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12 Oct 2009 : Column 384W—continued
Railways: Kingston upon Hull
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what percentage of train services serving Hull have been (a) delayed and (b) cancelled in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [290050]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. Statistical information such as this can be found on the Office of Rail Regulation website
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether the new East Coast Main Line franchise will be required to provide rail services to Hull; and if he will make a statement. [290051]
Chris Mole: Prior to the letting of a new franchise on the East Coast Main Line, the Government will consult on the new specification, including service levels and patterns. It is likely that the existing level of services provided by the franchised operator on the East Coast Main Line will form the basis of the draft specification.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many rail passengers made at least one journey between Hull and London in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [290052]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Rail journey statistics are published on the website of the Office of Rail Regulation at:
Railways: West Yorkshire
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a high-speed rail service between Leeds and Manchester via Huddersfield. [291797]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has not carried out any work to estimate the cost of introducing a high speed rail service between Manchester and Leeds via Huddersfield.
High Speed Two has been asked to help consider the case for high speed rail services from London to Scotland and, as a first stage, the company will report by the end of this year with a detailed proposal for a new line between London and the west midlands. High Speed Two will also provide advice on the potential development of a high speed line beyond the west midlands, including the potential for the new line to extend to the conurbations of Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, the north-east and Scotland.
Road Signs and Markings: Tourism
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research his Department undertook before the decision to change its policy on the number of road signs indicating
directions to sporting and cultural tourist venues; and what evaluation of the effect of the policy on traffic impact has been undertaken. [292514]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport does not have a policy on the number of traffic signs, including brown signs that direct visitors to their intended tourist destination. Although the Highways Agency's policy guidance documents on the use of tourist signing encourage highway authorities to consider the potential effects, no recommendation is made in relation to the number of signs.
Therefore no such research or evaluation has been undertaken.
The guidance documents TD52/04 (for the Highways Agency's all purpose and motorway trunk roads in England), and TA 94/04 (for local authorities in England on their local road network) can be found via the Highways Agencies website at:
Road Traffic Control
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when it was decided to require a 1.2 metre safety zone between a working area in respect of road maintenance and live traffic flow; what the evidential basis was for that decision; and if he will make a statement. [292158]
Mr. Khan: The 1.2 metre sideways clearance for roads with speed limits of 50 miles per hour and over has proved to be a practical and effective minimum requirement for many years, at least since 1965. The Department has no record of how the dimension was originally decided. Although the Traffic Signs Manual and the Safety Code of Practice have been reviewed, this distance has not been challenged by traffic management experts.
For roads with a lower speed limit, the size of the safety zone is reduced. The safety zone is only required when operatives are on site and it can be reduced when a site is unoccupied.
Roads: Accidents
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) roadworkers, (b) pedestrians and (c) cyclists were (i) injured and (ii) killed on single carriageway roads where road maintenance or other road works were being undertaken, in each highway authority in each year since 1997. [292157]
Paul Clark: Data for roadworkers are not available but since 2005 the police have recorded whether pedestrians were injured in the course of 'on the road' work, which includes other workers such as those involved in traffic control, postal work and other delivery services as well as road maintenance, although this will only have been reported if it was immediately apparent to the reporting police officer.
A table showing pedestrians (i) injured and (ii) killed while in the course of work on single carriageway roads at sites where road works were being undertaken, in each highway authority in each year since 2005 has been deposited in the Libraries.
Tables showing how many (b) pedestrians and (c) cyclists were (i) injured and (ii) killed on single carriageway roads at sites where road works were being undertaken, in each highway authority in each year since 1997 have also been deposited.
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has plans to improve road links to the Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster. [289497]
Mr. Khan: The Yorkshire and Humber Region's advice on funding priorities, submitted in February included a scheme, promoted by Doncaster Metropolitan borough council, to improve road links to the Robin Hood airport in Doncaster.
The Department for Transport responded to the advice on 22 July 2009. It is now for Doncaster to submit a major scheme business case for the scheme to the Department at the appropriate time.
Rolling Stock
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport by what date he expects the 1,300 additional rail carriages announced in the 2007 Rail White Paper to be in operation. [289495]
Chris Mole: On 23 July the Government announced a major £1.1 billion programme of rail electrification. The Great Western Main Line between London and Swansea will be electrified by 2017, and the line between Liverpool and Manchester via Newton-le-Willow will be electrified by 2013.
This programme of electrification means that there will now be far less need for diesel trains and a greater requirement for electric trains. The Government will publish a new rolling stock plan this autumn, taking account of these changes circumstances and setting out a revised strategy.
Rolling Stock: Expenditure
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much money has been spent on new rolling stock in each of the last five years; and how much money has been spent on rolling stock for (a) Northern Rail and (b) each of the commuter rail operators serving London and the South East. [289494]
Chris Mole: The following table sets out the numbers and approximate value of the rolling stock for commuter operators serving London and the south-east.
| Train operator | Class | Ordered | Number of vehicles | Approximate value (£ million) |
There has been no new rolling stock procured by Northern Rail in the last five years, however Trans Pennine Express introduced a new fleet of class 185 diesel multiple units which entered service in 2005-06.
| Train operator | Class | Ordered | Number of vehicles | Approximate value (£ million) |
Shipping: Smoking
David Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when his Department plans to publish proposals for the regulation of smoking on (a) sea-going and (b) inland waterway vessels. [289174]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport published a consultation exercise on draft merchant shipping (prohibition of smoking on ships) regulations on 9 July. The consultation closed on 9 October.
South London Railway Line
Ms Barlow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what information his Department holds on the number of passengers starting their journeys from (a) Brighton and (b) Hove station who have used the South London Line in the last six months; [291677]
(2) how many passengers starting their journey from Aldrington Station have used the South London Line in the last six months. [291732]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not have access to the specific information the hon. Lady requires. However, the number of journeys recorded via the rail industry Lennon ticketing system between Brighton, Hove and Aldrington stations and stations on the South London Line in the year 2008-09 was:
Brighton: 13,685
Hove: 2,348
Aldrington: 48
It is not possible to define whether all these passengers used the South London Line as other journey options exist (i.e. via the East Dulwich route). zonal travel cards are also not included in this figure as, by definition, they do not have a prescribed destination.
The introduction of East London line services to Clapham Junction will increase accessibility to South London line destinations for passengers from the South Coast.
Speed Limits: Cameras
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many speed cameras are operational on roads in Bolton. [291643]
Paul Clark: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The number of cameras in operation on roads in Bolton will therefore be a matter for the Greater Manchester road safety partnership.
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