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Public Entertainments Licences (Drug Misuse) Bill

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the provisions of the Public Entertainments Licences (Drug Misuse) Bill to Northern Ireland. [12865]

Mr. Moss: The Department is keeping abreast of legislative developments in this area in Great Britain and will take these into account during the current review of entertainments licences conditions.

Magheramorne Landfill Project

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the potential for conflict of interest arising from the appointment on short-term contract to the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, of the representative of the applicant at the public inquiry into the Magheramorne landfill project. [12953]

Mr. Moss: The person concerned was appointed by the Environment and Heritage Service through the Government Purchasing Agency to prepare the specification for a waste strategy for Northern Ireland and was deemed to be the best person for the job. However, because the Department recognised a potential conflict of interest, steps have been taken to ensure that the consultant will not be involved in any way with the Department's consideration of the report of the planning appeals commission into the Magheramorne landfill project, nor will he have access to any papers relating to the project.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the officer on short-term contract to the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, will provide advice through permanent officials to the Environment Minister when he considers the outcome of the public inquiry into the Magheramorne landfill project. [12955]

Mr. Moss: The consultant will not be providing advice through permanent officials to the Environment Minister when he considers the outcome of the public inquiry into the Magheramorne landfill project. He has not and will not be involved in any aspect of the Magheramorne landfill project while contracted with Environment and Heritage Service.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the role within the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, waste management and contaminated land section and the water quality unit, Northern Ireland, of the officer on short-term contract

27 Jan 1997 : Column: 54

since August 1996 who acted on behalf of the applicant during the public inquiry in respect of the Magheramorne landfill project. [12952]

Mr. Moss: The consultant has been engaged on a short-term contract by the Environment and Heritage Service to advise the service's waste management and contaminated land unit. He is engaged on work involved in the preparation of a Northern Ireland waste strategy and the auditing of operational landfill sites in consultation with the district councils, and has no involvement with the service's water quality unit.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what access the officer appointed on short-term contract to the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland, has to information related to consent to discharge from the Magheramorne landfill project. [12954]

Mr. Moss: The officer engaged by the Environment and Heritage Service is not involved in water quality issues and has had no involvement with the Water Act consent consideration.

TRANSPORT

Parking Penalties

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations and operational guidelines govern the issuing of penalties in respect of (a) private car parks and (b) wheel clamping. [12559]

Mr. Watts: The charges levied and the terms and conditions of use that apply in private car parks are a contractual matter between owner and user.

Wheel clamping on the public highway by the police is authorised under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The charges for release are stipulated in the Vehicles (Charges for Release from Immobilisation Devices) Regulations 1992. Wheel clamping of vehicles in on-street parking places by local authority parking attendants is authorised under the Road Traffic Act 1991. Operational guidelines are contained in local authority circular 5/92 in respect of London and local authority circular 1/95 in respect of authorities elsewhere.

Wheel clamping on private land is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary. No regulations exist, but case law has helped to establish what might be regarded as reasonable practice.

Roads Programme

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the study undertaken by his Department into the total cumulative environmental impact of the national roads programme. [12456]

Mr. Watts: The Department of Transport commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory to produce a study on the assessment of the total and cumulative environmental effects of the trunk road programme. TRL has completed its study and it is now finalising its report for publication in due course.

27 Jan 1997 : Column: 55

Vehicle Excise Duty

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the (a) first year and (b) full-year costs of reducing vehicle excise duty to £10 per annum for vehicles of engine size of 1500 cc and below. [12750]

Mr. Bowis: The most recent data for 1995, from vehicle licensing statistics, show around 9.29 million vehicles with an engine size of 1500 cc or below in the private and light goods vehicle tax class. Reducing the vehicle excise duty for these vehicles from £145 to £10 implies a revenue loss of around £1.25 billion. The losses in future years would depend upon the growth in the vehicle stock and the behavioural response to the change in the structure of vehicle excise duty. There would also be significant administrative and enforcement costs associated with implementing such a change in the tax system.

