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22 Jun 2010 : Column 111W—continued
Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (Sunderland)
A1056 Northern Gateway (North Tyneside)
Rochdale Interchange (GMPTE)
Cross City Bus (GMPTE)
Mersey Gateway (Second Mersey Crossing) (Halton)
Completion of Heysham to M6 Link Road (Lancashire)
Crewe Green Link Southern Section (Cheshire East)
Pennine Reach (East Lanes Rapid Transit) (Blackburn)
Thornton to Switch Island Link (Sefton)
Reading Station Highway Works (Reading)*
A244 Walton Bridge (Surrey)*
Bexhill to Hastings Link Road (East Sussex)
Isles of Scilly Link (Cornwall)*
East of Exeter Improvements (Devon)
Taunton Northern Inner Distributor Road (Somerset)
Weston-Super-Mare Package (North East Somerset)
Bath Transportation Package (Bath and North East Somerset)
Camborne-Pool-Redruth Transport Package (Cornwall)
Bus Rapid Transit-Ashton Vale to Temple Meads (Bristol)
Darlaston Strategic Development Area Access Project (Walsall)
Midland Metro Birmingham City Centre Extension (Centro)
Waverley Link Road (Rotherham)
A6182 White Rose Way Improvement Scheme (Doncaster)
Castleford Town Centre Integrated Transport Scheme (Metro)
A57 M1 Junction 31 to Todwick Crossroads Improvement (Rotherham)
Leeds Station Southern Access (Metro)
Access York Phase 1 (York)
Beverley Integrated Transport Plan (East Riding)
A18-A180 Link (North East Lincolnshire)
A684 Bedale/Aiskew/Leeming Bar Bypass (North Yorkshire)
Leeds New Generation Transport (Metro).
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) rolling stock and (b) highway improvement schemes have been deferred as part of his Department's contribution to in-year expenditure reductions for 2010-11. [2757]
Mr Philip Hammond: In light of the current fiscal position, and a softening of demand, a reappraisal of all un-committed High-Level Output Specification schemes will now commence, taking account of the National Audit Office report entitled "Increasing Passenger Rail Capacity" which was published on 4 June 2010. This report is available on the NAO website at:
Three highway improvement schemes have been deferred as part of the Department for Transport's contribution to in-year expenditure reductions for 2010-11. The three schemes are:
A453-Widening
A23-Handcross to Warninglid
M6-Junctions 5 to 8.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what categories of grants by his Department to local authorities will be included in his plans for reductions in spending. [2759]
Norman Baker: The Government have made clear that their most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record deficit. To help achieve this, on 10 June the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) announced £1.166 billion of savings from grants to local authorities. Details of all grant reductions are available on the CLG website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/local governmentfinance/
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, column 35WS, on transport (local authority major schemes), what priorities have been set for use in the reviews of transport projects which have programme entry or conditional approval to determine whether they may proceed. [3495]
Norman Baker [holding answer 21 June 2010]: The principles that will apply to the spending review across all Departments are set out in the 2010 Spending Review Framework document, published by Her Majesty's Treasury on 8 June 2010.
In the coalition agreement we committed to reform the way decisions are made on which transport projects to prioritise, so that the benefits of low-carbon proposals (including light rail schemes) are fully recognised. We will announce details of how this reform is to be implemented in due course.
Forth Road Bridge
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department and its agencies plan to provide to maintain the Forth Road Bridge in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement. [3718]
Norman Baker: The provision of road transport in Scotland is a devolved matter. It would therefore be for the Scottish Government (through Transport Scotland) to allocate funding to the Forth Road Bridge.
Government Car and Despatch Agency
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) make, (b) model and (c) place of manufacture was of each car (i) purchased and (ii) leased by the Government Car Service since 6 May 2010; and how much each cost to purchase or lease. [2443]
Mike Penning: Since 6 May 2010 the Government Car Service has (i) not purchased any vehicles and (ii) not leased any vehicles.
M18: Closures
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the M18 motorway was closed between junctions 3 and 4 in the early part of the evening of 10 June 2010; and if he will make a statement. [3477]
Mike Penning: The M18 was closed overnight, 9pm to 6am between junctions 3 and 4 northbound on 10 June to allow resurfacing of lane one of the carriageway to be undertaken safely. At this location the M18 is a dual two lane motorway with hard shoulder. It is therefore not possible to provide an adequate safety zone in accordance with Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual for the protection of the workforce using the existing carriageway layout.
