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Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 29 July regarding the black country development corporation--Ref. PT/EE/P50/10996/97; and what are the reasons for the delay. [13202]
Angela Eagle: I wrote to the hon. Member yesterday. The delay was primarily due to the need to consider all the responses to the consultation on the proposed Statutory Instruments to secure the wind-up of the Urban Development Corporation.
Transport Works (Blight)
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish the (a) report on blight caused by transport works commissioned by the former Secretary of State for Transport and (b) the University business school compulsory purchase review. [13208]
Mr. Raynsford: I anticipate receiving the final report of the Interdepartmental Working Group, which was set up to consider the scope, cause and effects of blight arising during the various stages of major infrastructure projects, shortly. Once I have received the report I will consider arrangements for its publication. I hope to release the report of the research undertaken by the City University into the operation of compulsory purchase orders at the same time.
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend planning policy guidance in respect of the erection of telecommunication masts. [13211]
Mr. Raynsford:
Planning guidance on telecommunications is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 8 (Department of the Environment, December 1992) (PPG8). We have no immediate plans to
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review the basic approach of the PPG to the erection of telecommunication masts. Work is in hand with representatives of local planning authorities and telecommunications code system operators to review the working of the Code of Best Practice for Telecommunications Prior Approval Procedures as applied to Mast/Tower Development, which was published by my Department last year.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the rail lines operated for freight purposes only, giving the mileage length of each line identified. [13027]
Glenda Jackson:
As at 31 March 1997, 1,632 kilometres of railway line were available only to freight traffic. Details of individual lines are held by Railtrack rather than the Government.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the commercial and non-commercial interests of the members of the Advisory Committee on Genetic Modification. [13183]
Angela Eagle:
We do not have information on the commercial and non-commercial interests of members of the Advisory Committee on Genetic Modification (ACGM); nor on any members of the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committees. Such information is not sought by the HSC when members are appointed to committees. The ACGM was set up by the HSC to provide it with expert advice in relation to all aspects of the contained use of genetically modified organisms. Members are nominated by the CBI, TUC and other bodies according to the tripartite principle applicable to all HSC advisory committees.
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what controls exist to ensure that companies retain parental lines of genetically-modified seed varieties granted consent for release for field testing or marketing. [13182]
Angela Eagle:
The marketing and experimental release of GM plants, including seeds, requires consent from the Secretary of State under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations. Consents may be subject to conditions, which could include conditions with respect to the retention of parental lines. In addition, statutory controls exist over the marketing of all seed of the main agricultural crops, whether genetically modified or not. The effect of these controls is that the seed of parental lines of hybrid varieties can only be produced by or under the control of the person responsible for maintaining the variety.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the level of profits relative to turnover enjoyed by the rolling stock companies; and if he will make a statement; [13205]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are currently reviewing regulation of the railways as a whole. As part of the review, we are examining the current performance and future operation of the rolling stock leasing market.
Mr. Caplin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources he will make available to authorities that have been or are to be reorganised on 1 April 1995, 1996, 1997 or 1998 for reorganisation costs incurred by them in 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [14067]
Ms Armstrong:
On 18 July I invited authorities that have been or are to be reorganised on or before 1 April 1998 to submit estimates of the amount of expenditure they expect to incur on transitional costs of reorganisation in 1997-98. On the basis, inter alia, of the information provided by the authorities, I have decided the revised maximum amounts that it would be appropriate to allocate towards such costs in 1997-98. In the initial round priority was given to authorities that were reorganised on 1 April 1997 and will be reorganising on 1 April 1998; I have adopted the same priorities for the mid year stage of the scheme. The majority of the authorities to be reorganised in 1998 requested at the beginning of the scheme that allocations in respect of redundancy be deferred until this round. Accordingly, the allocations listed below for authorities reorganising in 1998 are intended to cover redundancy costs.
(2) what plans he has to regulate further the activities of the rolling stock companies. [13206]
(31) Supplementary Credit Approval to be issued. The figure includes SCA issued in May 1997.
Isle of Wight Council, Buckinghamshire and Dorset County Councils did not submit bids.
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