A74

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer from the Minister of State, Scottish Office, of 22 January, Official Report, column 608, what assessment he has made of the merits of including the construction of the A74 from the Scottish border to junction 44 on the M6 in the M6--design, build, finance and operate--contract; and when he expects construction to begin. [13002]

Mr. Watts: The bid from the private sector for constructing the improvements to the A74 between Carlisle and Guardsmill as part of the M6 DBFO is being assessed for value for money and affordability.

27 Jan 1997 : Column: 56

Local Roads and Transport (Capital Allocation)

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 1996, Official Report, column 365, if he will list for each eligible local authority in England (a) the spending approvals and (b) the transport supplementary grant awards made for local transport capital expenditure for 1997-98 for (i) major highway schemes, eligible for TSG, (ii) major highway schemes, not TSG eligible, (iii) structural maintenance on carriageways, (iv) structural maintenance on bridges, (v) major public transport projects, (vi) minor works: packages, (vii) minor works: non-packages and (viii) minor works: local safety schemes and for each authority the total amounts. [12487]

Mr. Watts [holding answer 24 January 1997]: Department of Transport support for local authority capital expenditure on transport infrastructure is mainly given as transport supplementary grant, grant under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968, or credit approvals--annual capital guideline and supplementary credit approval.

TSG is given for major highway schemes on roads of more than local importance, structural maintenance on the carriageways of principal roads, and assessment, strengthening, and structure maintenance of bridges and highway structures. It is payable at a rate of 50 per cent. of accepted expenditure. Credit approvals are given to fund the other 50 per cent. Credit approvals are also allocated in association with section 56 grant. Additionally, they may be applied to schemes and programmes where grant is not suitable.

Allocations for minor works in 1997-98 are restricted to transport packages, and local safety schemes.

Relevant details are set out in the table:

