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26 Jan 2010 : Column 754W—continued
Regional Planning and Development: Transport
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which public bodies are responsible for the content of (a) regional transport plans and (b) transport chapters of regional spatial strategies. [311795]
Mr. Khan: Planning Policy Statement 11, which is available at:
sets out the requirements for regional transport strategies, which form an integral part of regional spatial strategies. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act of 2004, responsibility for preparing regional spatial strategies is assigned to designated regional planning bodies which in recent years have been the regional assemblies.
On full commencement of part 5 of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, on 1 April 2010, the regional spatial strategy (prepared under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004) and the regional economic strategy (prepared under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998) will jointly become the regional strategy in each region until revised and replaced by a new integrated regional strategy.
The new integrated regional strategy, which will also include a transport strategy, will be the responsibility of responsible regional authorities, comprising regional development agencies and local authority leaders' boards acting jointly.
Separate legislation applies in London.
Roads: Accidents
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many persons injured in road traffic accidents did not receive full compensation for injuries sustained in cases where the driver of the vehicle at fault was not insured in each of the last five years. [313116]
Paul Clark: There is no information held on this specific aspect. The Motor Insurers Bureau compensates people injured in road traffic accidents caused by uninsured or untraced drivers. Compensation claims are assessed and settled on the circumstances of each case.
Roads: Lighting
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what legislative provisions in respect of street lighting are in force; what changes there have been to such legislation since its enactment; and if he will make a statement. [313273]
Mr. Khan: There are a number of legislative provisions that apply in respect of street lighting, starting with the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847. A searchable database of current legislation can be found at:
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the renewal of street lighting; and if he will make a statement. [313276]
Mr. Khan: The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities on the renewal of street lighting. We have issued guidance in relation to the current bidding round for street lighting PFI. This can be found on the DFT website at:
Roads: Snow and Ice
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of grit and salt to treat roads and pavements in (a) Leicester, (b) the east midlands and (c) nationwide in periods of very cold weather. [312215]
Mr. Khan: Following the severe weather in February 2009, the UK Roads Liaison Group published a report on the lessons learnt on salt usage and supply. The Department for Transport welcomed the UKRLG report and wrote to local authority chief executives impressing on them the importance of effective winter service strategies. The UKRLG also issued revised guidance on winter service.
The UKRLG recommendation was that local authorities should keep six days salt capacity and that in addition the Highways Agency should hold a strategic reserve. The Highways Agency entered this winter period with 13 days' capacity and I regard this as the right response following last year's events. For local roads, it is for each local highway authority to consider what measures to take to ensure roads and pavements can be gritted, based on the guidance available to them.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many snow ploughs provided by his Department were in operation in (a) Leicester and (b) the east midlands in January 2010. [312216]
Mr. Khan: As part of the Highways Agency's winter fleet replacement project, 35 new vehicles were in operation in the east midlands region this season, of which nine operated specifically within Leicestershire. The Highways Agency does not have any motorways or trunk roads within Leicester.
Winter service provision on local authority roads is a matter for the authority concerned. The Department for Transport does not provide snow ploughs or other equipment.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport from what sources the salt used to treat roads in (a) Leicester and (b) the east midlands is procured. [312218]
Mr. Khan: Local authorities in the East Midlands purchase the salt they use to treat roads from a number of suppliers, the two biggest being Salt Union and Cleveland Potash. Salt Union currently supply salt to treat roads to Leicester city and Leicestershire.
The Highways Agency does not have any trunk roads or motorways in Leicester. Salt used to treat the trunk roads and motorways in the east midlands region is purchased from Salt Union.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many A-roads in Leicestershire were closed owing to adverse weather conditions in January 2010. [312221]
Mr. Khan: No A-roads in Leicestershire have been closed owing to the adverse weather conditions in January 2010.
The Highways Agency is responsible for the Strategic Road Network in England. No trunk roads or motorways in Leicestershire have been closed so far in January owing to adverse weather conditions.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many roads for which his Department has responsibility in (a) Leicester, (b) the east midlands and (c) nationwide were closed owing to adverse weather conditions in January 2010. [312222]
Mr. Khan: The Highways Agency has responsibility for the Strategic Road Network in England. This network is made up of motorways and trunk roads. The following table shows those road closures on the Strategic Road Network which were directly and immediately attributable to the adverse weather conditions in January 2010.
Note:
None of them were in the east midlands. Where no date is provided in the 'date to' box, the road was only closed on one day.
| Road | Details | Date from | Date to | Times |
| (1 )The A66 was closed between the snow gates at Bowes and Brough. On 5 January the road was closed, reopened and closed again. | ||||
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much salt has been available to (a) each Lancashire district council and (b) Lancashire county council in anticipation of its requirement for road-gritting in each of the last three years. [312338]
Mr. Khan: Winter service, including provisioning salt stocks in anticipation of gritting requirements, is a matter for each individual local highway authority. Salt is available on open markets from a range of sources, and the Department for Transport does not regularly monitor authorities' purchases.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the contribution of Lord Davies of Oldham of 2 February 2004, Official Report, House of Lords, column 444, on footpaths and roads: de-icing, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on (a) the personal liability of householders who seek to clear the pavement or highway of ice or snow and (b) on whether local authorities should seek to (i) discourage or (ii) encourage householders from clearing highways themselves. [312427]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 January 2010, Official Report, column 532W.
Transport: Weston-super-Mare
John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when a decision will be made on programme entry for the Weston Transport Package. [312214]
Mr. Khan: A decision on programme entry is due to be made shortly.
Underground Railways: Contracts
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what arrangements his Department has made under the London Underground public-private partnership to ensure the continued operation of the London Underground system in the event of a failure by Tubelines to meets its contractual commitments under the partnership. [313058]
Mr. Khan: Any failure by Tube Lines to meet its contractual commitments is a matter for London Underground Ltd., Transport for London and the Mayor of London under the devolved arrangements set out in the Greater London Authority Act 1999. The Tube Lines PPP contract is available on Transport for London's website.
Work and Pensions
Carer's Allowance
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) England, (b) Essex and (c) Braintree constituency receive carer's allowance; and how many of these are in paid employment. [312078]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the tables.
| Carer's allowance cases in payment where the recipient is also in employment as at May 2009 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Case load totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with underlying entitlement to carer's allowance but where carer's allowance is not in payment. 2. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest ten. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 3. England total has been derived by summing individual Government office regional totals. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |
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