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Data Protection Registrar

Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:

If they will announce the outcome of the second stage of the quinquennial review of the Office of the Data Protection Registrar.

Baroness Blatch: The second stage of the review examined the Office's internal organisation and performance. My right honourable friend has placed a copy of the report in the Library. It endorses the Registrar's programme of changes to improve efficiency, and suggests some further management improvements. We are inviting the Registrar to consider these and prepare an implementation plan. Account will be taken of any relevant changes arising from implementation of the European Community Data Protection Directive.

Criminal Justice Initiatives

Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:

What recent progress they have made in implementing their programme of criminal justice initiatives announced at the 1993 Conservative Party Conference.

20 Mar 1997 : Column WA111

Baroness Blatch: All 27 points have been taken forward. In the last three years recorded crime has fallen by 10 per cent.

The 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act:

reformed the right of silence (1). The number of suspects refusing to answer police questions has nearly halved;

introduced faster court procedures for evicting squatters (2);

introduced new powers for the police to stop trespassers disrupting lawful activities like country sports (3);

introduced tougher new powers for the police to stop and search people suspected of terrorist activity (4);

created a new offence of gathering information for terrorist purposes (5);

created a new offence of possessing anything that gives reasonable suspicion of being connected to terrorist activities (6);

gave the police the power to take DNA samples in connection with all recordable crimes (7). Our national DNA database, the first of its kind in the world, now has over 113,000 samples on it. To date 1,400 matches have been made;

created a new crime of witness intimidation (8). In 1995, 500 people were charged with committing that offence and significantly more in 1996;

abolished judges' warnings to juries in rape trials about the truthfulness of women (9);

gave the police the power to arrest for breach of police bail (10);

banned those on bail from serving on juries (11);

ended the presumption in favour of bail for anyone accused of offending while on bail (12);

gave the police the power to attach conditions to bail (13);

allows the courts to revoke bail if new information comes to light (14);

introduced automatic custody for anyone convicted of rape, manslaughter or murder who is subsequently accused of the same category of crime (15);

allowed new prisons to be designed, constructed, managed and financed by the private sector (16);

gave the Prison Service the power to test prisoners' urine for drugs compulsorily (17). Mandatory drug testing had been introduced throughout the Prison Service by March 1996;

doubled the maximum sentence in young offender institutions for 15-17 year-olds to 2 years (18);

gave the courts the power to order 12 to 14 year-old persistent offenders into secure training centres. These powers will be triggered once that accommodation is available (19). The first contract has just been signed.

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The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 allowed retrials where juries have been nobbled or witnesses intimidated (20); and gave the judges the power to prohibit the reporting of unsupported allegations made during a speech in mitigation (21).

The Criminal Appeal Act 1995 has enabled the Government to establish a Criminal Cases Review Commission to look at miscarriages of justice (22).

There are now 1,900 Neighbourhood Constables (23).

The Attorney General's right of appeal for unduly lenient sentences was extended to all serious violent and sexual offences in March 1994 (24).

In March 1995 new National Standards were published to toughen up community sentences (25).

In March 1994 new guidelines on cautioning were issued (26).

In 1993 all 16 recommendations by an internal inquiry to cut police paperwork were accepted (27).

"Pescado" Sinking: Publication of Report

Viscount Exmouth asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer given by Viscount Goschen on 18 March 1997 (HL Deb., WA 56), and the statement made by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in June 1992 that "a detailed report had been carried out" into the sinking of the "Pescado", whether this report could now be made available to the Secretary of State.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen): The report of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) into the sinking of the "Pescado" was delayed until criminal proceedings concerning the incident were completed. Now that proceedings are at an end, MAIB will complete the statutory procedures prior to publication of the report, which include a requirement to consult those criticised in the report. MAIB will then submit the report to the Secretary of State. It will be published as soon as possible after it is received.

St. Pancras Gasholders

Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they learned that the St. Pancras gasholders are the oldest still operational in the country (viz. older than those gasholders in Carlisle, which have been listed and are to be preserved) and what consequences for the eventual treatment of the gasholders will flow from this information, which was not available last year to the Select Committee on the Channel Link.

Viscount Goschen: The importance of the listed gasholders at St. Pancras has been recognised since the beginning of the CTRL planning process. The use of St. Pancras as the CTRL terminus means that there is no alternative to displacing the triple gasholders. Agreement has however been reached between London and Continental Railways and English Heritage

20 Mar 1997 : Column WA113

regarding the arrangements for dismantling and re-erecting all the listed gasholders on a nearby site.

