| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Coach Seat Belts
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what grants are available to enable coach operators to fit seat belts in coaches used in transporting children to and from school; and if he will make a statement. [23995]
Ms Glenda Jackson: There are no grants available to coach operators to cover the coasts of fitting seat belts in their vehicles. Operators can, of course, take these costs into account, along with other overheads, when tendering for transport contracts. The additional costs to local authorities of implementing the new requirements on safety of school transport has been taken into account when determining the Education Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) in local government finance settlements since 1995-96.
Footpath (Barrow upon Soar)
Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about footpath I18 in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire; and if he will make a statement. [23830]
Angela Eagle:
Ten representations have been received about Leicestershire County Council's temporary closure of footpath I18. I understand that the closure is necessary because a retaining wall next to the footpath is in a dangerous condition but that there is a legal dispute between the County Council, Railtrack and private residents about who is responsible for the works. I also understand that the County Council is considering taking
21 Jan 1998 : Column: 547
legal proceedings to require the works to be carried out and in the meantime is considering interim engineering proposals that may enable the footpath to be reopened pending those works.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the present average cost of constructing one mile of new motorway; and what are the figures in cash terms for (a) 1988, (b) 1978 and (c) 1968. [24226]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The average cost of constructing one mile of new, dual three lane motorway is £17.1 million. The figures in cash terms for 1988, 1978, and 1968 are £11.8 million, £6.1 million and £1.7 million respectively.
Mr. Stringer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the performance of the Commission for Local Administration. [24242]
Ms Armstrong
[holding answer 20 January 1998]: A fundamental review of the Commission for Local Administration in England concluded in 1996 that the Commission was cost-effective in its determination of complaints. A number of the review's recommendations required legislation and we shall be considering how to take these forward. In determining individual complaints, the Commissioners, appointed by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the Secretary of State, are wholly independent of central and local government.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his Department's policy regarding the recycling of information technology equipment within his Department and relevant agencies and to other Government departments or agencies; and what arrangements have been made in this respect. [23243]
Angela Eagle:
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions follows internal procedures for the redeployment of information technology equipment within the Department and the Agencies. Surplus equipment is disposed of in accordance with Treasury Guidelines.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Year 2000 compliance of the CAA's computer systems. [24786]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 19 June 1997, Official Report, column 277, and to the reply the Minister for Roads gave to the noble Lord Gainford on 10 December 1997, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 30-31.
21 Jan 1998 : Column: 548
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total number of civil aviation movements over the last five years in United Kingdom controlled airspace. [24484]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) have provided us with the following figures for the total number of aircraft movements handled at each of their Area Control Centres for each of the last five years:
| (000s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
| LATCC | 1,288 | 1,331 | 1,411 | 1,494 | 1,560 |
| MACC | 264 | 273 | 361 | 374 | 394 |
| ScACC | 380 | 390 | 405 | 404 | 415 |
| Oceanic | 224 | 231 | 235 | 252 | 265 |
Note:
The figures are subject to a degree of double-counting where aircraft are passed from one centre to another.
Key:
LATCC = London Area and Terminal Control Centre.
MACC = Manchester Area Control Centre.
ScACC = Scottish Area Control Centre.
Source:
NATS Annual Report and Accounts 1997.
Civil Aviation Authority Report and Accounts 1995 and 1996.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the rate of change of the impact of aviation movements on airprox incidents over the last five years. [24482]
Ms. Glenda Jackson: The Civil Aviation Authority, who are responsible for air space management in the United Kingdom, have supplied figures expressed in terms of Commercial Air Transport Aircraft Reported in Risk-Bearing Airprox incidents per 100,000 hours flown as an illustration of the impact of aviation movements on airprox incidents. The figures, for each of the last 5 years for which figures are available, have remained relatively constant despite significant increases (over 20 per cent.) in air movements over the period and are given in the table.
| Year | Airprox (P) | Airprox (C) |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.7 | 2.9 |
| 1992 | 0.4 | 2.5 |
| 1993 | 0.9 | 2.2 |
| 1994 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| 1995 | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| 1996(14) | 0.7 | 2.8 |
(14) 1996 figures are provisional and cover the first nine months of the year.
1. Airprox (C) are incidents reported by Air Traffic Controllers, and Airprox (P) are incidents reported by pilots.
2. Risk-bearing Airprox incidents are those falling in categories A (real risk of collision), B (possible risk of collision) and C (slight risk of collision). It excludes category D (no risk of collision) incidents.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number of airprox incidents in United Kingdom controlled airspace for the last five years. [24483]
21 Jan 1998 : Column: 549
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Civil Aviation Authority, who are responsible for air space management in the United Kingdom, have supplied the following figures for the total number of airprox incidents reported in the United Kingdom for each of the past five years.
1993: 217
1994: 212
1995: 208
1996: 211
1997: 209.
Note: The above figures cover pilot-reported--Airprox(P)-incidents, and controller-reported--Airprox(C)--incidents and in the case of Airprox(P) incidents not just in controlled airspace (to obtain the breakdown would involve disproportionate cost). All reported incidents are given--i.e. both Risk-Bearing and Non Risk-Bearing.
Road Safety (Variable Speed Limits)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the value of variable speed limits in the M25 controlled motorway pilot scheme, in terms of (a) overall journey times and (b) road accidents and casualties. [24480]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The value of variable speed limits in the M25 controlled motorway pilot schemes is being monitored by the Transport Research Laboratory. The results from their first year assessment, the report for which was released in February 1997, indicate that:
- (a) during the first 12 months of operation of the pilot, the scheme had accommodated traffic increases in weekdays of 1.3 per cent. during the morning peak period on the clockwise carriageway, and of 3.7 per cent. during the afternoon peak period in the anticlockwise carriageway, without measurable increase in journey times. However, the natural variability of traffic behaviour had masked any overall reduction in journey times; and
(b) police records up to August 1996 showed a 30 per cent. reduction in injury incidents and a 25 per cent. reduction in damage only accidents compared to the previous year.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |