David Blunkett: Today I am delighted to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of Andrew Bridges as HM Chief Inspector of Probation. Mr. Bridges' appointment will be for an initial period of 12 months. Through their expertise and rigour of approach the probation inspectorate have provided a major contribution to the national probation service. I am confident that Andrew Bridges will...
Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the vehicle capacity was of each leg of the junctions at (a) Vauxhall Cross, (b) Lambeth Bridge/Lambeth Bridge Road, (c) Westminster Bridge/ Westminster Bridge Road, (d) Waterloo Bridge/York Road and (e) Trafalgar Square (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the most recent date for which information is available prior to the establishment of the GLA.
Andrew Bowie: Aberdeenshire—but I will forgive the hon. Lady for that mistake. I want to take her back to her point about bridges. On investment in bridges, will she join my campaign to get the Scottish Government to release much-needed funds to replace Park bridge, Abbeyton bridge and Oatyhill bridge, which cannot be reopened or replaced because the Scottish Government are starving Scottish local...
Charles Clarke: Today I am delighted to announce that Andrew Bridges' term of appointment as HM chief inspector of probation has been extended until 31 March 2007. Through their expertise and rigour of approach the probation inspectorate have provided a major contribution to the National Probation Service. I am confident that Andrew Bridges will play a key role in shaping the future of inspection policy for...
Shona Robison: It is interesting that Mr Arbuckle mentioned his Lib Dem colleague on the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board. Would that perhaps be Margaret Taylor? She is quoted today as saying: "Councillor Andrew Arbuckle"— I take it that that is Andrew Arbuckle MSP— "and myself welcome the unanimous support we are now getting from other members of the Tay Road Bridge Board since the publication of a review...
Andrew Jones: North Yorkshire County Council are continuing their assessment of the damage to Tadcaster Bridge as the water levels reduce, and they are also removing debris. We have not asked the Council for an estimate of repairs to date at Tadcaster Bridge as they work on a County wide assessment of damage to road and bridge infrastructure. The Government recently announced funding of £3.3m to repair...
Shahid Malik: Andrew Bridges, the chief inspector of probation, has already examined the serious case review into the case; it was conducted by the West Yorkshire strategic management board for multi-agency public protection arrangements, or MAPPA. I had discussions with Mr. Bridges yesterday and he confirmed that the shortcomings in practice were properly evident in the review. In addition, my right hon....
Nicol Stephen: On the first point, I realise that there are significant issues with the Tay bridge. One of the concerns is the bridge's condition. This week's announcement of a £16 million investment to upgrade the bridge—for which the Scottish Executive is providing support—emphasises the scale of the challenge with which the maintenance costs for the bridges present us. The original building cost of...
Andrew Robathan: The hon. Gentleman raises a very important issue. It is rather like painting the Forth road bridge—or is it the rail bridge? I can never remember. [Interruption.] The rail bridge—I am grateful. It is ongoing—[Hon. Members: “Not any more.”] Apparently, they have found a new paint in Scotland. Nevertheless, we will continue to work on all Army quarters. The last Government took great...
Andrew Bowie: My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House might not be aware of the bridge crisis in my constituency, with first Abbeyton bridge and then Park bridge declared unsafe and closed, owing in part to swingeing budget cuts to Aberdeenshire Council from the SNP-run Scottish Government. Can we have a debate about how we can get direct UK Government funding for crucial infrastructure projects that...
Nicol Stephen: I have spoken today to Alastair Andrew, who is the bridgemaster, and am aware that he is considering all those issues. A south-east Scotland transport partnership consultancy study that is in part funded by the Scottish Executive is due to be commissioned shortly and will consider those issues. Through the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, Alastair Andrew also has a consultant considering...
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any incidents on the Kincardine Bridge involving fire since Amey Highways Ltd became responsible for the maintenance of the bridge and, if so, what type of incidents these were; on what dates the incidents took place; whether staff were on site at the outbreak of the fire or had to attend the incident; whether the emergency services...
Andrew Percy: It is two years since the Chancellor halved the bridge tolls on the Humber bridge, and figures out this month show that local car users have saved £19 million in crossing tolls. At the same time the number of Humber bridge crossings have gone up. Businesses have also saved money through the halving of heavy goods vehicle tolls. May we have a debate next week on how our long-term economic...
Andrew Jones: ...in England. The £15 billion to be invested in strategic roads over the period 2015 to 2020, set out in the Road Investment Strategy, is wholly funded by Government. The new Mersey Gateway Bridge and existing Silver Jubilee Bridge will be tolled when the new bridge opens in 2017, although these are the responsibility of Halton Council.
Mr Andrew Arbuckle: Not just now. The comparison is between two bridges. As Christine May has hinted, will one be deemed to be a safe bridge and the other to be a less-safe bridge? Where does the Tory proposal leave less well-off people? There will be not just two bridges, but two tiers of transport: one for the rich and another for the poor. I await with trepidation the next Tory suggestion—to get a shorter...
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a contractual obligation on AMEY Highways Ltd to employ a full-time bridge attendant in connection with the maintenance of the Kincardine Bridge; if so, whether such an attendant has been employed, and, if not, why no such attendant has been employed.
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether lighting to assist motorists has been operational on the Kincardine Bridge every night since AMEY Highways Ltd became responsible for the maintenance of the bridge and, if not, whether it will detail any dates when no lighting was provided, specifying the reason in each case.
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether permission to use salt for the purpose of clearing ice on the Kincardine Bridge has been sought by or given to AMEY Highways Ltd since they became responsible for the maintenance of the bridge.
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive why lighting was active on Kincardine Bridge in daylight on the afternoon of 10 September 2001; on what dates and for what reason any similar situation has arisen since AMEY Highways Ltd took over the maintenance contract from April 2001, and why the bridge’s "magic eye" system was not operational.
Andrew Wilson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the local authority responsible for maintaining the Kincardine Bridge prior to the maintenance contract being awarded to Amey Highways Ltd employed a full-time bridge attendant and, if so, whether this was a contractual obligation.