Roads: Litter Clearance

Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are satisfied that the Highways Agency is fulfilling its obligation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to keep its road network clean, in respect of the A.11, A.12 and A.14 trunk roads and M.11 motorway respectively; when these roads were last cleared of litter; and when they are next due to be cleared of litter.

Viscount Goschen: Under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 responsibility for litter clearance on motorways and a small number of all purpose trunk roads lies with the Highways Agency. Responsibility for litter clearance on the rest of the all purpose trunk road network, including the A.11, A.12 and A.14, lies with district councils.

The funding available for the Highways Agency's routine maintenance work this year has been extremely tight. In these circumstances the agency have taken the view that their prime concern must be to maintain the safety of the motorway and trunk road network. Consequently, those activities directly related to safety have first call on their funds.

This means that the normal programme of routine maintenance work carried out by their agent authorities, including regular proactive litter clearance on the motorways and the all-purpose trunk roads for which they have responsibility for litter, has had to be curtailed. The Highways Agency have instructed their agent authorities to clear litter only after it has built up to the intervention levels illustrated in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. We are satisfied that this fulfils the Highways Agency's obligations under the Act.

The last general litter clearance on the M.11 in Cambridgeshire was carried out in March 1996. It will be cleared again before the end of March 1997. The last general litter clearance on the M.11 in Essex was carried out in August 1996. A further clearance programme started on 27 February 1997. It is anticipated this work will be completed by the end of March.

Road Programme

Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list all those road schemes with an estimated cost of over £10 million which are still in the United Kingdom road programme, showing in respect of each the stage reached, the estimated final cost and the estimated completion date.

Viscount Goschen: This information has been compiled from the respective road programmes of the Department of Transport representing trunk roads in England and from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland Offices for trunk roads in those countries. The

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information available is in varying formats and appears below.

For trunk roads in England, Table 1 shows those schemes under construction with their tender costs, Table 2 shows DBFOs and Table 3 lists schemes in the main programme. Estimated completion dates will depend upon the availability of funds and the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.

For trunk roads in Wales, details are shown for those road schemes under construction, programmed or in preparation as published in the Welsh Office's Forward Trunk Road Programme, published in their departmental report for 1996. It does not include those schemes identified for longer term consideration where no resources are being applied at present. Further details of the revised forward programme will be published in the Welsh Office's departmental report for 1997 on 20 March.

Schemes under construction Table 1

Route	Scheme	Standard	Tender cost £ million
M1/M621	Link Road, Leeds MB	D2	15.4
M5	J18-19 Widening, City of Bristol, North West Somerset	D4	49.9
M25	J7-8 Widening, Surrey	D4	46.0
M25	J8-10 Widening, Surrey	D4	93.0
M65	Blackburn Southern Bypass Contract 1, Lancashire	D2/D3	66.0
M65	Blackburn Southern Bypass Contract 2, Lancashire	D2	80.0
M66	Denton--Middleton Contract 1, Tameside MB, Oldham MB	D2/D3/D4	120.00
M66	Denton--Middleton Contract 2, Oldham MB, Manchester MB	--	49.0
A1(M)	Walshford--Dishforth, North Yorkshire	D3	53.8
A12	Hackney Wick--M11 Link Contract 1, LB Hackney, Waltham	D2/D3	25.3
A12	Hackney Wick--M11 Link Contract 2, Waltham Forest, Newham	D3	79.0
A12	Hackney Wick--M11 Link Contract 3, Waltham Forest	D2	32.0
A12	Hackney Wick--M11 Link Contract 4, Redbridge, Waltham Forest	D2/D3	31.5
A13	Thames Avenue--Wennington, LB Barking and Dagenham	D3	71.0
A13	Wennington--Mar Dyke, Essex, Havering MB	D3	30.8
A13	West of Heathway--Thames Avenue Imp, LB Barking and Dagenham	D3	50.9
A34	Newbury Bypass, Berkshire, Hampshire	D2	73.3
A50	Blythe Bridge--Queensway Phase 1, Staffordshire	D2/D3	51.5
A50	Blythe Bridge--Queensway Phase 2, Staffordshire	D2	21.3
A406	Silver Street--Fore Street Imp, LB Enfield	D2/D3	36.6
A406	East of Falloden Way--Finchley High Road, LB Barnet	D3	27.0
A564	Derby Southern Bypass and Derby Spur Contract A, Derbyshire	D2/D3	109.5

* Main works tender cost, excluding land, preparation and supervision costs and VAT.

