You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Daily Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

10 Feb 2009 : Column 1794W—continued

Local Authorities: Debt Collection

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 19 November 2008, Official Report, columns 509-10W, on local authorities: debt collection, whether the powers for local authorities to use certified bailiffs to collect unpaid parking fines existed prior to the introduction of the 2007 regulations. [246948]

Paul Clark: The Road Traffic Act 1991 enabled London local authorities to use certificated bailiffs. These provisions have been replicated for authorities outside London through parking designation Orders made by the Secretary of State on an individual basis.

M6: Tolls

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles per day travelled between (a) junctions 3 and 4, (b) junctions 7 and 8, (c) junctions 8 and 11a, (d) junctions 11a and 15 of the M6 motorway and between (e) junctions 3a and 7, (f) junctions 7 and 9, (g) junctions 9 and 10 of the M42, (i) for each of the five years before and (ii) each year after the opening to traffic of the M6 Toll. [253849]

Paul Clark: The following table shows available traffic figures for the specified lengths of the M6 and M42 for each of the five years before and after the opening of the M6 Toll in December 2003.


10 Feb 2009 : Column 1795W

10 Feb 2009 : Column 1796W
M6
Junctions 3 and 4 Junctions 7 and 8 Junctions 8 and 11a Junctions 11a and 15

 North bound South bound North bound South bound North bound South bound North bound South bound

1999

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

(1)59842

(1)59019

(1)55581

(1)56351

2000

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2001

(2)49600

(2)50000

(1)53535

(1)55116

(2)77200

(2)73900

(2)45700

(1)46883

2002

(1)47273

(2)50760

(2)57530

(2)58850

(2)72983

(2)71500

(2)53100

(2)52550

2003

45963

48545

68489

59498

62174

55813

47556

48158

2004

48105

49305

64616

51364

60231

54608

54965

55397

2005

54835

50820

63507

55388

63341

58962

56581

57141

2006

54746

55367

66961

55605

61927

56291

56192

56486

2007

56428

57050

(1)71705

51285

63327

(2)58082

56042

56275

2008

52063

52908

(1)71452

59152

60846

(1)61618

52817

53126


M42
Junctions 3a and 7 Junctions 7 and 9 Junctions 9 and 10

 North bound South bound North bound South bound North bound South bound

1999

n/a

n/a

(1)38947

(1)41756

(1)33988

(1)33600

2000

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2001

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

(1)32822

(1)30409

2002

(2)63500

(2)63300

(1)47544

(1)47587

(2)34300

(2)33200

2003

(2)59500

(2)58800

n/a

n/a

35165

33898

2004

57354

57803

n/a

39405

34929

33277

2005

61656

63087

n/a

47139

35892

34523

2006

63304

65400

52509

46940

36184

34839

2007

65137

66875

62686

(2)52050

37079

35828

2008

61336

61908

61062

n/a

33874

32454

n/a = not available
All figures are from specific traffic counts, except:
(1) denotes aggregated figure from a set period
(2) Denotes estimated figure

Parking: Disabled

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to standardise the use of Blue Badges and dedicated disabled parking facilities across public and private car parks; and if he will make a statement. [255039]

Paul Clark: The Blue Badges scheme only applies to on-street parking. The provision of parking spaces in off-street car parks, whether local authority owned or privately owned, falls under the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. In both types of car park, service providers need to ensure that they provide an adequate number of parking spaces for disabled people and that these spaces are readily available. The Department for Transport will be working with the British Retail Consortium and other stakeholders to support improved enforcement in car parks.

Railway Stations

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to improve the efficiency and delivery of larger station projects as part of the future delivery of the Railways for All Programme; and if he will make a statement. [254934]

Paul Clark: Setting efficiency targets for Network Rail activity is a function of the Office of Rail Regulation. The “Regulator’s Period Review”, published in October 2008, sets challenging targets for Network Rail to improve efficiency over the five year period from April 2009.

Network Rail are moving towards a modular station design, and an integrated approach to station planning, in order to leverage efficiencies and minimise disruption to passengers during enhancement, renewal and maintenance works, including access for all.

The Department for Transport is working closely with Network Rail to support initiatives which improve performance and delivery of station projects, and present opportunities to realise economies of scale.

Railway Stations: Yorkshire

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new rail stations are scheduled to be opened in Yorkshire in the next three years; what the location is of each; and what car parking provision is planned to be provided at each. [254942]

Paul Clark: Responsibility for promoting new stations rests primarily with local authorities and passenger transport executives (PTEs). The Department for Transport has received outline proposals for four new stations in the West Yorkshire PTE area at Apperley Bridge, Kirkstall Forge, Horsforth Woodside and Low Moor and one in the City of York area at Haxby.

West Yorkshire PTE and the City of York council should be able to provide information on proposed opening dates and car parking provision at these stations.

Railway Track

Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of sets of points are heated in the national rail network. [255011]

Paul Clark: This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail
10 Feb 2009 : Column 1797W
network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail’s chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:

Railways

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how decisions are taken on whether Network Rail or train operating companies are used to deliver major projects. [254928]

Paul Clark: The majority of major rail projects are delivered by Network Rail as the company best able to undertake such tasks. It has ownership of the railway infrastructure and can co-ordinate such activities with its responsibility for both maintenance and renewal.

Some smaller scale schemes are delivered by individual train operators, often where these form part of their franchise agreement obligations.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of Railways for All projects have been delivered by (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies. [254929]

Paul Clark: So far 100 per cent. of the Access for All main schemes to reach completion have been delivered by Network Rail.

Work has started on site for a station being delivered by a train operating company, but progress has been slower than anticipated and the delivery proportions as yet unaffected.

Further opportunities for train operating company led delivery are being explored for projects reaching the design stage.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the performance of (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies in delivering Railways for All projects, including Small Schemes fund projects. [254930]

Paul Clark: Assessment of Network Rail’s efficiency is a function of the Office of Rail Regulation, which publishes independent monitoring of current projects. The most recent report, which includes assessment and recommendations for the Access for All programme is available on the Office of Rail Regulations’ website at:

Next Section Index Home Page