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Road Repairs
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have to raise the minimum acceptable standards of repair for private contractors digging up roads in the United Kingdom in order to lay pipes and cables. [12573]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The standards to be followed by undertakers when reinstating the highway on completion of their works in the street are set out in a national specification published under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. The undertaker concerned is fully responsible for carrying out the work in compliance with
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the specification, and failure to comply with the reinstatement standards is a criminal offence which can attract a penalty of up to £1,000.
The reinstatement specification is currently under review by the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee, which represents the main practitioners. The Government will give very careful consideration to any recommendations which the committee makes.
Mr. Edward Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many planning appeals have been dealt with by his Department during the last 10 years in respect of housing or commercial development on land in use or formerly in use for tennis or in connection with tennis; how many such appeals were allowed; and whether there was a net gain or net loss in the land available for tennis. [12705]
Mr. Raynsford:
The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked the Inspectorate's chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Edward Davey, dated 27 October 1997:
Mr. Doran:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statutory obligations will be placed on local authorities to achieve proper compliance with the International Maritime
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Organisation's convention on oil pollution preparedness, response and co-operation, with particular reference to articles 3 and 6; and what resources will be provided to assist them in meeting any such obligations. [12702]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
None. Regulations to implement the oil pollution preparedness, response and co-operation convention, covering harbour authorities, operators of oil handling facilities and operators of offshore installations, are expected to come into force early next year. They will place no obligations on local authorities. However, the current review of the national contingency plan is considering, amongst other matters, the issue of local authorities' responsibilities for oil pollution, preparedness and response.
Mr. Doran:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to issue implementation rules in relation to the United Kingdom's treaty obligations under the International Maritime Organisation's convention on oil pollution preparedness, response and co-operation. [12696]
Ms Jackson:
Regulations implementing the oil pollution preparedness, response and co-operation--OPRC--convention are expected to come into force early next year. The Coastguard Agency's marine pollution control unit has recently gone out to public consultation on the draft regulations.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible indicating the management systems purchased, all subcontractors involved in the work, co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes in the last year for which figures are available. [12561]
Angela Eagle:
The following functions and systems have been purchased.
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The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about planning appeal decisions during the last 10 years for housing or commercial development on land previously used for, or in connection with, tennis.
The Inspectorate only records details of proposed land uses, not those in, or previously in, existence when an appeal is received. Therefore, the information requested is regrettably not available.
| System purchased | Function | Name of sub-contractors | Co-operative arrangements | Cost in last financial year (£000) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DETR | Finest | Accounting, purchasing and invoicing | Software AG WS Atkins Information Technology | None | n/a |
| Environment Agency | McKeown | Accounting, purchasing and invoicing | None | None | n/a |
| Health and Safety Executive | McKeown | Accounting, purchasing and invoicing | None | None | 576 |
| Rural Development | CFACS | Purchasing and invoicing | Cedardata | None | 52 |
| Planning Inspectorate | Sunsystem | Accounting, purchasing and invoicing | None | None | 16 |
| Highways Agency | SunBusiness invoice register | Invoicing | Thompson Systems | None | 11 |
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Full costs for all systems cannot be obtained due to disproportionate costs.
Council Tax Arrears
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will bring in legislation to exclude imprisonment as an option at magistrates' disposal when they consider cases of poll tax and council tax arrears. [12719]
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Mr. Raynsford:
We have no plans to do so. Committal remains an important tool for local authorities in their efforts to recover unpaid council tax and community charge, but it is used as a last resort and a debtor can be imprisoned only where a magistrate is satisfied that failure to pay has been due to wilful refusal or culpable neglect. However, the Department has recently issued a consultation paper on the enforcement of council tax debts which, amongst other things, invites views on giving magistrates powers to impose a community service order as an additional enforcement option.
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Mr. Edward Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the maximum length of tenancy a court may grant to a sports club under the terms of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. [12704]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 enables courts to order the renewal of business tenancies--including sports club tenancies--for a maximum of 14 years. The Law Commission has recommended increasing this to 15 years. Other than considering this recommendation, we have no plans to review the maximum length of tenancy courts may grant when considering applications for renewals of leases under the 1954 Act.
I know there is concern over the circumstances in which landlords may be able to frustrate applications by sports clubs for the renewal of their leases. We are considering this point.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve co-ordination between different Government Departments and their agencies when preparing educational material on energy; and if he will make a statement. [12547]
Angela Eagle:
A co-ordinating group of Government Departments with an interest in sustainable development education in England, including energy education, has been established to ensure that Government action is well co-ordinated.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the European working group on substances regulation to report; what recommendations were submitted from the United Kingdom through (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the Department of the Environment; and if he will make a statement. [12806]
Angela Eagle:
This question has been taken to relate to the existing substances regulation. The Committee, composed of representatives of the member States and chaired by the European Commission, awaits the outcome of detailed technical discussions underway in working groups, which will form the basis of any recommendation for measures to be taken in relation to substances covered by the Regulation. The UK has the lead on 13 of the 78 substances on the first and second priority lists. The assessments on 30 substances are currently under discussion; Nine submitted by the UK. Some are at a more advanced stage than others but the nine UK assessments should complete the technical review stage over the next six months before progressing to Committee stage.
The Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, and environment directorates within the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
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co-operate closely, submitting joint assessments to working groups.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to revise occupational exposure limits for trichloroethylene; and if he will make a statement. [12805]
Angela Eagle:
The Health and Safety Commission has no immediate plans to revise the current maximum exposure limits for trichloroethylene. The Health and Safety Executive and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions have prepared a comprehensive risk assessment document on trichloroethylene under the EU existing substances regulation. This document is still being discussed by member states. Decisions on any further risk reduction measures will be made after these discussions are concluded.
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