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Abnormal Loads: Movement Applications and Control

Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list by region how many applications were received by the Highways Agency to move abnormal loads on motorways and all-purpose trunk roads in 1997 and 1998.[HL2301]

Lord Whitty: Figures are not available for the number of applications received by the Highways Agency to move abnormal loads on motorways and all-purpose trunk roads. It is estimated, however, that there are some 200,000 such movements each year.

Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:

What policy is adopted by the Highways Agency to ensure that abnormal load movements are planned so as to minimise disruption and delay to other vehicles and road users; and[HL2302]

Whether they are satisfied that the Highways Agency have sufficient powers to restrict abnormal load movements to routes and times which minimise road user delays and disruption;and[HL2303]

Whether they will review the policy of abnormal load movements and strengthen the powers of the Highways Agency to ensure that abnormal load movements only take place at such times and on such routes which minimise road user delay and inconvenience.[HL2304]

Lord Whitty: The powers to restrict abnormal load movements to routes and times which minimise road user delays lie with the police. The Highways Agency's responsibilities are limited to advising hauliers of bridges which are unable to carry specific notified heavy loads and advising the police of proposed roadworks on the trunk road network.

The Government are, however, carrying out a review of the legislation on the movement of abnormal loads, and consideration will be given to whether the

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Highways Agency should be given more powers over the timing of abnormal load movements.

M.4 Bus Lane

Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the assertion by the Highways Agency in the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 22 April (WA 167) that the bus, coach and taxi lane between Junction 3 and the elevated section of the M.4 motorway will reduce the operating costs of buses, coaches and taxis, whether the operators of those services between central London and Heathrow Airport have as a result agreed to reduce fares.[HL2296]

Lord Whitty: Operators of the bus and coach services between central London and Heathrow Airport have not indicated whether they will reduce fares following the introduction of the bus lane on the M.4 eastbound carriageway between Junction 3 and the elevated section. However, improved operating conditions as a result of the bus lane are likely to be among the factors they will take into account in their decisions on fare levels.

Taxi fares are controlled and will depend on the distance and time for each journey. There is no special tariff for fares between Heathrow Airport and central London.

Air Navigation Order: New Offence

Lord Brabazon of Tara asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, further to the Answer by the Lord Whitty on 12 January (H.L. Deb., col. 1153), when they intend to add a new offence to the Air Navigation Order of interfering with or obstructing a member of the cabin crew in the exercise of their duty.[HL2025]

Lord Whitty: We are working on an amendment to the Air Navigation Order to include such an offence and hope that it will be introduced later this year.

Lead Poisoning in Birds

Lord Burton asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many birds have been found poisoned by lead shot from shotguns; and how many birds have been found poisoned by lead shot used for fishing tackle by fishermen.[HL2157]

Lord Whitty: Research has estimated that 2.3 per cent. of wild mallards may die each year in Britain as a result of poisoning. Annual mortality of pintails and mallards on the Ouse Washes was estimated as 5 per cent. and 4 per cent. respectively. This is in line with a similar scale of mortality in wildfowl from lead shot poisoning reported for the USA, where estimates

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suggest that 2-3 per cent. of the autumn waterfowl population die through lead poisoning each year.

The true scale of mortality is difficult to assess, as birds which have been poisoned tend to hide away, and also dead birds are rapidly removed by scavengers. Since most lead weights used in angling have been banned since 1987, ingestion by wildfowl from this source will have decreased.

The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list all research and case histories involving autopsies on deaths or injuries allegedly caused by the ingestion of lead shot by birds of all types; what evidence they have which enables them to differentiate between the lead shot used in shotgun cartridges and the lead shot weights used by anglers; and whether they will place copies of all such research in the Library of the House.[HL2153]

Lord Whitty: The toxic effects of ingested lead on birds have been known for over a century, and reported from many sources around the world. It would not be possible to list all the published research, but a selection of key papers is listed below.

