§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department projects the level of rail passenger(a) journeys, (b) kilometres and (c) passengers in the United Kingdom will be by 2004–05; and how these figures were calculated. [75602]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe targets for national rail set out in the Ten Year Plan include increasing rail use (measured in passenger kilometres) from 2000 levels by 50 per cent. by 2010. The latest official forecasts for rail passenger kilometres growth to 2010 were set out in the Ten Year Plan, with detail on the method of their calculation in "Transport 2010— The Background Analysis", copies of which are in the Library. There are no official forecasts to 2005.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the performance of the(a) Rail Passengers Council and (b) the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Council; and what reports are published on their performance. [76523]
§ Mr. JamiesonSponsorship and external assessment of the work of the Rail Passengers Council are matters for the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). The Council is finalising a new mission statement and long-term goals, on which it will be consulting later in the year.
The Council's mission statement and aims are set out in its annual report. Copies of which are available in the House Libraries.
The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee produces an annual report covering the work they do and copies of those reports are placed in the Library. In addition, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance on reviewing non-departmental public bodies, a formal review of the DPTAC is being carried out this autumn.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by(a) the Rail Passengers' committees and (b) the Traffic Commissioners; what their role and terms of reference are; what their annual budgets were for each year since 1997–98; and what their projected budgets are for 2003–04. [76201]
§ Mr. Jamieson(a) The Rail Passengers Committees have 45 permanent and fixed term staff. The work of Rail Passengers Committees are co-ordinated by the Rail Passengers Council. The Council and Committees are the statutory watchdog protecting and promoting the interests of rail passengers. Their statutory duties are set out in sections 76 and 77 of the Railways Act 1993, as amended by the Transport Act 2000.
157WThe Council and Committees mission statements and aims are set out in their annual reports. Copies of the annual reports for the Council and the Committees for Scotland and Wales are available in the House Libraries, as required by legislation. I will arrange for the annual reports of the remaining committees to henceforth also be made available through the House Libraries.
The Council is finalising a new mission statement and long-term goals for it and the Committees and will be consulting on them later in the year.
The costs of the Committees are not separately identified in the overall annual budgets set for the Rail Passengers Council. For the overall annual budget for the Council and Committees I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 22 October 2002 [75609].
(b) The Traffic Commissioners do not employ staff. The Secretary of State provides administrative support for them through the Traffic Area Network. Traffic Commissioners are licensing authorities for operators of heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles under the Goods Vehicles (Licensing Operators) Act 1995 and the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 respectively. Budgets were:
(£000) 1997/98: £9,400 1998/99: £9,483 1999/00: £10,184 2000/01: £11,047 2001/02: £12,533 2002/03: £12,437 The budget for 2003/4 is not yet known.