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Column 555
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 15 March 1995
TRANSPORT
School Transport
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ensure that vehicles hired for the transport of children to and from school have the appropriate licence or that local education authorities be empowered to issue a new form of licence specifically for school transport purposes.
Mr. Norris: All motor vehicles, including those used for school transport, are subject to the requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and to annual roadworthiness testing. Public service vehicles must also satisfy additional construction requirements and be licensed through the operator licensing system under which their operators are subject to sanction by traffic commissioners if standards are not maintained. We do not consider further controls to be necessary.
Vehicle Pollution
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those sites where he is currently monitoring vehicle pollution stating in each case (a) what monitoring he is undertaking and (b) whether PM is counted.
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked its chief executive to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 14 March 1995:
The Minister for Local Transport and Road Safety, Steven Norris, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those sites where he is currently monitoring vehicle pollution stating in each case (a) what monitoring he is undertaking and (b) whether PM is counted.
We do not routinely monitor vehicle pollution but the Highways Agency has a number of monitoring stations in operation either for research purposes to aid the development of air quality techniques or to inform environmental assessment of specific highway proposals where appropriate. For most situations involving road schemes we use mathematical modelling to assess pollution levels. Where the modelling techniques cannot adequately reflect the characteristics of a particular location monitoring work is undertaken.
The table below contains our current active sites.
Road name |Location |Emissions monitored
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M4 |Theale |Carbon Monoxide
|Nitric Oxide
|Nitrogen Dioxide
|Total Oxides of Nitrogen
|Ozone
|Total Hydrocarbons
|Non-Methane Hydrocarbons
|Methane
|Range of Poly-aromatic
| Hydrocarbons
Victoria Street |London |Carbon Monoxide
|Nitric Oxide
|Nitrogen Dioxide
|Total Oxides of Nitrogen
|Ozone
|Total Hydrocarbons
|Non-Methane Hydrocarbons
|Methane
|Range of Poly-Aromatic
| Hydrocarbons
|Benzene
|Toluene
|Xylene
|Range of Carbonyl Compounds
M4 London |Between |Carbon Monoxide
| Junctions 3
| and 4B
|Nitric Oxide
|Nitrogen Dioxide
|Total Oxides of Nitrogen
|PM10
|Benzene
|Tolluene
|Xylene
M4 London |Junction 4 |Carbon Monoxide
|Nitric Oxide
|Nitrogen Dioxide
|Total Oxides of Nitrogen
M62 Manchester |East |Carbon Monoxide
| Junction 17 |Nitric Oxide
|Nitrogen Dioxide
|Total Oxides of Nitrogen
M2 Kent |Junction 3 |Carbon Monoxide
| Area |Nitric Oxide
|Nitrogen Dioxide
|Total Oxides of Nitrogen
|Benzene
|Tolluene
At present PM is measured at one location on the M4 but our intention is to commence monitoring of this
emission at new sites on the M62 (Manchester) and the M25 (Surrey) shortly.
Felixstone Port
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate claims that legitimate operators using EU crews and acceptable working practices have been blocked from using the port of Folkestone; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris: There is a disagreement between the harbour authority and a ship operator. I hope the parties will resolve the disagreement. I appear to have no locus to intervene.
Seat Belts (Minibuses and Coaches)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to introduce compulsory fitment of seatbelts to minibuses and coaches used for the transport of children as foreshadowed in his announcement of 19 July 1994.
Dr. Mawhinney: I am today issuing for consultation draft regulations on the subject.
Column 557
Lorries (Accidents)
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the fatal accidents involving large lorries in 1993 were caused as a result of restricted vision on the near side.
Mr. Norris: This information is not available.
Disabled Drivers (Parking)
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he holds on the provision by other European Union countries of disabled drivers' parking permits similar to the orange badge; and if he will list all those that are recognised for parking purposes in this country in line with the decisions of 6 December 1977 European Conference of Ministers of Transport.
Mr. Norris: Formal reciprocal parking arrangements exist with the following European Union countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden, and also with Switzerland. All these countries operate national schemes similar to the orange badge scheme. There are no formal reciprocal arrangements with Greece, the Republic of Ireland or in Spain, though concessions may be available in the Republic of Ireland and in Spain. Details of known parking concessions throughout Europe are set out in the Department's leaflet "Reciprocal parking arrangements for disabled and blind people in Europe". I am sending a copy to the hon. Member.
Temporary Contracts
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in (i) his Department and (ii) all executive agencies supervised by his Department have been employed on temporary contracts of (a) 51 weeks or (b) less than 51 weeks duration for this year and each of the past five years, in each case specifying what percentage of the respective total work force these employees constitute.
Mr. Norris: The Department's personnel information system records the following number of temporary employees this year and in the last five years: