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Thames Valley Forum Now in Operation
This Thames Valley Forum website is designed to act as a Forum to discuss the issues that impact on us citizens in the Thames Valley Region. Articles, letters are invited from readers. SPRING 2002 EDITION FOCUS: POLITICS, MEDIA, HEALTH & SAFETY, EMPLOYMENT EDITOR: Nicholas Newman EMAIL:NICNEWMAN@MSN.COM WEB: http://www.Headingtonforum.com
WESTMINSTER PAGE
Media behaving badly In recent weeks there has been a great deal of fuss in the media about the goings on of various politicians, and their spin-doctors and party donors etc. The reporting, in much of the broadsheet media, of this has in many ways been very similar to that of the tabloid media coverage of so-called entertainment and sports media celebrities. Yet despite this media hype, interest in politics continues to decline! Much is made of the decline in interest in politics, as reflected by the low turnout in last June’s elections. Even the BBC and politicians claim that they are troubled about this. But should we be alarmed about this apparent lack of interest by the majority of the nation, for is it about time we realized the truth that community concern for political affairs is in fact a minority interest, just like people find Gardening or DIY programs of interest? For those minority devotees interested in politics, it is fascinating, but for the large majority it is boring. The media, and especially the BBC, as a public treat within its remit as a socially necessary but minority interest, rather than keep pretending that it has mass appeal. As to why there have been a decline in our willingness to vote in elections, the recent British Social Attitudes Survey by the National Centre for Social Research would seem to suggest a variety of possible reasons. The majority of voters surveyed, find the two main political parties to be broadly in agreement on the preponderance of issues, and nearly two thirds of voters questioned felt that they had little or no emotional attachment to any of the political parties. Though the survey did find that voter’s trust in British Governments of whatever political persuasion to put voters needs above those of their own party, had fallen from 39% in 1974 to 16% today, due perhaps to past political events such as rail privatization and BSE. Even attempts by Government to increase interest through locally elected mayors, devolution, reform of the House of Lords et cetera, the report suggests appears to have had yet no demonstrable effect, though perhaps it is too soon to tell. The attempts by the media to revive public awareness in politics by adopting a more dumbing down, tabloid gossip columnist approach also appears not to have worked. Why should it? The political media circus that surrounds the Westminster’s political agenda has to recognize their minority interests are not those of the general public. For further information on British Social Attitudes Survey: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/
Doing a Party favour-a letter to the Editor. Perhaps I have got it wrong, for it seems that any contribution I make to a political party makes me a potential crook and my personal and business reputation can be ruined? Let me explain. For many many years I have, both as an individual and as a company director, made contributions to my political party. Why? I could claim it was for the enhancement of democracy, the rule of law and the British way of life, but subconsciously I suspect it was to make sure the ‘other lot’ didn’t get in power! My contributions were not generally known and when I contacted my MP or any government department for help and advice I don’t think I subconsciously expected any special attention because of my contributions. In fact it was extremely unlikely that anyone was aware of them? However the unanticipated consequence of the present government’s legislation on contributions to political party funds has meant that these details are now in the public domain and open to inspection. If therefore my MP recommends me for appointment to a Quango, or even inclusion in the Honors list or planning application is approved or the DTI gives a favorable response t o a business arrangement, the conclusion can / will be drawn that this is because of my party donations and that I have been party to a subtle conspiracy of corruption and sleaze. Post hoc ergo propter – or because one event follows another there must be casual connection. Being unwilling to put my personal or business reputation in jeopardy – the solution is obvious. I will cease making any party political donations and start to look forward to tax payer funding for political parties – distasteful though it is. Have I got it wrong – is there any other solution? Signed: - A former political party supporter.
