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Written Answers
Monday, 25th November 1996.
Schools: Section 11-funded Schemes
Lord Rix asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they plan to take to ensure that existing Section 11-funded schemes in schools are able to continue when their current funding expires in 1997.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch): Despite other pressures on public expenditure, the current level of funding for the important work that Section 11 supports in schools and elsewhere will be maintained until August 1998.
Prison Boards of Visitors: Chairmen
Lord Harris of Greenwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether Ministers of the Crown now determine who should be appointed as chairmen of boards of visitors of prisons in England and Wales.
Baroness Blatch: Following changes to Prison Rules in July this year, all chairmen and vice chairmen of boards of visitors at prison establishments in England and Wales are appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with the boards.
House of Lords Shop: Portcullis Motif
Viscount Addison asked the Chairman of Committees:
- What are the rules for the purchase of goods bearing the House of Lords portcullis from the House of Lords shop.
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham): All Palace of Westminster passholders and their guests are able to buy goods from the House of Lords shop, including items bearing the portcullis motif.
Children's Journeys to School
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will list, for the years 1979 and 1985, the percentages of children travelling to school by car, school bus, scheduled bus services, train, cycle and on foot.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen): The figures are available only for particular years and in
terms of journeys, not children. The figures for 1985-86 are given below.| Percentage 1985-86 | |
| Walk | 57 |
| Bicycle | 3 |
| Car/van | 17 |
| School bus | 8 |
| Local bus | 13 |
| Rail | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Total | 100 |
The figures are taken from the 1985-86 National Travel Survey. There was a 1978-79 survey, but the figures from this are not reliable enough to be used, because of the low response.
Buses: Registration Data
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many buses more than 12 years old were in operation in London (a) in 1985; and (b) at present; and
How many buses more than 12 years old were in operation outside London (a) in 1985; and (b) at present.
Viscount Goschen: This information is not available in the form requested.
However, the following information, taken from analyses of DVLA vehicle files, shows numbers of buses licensed for public service use:
Buses licensed for public service use
- Buses licensed at end of 1995: Registered in 1983 or before: 26,695.
- Buses licensed at end of 1985: Registered in 1973 or before: 11,945.
Rail Passenger Quality Indicators
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Who is responsible for providing information on rail passenger quality indicators, including passengers in excess of capacity, and when such information is published; and
To list, for the last three years, the passenger quality indicators, including passengers in excess of capacity, in respect of the train operating companies, both before and after privatisation.
Viscount Goschen: Individual train operating companies are responsible for providing information on rail passenger quality indicators.
Passenger quality indicators for British Rail train operating companies are set out in the British Rail Passenger's Charter, published in March 1992. Punctuality and reliability targets have been reviewed
on an annual basis and increased where appropriate. Details of the revised punctuality and reliability targets are provided in the British Railways Board Annual Report and Accounts 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96. Copies of the British Railways Board Passenger's Charter and Annual Report and Accounts are available in the Library of the House.Franchise operators are required to introduce and publish their own passenger's charters. These charters must contain standards at least as demanding as those which applied prior to franchising. Franchise operators are also required to conduct customer satisfaction surveys at least twice a year. The surveys are based on a number of franchisee-specific benchmarks which vary depending on the nature of the service provided. Details of individual franchise operators benchmarks are set out in the relevant franchise agreement, copies of which are also available in the Library of the House. Standards relating to overcrowding and passengers in excess of capacity are also set out in the franchise agreements and franchise operators are required to plan to provide sufficient capacity to keep train loadings below these specified limits.
OPRAF published information about the performance of franchised operators on 19th November. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.
Malathion
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they have taken to ensure that Malathion used for treatment of ectoparasites in humans is free from impurities such as OOS-TMP and OSS-TMP, and whether the shelf life and storage conditions of these products are controlled.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege): Before any medicinal product is granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) the applicant must satisfy the MCA that the product is safe, efficacious and of good quality. In doing this, the applicant will need to address issues such as impurities and justify appropriate storage conditions and shelf life for the product.
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