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Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What advice they are currently giving to retailers of refrigerators and to local authorities in the light of EC Regulation No. 2037/2000.[HL1795]
Lord Whitty: Officials have had regular contact with retailers and local authorities, including through stakeholder meetings. The department has recently written to all English local authorities to issue guidance on the storage of waste refrigeration equipment, prior to CFC extraction, and to provide
information for householders disposing of fridges and freezers. An information note for householders informing them of how to dispose of their fridge or freezer has been issued to retailers and local authorities for their use. The department's web-site www.defra.gov.uk also contains information on the requirements of the regulation with regard to the management of waste fridges and freezers.Salmon: Catches by Rod and Line
Lord Mason of Barnsley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many salmon have been caught by rod and line in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.[HL1822]
Lord Whitty: The figures for salmon catch by rod and line in each of the past five years are as follows:
| England and Wales | Scotland | Total* | |
| 2000 | 17,596 | 65,721 | 83,317 |
| 1999 | 12,505 | 52,533 | 65,038 |
| 1998 | 17,109 | 73,146 | 90,255 |
| 1997 | 13,047 | 60,683 | 73,730 |
| 1996 | 17,444 | 69,578 | 87,022 |
*No data are available for Northern Ireland.
(NB The figures include salmon caught and released as well as those caught and retained.)
Lord Mason of Barnsley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: In their formal response to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group report, the Government announced that they would provide up to £375,000 in each of the next two financial years, subject to match funding from private interests, towards the voluntary buyout of mixed stock salmon drift net fisheries in England. Efforts are focusing on the largest of these, that off the north-east coast.
Constructive discussions between representatives of the drift netsmen and conservation and riparian interests, assisted by officials from the Environment Agency and DEFRA, are ongoing.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress is being made to end the North Sea drift net fishery; what organisations and anglers are participating; and who is funding the operation.[HL1824]
How many letters headed XFarming Cleansing & Disinfection Log/Diary" have been despatched from the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[HL1828]
12 Dec 2001 : Column WA216
Lord Whitty: 480 letters were sent to farmers in the area covered by the Newcastle Disease Control Centre.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which Act of Parliament or European Union directive requires a log or diary of cleansing and disinfection operations following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.[HL1829]
Lord Whitty: There is no specific United Kingdom legislation or EU directive that requires a cleansing and disinfection log to be kept on individual farms. However, for disease control purposes, there is an administrative requirement to keep detailed records of the C and D process on each affected premises. In addition, to obtain reimbursement from Community funds of 60 per cent of the costs of cleansing and disinfection, the relevant information must be recorded in order to satisfy EU auditors that all the necessary C and D actions have been completed satisfactorily.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether any consideration was given or professional advice sought as to the possible effects upon their health of the receipt by farmers of the letter headed XFarming Cleansing and Disinfection Log/Diary" from the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre and of their ability to provide the information requested.[HL1830]
Lord Whitty: This letter was prepared by staff at the Newcastle Disease Control Centre with wide experience of the farming community, who took into account the likely response from individual farmers. Farmers in the area had previously been advised that a cleansing and disinfection log would be required to be maintained and this letter sought farmer assistance in obtaining and presenting the details from existing farm records. For the majority of farmers this has not been a problem. In any cases where farmers had difficulty with this request, the letter offered on-farm DEFRA assistance in obtaining the information.
Traveline
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the latest survey available from the Traveline partners of the failures and accuracy of the information they give.[HL1740]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Traveline is subject to an on-going programme of mystery shopping. The second wave of
mystery shopping has just been conducted and the Traveline partners received the report on 4 December 2001.The report suggested that Traveline had improved since the first wave of mystery shopping four months earlier. The time taken to answer calls and the customer service elements of the calls were generally satisfactory or good. Overall, the answers given to 93 per cent of test calls were completely accurate, although there was some variation between different types of calls and between different call centres. There was some scope for improvement in offering to all travellers a complete itinerary and a choice, where appropriate, between different operators. There was also room for improvement in calls that need to be transferred from one call centre to another. The Traveline parties are working to address these issues and will continue to improve their service.
Speed Cameras
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In respect of the draft regulations requiring all speed cameras to be painted yellow and provided with advance warning signs:
(a) what road accident reduction figures will be achieved by enabling motorists to slow down before they see a camera and ignore speed limits elsewhere in the knowledge that hidden cameras will be banned; and
(b) how many accidents will have to take place on a particular stretch of road before the Government will permit cameras to be installed.[HL1913]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The eight areas piloting the netting off scheme, in which programmes of promotion and information to drivers on where cameras are placed have been a part, have achieved a large reduction in deaths and serious injuries at the camera sites. There has been no transfer of accidents to sites or roads elsewhere. It would follow that an additional increase in driver awareness of the sites of cameras the new visibility rules are intended to bring would improve casualty reduction still further.
The rules of entry to the netting off scheme contain guidance on where to place both fixed and mobile cameras. There should be evidence of speed-related casualties clustered around a particular location or along a stretch of road with the general guide of there being eight or more injury accidents in the preceding three years. Before cameras are placed, it should be clear that other methods of speed reduction are inappropriate.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the road safety benefits of motorists not being caught by surprise by hidden cameras.[HL1915]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Speed enforcement cameras reap most road safety benefit when placed at sites or on routes with a history of speed-related
accidents. Greater awareness of the presence of cameras should encourage more drivers to comply with speed limits and so reduce collisions and accidents.Safety Camera Project Board
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the role, the budget, membership and the date of set-up of the Safety Camera Netting-off Project Board.[HL1916]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Safety Camera Project Board was set up in January 1999 to develop and trial a funding system for safety (speed and traffic light enforcement) cameras using fixed penalty fine revenue and, if successful, to advise Ministers on how it might be made available nationally. Following national rollout, the board continues to develop rules of entry to the netting-off scheme and recommend to Ministers new member partnerships.
It has no specific budget. It is chaired by DTLR and comprises representatives of the Home Office, HM Treasury, Lord Chancellor's Department, Crown Prosecution Service, Highways Agency, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly, Association of Chief Police Officers, Local Government Association, CSS and TAG.
London Underground: Private Finance Initiative
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What has so far been the cost to public funds of legal, financial and other advisers for the private finance initiative scheme for the London Underground.[HL1954]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: I understand from London Transport that its expenditure on external consultants from 20 March 1998 (the date of the Government's announcement) to 30 September 2001, for work on the PPP and restructuring of London Underground, was £80.2 million.
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