These works were part of a planned routine maintenance scheme that consisted of the resurfacing of lane one of the north and southbound carriageways of the motorway to address significant areas of rutting, together with associated lining and studding reinstatement works. The works were required to ensure the continued safe operation of the motorway and were planned to minimise disruption to road users by being carried out overnight on weekdays.
Clearly signed diversion routes were in place and had been agreed with Doncaster Metropolitan borough council and South Yorkshire police. A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order was in place to allow closure of the motorway at this location. A press release for these works was issued with coverage in the Yorkshire Post on 7 June 2010.
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason information on the closure of the M18 motorway on 10 June 2010 was not given on overhead warning gantries on the M1 motorway on that date in locations other than South Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement. [3483]
Mike Penning: Variable Message Signs (VMS) were set due to overnight roadworks from 8.20 pm on M1 back to Junction 29. Additional manual VMS signs were set at 11.12 pm expanding the warning area of the closure back to Junction 28, and suggesting motorists take a diversion route via M1/M62. All signage was taken off at 6.46 am.
The signs were not set at other locations because journey time data indicated the local diversion was handling the extra traffic with no delays reported in the area.
Motorways: Speed Limits
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what length of motorways was subject to 50 mph speed reductions and average speed camera monitoring at the latest date for which information is available. [2524]
Mike Penning [holding answer 17 June 2010] : On 10 June 2010, the latest date for which information is available, there were 189 carriageway miles of motorway with roadworks that were subject to a 50 mile per hour speed limit and had average speed cameras.
The Highways Agency provides average speed cameras at temporary road works to assist the police with the capability to enforce reduced speed limits.
On motorways and trunk roads, the speed limit at roadworks is reduced to support both the safety of road users and the work force.
Private Roads: Greater Manchester
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of unadopted roads in Denton and Reddish constituency. [3277]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has made no estimate of the number of unadopted roads in Denton and Reddish constituency.
Roads: Accidents
Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many road accidents there were in the Kirklees local authority area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [3411]
(2) how many road accident fatalities there were in the Kirklees local authority area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [3412]
Mike Penning: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Number of reported personal injury road accidents and fatalities in these accidents in Kirklees local authority: 2004-08 | ||
| Accidents | Fatalities | |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
EU Enlargement
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects (a) Croatia, (b) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (c) Macedonia and (d) Iceland to join the EU. [1007]
Mr Lidington: The UK firmly supports the objective of EU membership for all four countries and fully expects them to join the EU once they have met the accession criteria. The Government will continue to champion the EU's enlargement, including to the western Balkans and Turkey, on the basis of rigorous application of the entry criteria.
EU Institutions: Fines
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions the UK Permanent Representative to the EU has had on the financial correction levied on the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [978]
Mr Lidington: UK responsible authorities have regular discussions on the implementation and administration of common agricultural policy payments, including any disallowance resulting from audits by the European Commission. In the case of the recent financial corrections proposed on the UK in connection with the administration of area aids by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland, officials from that Department have discussed the case with both the European Commission and the UK Permanent Representative.
Gibraltar: Equality
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2010, Official Report, column 100W, on Gibraltar: equality, when he expects Gibraltar to meet its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to an equal age of consent. [2291]
Mr Lidington: Action by the Government of Gibraltar to equalise its law on the age of consent is likely to be dependent on the timing and outcome of the case before the Gibraltar courts. The UK has sought to intervene in the case to make clear the international obligations which are engaged in this matter.
Human Rights: Finance
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the merits of establishing an emergency fund to assist human rights activists and their families in countries where they are likely to face persecution. [3712]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) strategic programme fund for human rights and democracy already provides funding for human rights defenders under its civil society strand.
The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, an EU programme fund is accessible to non-governmental organisations. It has certain funds earmarked for supporting Human Rights Defenders, including those at risk. This funding can be accessed in individual countries or through Brussels.
Working bilaterally and in conjunction with other international organisations, including under the EU's Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, UK embassies take practical action to support human rights defenders through attending events, supporting their activities and raising the profile of human rights issues both privately and publicly.
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