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Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is appropriate that the National Blood Service, as a provider of blood and blood derived products to the National Health Service, should be the only representative of manufacturers on
- national committees, such as the National Transfusion Committee and Serious Hazards of Transfusion, where policy decisions taken may affect product choice and patient use in the National Health Service.[HL5768]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The National Blood Service (NBS) was established by the Secretary of State for Health as a special health authority under the National Health Service Act 1977 to exercise functions in relation to the preparation and supply of blood and blood products for the NHS. It is therefore appropriate that the NBS is invited to sit on relevant national committees, not to represent manufacturers but as a non-profit-making statutory body providing an essential service to the whole of the NHS.
Health and Safety Commission: Transport Driving Standards
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What duties and responsibilities the Health and Safety Commission has in setting standards for safe driving of:
(a) passenger service vehicles and buses; and
(b) trains; and who is responsible to the commission for discharging them.[HL5777]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): (a) Health and Safety law requires duty holders such as passenger service and bus operators to ensure their staff, including drivers, are competent to discharge their responsibilities. HSC is under no duty to set standards for drivers, and it is not policy to do so where other authorities are better placed to develop them.
The standard for safe driving is set by the driving test and the training that is needed in order to pass it. The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for conducting driving tests for all vehicle types in Great Britain.
(b) Health and safety law requires duty holders, such as train operators, to ensure that their staff, including train drivers, are competent to discharge their responsibilities. The Health and Safety Commission is under no duty to set standards for drivers, although it has issued guidance to employers on assessing competence.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: In 2000, the Government, in their Road Safety Strategy
The task group published its report in November 2001. I am satisfied that HSE is working closely with the Department for Transport in taking forward a programme of work which is designed to reduce work related road incidents. A copy of the group's report and HSC's advice has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: Help is already available through disability living allowance paid in recognition of the extra costs, including heating, which disabled people may have. There are no plans to extend the winter fuel payment scheme to disabled people under age 60.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): From 1 January to 4 October 2002, 51 persons have been charged with riotous/disorderly behaviour in Belfast. This statistic is provisional and may be subject to amendment.
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: I have nothing to add to the replies that I gave the noble Lord on 7 May, 21 May, 17 June, 10 July and 25 July.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that the Health and Safety Commission is discharging its statutory obligations to reduce workplace accidents and fatalities on the roads when over 3,000 people, many of them at work, are killed on the roads every year; and whether they are satisfied with this level of accidents.[HL5780]
Whether they have any plans to extend winter fuel payments to severely disabled people.[HL5821]
How many people have been charged with riotous behaviour in Belfast since 1 January 2002.[HL5530]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 29 July (WA 160), how the giving of information on the occasion and duration of Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings "could inhibit the use of the full range of effective decision making processes".[HL5803]
What qualifications and experience the chairman, deputy chairman, chief executive and deputy chief
14 Oct 2002 : Column WA39
- executive of Network Rail have in respect of infrastructure maintenance; railway operation and safety; and the duties and management of railway staff; and on what basis Ministers made the recent appointments.[HL5785]
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): The recent appointments to the Network Rail Board were made by that company, not by Ministers. A copy of the Network Rail press release, which outlines the past work experience and expertise of each of the board members, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Speed Cameras
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What research evidence informed their decision to require speed cameras to be painted yellow.[HL5826]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: None. This requirement has been in place only since 1 June but feedback already suggests that there is even better compliance with the speed limits at sites that operate yellow cameras.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proportion of the following vehicles are recorded as exceeding speed limits (a) cars where the speed limit is 30 miles per hour; (b) cars where the speed limit is 70 miles per hour; (c) lorries where the speed limit are 30 miles per hour; (d) trains at any speed.[HL5827]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The estimates for cars and lorries exceeding the speed limit on roads with a 30 mph is given in the following table.
| Exceeding 30 mph limit | More than 5 mph over limit | |
| Cars | 65 | 32 |
| Rigid 2 axle HGV | 55 | 20 |
| Rigid 3 axle HGV | 51 | 15 |
| Articulated 3 axle HGV | 44 | 12 |
| Rigid/articulated 4 axle HGV | 49 | 16 |
| Rigid/articulated 5 or more axles HGV | 42 | 10 |
In 2001 on motorways 54 per cent of cars were recorded as exceeding the speed limit. On dual carriageway roads, with a 70 mph speed limit for cars, 51 per cent of cars were recorded exceeding the speed limit. The department does not hold figures on trains exceeding speed limits. However, Railtrack Plc has advised that for the period 31 March to 20 July 2002 there were 53 incidents of trains overspeeding on the national rail network. This equates to 0.01 per cent of trains exceeding speed limits.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Conditions attached to the planning consent for Terminal 5 are set out in Annex G(i) of the decision letter. Condition A107, Commitment to Delivery of Certain Materials by Rail, states:
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: This matter is referred to in the inspector's report under Topic Report 9, section 3, The Case for Spelthorne, Construction, paragraph 3.5.5. This indicated that BAA's estimate at that time was that 22 per cent of material would be likely to come by rail. Local distribution would be by road.
I am not aware of any breakdown of materials to be transported by other modes of transport.
Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:
What conditions were applied in the determination of the planning application for Heathrow Terminal 5 requiring construction materials to be transported to sites by rail; and what construction works are being planned and built to enable compliance with these conditions.[HL5828]
"Except in emergency (which for the avoidance of doubt shall include industrial action) and unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority and provided that permission is granted for the Colnbrook Logistics Centre pursuant to application No P/09924/005 in terms which allow construction of railhead facilities in time and of sufficient capacity, and with exception of those materials required during the first six months of the development whilst the railhead is being established up to a maximum of 50,000 tonnes, BAA will not import other than by rail all its requirements for crushed rock aggregates, cement and cement replacement powders and reinforcing steel for use in construction of the development hereby permitted".
A rail depot is to be constructed at Colnbrook, Colnbrook Logistics Centre, in accordance with application referred to in condition A107 and in accordance with the Secretary of State's consent.
Whether they will list the volumes of tonnages of the main categories of materials for the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5 planned to be transported to the site or adjacent terminals by (a) rail; (b) road; and (c) air.[HL5829]
Whether they are taking action to stop bicycles being ridden on pavements.[HL5839]
14 Oct 2002 : Column WA41
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Cycling on the pavement is illegal and the police have powers to prosecute or issue fixed penalty notices (£30) to cyclists. Cyclists can also be prosecuted for dangerous cycling if the police feel such action is warranted. Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police. However, we abhor the behaviour of those minority of cyclists who take to the pavement, endangering vulnerable road users such as the elderly and children.
Public Bodies: Appointment of Women
Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Macdonald of Tradeston on 24 September
- (WA 236) expressing the Government's total commitment to increasing diversity at all levels of appointment, including those at chair and deputy chair, whether they will now set targets (or require targets to be set) for the number of women who will be chairs or chief executives of those public bodies for which government departments are responsible.[HL5853]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: There are no plans at the present time for the Government to set a specific target for the number of women who will be chairs or chief executives of public bodies. However, the Government are continuing to look for increased diversity in all public appointments and that, of course, means more women holding both chair and chief executive positions.
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