Media Coverage
Blood on the tracks A moment’s inattention is often the cause of many accidents, but from the way that many in the media cover such accidental deaths, some fatalities seem more important than others. We have all heard about Hatfield, Labroke Grove and Selby, but during 1999 the DTLR reported only 33 people were killed on the railways due to accidents, but strangely the media gives little coverage to the 3,423 people killed on the roads in that same year. Yet, the coverage given to such reporting of rail accidents is often exaggerated, promoting the impression that rail is for more dangerous than road, though clearly the reverse is true. You are more than one hundred times more likely to die on the roads than on a train. It begs the question why the media is promoting such unnecessary fear, by giving such disproportionate coverage of rail deaths as compared to road deaths. Is it because they consider road deaths humdrum, though the relatives of the deceased would disagree, or is it because many in the media travel to work by train? (Source: DTLR, 2002, Transport Statistics Great Britain 2001)
CONSUMER PAGE
Accidental Britain Why are roads so much more dangerous than rail, with nearly ten people a day dying each day? In the majority of cases it appears to be the poor driving behavior of the motorists speeding along, ignoring the many speed signs, and thinking that they do not apply, since they are good drivers who think they know the road. Yet these are the self same drivers who will always speed irrespective of the road and weather conditions and this might explain the DTLR reports that fifty six percent of drivers exceed the seventy-mile an hour speed limit. Even before you leave the house to go to work in the morning you are in danger, with 4,066 dying in 1999 due to accidental death in domestic situations, according to a report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Perhaps the safest place to be is at work where only 376 people died last year at work according to figures provided by the Health and Safety Executive. Fortunately, there is good news. Many of these accidents, whether at home, work or on the road or the train are avoidable. The Government has launched a series of specific campaigns to target vulnerable groups in order to raise safety awareness and make Britain a safer place. For further information contact: Health And Safety Executive (HSE) http://www.hse.gov.uk Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents (ROSPA) http://www.rospa.co.uk Department Of Trade And Industry (DTI) http://www.dti.gov.uk
Road Peace: UK Charity For Road Crash Victims http://www.roadpeace.org.uk/
Department For Transport, Local Government And The Regions (DTLR) http://www.transtat.detr.gov.uk Highways Agency http://www.highways.gov.uk UK Accident Fact sheet
q In the UK, there are still 1.6 million workplace injuries every year as well as 2.2 million cases of ill health caused or made more by work. q It is estimated that 1.2 million people are suffering from muscular-skeletal disorders (such as back pain and repetitive strain injuries) caused by their work. q 70 per cent of workplace accidents could be prevented if employers put proper safety control measures in place. q Only some 40% of major workplace accidents are reported. q Car and van drivers who cover 25,000 miles a year as part of their job has the same risk of being killed at work as coal miners. q There are estimated to be 50,000 to 100,000 cases of occupational dermatitis every year - skin disorders are the most common of occupational diseases. q Around 6,000 workplace burn injuries are reported each year. q Around 1.3 millions workers are regularly exposed to noise levels above 8DH(A), which puts them at risk of damage to hearing. q The rate of fatal and major injuries in firms employing fewer than 50 employees is over twice the rate in firms employing more than 1000 people. q The maximum penalties for breaching health and safety legislation are unlimited fines and up to two years in prison. q Up to 400,000 people are believed to be suffering from asthma caused by their work, and it has been estimated that there are at least 1,000 new cases of occupational asthma each year. q There are around 2,000 cases of accidents involving chemicals at work reported every year. Sources: Health And Safety Executive (HSE) 2002, Eurostat 2002 HEADINGTONFORUM.COM ®© HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK BEWARE THE DANGERS LURKING IN YOUR OFFICE Long hours? Dodgy photocopiers? No paid holidays? Noisy machinery? You could benefit from knowing your rights at work. Knowing your rights and your employers’ duties and responsibilities towards keeping you fit and healthy at work is important, according to the TUC at www.tuc.org.uk. Last year the Health and Safety at Work Executive www.hse.gov.uk reported 295 people were killed at work (106 in construction) and nearly 2,000,000 people were injured or made ill during the course of their work in the UK. This compares with Eurostat http://www.eurostat.com/ figures for the UK of 46 rail related deaths for the whole of the 1990’s, as compared to 1999 statistics for UK of 235,048 road accidents involving personal injury in 1999, of these, 36,405 involved deaths or serious injury. The Health and Safety at Work Executive reports some 500 people leave their job every year due to work related health problems. The most common work related health problems are muscular-skeletal, affecting your back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, wrists and fingers. HSE figures suggest some 57% of the working population suffer from muscular-skeletal work related health problems. It is very important that your employer makes sure that you work within a safe working environment; this includes providing the required safety training and procedures for the operation of machinery including computers, handling chemicals and the provision of adequate work space and furniture. For further free advice on most employment matters including bullying at work and health and safety contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on www.nacab.org.uk. Essential Reading Ian Hunter, 2000, Which Guide to Employment, Which Consumer Guides, London Phillip Pearson, 2001, The TUC Guide to Keeping Well at Work, Kogan Page, London Tel: 020 77393539 Essential Websites Hazards newsletter online, www.hazards.org.uk The TUC’s Know Your Rights site http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/rights_main.cfm Tel: 020 600 4882 National Citizens Advice Bureau www.nacab.org.uk. Health and Safety at Work Executive www.hse.gov.uk Tel: 08701 545 500 EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
IT MAY SURPRISE YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYER KNOWS ABOUT YOU, BUT NOW YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO ASK AND THEY CAN’T REFUSE TO TELL YOU You can now find out by making ‘a subject access request’ to your employer’s Company Secretary. It will provide you with all the personal information that your employer has on you, including comments by your boss. Except for any information that may prevent the detection of a crime, which is restricted. Otherwise, it is up for grabs, since employees are entitled to see any computerised or paper files on them made since October 2001. For you it will only cost at most £10. Remember employers cannot refuse your request; it is a criminal offence, and the Data Protection Act 1998 makes company directors criminally liable. They have 40 days to respond to your application. For further advice, contact the Information Commissioner www.dataprotection.gov.uk Tel: 01605 545700 The Thames Valley Chamber http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/coc/ offers the business community a wide range of events from networking for small business to high-profile debates on key business issues.Highlights over the last year include a Blenheim Palace Budget Breakfast with Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, the Thames Valley Euro debate with Rt Hon John Redwood MP and the first visit by the Prime Minister's e-Envoy to the region.
