§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures he applies for considering proposals for tram and light rail schemes. [62803]
§ Mr. SpellarProposals for new tram and light rail schemes normally need Transport and Works Act (TWA) powers. If funding from my Department is essential for the project to proceed, promoters should seek a provisional view from my Department on whether the scheme passes the Government's appraisal tests which are used to decide whether a project is eligible for funding before seeking powers. In such cases, if and when such powers are obtained, my Department then reaches a decision on whether funding should be provided for the scheme.
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§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department uses to assess proposals for tram and light rail schemes. [62802]
§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department computes the cost-benefits of tram and light rail systems. [62862]
§ Mr. SpellarMajor schemes in local transport plans, including light rail schemes, are assessed under the New Approach to Appraisal, which takes account of five over-arching objectives: environment, safety, economy, accessibility and integration. More details are contained in "Major Scheme Appraisal in Local Transport Plans—Part 1: Detailed Guidance on Public Transport and Highway Schemes", published in May 2002.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his targets are for the numbers of
bus journeys and (b) tram and light rail journeys for each year of his Department's current plan's operation. [62775]
§ Mr. SpellarMy Department's 10-year plan includes targets for(a) increasing bus use by 10 per cent. and
(b) doubling light rail use. The base figures for passenger journeys in 2000–01 are (a) 3,761 million and (b) 120 million. The targets for passenger journeys in 2010–11 are therefore (a) 4,137 million and (b) 240 million. No targets have been set for the intervening years.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his assessment is of the benefits to business of tram and light rail schemes in(a) urban and (b) outer-city areas. [62806]
§ Mr. SpellarLight rail schemes can offer a range of benefits to business, in both urban and outer-city areas, depending on the circumstances of the particular case. They can provide a safe, reliable and efficient mode of transport for employees and customers; they may contribute to reducing congestion by attracting motorists from their cars; and they can increase the attractiveness of an area to potential investors.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has made to the Comprehensive Spending Review on trams and light rail schemes. [62809]
§ Mr. SpellarWe continue to discuss progress towards the targets set out in our 10-Year Plan for Transport, including that for light rail, with colleagues across Government.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of tram and light rail schemes in integrated transport strategies. [62807]
§ Mr. SpellarThe potential role of light rail schemes in integrated transport strategies is summarised in paragraphs 107–08 of my Department's Guidance on Full Local Transport Plans, as follows
107. Light rail, and similar rapid transit systems, can have an important role to play in delivering integrated transport in major conurbations. Experience from existing light rail schemes shows 509W that they can be effective in providing a high quality public transport option in densely used transport corridors and in encouraging motorists to switch from their cars.108. However the capital costs of light rail schemes are high, particularly compared to bus priority measures and modest guided bus schemes which may offer a more cost-effective alternative. Therefore if authorities with to develop light rail schemes, they will need to be able to demonstrate that they represent good value for money, form an essential part of a local integrated transport strategy and that the objectives of that strategy cannot be met in better ways. It will also be important to show that a light rail scheme is fully integrated with other public transport modes in the area and that appropriate traffic managements schemes are to be introduced so that light rail has priority over other road space users and that the road decongestion benefits of the light rail scheme are maintained over a long period. We would also expect local authorities to develop public-private partnerships to take forward such schemes where this is necessary to secure Best
Light rail scheme Year of opening Gross capital cost at outturn prices (£ million) Central Government funding including ERDF (£ million) Manchester Metrolink: Bury-Altrincham 1992 155 150 Manchester Metrolink: Salford Quays-Eccles 2000 160 27 Sheffield Supertram 1994 240 235 Midland Metro 1999 145 111 Tyne and Wear Metro 1980–84 284 200 Tyne and Wear Metro: Airport extension 1991 12 2 Tyne and Wear Metro: Sunderland extension 2002 100 50 Docklands Light Railway: original system, Bank and Beckton extensions 1987–94 580 480 Docklands Light Railway: Lewisham extension 1999 250 50 Croydon Tramlink 2000 200 125 The original cost of the Blackpool tramway is not known. No central Government earmarked funding has been provided for it since the introduction of local transport plans in 1999.
None of these systems receive revenue subsidy from central Government.