27 Jan 1997 : Column: 55

All figures in £000

	Highway schemes		Structural maintenance			Public transport	Packages	Local safety(28)	Totals
	TSG eligible	Non TSG funding	Bridges		Principle roads
	Accepted for grant(26)	SCA(27)	Accepted for grant	SCA	Accepted for grant(26)	S56 SCA/ACG(27)	SCA	SCA
City of London	0	39	0	0	0	0	0	0	39
Barking/Dagenham	0	191	0	0	76	0	0	326	593
Barnet	0	384	0	0	224	0	0	553	1,161
Bexley	2,415	532	0	0	885	0	0	376	4,208
Brent	0	491	0	0	220	0	0	652	1,363
Bromley	0	9,357	0	0	510	0	0	250	10,117
Camden	0	295	0	0	650	0	0	421	1,366
Croydon	0	760	0	0	805	0	0	651	2,216
Ealing	0	872	0	0	183	0	0	275	1,330
Enfield	194	315	0	0	547	0	0	651	1,707
Greenwich	7,871	290	0	0	449	0	0	326	8,936
Hackney	0	228	0	0	200	0	0	549	977
Hammersmith and Fulham	0	2,045	0	0	560	0	0	301	2,906
Haringey	0	320	0	0	176	0	0	335	831
Harrow	2,600	284	0	0	226	0	0	300	3,410
Havering	0	329	0	0	81	0	0	246	656
Hillingdon	244	297	0	0	393	0	0	326	1,260
Hounslow	550	306	0	0	438	0	0	544	1,838
Islington	0	383	0	0	450	0	0	375	1,208
Kensington and Chelsea	750	920	0	0	227	0	0	200	2,097
Kingston	550	4,201	0	0	472	0	0	325	5,548
Lambeth	0	346	0	0	766	0	0	250	1,362
Lewisham	0	389	0	0	563	0	0	350	1,302
Merton	0	302	0	0	200	0	0	526	1,028
Newham	350	1,868	0	0	633	0	0	476	3,327
Redbridge	0	315	0	0	308	0	0	325	948
Richmond	0	1,724	0	0	220	0	0	161	2,105
Southwark	0	303	0	0	650	0	0	391	1,344
Sutton	0	287	0	0	214	0	0	180	681
Tower Hamlets	0	447	0	0	0	0	0	301	748
Waltham Forest	0	492	0	0	150	0	0	250	892
Wandsworth	0	1,274	0	0	330	0	0	391	1,995
Westminster	750	607	0	22,000	194	0	0	360	23,911
Isle of Wight	0	0	160	0	500	0	0	364	1,024
Bath/North east Somerset	0	0	1,242	0	344	0	325	100	2,011
Bristol	0	1,750	1,857	0	227	0	500	240	4,574
North Somerset	0	794	353	0	315	0	250	140	1,852
South Gloucestershire	0	1,000	342	0	302	0	425	135	2,204
Hartlepool	0	2,500	45	0	190	0	150	70	2,955
Middlesbrough	0	0	590	0	170	0	310	220	1,290
Redcar/Cleveland	2,708	0	580	0	542	0	424	140	4,394
Stockton	913	0	552	0	351	0	366	120	2,302
East Riding of York	0	0	262	0	1,322	0	0	240	1,824
Hull	1,126	400	403	0	201	0	1,200	381	3,711
North east Lincolnshire	6,020	0	230	0	515	0	0	284	7,049
North Lincolnshire	0	0	448	0	425	0	0	146	1,019
York	977	0	309	0	126	0	600	200	2,212
Luton	0	0	350	0	98	2,300	0	404	3,152
Milton Keynes	0	0	174	0	172	0	0	60	406
Derby	0	0	236	0	94	0	470	180	980
Bournemouth	0	0	204	0	74	0	200	86	564
Poole	0	0	80	0	84	0	275	0	439
Darlington	0	0	220	0	130	0	0	90	440
Brighton and Hove	0	750	445	0	211	0	850	350	2,606
Portsmouth	0	0	57	0	191	0	0	27	275
Southampton	0	600	196	0	208	0	417	250	1,671
Leicester City	0	0	491	0	149	0	2,256	301	3,197
Rutland	0	0	54	0	86	0	0	29	169
Stoke on Trent	0	0	702	0	800	0	676	395	2,573
Thamesdown	0	0	311	0	143	0	300	200	954
Bolton	0	0	899	0	364	0	360	270	1,893
Bury	0	0	750	0	474	0	373	260	1,857
Manchester	972	0	1,491	0	843	0	1,134	871	5,311
Oldham	1,000	0	1,630	0	470	0	360	501	3,961
Rochdale	0	0	790	0	361	0	486	275	1,912
Salford	4,621	0	602	0	627	0	423	650	6,923
Stockport	0	800	1,217	0	616	0	360	290	3,283
Tameside	0	0	615	0	539	0	333	320	1,807
Trafford	10,747	0	863	0	198	0	257	309	12,374
Wigan	0	0	501	0	501	0	414	215	1,631
Knowsley	1,800	0	128	0	522	0	936	298	3,684
Liverpool	0	0	914	0	408	0	1,524	655	3,501
St Helens	0	0	327	0	199	0	546	125	1,197
Sefton	220	0	605	0	540	0	957	225	2,547
