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Written Answers
Friday, 13th November 1998.
Use of Animals in Scientific Procedures
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made with regard to the use of animals in scientific procedures.[HL3855]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mr. Howarth) will be making a statement on Monday.
Scottish Local Boundary Commission Recommendations
Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which organisations and public authorities have made representations concerning the implementation of the Scottish Local Boundary Commission's proposals for new ward boundaries; and [HL3585]
How many representations they have received concerning the Scottish Local Government Boundary Commission's proposals for new ward boundaries; how many of these support implementation ahead of the 1999 local government elections; and what view the Government take.[HL3586]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sewel): The Secretary of State has received about 400 representations on the various reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Most of these, however, concern the substance of the proposals themselves rather than the timing of the review. We have had correspondence with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and with the Association of Electoral Administrators about the question of completing the review in time for it to take effect for the 1999 local elections.
The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 contains provisions requiring the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to review the ward boundaries as soon as practicable after 1 April 1996; and it also requires the Secretary of State to make orders giving effect to the Commission's recommendations, either with or without modifications. The intention from the outset has been to complete the review before the 1999 local elections. The Government are aware that the recommendations for some areas have been controversial. However, we take the view that, at this stage, the priority must be to complete the review according to the original timetable, so as to allow the administrative arrangements for the 1999 local elections, which coincide with the first election of the Scottish Parliament, to be completed in good time.
London Transport Targets 1998-99
Viscount Chandos asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What targets London Transport has been set for 1998-99.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): Tables showing the targets London Transport has been set for 1998-99 are below. All targets relate to average performance throughout the year.
| London Underground | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
| Excess journey time: (mins) | N/A | 6.25(1) |
| Escalators: % of scheduled service hours operated | 93.0 | 91.4(2) |
| Lifts: % of scheduled service hours operated | 96.0 | 93.8(2) |
| Reliability of service: % of kilometres operated | 96.9 | 96.9 |
| Train service regularity: % planned intervals achieved | 95.9 | N/A |
| Ticket Purchase: % of customers queuing less than 3 minutes | 98.0 | N/A |
| Customer satisfaction ratings | ||
| train and station cleanliness | 69 | 69 |
| security safety | 83 | 83 |
| staff helpfulness and availability | 70 | 70 |
| train and station information | 75 | 75 |
| train service | 77 | 77 |
| Financial targets | ||
| operating costs per train km(3) | [note(5)] | £10.28 |
| LUL gross margin(4) | [note(5)] | £310.0m |
(1) This is a new target replacing previous targets on train service headways and ticket office queues. See note below for details.
(2) See below for explanation of lower targets in 1998-99 than in 1997-98.
(3) Costs per operated train kilometre to exclude depreciation, renewals, restructuring and PFI costs.
(4) LUL gross margin before depreciation, renewals, restructuring and PFI costs.
(5) Financial targets were set in 1996 over a three year period i.e. to be achieved in 1998-99. The figures shown in the 1998-99 column reflect the original targets, revalued at 1998-99 prices.
(6) These targets have been recalibrated for 1998-99 and so are not directly comparable to previous years.
(7) Net subsidy per operated bus kilometre before depreciation, renewals, restructuring and PFI costs.
(8) LT Buses gross loss before depreciation, renewals, restructuring and PFI costs.
(9) Includes Victoria Coach Station, Unit for Disabled Passengers, PASS and LT Museum but excludes Bus Insurance Liability costs. To be amended to reflect transfer of PASS to the private sector following the signing of Prestige.
(10) To be at least as good as the average shown by the IPD index, (Investment Property Databank Index) on a three year rolling basis.
1. This year's targets for lift and escalator availability on the Underground are lower than last year. That reflects the short term impact of the increased levels of investment in the Underground following the announcement of an extra £365 million of funding for the Underground. We will be expecting improvements in future years as the benefits of the investment programme become apparent.
2. This year's targets include a new target for excess journey time. This is based on a new measure LT have introduced--the journey time metric. The journey time metric is a system developed for measuring customers'
3. LT use this measure to build up a scheduled journey time, reflecting the amount of time a journey should take in free flow conditions, when there is no queuing, every train runs precisely to timetable, and there is no disruption. The excess journey time is then calculated by observing the difference between the scheduled journey time and the observed journey time. Both measures have the relevant weightings applied, and the difference between them will be the excess journey time.
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman): The information requested is shown in the table.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
2. Figures for England from 1995 and for Wales from 1996 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years because of changes to the classification of non-medical staff.
* Figures exclude HCAs working in support of therapy staff and other non-nursing areas of work.
LT Buses 1997-98 1998-99
Reliability of service: % kilometres operated 99 99
Excess wait on high frequency routes (mins) 1.5 1.4
Departures on time: % on low frequency routes 74 77
Early departures: % on low frequency routes 4.0 3.4
Night bus: % departures on time 65 70
Customer satisfaction ratings(11)
Condition of bus stops and shelters 57 76
Internal cleanliness of buses 63 83
External cleanliness of buses 55 78
Staff helpfulness 66 87
Bus station environment 71 76
Bus station information 68 68
Financial targets
subsidy per bus km(12) [note(10)] not more than 6.53p
LT Buses gross loss(13) [note(10)] not more than £21.7m
Other Services 1997-98 1998-99
Customer satisfaction ratings
Travel information call centre: ease of reaching Enquiry service n/a 77
Travel information call centre: operator helpfulness n/a 91
Dial-a-Ride: percentage of calls answered first time n/a 20
Dial-a-Ride: percentage of punctual arrivals n/a 93
Financial targets
Group services gross loss(17) [note(13)] not more than £23.4m
Property rental income growth(18) [note(13)] IPD index
Dial-a-Ride cost per trip [note(13)] £10.80
How many employees described as nursing or healthcare assistants or nursing auxiliaries have been employed by each NHS region in each of the past five years.[HL3766]
English Regional Health Authority areas 1993 1994 English NHS Executive Regional Office areas 1994 1995 1996 1997
Northern 5,840 6,010 Northern & Yorkshire 11,970 11,980 12,760 12,970
Yorkshire 6,310 6,300 Trent 10,160 10,490 10,800 11,330
Trent 9,810 10,160 Anglia & Oxford 9,330 9,470 9,940 9,800
East Anglia 4,380 4,480 North Thames 10,740 11,680 12,050 12,400
North West Thames 4,990 5,160 South Thames 11,470 11,570 11,920 12,000
North East Thames 5,910 6,280 South & West 14,550 14,370 14,560 14,110
South East Thames 5,700 6,020 West Midlands 9,500 9,500 10,570 11,130
South West Thames 5,350 5,360 North & West 13,430 13,370 13,890 14,170
Wessex 7,140 6,850 Other 1,400 2,250 2,190 2,230
Oxford 4,370 4,070
South Western 7,920 7,750
West Midlands 9,900 9,510
Mersey 4,470 4,340
North Western 8,740 8,900
Other 1,120 1,360
England 91,950 92,550 92,550 94,690 98,670 100,130
Scotland 17,360 17,140 17,140 17,040 16,590 16,230
Wales 7,520 8,420 8,420 8,020 6,270 7,890
Northern Ireland 3,310 3,210 3,210 3,250 3,310 3,210
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