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London Underground
Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Answer by Lord Filkin on 16 May (HL Deb, col. 425), and in the light of the views expressed by Ernst & Young's at paragraph 1.4.3 of the executive summary of their report London's Underground PPPs Value for Money Review dated 5 February 2002, whether they regard the public private partnership contracts for the London Underground, as negotiated, as good value for money, as indicated by Lord Filkin.[HL4507]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: I refer the noble Baroness to the Answer given by my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 8 May (WA 184).
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their estimate for the return on capital employed with regard to the public private partnership contracts agreed for London Underground.[HL4522]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: It is not possible to make an estimate of the return on total capital employed at this stage. Detailed terms for the third party finance being raised for the Tube modernisation contracts will be finalised as part of the process to financial close on the transactions. To estimate these terms at this stage would risk compromising best value. In addition, there is no guaranteed rate of return for shareholders under the three public private partnership contracts. The payments the private sector infrastructure companies receive from London Underground will depend on the performance they actually deliver. All the money put up by the shareholders will be at risk.
London Congestion Charging
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they endorse the Mayor of London's proposals on inner-London congestion charging.[HL4520]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The particular scheme that the Mayor of London is planning to introduce is his responsibility, not the Government's.
National Air Traffic Services
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proposal they have for the further funding of National Air Traffic Services following the decision not to allow NATS to increase charges to airlines.[HL4521]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: No decision has been taken on NATS' application to increase charges to airlines. The Civil Aviation Authority, NATS' economic regulator, has set out for consultation its preliminary response to the application. NATS and its shareholders are studying the CAA's paper before replying to the consultation.
Lord Waddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are satisfied with the arrangements at airports to deal with the consequences of a failure of the National Air Traffic Services computer system.[HL4564]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Yes. Both airports and airlines have extensive contingency plans for responding to major disruptions, however caused.
Road Improvement
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the estimated planned expenditure by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on road improvement for the current year. [HL4524]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: In the current financial year (2002–03) the Department for Transport plans to spend £698 million on major trunk road schemes and £130 millon on major local road schemes, major schemes being those costing £5 million or more.
Railtrack
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Futher to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 21 May (WA 89), whether they will now consider introducing legislation with a view to the re-nationalisation of Railtrack and the payment of fair compensation to shareholders of the company [HL4546]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer on 21 May (WA 89). Shareholders will receive the value in the company to which they are entitled. The Government have no plans to pay compensation to shareholders of Railtrack.
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 21 May (WA 89), whether the special railway administrators are the ultimate controlling party of Railtrack plc. [HL4604]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: There is nothing further I can add to the reply given to the noble Lord by my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 21 May (WA 89).
National Safety Camera Partnerships
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In respect of recent government guidelines to local authorities joining the national safety camera partnerships concerning criteria on casualties at camera sites and requirements for conspicuous siting: (a) when these were sent to local authorities; (b) when they will be published in full; (c) when they are due to come into force; (d) why they were not published at the same time that they were sent to local authorities; (e) what reduction in accidents the Government expect to achieve by these new guidelines at camera sites; and (f) what reduction in accidents the Government expect to achieve by these new guidelines elsewhere on the road network.[HL4565]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston : Guidance on safety camera deployment is contained in Circular Roads 1/92. For areas seeking to join the safety camera netting off scheme, the criteria for site selection are made available to local authorities when they form partnerships with the police and magistrates' courts as preparation for entry into the scheme. These criteria form part of the rules and guidance for netting off
which is an operational document and is subject to regular update as the netting off scheme progresses. The rules on camera conspicuity and visibility were announced on 3 December 2001. All areas within the netting off scheme must comply with these by the end of June 2002 and for new partnerships at the point they join.The first year of netting off in just eight areas achieved a 47 per cent reduction in those killed and seriously injured at camera sites, with an 18 per cent average reduction in the areas as a whole. Similar reductions are expected to be achieved in the areas that are continuing to join the national scheme.
A2 Road
Lord Higgins asked Her Majesty's Government:
- For how long the main A2 road from central London to the Channel Tunnel and the Channel ports has been blocked; how much time is expected to elapse before it is re-opened; what discussion they have had with the local authorities to whom responsibility for maintenance of the road has been
- delegated; and whether they will resume responsibility for major trunk roads.[HL4589]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The section of the A2 inside London is the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL). The road is closed at Blackheath because of a large hole on the carriageway. TfL Street Management has been working closely with Greenwich and Lewisham councils to ensure that the road reopens to the public as soon as possible. Further information can be obtained from:
- Peter Brown
- Assistant Director of Street Management Services
- TfL Street Management
- Windsor House
- 42-50 Victoria Street
- London SW1H OTL.
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