Wirral	270	0	300	0	204	0	928	433	2,135
Barnsley	8,000	0	853	0	717	0	0	325	9,895
Doncaster	1,104	0	879	0	449	0	0	0,300	2,732
Rotherham	0	0	217	0	425	0	0	185	827
Sheffield	1,000	1500	2,698	0	1,724	0	0	410	7,332
Gateshead	0	0	736	0	192	0	601	325	1,854
Newcastle Upon Tyne	5,000	0	1,105	0	903	0	595	280	7,883
North Tyneside	0	0	342	0	516	0	512	170	1,540
South Tyneside	0	0	665	0	153	0	570	310	1,698
Sunderland	0	0	400	0	449	0	746	375	1,970
Birmingham	2,300	0	1,013	0	843	0	3,427	1,356	8,939
Coventry	3,800	0	480	0	262	0	586	218	5,346
Dudley	6,500	0	700	0	300	0	1,193	379	9,075
Sandwell	1,450	0	1,533	0	649	0	1,012	329	4,973
Solihull	650	0	155	0	133	0	495	426	1,859
Walsall	0	0	589	0	511	0	966	325	2,391
Wolverhampton	3,500	0	1,331	0	528	0	828	372	6,559
Bradford	0	0	1,409	0	5,249	0	1,488	791	8,937
Calderdale	0	0	239	0	1,023	0	1,139	277	2,678
Kirklees	0	0	385	0	2,755	0	930	520	4,590
Leeds	7,355	1500	1,194	0	1,121	0	3,464	656	15,290
Wakefield	237	0	310	0	895	0	729	375	2,546
Bedfordshire	0	750	1,233	0	459	0	800	450	3,692
Berkshire	0	856	950	0	400	0	800	825	3,831
Bucks	8,903	400	766	0	533	0	450	679	11,731
Cambs	3,110	0	1,652	0	1,100	0	1,500	1,180	8,542
Cheshire	7,000	2500	0	2070	3,114	0	450	775	15,909
Cornwall	4,100	0	1,901	0	947	0	300	575	7,823
Cumbria	860	0	1,120	0	818	0	450	500	3,748
Derbyshire	210	0	1,162	0	644	0	130	840	2,986
Devon	0	0	1,412	0	2,064	0	1,700	860	6,036
Dorset	150	0	596	0	260	0	0	180	1,186
Durham	0	0	3,315	0	955	0	200	280	4,750
East Sussex	6,575	195	650	0	951	0	150	526	9,047
Essex	0	201	1,889	0	1,637	0	1,300	1,588	6,615
Gloucestershire	1,750	0	1,460	0	720	0	600	1,615	6,145
Hampshire	5,644	3302	815	0	1,657	0	983	1,472	13,873
Hereford and Worcestershire	6,450	0	826	0	1,436	0	0	325	9,037
Hertfordshire	2,400	0	1,065	0	1,243	0	800	1,042	6,550
Kent	72,834	0	2,160	0	2,335	0	850	1,425	79,604
Lancashire	3,549	0	2,396	0	1,862	240	1,100	1,859	11,006
Leicestershire	0	500	561	0	733	200	394	434	2,822
Lincolnshire	5,090	0	1,171	0	869	0	300	477	7,907
Norfolk	0	903	2,627	0	1,983	0	1,300	900	7,713
Northants	339	0	800	0	1,018	0	450	850	3,457
Northumberland	3,650	0	1,060	0	1,974	0	0	453	7,137
North Yorkshire	0	700	2,153	0	1,573	0	300	1,110	5,826
Nottinghamshire	2,262	80	1,114	0	1,858	0	1,300	870	7,484
Oxfordshire	1,214	0	866	0	885	0	1,100	518	4,583
Shropshire	0	0	1,657	0	1,395	0	750	405	4,207
Somerset	2,985	138	1,603	0	1,582	0	50	500	6,858
Staffordshire	9,400	0	3,014	0	2,332	0	324	494	15,564
Suffolk	0	476	1,150	0	1,241	0	1,200	872	4,939
Surrey	3,500	1,142	1,999	0	2,581	0	850	1,771	11,843
Warwickshire	0	0	1,229	0	879	0	250	940	3,298
West Sussex	427	0	417	0	614	0	350	654	2,462
Wiltshire	0	0	1,383	0	715	0	0	270	2,368
Greater Manchester PTE	0	0	0	0	0	0	4,500	0	4,500
Merseyside PTE	0	0	0	0	0	3,140	5,109	0	8,249
South Yorkshire PTE	0	0	0	0	0	100	5,500	0	5,600
Tyne and Wear PTE	0	0	0	0	0	680	1,226	0	1,906
West Midlands PTE	0	0	0	0	0	25,000	2,990	0	27,990
West Yorkshire PTE	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

(26) Includes £6,000 TSG to Gloucestershire County Council for Safe Town initiative.

(27) 50 per cent. TSG, 50 per cent. Credit Approvals (ACG and SCA).

(28) Includes non-major schemes;

£15 million of S56 grant to West Midlands PTE remainder Credit Approvals (ACG and SCA).

27 Jan 1997 : Column: 61

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