to revise tolls charged at the south bank of the River Humber; and if he will make a statement. [253767]
Paul Clark: The inquiry will open at 10 am on 3 March 2009 at the Willerby Manor hotel, Hull. The location is a matter for the Humber Bridge Board.
Local Government: Transport
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage local authorities to include plans to improve urban design and regeneration in their next local transport plans. [253192]
Paul Clark: A consultation on the draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) guidance for 2011 onwards was published on 18 December 2008. The guidance sets out the importance of the Department for Transport's strategy, 'Delivering a Sustainable Transport System' (DaSTS), in providing a framework for LTPs. Good urban design and regeneration are important elements in addressing the goals set out in DaSTS, particularly those on Quality of Life and Equality of Opportunity, respectively. We would expect local authorities appropriately to address these issues in their local transport plans.
On urban design, local authorities have been directed towards key policy documents and best practice in the Policy and Best Practice Handbook, published alongside the consultation.
On regeneration, the Department continues to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government to align local transport planning with the emerging regeneration framework.
LTP guidance is out for consultation until 9 April 2009. The Department would welcome any comments to consider for full guidance, which we expect to publish in summer 2009.
Mass Media
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years. [251264]
Mr. Hoon: The following table lists organisations that provided media monitoring services to the Department for Transport in each of the last three financial years and the cost. Comparable information for 2003-04 and 2004/05 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| £ 000 | |||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Merseyrail: Park and Ride
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many park and ride spaces serving the Merseyrail network there were in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008. [253188]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. Full details of station parking facilities are on the Merseyrail website at:
or are available from Merseyrail, Rail House, Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool L1.1JF.
Merseytravel is undertaking improvements to and expansion of park and ride services across Merseyside as part of its local transport plan.
Motor Vehicles: Insurance
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirement there is for insurance of vehicles in storage or under repair and declared under statutory off-road notifications regulations. [253478]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 2 February 2009]: Current legislation requires compulsory motor insurance against third party risk for the use of a vehicle on a road or other public place. There is no statutory requirement to insure vehicles in private storage or under repair and declared under statutory off-road notification (SORN).
We are consulting on proposals for a “Continuous Insurance Enforcement” scheme. Under the proposed scheme it would be an offence to keep a vehicle which has no valid insurance unless there is in place a valid SORN declaration. Those potentially uninsured will be identified by frequent comparison of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s vehicle register and the motor insurance industry’s database.
Newhaven Marine Railway Station
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the last passenger train departed Newhaven Harbour Marine station. [249334]
Paul Clark: A passenger train service is still operating from Newhaven Marine station, but due to safety concerns at the station information is available advising passengers that they may call Southern’s customer service team to arrange a replacement taxi or they may wish to walk the three minutes north to Newhaven Harbour station to catch alternative services.
Parking: Fees and Charges
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions exist on how local authorities may spend money raised from (a) on-street parking charges and (b) parking fines. [252955]
Paul Clark: Income from on-street parking charges and all penalty charges must only be used in accordance with section 55 (as amended) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act (RTRA) 1984.
Pedestrian Crossings
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes have been made to the guidance issued by his Department to local highways authorities on the design of pedestrian crossings since 2005. [253774]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport have not published any new or updated guidance on pedestrian crossings since 2005.
Guidance on the design of stand-alone pedestrian crossings (zebras, pelicans and puffins) is given in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/95 “The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings”, and LTN 2/95 “The Design of Pedestrian Crossings”. These are available free from the DFT website at
Guidance on the design of pedestrian facilities at traffic signal junctions is given in Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/05 “Pedestrian Facilities at Signal-Controlled Junctions”, published in 2005. This is also available free on the DFT website at:
Public Transport
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he is making on increasing integration of public transport (a) timetables and (b) ticketing. [253185]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is working with the industry to increase integration across different modes of public transport.
The Department's online journey planner, Transport Direct:
provides comprehensive travel information and integrated journey plans for both public transport and car.
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