Design, build, finance and operate projects (DBFO)Table 2

DBFO Scheme Title	Scope of Project	New Construction Schemes Included	Standard	Estimated Construction Cost (£m) Nov. 95
	DBFO contracts awarded
M1-A1 Link Road: Lofthouse-Bramham	To provide and operate a dedicated motorway link to connect the M1 and M62 south of Leeds to the A1 south of Wetherby	M1-A1 Link Road: Lofthouse-Bramham	D2/D3/D4	214.0
M40: J1 to J15	To upgrade and operate a section of the M40 from J1 at Denham to J15 at Warwick	M40 J1A-3 Widening	D3/D4	37.1
A1(M): Alconbury-Peterborough	To upgrade to motorway standard and operate a section of A1 between Alconbury and Peterborough	A1(M) Alconbury-Peterborough	D2/D3/D4	128.0
A19: Dishforth-Tyne Tunnel	To upgrade and operate a section of the A19/A168 trunk roads between the A1 at Dishforth and the A185 south of the Tyne Tunnel	A19 Norton Parkway Interchange Imp	D2	29.4
A30/A35: M5 J29-Bere Regis	To upgrade and operate a section of the A30/A35 trunk roads from the M5 at Exeter to the A31/A35 roundabout at Bere Regis	A30 Honiton-Exeter Improvement A35 Tolpuddle-Puddletown Bypass	S/D2	75.7
A50/A564: Stoke-Derby Link	To upgrade and operate a section of the Stoke-Derby Link Road between the B6540 Sawley Crossroads junction and Blythe Bridge near Stoke on Trent	A564 Doveridge Bypass	D2/D3	20.6
A419/A417: Swindon-Gloucester	To upgrade and operate the strategic A419/A417 trunk roads between the M4 near Swindon (J15) and the M5 near Gloucester (J11A)	A419/A417 Cirencester and Stratton Bypass A417 North of Stratton-Nettleton Imp A419 Latton Bypass	D2	49.0
	DBFO projects expected to be awarded during 1997-98 (subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures)
M16 Cumbria-Bradford	To upgrade and operate a section of the A590/A65/A629/A650 trunk roads between Newby Bridge and Bradford	A590 High and Low Newton Bypass A65 Hellifield & Long Preston Bypass A65 Gargrave Bypass A629 Skipton-Kildwick Imp A650 Hard Ings Road Imp A650 Bingley Relief Road	S/D2	104.0
Weald & Downland	To upgrade and operate sections of A21, A26, A27 and A259 trunk roads.	A21 Tonbridge Bypass-Pembury Bypass Dualling A21 Lamberhurst Bypass A27 Polegate Bypass A259 Pevensey-Bexhill Imp A259 Bexhill & Hastings Western Bypass A259 Hastings Eastern Bypass	D2/D3	142.0
South Midlands Network	To upgrade and operate a network of sections of A6, A43 and A428 trunk roads in the area between Luton, Banbury, Leicester and the A1 trunk road	A6 Clapham Bypass A6 Rushden & Higham Ferrers Bypass A6 Rothwell-Desborough Bypass A6 Great Glen Bypass A43 M40-B4031 Imp A43 Whitfield Turn-Brackley Hatch Imp A43 Silverstone Bypass A428 Norse Road Link	S/D2	116.0
	Further DBFO projects announced for completion
M6 Extension: Carlisle-Scottish Border	To extend and operate a section of the M6 between Carlisle and Guardsmill	M6 Carlisle-Guardsmill Extension	D3	42.3
A13 Thames Gateway	To upgrade and operate the A13 trunk road corridor in East London	A13 Ironbridge-Canning Town Imp A13 Movers Lane Junction Imp A13/A1117 Junction Imp A13/A112 Prince Regent Lane Junction Imp	D3	146.0
Wessex Link*	To upgrade and operate sections of A30, A36, A46 and A303 trunk roads	A36 Salisbury Bypass A303 Wylye-Stockton Wood Imp A303 Sparkford-llchester Imp A303 IIminster Bypass Imp A36 Codford-Heytesbury Imp A303 Chicklade Bottom-Mere Imp	D2	105.0
A40	To improve and operate a section of the A40 in London	A40 Gypsy Corner Imp A40 Western Circus Junction Imp	D2/D3	75.0

* Prequalification will not proceed until a final decision is taken on the A36 Salisbury Bypass.

