29 Oct 1997 : Column: 815
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 29 October 1997
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Road Scheme Tenders
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the overall cost of compensation for abortive tenders as a result of the Government's announcements of deferrals under the accelerated consideration of major road schemes announced in July. [12263]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Relevant claims for compensation will be considered on their merits. Once agreement has been reached on any sums payable in compensation these will be made public.
West Coast Main Line
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons an advance warning note on the engineering work conducted on the west coast main line on the weekend of 18 to 19 October was not issued by Virgin Trains or Railtrack. [12878]
Ms Glenda Jackson: This is an operational matter for Railtrack and Virgin Trains.
Weald and Downland Roads Project
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment, Transport and the Regions what criteria will apply to the Weald and Downland design, build, finance and operate project under the general roads review; what is the timing of the roads review; and what is the earliest date by which tenders for the project could be revitalised. [12781]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Following the announcement in July of the decisions made under the accelerated review, the Weald and Downland design, build, finance and operate project is no longer being taken forward as a single project. The individual schemes which were included in the project are being considered as part of the main Roads Review and will be assessed along with all other schemes against the five criteria of accessibility, safety, economy, the enviornment and integration. We hope to announce the results of the review next year. Any revitalisation of tenders for the project would be dependent on the results of the Roads Review.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what compensation has been paid to companies involved with the Downland design, build, finance and operate scheme for the cancellation of the project. [12782]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
No compensation has been paid. Relevant claims for compensation will be considered on their merits.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require local authorities issuing enforcement notices to (a) hotels and (b) other establishments in respect of environmental health regulations to register such findings in the public register; and if he will make a statement. [12807]
Angela Eagle:
The Environment and Safety Information Act 1988 requires all authorities, including local authorities, responsible for the issue of enforcement notices under the Fire Precautions Act 1971, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 and the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 to place details of the substance of such notices on a public register if the notices have public safety or environmental implications. This requirement applies to all types of premises. Each responsible authority maintains its own registers, which may be inspected free of charge.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to introduce legislation to obtain powers to suspend or write off part of the Humber bridge debt. [12854]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
In the new year I hope to lay before Parliament, with the approval of HM Treasury, an Order under the Humber Bridge (Debts) Act 1996. This will provide that the Humber Bridge Board will not have to meet a proportion of its current debt or, on the residual debt, a proportion of the interest that would otherwise be due. Officials of my Department are currently considering options and financial projections with officers of the Board.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were the results of the Sonus studies. [12857]
Angela Eagle:
The Sonus research programme is leading to a better understanding of the flux of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, from the land, though estuaries, to the sea, especially in relation to the nitrification/ denitrification processes in estuaries. The main work in the Southampton Water/Solent region indicates that algal blooms of phytoplankton occur only when tidal energy is below a certain level and light levels are sufficiently high. We hope to extend this work to allow data from the whole of 1997 to be incorporated. A final report will be produced at the end of the contract.
Mr. John Cryer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is proposing to ensure that adequate housing is available for evacuees from Montserrat. [13848]
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Ms Armstrong:
Local authorities need to be able to respond as flexibly as possible to the needs of Montserratians arriving here under the Government's Montserrat assisted passage scheme, which provides for voluntary evacuation.
We recognise that authorities will incur additional costs when making accommodation available to people who would not normally have applied to them for housing. Montserrat is a British Dependent Territory and the evacuees have lost their homes. We must do our best to ensure that evacuees coming here under the MAP Scheme are given as smooth a reception as possible, although it may not always be possible to accommodate them in the area they would prefer.
We are proposing to offer a special grant to encourage authorities to make vacant property more quickly available to house evacuees who have come to this country under the MAP Scheme and who have nowhere to stay. This should help settle evacuees throughout the country under arrangements set up by the Home Office. Evacuees with a Montserratian passport are already broadly eligible for the same welfare benefits, state education, healthcare and access to social housing as UK nationals.
The special grant would be provided under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, and we intend to submit a report for the House's approval early next year. The Department has written today to Chief Executives and Chief Housing Officers of English local housing authorities, setting out details of the scheme and arrangements for making claims. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Library. Subject to approval of the House, £1,500 will be made available for each unit of accommodation provided for qualifying households placed with local authorities by the Home Office between 27 August 1997 and 31 January 1998. The grant scheme has been drawn up after consultation with the Local Government Association.
Grant will be offered on a similar basis by the Housing Corporation to registered social landlords who independently offer to provide accommodation for evacuees under the Home Office's arrangements.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will report on the National Forest Company's progress in creating the national forest in the east midlands. [13849]
Angela Eagle:
Copies of the National Forest Company's annual report and accounts for 1996-97 are to be placed in the House Libraries.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what his definition is of a trainee. [13043]
Dr. Howells:
A trainee, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary and myself, is a person undergoing training.
29 Oct 1997 : Column: 818
Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Social Affairs Council on 7 October. [13738]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
The Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry and I represented the UK at the Social Affairs Council on 7 October.
A structured dialogue with Social Affairs and Employment Ministers from the applicant states in central and eastern Europe discussed the accession strategy in relation to health and safety for workers, equal opportunities for men and women, and social dialogue.
The presidency gave further details about the preparatory work for the Extraordinary European Council on Employment (taking place in Luxembourg on 20-21 November), and announced that there would be a supplementary meeting of the Social Affairs Council on 6 November to contribute to preparations.
Informal political agreement was reached on the proposed amendment to the regulation establishing the European Training Foundation. The amendment will extend the foundation's remit to provide vocational education and training assistance to the MEDA partnership countries and territories, and will introduce procedural changes to increase the foundation's efficient management.
Political agreement was reached on the proposal for a recommendation to introduce a Community model parking badge for people with disabilities, which will be recognised across member states.
There was continuing discussion of the proposals for a European company statute, following the report of the Davignon group.
The Council noted the work programme of the Employment and Labour Market Committee.
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