Results 1-20 of 1,930 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Lord Adonis

Rail Services: First Capital Connect — Statement (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, I thank the noble Earl and the noble Lord for their responses. As the noble Earl said, passengers face misery on this line. The noble Lord, Lord McNally, is one of those passengers and has properly expressed their anger and frustration. I make it clear to the House that I share that anger and frustration. I not only share the anger and frustration of passengers who are being deeply...

Rail Services: First Capital Connect — Statement (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, with permission, I will repeat the Answer to an Urgent Question given in another place about train services provided by First Capital Connect. "The action by drivers on First Capital Connect appears to be co-ordinated and is highly regrettable given that talks are continuing. Passengers are being seriously inconvenienced and we urge all parties to resolve this unacceptable situation...

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, my department has discussed with Guide Dogs for the Blind and Imperial College whether electric and hybrid vehicles pose a danger to visually impaired people. The Government will, early next year, start a research project to determine the extent of any problem. We will keep the RNIB and Guide Dogs for the Blind informed of the progress of this research and I will consult with them...

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, we anticipate that the research will take about nine months. In respect of the growth in the number of electric and hybrid cars in this country, by 2015 we expect that only 3 per cent of new cars will be electric or plug-in hybrid cars, which will represent 0.4 per cent of the total UK fleet. Although I accept the points made by the noble Lord about needing to be fully aware of the...

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, I believe that cars are becoming quieter over time, so my noble friend's point is being met. However, he is right to point out that, according to research, more than 90 per cent of the UK population hear traffic noise while at home and about 10 per cent regard their exposure to that source of noise to be highly annoying. There is clearly more progress to be made.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, as a Minister now for four and a half years, I am used to being in no-win situations. My perpetual quest is for the happy medium.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, I look forward to the noble Lord's advice as to how we might accomplish that.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, cyclists should obey the law, like everyone else.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, I think this is England. Whether such Swiss innovations would go down well here is a matter for conjecture. We have nine months for a wide-scale public debate. I shall ensure that the noble Lord's suggestion features prominently in that debate.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, as I said earlier, cyclists have a responsibility to obey the law and we take that very seriously. They are expected to have regard to the Highway Code, which stipulates proper behaviour on the road. As a society we need, over time, to improve the facilities that are available for cyclists, too. I do not think that cyclists get the quality of infrastructure which ensures that they...

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, we are addressing the issue of the impact of electric and hybrid vehicles on all areas. We are not discriminating between different types of area.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: Your Lordships are full of such useful suggestions this afternoon. I believe it was Herbert Morrison who lifted the speed limit above 20 miles per hour, which it was until the 1920s in this country. That is where it had got to after people had ceased to be required to carry red flags before cars. I do not believe, though, that the future always lies in reinventing the past.

Road Safety: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles — Question (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, I expect to see the law properly enforced, but the penalties which are in place at the moment are those that we expect to be observed.

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, Highways Agency traffic officers manage traffic primarily on motorways in England, where they perform a number of control room and on-road functions. They deal with incidents, except where there is a loss of life, injury or potential criminal activity, when they assist the emergency services. They exercise their powers under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, that is a slightly strange question. The powers granted to traffic officers were granted by Parliament, not through some secret process without due consent, but through the Traffic Management Act 2004, which I understand was debated thoroughly in this House and I see on the title page was, "ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice ... of the Lords...

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, I will represent his views strongly to my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, because I am always in the market for expanding the scope of my department. One thousand and seventy-two traffic officers patrol 1,759 route miles of motorway, so this is a proportionate service. By comparison, for the railways there are 3,236 British Transport Police officers and...

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, the traffic officers are extremely visible, so much so that the noble Lord, Lord Trefgarne, is keen that they should be removed from the motorways. Visibility is not an issue here; the issue, which was properly debated by the House, is whether it is right to have a class of officers who are capable of dealing with traffic incidents—most of which are fairly minor, but require...

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: If the noble Baroness wishes to make me aware of a particular incident, I shall certainly look at it, but I am not aware that the traffic officers just disappear after incidents; they see that they are properly cleared up before they disappear.

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, we are keeping the powers of traffic officers under review, but we do not believe that it would be appropriate at present to extend police powers to them.

Highways Agency: Traffic Officers — Question (20 Oct 2009)

Lord Adonis: My Lords, this Question is about traffic officers. Their whole purpose is to provide a uniform system across the motorway network in England. The Traffic Officer Service has provided that to the benefit of motorists. Surveys find the Traffic Officer Service to be highly popular with motorists.