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Disabled People (Parking Permits)
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the arrangements for issuing orange badge parking permits to disabled people. [12759]
Ms Glenda Jackson: We have no plans at present to change either the criteria for issuing orange badges or the parking concessions granted to badge holders under the scheme. However, the Government have agreed, subject to parliamentary scrutiny, to a European Commission proposal for a recommendation to member states for a standard design for national parking badges to facilitate their mutual recognition. If finally agreed, the new design would be introduced in the United Kingdom over the normal three-year replacement cycle from 1 January 2000.
Housing Association Rents
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total gross revenue from housing association rents in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of this is met by housing benefit. [12834]
Mr. Raynsford: The latest information available on gross revenue from housing association rents is for 1995-96 and covers 95 per cent. of the housing stock owned by associations. In England during that year the gross revenue produced by this stock was around £2,048 million. The amount of housing benefit paid to the tenants of all housing association stock in England during 1995-96 is estimated to have been around £1,395 million.
Weald and Downland Roads Project
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what extent the impact on employment (a) in Hastings and (b) Tunbridge Wells was taken into account in the decision not to allow the Weald and Downland design, build, finance and operate to proceed. [12783]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The impact on employment of the DBFO project was one of the many issues assessed
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under the five criteria--accessibility, safety, economy, the environment and integration--when the decision not to proceed with the DBFO project as a whole was taken.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on London Underground's Project Prestige. [12880]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Prestige project, which will provide London Transport with a new ticketing system for both London Underground and London Transport Buses, is currently under negotiation between London Transport and Transys, a private sector consortium. It is hoped that negotiations will be completed in the near future.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make an announcement on the future funding arrangements for London Underground. [12980]
Ms Jackson:
The Government are urgently considering a range of options for the future funding of London Underground, but it is too early to say when an announcement will be made.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the former Government's responses to the Transport Select Committee's reports on (a) United Kingdom airport capacity--HC644 of Session 1995-96--and (b) the adequacy and enforcement of regulations governing heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches--HC54 of Session 1996-97. [12971]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Government will be taking fully into account the helpful reports of the Select Committee in developing policy on (a) aviation related matters within the proposed "Integrated Transport" White Paper and (b) enforcement of heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the actions taken by his Department since 1 May to increase provision for cyclists and increase cycle use. [12991]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We have given our endorsement to the national cycling strategy which aims to quadruple cycle use by 2012. The NCS has a common ownership, having been established by consensus involving a wide range of bodies. I have chaired two meetings of the national Cycling Forum to discuss a range of issues involved in taking the strategy forward. We are now working actively with others to implement it. The Department also provides technical advice to local authority practitioners who play a significant role in developing initiatives at a local level. In July we hosted a regional seminar aimed at traffic engineers and planners to promote the NCS. And in August we published two traffic advisory leaflets outlining results of research on cycle-related issues.
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Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to develop a strategic cycle lane network throughout London; and if he will make a statement. [12897]
Ms Jackson:
The Government are supporting the London Cycle Network which is a 2,500 km strategic network of routes being developed by 33 London boroughs. Approximately 30 per cent. of the network exists already. Whilst the boroughs total estimated cost is £67 million, some £45 million is sought through the transport policies and programme funding, with additional sources of funding coming from the Traffic Director for London--on red routes--the Highways Agency--on trunk roads--and the Millennium Commission as well as the boroughs themselves. Now in its third year of implementation the LCN has so far received TPP allocation of £10.55 million.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of introducing a requirement for displaying insurance certificates in motor vehicles. [12801]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Such a requirement could give some assurance that an insurance policy for the vehicle was in force; accompanying provisions to prevent the display of certificates for policies which had been cancelled would also be needed. Display of a certificate would however provide no assurance that the driver was covered by an insurance policy or was complying with policy conditions. The value of a requirement to display would therefore be less in this country than in those countries which have vehicle-related insurance systems, under which cover is taken out for a particular vehicle regardless of who drives it. Although the Government have not discarded the possibility of a requirement to display evidence of insurance, it appears at present that other measures, such as a computerised insurance database, would offer a better approach to the problem of dealing with the irresponsible minority of drivers who fail to take out insurance. The nation-wide introduction of wheelclamping for vehicles for which vehicle excise duty has been evaded will also provide a significant knock on benefit for enforcement of the compulsory insurance requirements.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons hon. Members have not been invited to attend seminars on the development of an integrated transport strategy being organised by the Government office for the south-east; and if he will make a statement. [12875]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Government office has held a number of seminars with local authorities, transport operators, users and environmental groups and others to discuss transport policy. To be effective, numbers attending had to be limited and so it was not possible to invite the region's 83 Members of Parliament. The Department did, however, send all hon. Members copies of the consultation documents on the role of the trunk
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road network in England and on developing an integrated transport policy: and would welcome any contributions which Members of Parliament might wish to make.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will meet representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss the occurrence of near misses between aeroplanes in flight; and if he will make a statement. [12898]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Both Ministers and senior officials have discussed these issues with representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority and National Air Traffic Services Limited, and will continue to do so.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those regional airports which have lost their direct air links to Heathrow or Gatwick airports over the last five years. [12992]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Regional airports in the UK that have lost their direct air services to Heathrow and Gatwick since 1992, are as follows:
| To Heathrow | To Gatwick |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | Birmingham |
| East Midlands | Cardiff |
| (Inverness)(27) | East Midlands |
| Liverpool | Liverpool |
| Newquay(28) | |
| Plymouth(28) |
(27) British Airways have announced that they intend to transfer the Inverness service from Heathrow to Gatwick with effect from 17 November 1997.
(28) Newquay and Plymouth are now served from Gatwick.
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