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Camelids
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they plan to recognise domesticated camelids as agricultural animals and introduce a formal registration and tagging system.[HL4734]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Camelid keeping in the UK is a niche market and most are kept as pets or hobby animals. The Government see no need at present to require these animals to be formally identified or registered given their relatively small numbers. Movement controls only become necessary during a disease outbreak and the Government have the necessary powers to implement identification and movement controls at such times. In addition, the high value of camelids means that their owners tend to keep their own very good records relating to each animal.
Scenes of Crime: Roads and Railways
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many occasions in the past five years a police force has declared a "scene of crime" on:
(a) the Highways Agency road network; and
(b) the Network Rail network.[HL4603]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Highways Agency does not keep detailed records of all the incidents that occur on its roads. The police handle any accident scene in accordance with their road death investigation manual. This does not require a declaration of a scene of crime, but requires that incidents be treated as such until the cause of the accident is determined. This ensures that the scene is kept sterile and preserves it in order to capture and record evidence.
On the railways, the British Transport Police are required to establish if any incident may have occured through a criminal act and protect and preserve the evidence. This standard approach is applied to all incidents they deal with.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the declaration of a "scene of crime" at Kings Cross Station on 16th September following a slow speed derailment contributed to re-establishing normal rail services in the shortest possible time.[HL4605]
Lord Davies of Oldham: No "scene of crime" was declared for this incident. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was the first organisation to attend the incident and it was decided by all the agencies involved that the HSE would have primacy in this investigation. The British Transport Police provided assistance to HSE through their crime scene investigators to preserve and examine the scene and gather evidence. This assistance was provided to facilitate the HSE operation and ensure the site was returned to Network Rail at the earliest opportunity.
Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Strategic Rail Authority's Specification of Network Outputs strategy proposes that, in order to achieve better value for money, maintenance and renewal should be commensurate with the requirements of differently used lines. The strategy views the network in terms of two high-level groups, with the first prioritised for expenditure. The two groups are: (i) primary/London and south-east commuter/main secondary; and (ii) other secondary/rural/freight only. The Cumbrian coast line is classed as an "other secondary" route. The SRA, the Rail Regulator and Network Rail will be taking forward the implementation of the strategy in the next few months.
The Strategic Rail Authority wants to improve the performance of rural lines and secure their future on a sustainable basis. The authority has recently
Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The increased journey time is due to engineering works to improve the West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Stafford. Passengers will benefit from these works once they are completed. Under the proposed winter 2004 timetable the Oxenholme to London journey time will be reduced to just over three hours.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The details of all traffic enforcement prohibitions issued to foreign vehicles/drivers are reported to the licensing authority in the operator's home member state, hence the figures are
For roadworthiness prohibitions, there was no requirement for the UK to notify licensing authorities in other member states prior to the introduction of European Directive 2000/30/EC. Since the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency began reporting in February 2003, a total of 144 reports have been sent.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: (a) Nil: details of all prohibitions issued to UK operators and/or drivers of HGVs were reported to Traffic Commissioners.
(b) Nil: details of all prohibitions issued to foreign operators and/or drivers of HGVs were reported to vehicle operator's licensing authority in the countries of origin of the offenders.
Which police force declared that the slow speed derailment of a train at Kings Cross Station on 16th September was a "scene of crime"; and for how many hours this remained in force; and[HL4604]
Whether the Strategic Rail Authority's threat to reduce funding to "rural lines" will not include the Cumbrian coast line.[HL4703]
Whether the approximate 40 minutes extra journey time included in the recently published autumn and winter timetable for the West Coast Main Line journey from Cumbria to London is not principally intended to reduce the scale of financial liability for late arrival.[HL4704]
How many foreign registered goods vehicles were stopped in the United Kingdom for vehicle checks in each of the past five years.[HL4763]
Year Roadworthiness Checks Traffic Enforcement Checks
2002–03 3,018 11,421
2001–02 3,213 13,122
2000–01 3,951 12,204
1999–2000 3,684 13,790
1998–99 3,498 13,288
How many foreign registered goods vehicles stopped in the United Kingdom for vehicle checks in each of the past five years received immediate prohibitions.[HL4764]
Year Number Examined (inc the number weighed) Prohibited for drivers hours, tachographs & records Prohibition rate Number weighed Prohibited for overloading Prohibition rate
2002–03 11,421 1,460 12.8% 5,540 701 12.6%
2001–02 13,122 1,618 12.3% 5,430 691 12.7%
2000–01 12,204 865 7.1% 5,426 515 9.5%
1999–2000 13,790 853 6.2% 5,800 504 8.9%
1998–99 13,288 841 6.3% 4,842 589 12.2%
Year Number examined Immediate prohibitions issued Prohibition rate
2002–03 3,018 485 16.1%
2001–02 3,213 422 13.1%
2000–01 3,951 391 9.9%
1999–2000 3,684 314 8.5%
1998–99 3,498 301 8.6%
How many foreign goods vehicle operators have been reported to their own licensing authorities regarding vehicle prohibitions acquired in the United Kingdom in the past five years.[HL4765]
How many goods vehicle prohibitions acquired in the last convenient 12-month period were not reported to either (a) a United Kingdom vehicle operator's licensing authority; or (b) a foreign vehicle operator's licensing authority.[HL4766]
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