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Trunk road schemes in England over £10 million Table 3

	Latest estimated total cost £ million (November 1995)	Next stage
M1 J10-14 Widening	89.6	OP
M1 J21A-23A Widening (phase 1)	30.0	PC
M1 J23A-25 Widening (inc. A6-M1 Link)	120.0	PRA
M1 J25-28 improvement (phase 1 Junction Imp.)	40.0	PRA
M1 J6A-10 Widening	93.0	OM
M11 J14 Imp.	26.0	PC
M11 J8-9 Widening	73.2	PRA
M23 J8-9 Widening	10.00	OP
M25 J12-15 Widening	84.70	OM
M25 J15-16	38.00	OP
M25 J16-19 Widening	70.0	OM
M4 J3-4B Widening	21.4	OM
M4 J4B-8/9 Imp. and Relief Road	120.0	PC
M42 J3A-7 Widening	100.0	PRA
M5 J17-21 Widening stage 1	21.8	OP
M6 J11A-16 Widening	231.6	PRA
M6 J16-19 Widening	133.0	PRA
M62 East/M606 Link Roads	17.5	OM
M62 J12-18 improvement	26.3	PC
M62 J6 Imp.	15.0	OP
M63 J6-9 Widening	70.9	OM
M66 Denton Middleton contract 3	115.00	SOW
A1 Gateshead Western Bypass	39.0	PC
A1033 Hedon Road Imp.	36.6	SOW
A11 Attleborough Bypass	11.3	PC
A11 Fiveways-Thetford Imp.	23.9	PC
A11 Roudham heath-Attleborough Imp.	22.5	SOW
A120 M11-Stansted Slip Roads	10.0	PC
A120 Stansted-Braintree Imp.	79.3	SOW
A14 improvement (M11 J14-M1/A1 Link)	104.9	PC
A1(M) Ferrybridge-Hook Moor	115.0	OM
A1(M) J6-8 Widening	25.0	PC
A1(M) Redhouse-Ferrybridge	58.2	OP
A1(M) Wetherby-Walshford	32.1	SOW
A2 Bean Cobham Widening phase 1 (Bean-tollgate)	41.0	PC
A2 Bean Cobham Widening phase 2 (tollgate-Cobham)	29.0	PC
A2 Lydden-Dover Imp.	19.5	PRA
A205 Catford Town Centre Imp.	11.3	OP
A23 Coulsdon Inner Relief Road	21.8	SOW
A249 Iwade-Queenborough Imp.	86.80	PI
A27 Arundel Bypass	20.1	OP
A27 Southerham-Beddingham improvement	16.80	PRA
A27 Wilmington Bypass	20.70	OP
A2/A282 Dartford Imp.	29.90	OP
A2/M2 Cobham-J4 Widening	168.00	SOW
A3 Hindhead improvement	71.00	OP
A30 Bodmin-Indian Queens Imp.	30.4	PC
A303 Ilminster Marsh improvement	22.60	OM
A303 Winterbourne Stoke Bypass	11.00	PRA
A30/A303 Marsh Honiton and A35 Honiton Eastern BP	38.80	OM
A31-Poole Link Road	53.9	OP
A34 Chieveley/M4 J13 Imp.	26.30	OP
A38 Derby Ring Road A52/A5111 GSJ	17.0	PC
A38 Dobwalls Bypass	10.10	OP
A38 Saltash-Stoketon Cross Imp.	14.5	OP
A406 Bounds Green-Green Lanes Imp.	121.7	OP
A406 Golders Green Road Junction Imp.	26.1	SOW
A406/A1/A598 Regents Park Road Junction Imp.	93.70	SOW
A41 Aston Clinton Bypass	16.70	OM
A428 Caxton common-Hardwick	18.0	PC
A428 Great Barford Bypass	19.2	OP
A43 Geddington Bypass	22.0	OP
A43 Moulton-Broughton Imp.	14.9	OP
A45 Weedon Flore and Upper Heyford BP	33.8	OP
A453 Clifton-M1 Imp.	18.0	OM
A453 Clifton lane improvement.	37.8	OM
A45/A46 Tollbar End Imp.	13.2	PC
A46 Newark-Lincoln Imp.	24.1	OM
A46 Newark-Widmerpool Imp.	60.3	OP
A47 Thorney Bypass	12.40	OP
A49 Hereford Bypass	39.6	OP
A5 Dunstable Eastern Bypass	35.0	PRA
A500 Basford-Hough-Shavington Bypass	21.2	SOW
A500 City road-Stoke Road Junctions Imps.	19.2	OP
A5117 M56-A550 Imp.	14.2	PC
A550 Deeside park-A5117	13.0	OP
A555/A523 Poynton Bypass	45.0	OP
A556(M) M6-M56 Imp.	80.7	OM
A564 Derby southern Bypass contract B	11.5	SOW
A564 Derby southern Bypass contract C: Derby Spur	10.50	OP
A570 Ormskirk Bypass	24.9	OP
A57/A628 Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass	23.7	OP
A595 Parton-Lillyhall Imp.	11.1	OP
A63 Castle Street Hull Imp.	19.7	OP
A63 Selby Bypass	22.5	OM
A66 Temple Sowerby Bypass and Imp. at Winderwath	13.0	OP
A6(M) Stockport North/South Bypass	112.5	OP
A6(M)-M56 Manchester Airport Link West	38.2	OP
London primary route signing	12.9	SOW
Poole harbour crossing	32.6	OP