In the most extensive study from this country, Mudge (1983) was able to distinguish between angling and shotgun lead in some cases, but not in others where pellets were heavily eroded. However, sites for study were chosen on the basis that they were regularly shot over and shotgun lead was considered the main source of lead ingestion for most species except mute swans. Since most angling lead shot weights have been banned since 1987, ingestion by wildfowl from this source will have decreased.

The reference texts are:

Bellrose, F.C. 1959. Lead poisoning as a mortality factor in waterfowl populations. Illinois Nat. Hist. Surv. Bull. 27, 235-288.

Fawcett D. & van Vessem J. 1995. Lead poisoning in waterfowl: international update report 1995. JNCC Report No. 252., Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.

Goode, D.A. 1981. Lead poisoning and swans. Report of the Nature Conservancy Council's Working Group. Nature Conservancy Council, Peterborough.

HMSO 1983. Lead in the environment. Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution: Ninth Report. HMSO, London.

Locke, L.N. & Friend, M. 1992. Lead poisoning of avian species other than waterfowl. In: Pain 1992.

Mudge, G.P. 1983. The incidence and significance of ingested lead pellet poisoning in British wildfowl. Biological Conservation, 27, 333-372.

Olney, P.J.S. 1968. The food and feeding habits of pochard. Biological Conservation, 1, 71-76.

Olney, P.J.S. 1960. Lead poisoning in wildfowl. Wildfowl Trust Annual Report, 11, 123-134, cited in Thomas 1975.

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Pain, D.J. 1992a. Lead poisoning in waterfowl: a review. In: Pain 1992.

Pain, D.J. 1992b. Lead poisoning in waterfowl: summary of national reports: In: Pain 1992.

Pain, D.J. 1992c (ed). Lead poisoning of waterfowl: Proc. of IWRB workshop 1991. IWRB Special Publication No. 16, International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, Slimbridge.

Pain, D.J. 1991. Why are lead-poisoned wildfowl so rarely seen: the disappearance of waterfowl carcasses in the Carmargue, France? Wildfowl, 42, 118-122. Pain, D.J., Amaird-Triquet, C., Bavoux, C., Burneleau, G., Eon, L. & Nicolau-Guillaumet, P. 1993. Lead poisoning in wild populations of marsh harriers Circus aeruginosus in the Carmargue and Charente-Maritime, France. Ibid, 135, 279-386.

Sanderson, G.C. 1992. Lead poisoning mortality: In: Pain 1992. Thomas, G.J. 1975. Ingested lead pellets in waterfowl at the Ouse Washes, England 1968-1973. Wildfowl, 26, 43-48.

Sears, J. & Hunt, A. 1991. Lead Poisoning in Mute Swans Cygnus olor in England, Wildfowl, Supplement 1 (1991): 383-388.

Non-toxic Shot: Research

The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list all research completed on the efficacy of, and comparisons between (a) lead shot, (b) steel shot and (c) bismuth shot as used or proposed for use in shotgun cartridges or for fishing line weights for use by anglers; and whether they will place copies of all such research in the Library of the House.[HL2154]

Lord Whitty: The Government part-funded a ballistics testing facility, developed by the University College, London from 1993-96. The objective was to assist the development and evaluation of non-toxic shot, and to provide the shooting community with guidelines for judging alternative shot types.

In addition, Cranfield University, funded by the Government, designed a computer program in order to provide a comprehensive predictive model of the effectiveness of differing shot types against wildfowl.

Copies of both these reports will be placed in the Library of the House.

Severn Tunnel

The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Whitty on 16 March (WA 95) and 31 March (WA 49), what legal responsibility they had to retain copies of all

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reports of (a) weekend surveys, (b) detailed quarterly surveys and (c) annual reviews of the Severn rail tunnel in each of the last 15 years in which the responsibility of the Severn rail tunnel came under the control of the British Railways Board; and why such information was not held centrally.[HL2156]

Lord Whitty: As part of the privatisation process, the British Railway Board's records on particular assets were transferred to the new owner of the asset, together with any statutory responsibilities.

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