| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
New Building Projects
Mr. Charles Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what guidance his Department currently offers to (a) local authorities and (b) the Housing Corporation to ensure that they take into full account the environmental impact of new building projects; [4515]
- (2) what guidance his Department currently offers to local authorities and other public transport authorities to ensure that they take into full account the environmental impact of new building projects; [4518]
(3) what guidance his Department currently offers to local police and fire authorities to ensure that they take into full account the environmental impact of new building projects. [4519]
Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 19 June 1997]: My Department has issued guidance to developers and local authorities on the requirement for formal environmental assessment for certain new building projects which are likely to have significant effect on the environment. Guidance has also been issued to developers regarding the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings, more environmentally sensitive construction methods and, through the Building Research Establishment, a range of other topics concerned with minimising the environmental impact of new buildings.
Test Purchasing (Under-age Children)
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to decriminalise the test purchasing by under-age children on behalf of local authority trading standards departments. [4883]
Mr. George Howarth: I have been asked to reply.
The Ministerial Group on Alcopops will be considering the role of test purchases in helping to enforce the law preventing the sale of certain goods to young people.
Air Carriers
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has made to the United States Government to ensure that British air carriers have the right to purchase a higher share of a US carrier than is currently permitted. [4633]
Ms Glenda Jackson: None. I would expect the issue of investment limits to be part of any UK/US air services negotiations when resumed.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he will take to ensure that there is equal access to American routes for British air carriers in the event of a merger between American Airlines and British Airways. [4634]
26 Jun 1997 : Column: 600
Ms Jackson:
The Government is considering its approach to the resumption of aviation negotiations with the US in the light of the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines. I would expect access by UK air carriers to routes both within and beyond the US to be part of any such negotiations.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he is considering for relaxation of night restrictions at Heathrow and Gatwick in connection with the use of displaced thresholds. [5399]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The use of displaced thresholds has no bearing on the night restrictions, which will continue unchanged until October 1998. Proposals for the next night restrictions regime will be put to public consultation in due course.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many accidents involving fire engines there were in Avon and Somerset; how many of these resulted in fatalities; and how many fatalities occurred in each year from 1991 to 1995. [5166]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Fire engines are not identified explicitly on the STATS 19 form completed by the police for road injury accidents. However, through the vehicle registration mark, which is recorded, it is possible to trace the vehicle type of about 80 per cent. of motor vehicles involved in such accidents. From this information, the number of accidents involving fire engines and their consequent fatalities in Avon and Somerset from 1991 to 1995, are shown in the following table.
| Severity | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Serious | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Slight | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| All | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Severity | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Serious | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Slight | 13 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| All | 13 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
(15) Casualties from the fire engine and any other road user involved.
| Severity | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | 163 | 127 | 86 | 98 | 129 |
| Serious | 1,021 | 925 | 860 | 780 | 837 |
| Slight | 4,829 | 4,670 | 4,786 | 5,081 | 5,591 |
| All | 6,013 | 5,722 | 5,732 | 5,959 | 6,557 |
(16) All road user casualties in reported accidents.
26 Jun 1997 : Column: 601
M40 (Road Improvements)
Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the timetable for the proposed improvements of the A43/M40/B430. [5292]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The A43/M40/B430 improvement scheme is part of the South Midlands Network project which was included in tranche 2 of the DBFO projects announced by the previous administration last year.
Tenders were invited on 4 March but tenderers have been advised to suspend work in view of the announcement of our intention to carry out a strategic review of the Trunk Roads. Some projects, including this one, will be the subject of an accelerated review which is expected to be completed in July. You will appreciate that I cannot say what the outcome will be for this scheme.
SCOTLAND
Drugs
Mr. Leigh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total amount (a) spent and (b) allocated
26 Jun 1997 : Column: 602
by his Department on tackling problems relating to drugs in respect of (i) improving international co-operation to reduce supplies from abroad, (ii) increasing the effectiveness of police and Customs enforcement, (iii) maintaining effective deterrents and tight domestic controls, (iv) developing prevention publicity, education and community action and (v) improving treatment and rehabilitation, for (1) 1994, (2) 1995, (3) 1996 and (4) 1997. [4783]
Mr. Galbraith:
Information on total Government and individual departments' expenditure on tackling drug misuse is not recorded on an annual basis. The most recently published estimates were contained in the report of the Ministerial Drugs Task Force, "Drugs in Scotland: Meeting the Challenge". This showed that an estimated £42 million of public expenditure was spent on drug-related action in Scotland in 1992-93. Updating this figure to take account of inflation and major new initiatives suggests spend of over £50 million in 1996-97 in my right hon. Friend's areas of responsibility.
To co-ordinate action against drugs, the Government will be appointing a "drugs czar", accountable to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet's coordinating committee on drug misuse, of which I am a member. These arrangements will run alongside action reflecting the particular circumstances of the position in Scotland.'
26 Jun 1997 : Column: 601
Source:
Home Office Research and Statistics Directorate.
Note:
(17) Columns cannot be added together since a person may be dealt with for more than one type of drug.
26 Jun 1997 : Column: 603
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |