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11 Nov 2008 : Column WA126
| Tristar | |||||||
| Actual Flying Hours | Currently Planned Flying Hours—Financial Years | ||||||
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many hours were flown by the Royal Air Force VC-10 fleet in the past 12 months for which figures are available; and what are the projections for each of the next seven years. [HL6041]
Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The table below provides the actual flying hours flown by the RAF VC-10 fleet for the past 12 months and the activity currently planned for the next seven years. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
| VC-10 | |||||||
| Actual Flying Hours | Planned Flying Hours—Financial Years | ||||||
The aircraft is planned to go out of service in 2014.
Railways: Passenger Journeys
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
For each railway station in England used by more than 1,000 passengers a day, how many passengers arrive or depart by each mode of transport, including walking, cycling and driving. [HL6119]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The following tables provide this information for all stations in England, showing that just over half of weekday rail travellers are most likely to walk to the station at the beginning of their journey, and from the station on arrival at their destination. This information is not available for weekend travel.
These statistics come from the National Rail travel survey (NRTS). Similar information is not available at station level, and it could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Survey information and a report of findings (published March 2008) is available on the Department for Transport website at www.dft.gov.uk.
| Journey purpose by main mode used to travel to station of origin on a typical weekday1: England | ||
| Journeys (000s) | % | |
| Journey Purpose by main mode used to egress first rail station on a typical weekday1: England | ||
| Journeys (000s) | % | |
Railways: Timekeeping
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have proposals to assess the satisfaction of railway passengers rather than the punctuality of trains. [HL6179]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Passenger Focus is responsible for managing the national passenger survey (NPS). The NPS provides a network-wide picture of customers’ satisfaction with rail travel. Passengers’ opinions of train services are collected twice a year from a representative sample of passenger journeys.
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 4 November (WA 45), whether allowing increased times and margins in train timetables affects the speed of railway services or the utilisation of available rail tracks. [HL6181]
11 Nov 2008 : Column WA127
Lord Adonis: Where timetables are adjusted to reflect better the time required to complete any rail journey, there may be changes in the average speeds of services, and in the way that track capacity is utilised.
As such changes are made to reduce the risk of trains being delayed, passengers benefit from receiving a more reliable and consistent service.
Utilities
Lord Lipsey asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in charging utilities companies that dig up roads for the disruption caused. [HL5955]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Since 2001, local authorities in England have had the power to fine utility companies for works that overrun their agreed duration.
From April 2008 permits came into force allowing authorities, if approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, to operate a proactive regime that requires those working in the highway to have a permit. Local authorities may require a fee for that permit, to cover the cost of operating the permit scheme. No permit schemes are yet in operation, although we are currently considering applications from Transport for London and 14 London boroughs.
Vehicles: Checks
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the penalties for businesses whose vehicles fail checks carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are sufficient to prevent accidents and safeguard the interests of compliant businesses. [HL6103]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) conducts inspections of vehicles at operators’ premises and at the roadside to check the roadworthiness of vehicles and that safety rules for vehicle use are complied with (including drivers’ hours and vehicle weight).
The GB operator licensing system provides a robust method of dealing with operators who systematically disregard the law. Problems that are found by VOSA at its checks are reported to the traffic commissioners, who are responsible for regulating GB operators. Traffic commissioners have the power to require certain undertakings from vehicle operators to provide confidence that they can operate safely. Where problems are reported the traffic commissioner has the power to issue warnings, suspend, curtail or revoke a licence.
Where heavy goods vehicles (HGV) operators choose to operate unlawfully outside of the GB operator licensing system, VOSA has the power to impose a range of sanctions, including:
11 Nov 2008 : Column WA128
Visas
Viscount Waverley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they moved the place of issuing of visas to the United Kingdom for citizens of Equatorial Guinea from Abuja to Accra. [HL5549]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Abuja was not specified as the visa issuing post for Equatorial Guinea citizens. Yaounde in Cameroon was, and remains, the designated post for such applications, though UKBA advises that applications may be made at our posts in Nigeria, Ghana, or indeed any full service visa post if it is more convenient.
In July 2008 the visa office in Yaounde ceased to take decisions on visa applications with this work transferred to Accra. The office in Yaounde, however, remains open for the submission of visa applications. These are collected in Yaounde along with fees and biographic and biometric data, and are couriered to Accra where the application is considered. The decisions are returned to Yaounde for handing back to the applicant.
The hub and spoke method of working is well established in the overseas visa network with the majority of posts in southern Africa, for example, already working this way. The decision to move decision-making work to Accra from Yaounde was taken in order to ensure consistency in our decision-making, to provide greater management oversight, and to achieve cost savings.
No visa applicant is required to travel to Accra to lodge their application as decisions can be lodged in Yaounde or at any other convenient full service post.
During the 12-month period to date, a worldwide total of 223 UK visa applications made by Equatorial Guinea nationals were lodged in 12 different countries. Among these, the top three were Yaounde (109), Madrid (68) and Abuja (12).
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