Note:

Tables exclude privately financed, DBFO and developer funded schemes.

PC-public consultation.

PRA--preferred route announcement.

OP--order publication.

PI--public inquiry.

OM--orders made (includes decision stage on schemes not requiring orders).

SOW--start of works.

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Trunk road schemes in Wales over £10m

	Tender cost
Schemes currently under construction	£ million
M4 Second Severn Crossing Welsh Approach Roads	42
A5 Glyn Bends	10
A40 Whitland Bypass	10
A465 Aberdulais-Glynneath	78
A470 Pentrebach-Cefn Coed	59
A550 Deeside Park Interchange	11
A4042 Llantarnam Bypass	18

Schemes in preparation	Latest Estimated Cost £ million (November 1995)
A40 Carmarthen Eastern Bypass	36
A458 Buttington--Middletown	19
A465 Abergavenny--Hirwaun	178
A470 Lledr Valley: Stage 2 (Dolwyddelan-Pont yr Afanc)	10
A470 Pontypridd--Cardiff	50
A477 Sageston--Redberth Bypass	10
A483 Landeilo Eastern Bypass	13
A487 Llannwnda--South of Llanllyfni	14
A487 Porthmadog/Minffordd/Tremadog Bypass	12
A494 Drome Corner--Ewloe Interchange	22
A494/A550 Deeside Park--Drome Corner	14
A55 Ewloe--Northop Widening	11
A55 Llanfair PG--West of Bryngwran	77
A55 West of Bryngwran--Holyhead	55
A55/A494 Ewloe Interchange	30
M4 Castleton--Coryton Widening	39
M4 Relief Road (Major--Castleton	336

Trunk road schemes in Northern Ireland over £10 million

Scheme	Stage reached	Latest estimated cost £ million	Estimated completion date
Westlink-
Motorways	Programme Entry	27.2	2001

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Trunk road schemes in Scotland over £10 million

Schemes currently under construction	Tender price and P&S and Land £ million	Estimated completion date
A96 Blackburn/Kintore Bypass	30.4	Open to traffic Autumn 1998
M90/A92 Halbeath Interchange	10.6	Open to traffic May 1998

Scheme	Stage Reached	Latest Estimated Cost £ million (November 1996	Estimated Completion Date
A75 The Glen Improvement	Pre Tender	10	Open to traffic September 1999
A1 Haddington-Dunbar	Public Local Inquiry completed	37	Dependent on completion of statutory procedures and availability of resources
			Start scheduled in 3 year PES period
M77 Floak-Fenwick	Orders to be made	32	As above
M6 DBFO	Tenders awarded	Scottish Section 130	Open to traffic End 1999
		English Section 60	Dependent on completion of statutory procedures
M8 DBFO	At Tender	154.3	Open to traffic by 2002
M80 DBFO	Draft Orders to be published	150	Dependent on completion of statutory procedures

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