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Written Answers
17 NOVEMBER 1992
The estimates of the casualty savings that would accrue from a single double summer time regime have been updated to take account of 1991 casualty data. This indicates a saving of 140 fatalities, 520 serious injuries and 1,200 slight injuries, many of which would be child casualties.
Chelmsford/A12 Bypass
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects the emergency telephones on the Chelmsford/A12 bypass to be erected and in operation.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle (holding answer 16 November 1992]: The telephones are currently being installed and should be in service early next month.
Heavy Goods Vehicle Instructors
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to operate a scheme for registration of heavy goods vehicle instructors along the lines of his scheme for driving instructors; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle (holding answer 16 November 1992]: I have no such plans. All large goods vehicle candidates must already have passed a car driving test and then face the very demanding LGV driving test. There is no clear road safety evidence to justify further regulation.
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what qualifications he considers suitable for HGV instructors; how they differ from driving instructors; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 16 November 1992]: My Department does not set qualifications for LGV driving instructors beyond requiring that they hold a full licence for driving the category of vehicle. The Driving Standards Agency is, however, preparing an official learner syllabus for LGV drivers which will help trainers and trainees alike.
School Buses
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, column 160, when he completed the review of the Carrying Capacity Regulations 1984 and associated regulations regarding the permissibility of three children aged under 14 travelling on a double seat as referred to in his reply to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay), 25 June, Official Report, column 273; and what are the reasons underlying the decision not to change the regulations.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 16 November 1992]: We are continuing to review these regulations. For the present, as I said in my reply of 3 November, I have no plans to amend the regulations.
Commuter Services
Mr. Channon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to divert sufficient amounts of the proposed increased investment by British Rail to modernise commuter services to and from London, including the Fenchurch street line to Southend.
Mr. Freeman: It is for British Rail to set priorities for investment within the resources at its disposal.
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Written Answers
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BR is currently reviewing its priorities in the light of the autumn statement and I will write to my right hon. Friend in due course.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
India
SAI
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the text of the extradition treaty with India he signed on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd: The extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and India was signed on 23 September 1992 and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses on that date.
Baltic States
ED
Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Government regarding its cancellation of troop withdrawals from the Baltic states.
Mr. Hogg: The Russian Government have suspended rather than cancelled withdrawals from the Baltic states. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the matter with President Yeltsin during their talks in London on 9 November, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed it with the Russian Foreign Minister on 10 November.
Publicity Expenditure
ECD
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total spending in Britain by the European Commission and its agencies on information, public relations and publicity in 1980 and 1990.
Mr. Garel-Jones: Details of the information and publicity budgets of institutions are set out in the EC general budget. This is published in the Official Journal, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The Commission and other EC institutions do not specify what proportion of their information budgets are spent in each member state.
Private Detectives
Secuntu
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what use his Department has made of private detectives in each of the last five years; at what cost; and if he will list the firms involved.
Mr. Goodlad: None.
Kaliningrad
ED
Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on levels of military deployment within the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Republic.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The Kaliningrad region of the Russian republic contains the headquarters of the Russian Baltic fleet. We understand that there are at least 30,000 ground forces, as well as significant numbers of aircraft of