| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Leasehold Land
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the advantages of increasing protection for home owners in flats whose property lies on leasehold land. [3126]
Mr. Raynsford: We are committed to simplifying the current rules restricting the purchase of freeholds by leaseholders when a suitable legislative opportunity arises. We will consult on our proposals in due course. Meanwhile, we will lay before the House shortly Orders to implement the provisions of the Housing Act 1996 which will transfer jurisdiction for determining disputes over service charges to Leasehold Valuation Tribunals.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide a Keeling schedule in respect of the relevant sections of
23 Jun 1997 : Column: 381
(a) the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and (b) other Acts amended by the Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit approvals) Bill. [5123]
Mr. Raynsford:
We do not propose to add such a schedule to the Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Bill. However, the following sets out the text of section 55(3) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 as it would be if amended by Clause 1 of the Bill, and the text of section 54(5) of that Act as it would be if amended by Clause 2 of the Bill:
Section 55
(3) In determining the amount of a basic credit approval, the Secretary of State shall not take account of capital receipts to the extent that the authority concerned are required to set aside the receipts as provision for credit liabilities; and in determining the amount of a basic credit approval or a supplementary credit approval, the Secretary of State or other Minister shall not take account of capital receipts to the extent that they are applied or paid as mentioned in subsections (7) to (9) of section 59 below.
Section 54
(5) In the case of a supplementary credit approval issued in respect of expenditure which is treated by the authority concerned as expenditure for capital purposes by virtue only of direction sunder section 40(6) above, the approval may specify an amortisation period.
Departmental Land
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action his Department is taking to monitor the disposal of land by other Government Departments for compliance with the terms of local development plans, with particular reference to the National Physical Laboratory site at Teddington. [4587]
Mr. Raynsford: Any Crown body wishing to secure planning permission for land prior to its disposal must apply for permission under section 299 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. As with applications for planning permission from non-Crown bodies, it is for the local planning authority to determine the application. Such determination shall be in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Other than where the matter is expressly referred to the Secretary of State--e.g. under the Town and Country Planning (Development Plans and Consultation) Directions 1992, or on appeal--my Department is not concerned with the specific proposals of other Government Departments to dispose of their land, nor the proposed use of any such land. The National Physical Laboratory is within the London Borough of Richmond, and the Unitary Development Plan policy for the site is for employment uses. We understand that no planning application has been made to the planning authority in respect of the site.
Airports
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the cost of constructing a 1,400 metre runway in the south-east of England; and what costs would be incurred by the construction of a 2,000 metre runway. [4471]
23 Jun 1997 : Column: 382
Ms Jackson:
No assessment has been made of the costs of runway construction, which would vary greatly depending on the site chosen.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the time required to (a) construct and (b) bring into operation a new runway in south-east England. [4474]
Ms Jackson:
The time required for constructing a new runway and bringing it into operation would depend on the nature of the particular proposal and on the planning procedures followed.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will reintroduce traffic distribution rules; and what plans he has to direct charter services to specific airports in the London area. [4473]
Ms Jackson:
Traffic distribution rules remain in place at Heathrow and Gatwick which prevent all-cargo services and general aviation from using the airport at peak periods. There are no plans to reintroduce them for scheduled and charter services. In any case, powers do not exist to direct services to an airport--only to exclude them.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to address problems relating to runway capacity in the south-east of England. [4539]
Ms Jackson:
Work has been under way since February 1995 to assess the implications of runway capacity enhancement at Heathrow and the feasibility of a close parallel runway at Gatwick. When completed, these studies will help to inform the assessment by Ministers of all available options.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the extra slots made available at Heathrow by the proposed BA/AA alliance will be allocated to services to regional airports. [4401]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
I have been asked to reply.
The previous President of the Board of Trade announced on 6 December 1996 that he intended to refer the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, unless suitable undertakings were given by the parties to the alliance. He took the view that, without such undertakings, the alliance would be likely to lead to a significant loss of actual and potential competition on air routes between the UK and the US. He asked the Director General of Fair Trading to seek appropriate undertakings from the parties, and also to consider views from all interested third parties on the undertakings and other conditions which he proposed. The proposed undertakings and conditions included the release by the alliance of up to 168 take-off and landing slots at Heathrow. These slots were to be made available for use by competitor airlines only on transatlantic services, in order to ensure that the slot release addressed the competition concerns raised by the alliance.
23 Jun 1997 : Column: 383
My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has not yet made a decision on the proposed alliance. The Office of Fair Trading and the Department of Trade and Industry are still considering the case in consultation with the European Commission.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans for red routes in London. [4720]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The red route programme delivers improved conditions for all road users by making effective use of the road space while taking into account the needs of those who live and work along the route. I have no plans to vary the red route network although I shall naturally consider individual representations on their merits. I intend to look at how these improvements can be further enhanced, giving particular attention to what can be done to assist buses, cyclists and pedestrians. The timetable for completion of the network will be reviewed, along with all other expenditure programmes, as part of our Comprehensive Spending Review.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons notice was not given to the statutory consultees under the Transport and Works Act about the proposed closure of footpaths and bridleways for the proposed Welsh Highland Railway Order; and if he will place a copy of his reply to the Ramblers Association concerning these issues in the Library. [4590]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The promoters of the proposed Order, the Ffestiniog Railway Company, consider that the Transport and Works Act applications rules were complied with in respect of the placing of notices and serving of documents on statutory consultees. However, in the light of representations made by the Ramblers Association and others, they have agreed to put up notices and serve documents in respect of all footpaths affected by the Order as if they were public rights of way for the purposes of the rules. Persons who wish to object to the proposals relating to footpaths will have a further six weeks in which to lodge such objection in writing with the Secretary of State. A copy of the Department's reply to the Ramblers Association will be placed in the Library.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |