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Housing Development (Towns and Cities)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government remain committed to 60 per cent. of all new housing development being in existing towns and cities. [236]

Mr. Raynsford: Sixty per cent. was an option put forward in the Green Paper on Household Growth published for consultation last year. We are now considering all the responses received before deciding how the issues surrounding household growth should be taken forward.

Urban Commons

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to mark urban commons as such on Ordnance Survey maps. [260]

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Mr. Raynsford: The recording of information in Ordnance Survey's National Topographic Database and its depiction on maps at various scales are primarily a matter of resources. Funding to collect, store and disseminate information comes from two sources--commercial sales of OS products and from government funding for those OS activities which are judged to be in the national interest. Discussions are currently underway on the funding of a National Interest in Mapping Service Agreement (NIMSA) and the Ordnance Survey activities to be covered by it. I have ensured that the question of recording urban commons is included in the considerations. A decision on NIMSA is expected to be taken by Ministers later in the year.

Leghold Traps

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will support the ban on the import of furs caught by leghold traps agreed to by Environment Ministers in the EU. [638]

Mr. Prescott: We expect to receive formal proposals from the Commission shortly about resolving this issue. We will consider these in the light of our aim to end the use of such cruel trapping methods.

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what discussions he plans to hold with the incoming Luxembourg presidency to carry through the ban on fur imports from countries using leghold traps; [854]

(2) when he plans to meet his (a) US, (b) Canadian and (c) Russian colleagues to confirm the United Kingdom's decision to insist upon a ban on fur imports from countries not proposing to phase out leghold traps; [856]

(3) what discussions he has had with the Dutch Presidency on the implementation of a ban on the import of furs caught by leghold traps. [853]

Mr. Prescott: My hon. Friend the Minister of State will be meeting his opposite numbers from the Netherlands and Luxembourg on 4 and 9 June to discuss a number of issues of mutual concern, including the 1991 EC Leghold Traps Regulation. I have no immediate plans to meet Ministerial colleagues from the fur exporting countries.

Council of Ministers

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to attend the next meeting of the Council of the European Union Environment Ministers. [636]

Mr. Prescott: I expect to attend the next Environment Council in Luxembourg on 19 and 20 June, together with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment.

Forest of Dean

Mrs. Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans for environmental protection in the Forest of Dean. [589]

Ms Angela Eagle: Various protective measures already apply within the Forest of Dean. The Wye Valley is already designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural

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Beauty. The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites, and Wye Valley Woodlands are candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), and the River Wye is a possible Special Area of Conservation. Once adopted by the European Commission the SACs will received full protection under the EC Habitats Directive. These internationally important sites are also already designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs); as such, they form part of a larger network of SSSIs which receive additional consideration within the planning control system. English Nature, the Government's scientific advisors, have a duty to continue to identify further sites which meet the SSSI criteria.

Homelessness

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the number of people in London who are (a) rough sleepers, (b) accommodated in hostels and (c) concealed as homeless and sharing accommodation.[168]

Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 20 May 1997]: Comprehensive data on the numbers of rough sleepers and on persons accommodated in hostels in London are not available. However, counts of rough sleepers in Central London are conducted on a regular basis and the most recent one, on 14 November 1996, found 357 people sleeping rough in Central London areas plus Whitechapel, the City and W1 and W2. Counts were also conducted in a number of other London Boroughs during the summer of 1996 and the numbers of rough sleepers found were as follows:

	Number
Barnet	2
Ealing	24
Hammersmith and Fulham	19
Kensington and Chelsea	25
Richmond on Thames	12
Tower Hamlets (areas not covered in regular count)	8
Waltham Forest	2

Information on households sharing non-self contained accommodation is available from the annual Survey of English Housing. The latest data are for 1995-96, when around 140,000 households in London were sharing in non-self contained accommodation. The Department's mid-1995 household estimate for London includes about 30,000 "concealed households" (married couples or lone parents living with relatives or friends) not included in the households sharing non-self-contained accommodation as they are not living as separate households. A number of these sharing/concealed households will be adequately housed and not seeking alternative accommodation.

Local Government Association

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans next to meet the chairman of the Local Government Association. [810]

Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friend met the Chairman of the Local Government Association on 4 May and again on 12 May, and further regular meetings are planned.

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TRANSPORT

Road Maintenance

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the regions what action he is planning to take following the publication of the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey. [3]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We expect to be considering plans for roads expenditure and investment generally in the coming months, and as part of this will consider the needs for road maintenance. The 1996 NRMCS will no doubt be of assistance along with many other aids to assessment.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to introduce legislation to permit the impounding of illegally operated heavy goods vehicles. [52]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We are considering the possibility for legislation on this issue.

A46 Dualling

Mr. Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on proposals to dual the section of the A46 between Lincoln and Newark; and when it is intended to commence construction works. [119]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We are committed to a strategic review of the Trunk Road programme. The terms of the review are not yet settled, but the question of whether and how quickly we take forward schemes which are at or near construction will be a key early decision.

Merchant Fleet

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the diminution of the British Merchant fleet in the last 100 years; and if he will seek to augment the size of the fleet by (a) introducing 100 per cent. tax allowances for investment in ships and (b) other measures. [629]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The size of the British Merchant fleet has declined dramatically over the last 10 years. I intend to work with those in the industry to help to develop its economic potential. Any relevant measures will be examined.

A303 (T)

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions his Department has held with English Heritage, Amesbury Town Council and the Navy, Army and Air Force Institution on improvements to the A303 (T) between Countess Roundabout and the east Amesbury junction; and what modifications are under consideration. [96]

Ms Glenda Jackson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. member.

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Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Robert Key, dated 21 May 1997:

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent question about what discussions have taken place between his Department, English Heritage, Amesbury Town Council and the Navy, Army and Air Force Institution on improvements of the A303 between Countess Roundabout and the East Amesbury junction and what modifications are under consideration.

While no discussions have taken place with the Navy, Army and Air Force Institution, discussions about the A303, particularly the East Amesbury Junction, have taken place between the Highways Agency, Salisbury District Council, English Heritage and Amesbury Town Council.
It is proposed that a study will be carried out this year to investigate the feasibility of modifying the junction to provide the additional slip roads required to make all movements possible.

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about progress on the proposed A303 (T) Chicklade bypass. [94]

Ms Jackson [holding answer 20 May 1997]: A decision on whether to proceed with this scheme will be taken following a decision on the proposed Salisbury Bypass.

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