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What is the work of the Consortium?
 From the outset it was realised that studies would have to be commissioned to understand the engineering, environmental, social and economic implications of building a new railway.
There was also the need to estimate the costs involved, evaluate the investment case and identify potential sources of funds. All this had to to take place in the changing world of Rail Privatisation.
Alstom Coradia DMU (Classes 175 and 180), currently entering service, could operate on East West Rail.
The headline events have been:
The first Feasibility Study in 1996 established the concept and identified the route corridors.
The second Feasibility Study in 1997 confirmed the commercial and economic case, assessed the Environmental impact and determined the deliverability of preferred routes within the Central corridor.
The Business Case, submitted to OPRAF and DETR in 1998 confirmed that fare revenues would cover Operating Costs to run the railway and a substantial part of the Capital Costs to build it.
A Regeneration Study in 1998 concluded that thousands of jobs worth millions of pounds to the Treasury would be created both directly and indirectly
The Bedford Routing Study of 1998 assessed options and carefully identified the preferred route through the Bedford Area.
Consultants Steer Davies Gleave, appointed early in the project, have been key to the success so far.
A ‘Parliamentary Support Group’ has been led by Dr. Phyllis Starkey MP and continues to promote the project through parliamentary channels.
In 1999 further meetings with OPRAF (and later the Strategic Rail Authority) and the DETR were held to review potential funding sources in the light of the establishment of the SRA and it’s new duties.
The scheme is actively supported by Railtrack and Train Operating Companies
In September 1999 the SSRA formally pre-qualified part of the project under the new Rail Passenger Partnership funding process. This recognition initiated a major change for the project as it prepared for the delivery phase.
In Autumn 1999 detailed discussions commenced with a number of Train Operating Companies to promote EWR as part of the new Franchise Replacement process
In March 2000 the project was debated in the House of Commons during which the Minister recognised the achievements of the Consortium and the importance of delivering projects such as EWR.
The Government's Ten Year Plan for transport, published in the Summer of 2000, specifically mentioned the scheme in the relevant 'Regional Factsheets' attached to the the main proposals.
In November 2000 agreement was reached with the SSRA for the establishment of a 'Special Purpose Vehicle' company that would become the formal Promoter body and this SPV now replaces the earlier concept of a Partnership Promotion Group. East West Rail Ltd will be part of the GB Railways Group and will take the Bedford to Sandy part of the scheme through the Transport & Works Act procedures. Further detailed discussions will continue with the SSRA on various aspects of the scheme.
In December East West Rail Ltd published an advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) for a civil engineering partner. At the closing date of 5th January a substantial response had been received from major contractors and the process of discussions with possible partners has now begun.
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What are the Benefits?
The studies commissioned by the Consortium together with the high level of work done over 5 years have shown that significant local, regional and national benefits can be delivered.
Adtranz Turbostar (Class 170) currently entering service with Anglia, Midland Mainline and others, could operate on EWR
A new series of direct inter-urban services offering journey time savings of 1 hour and more between key centres across East Anglia and Central Southern England such as:
Swindon – Ipswich
Oxford – Cambridge
Aylesbury – Milton Keynes
Reading – Peterborough
Bristol – Nottingham
A wide range of travel markets would have new journey options with commuters, business users, shoppers, students and holidaymakers all seen as potential customers
New connections to Main Line and Inter-City services extending the catchment of these other routes and so improving their economics in the process.
Linkage between major urban centres in a region with high car ownership and significant anticipated population growth whilst providing flexible rail links to all parts of the country enabling public transport to become a viable alternative to the car.
Reduction in car usage with the consequent reduction in road congestion could be worth between £4 million and £7 Million annually.
The opportunity for future economic development in these areas to be more sustainable through improved levels of public transport accessibility.
Potential for improved freight services from the Haven ports, Southampton and the South and West to the Midlands, the North West and Scotland.
A strategic link providing a real alternative to the trunk road network promoting modal shift with the resultant social and environmental benefits. Up to 100 million vehicle kilometres could be saved each year.
The railway could be worth around £2 of social economic benefit for every £1 of SSRA funding which is in excess of their current criteria.
In Public Sector Investment terms the railway shows a surplus of £23 million using existing rail investment criteria but a massive £170 million using wider social cost / benefit criteria.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Thank you for your interest in the East West Rail project.
We hope we have been able to provide an insight into this important project. However the pace of change is such that there are developments and events happening all the time. Should you wish to find out the latest position please contact the Consortium Project Office on:
Telephone: +44 (0)1473.432066
Telefax: +44 (0)1473.230851
E-mail: eastwestrail@ipswich.gov.uk
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