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Court Cases (Processing Times)
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the time taken for courts to dispose of cases since May. [12644]
Mr. Hoon: The time taken from first listing to completion for indictable cases in magistrates courts is surveyed by the Department's time intervals survey. The June 1997 survey, the latest from which results are available, reports that the average time from first listing to completion for defendants in indictable cases was 58 days, and 21 and 29 days for defendants in summary non-motoring and summary motoring cases respectively.
For defendants committed to the Crown Court for trial, information is collected on the time from committal to arraignment or start of trial. The average time for defendants over this interval since May 1997 has been as follows: May 1997, 11.79 weeks; June 1997, 11.95 weeks; July 1997, 12.49 weeks; August 1997, 11.74 weeks; and, September 1997, 11.74 weeks.
In the county court and High Court, information on the time taken to deal with cases is recorded each March and September. Results for September 1997 are not yet available.
Haulage Companies
Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met Commissioner Kinnock to discuss EU transport issues; and if he raised the problems United Kingdom lorry drivers and haulage companies face when transporting goods through other EU countries. [13035]
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 268
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions maintains regular contact with Commissioner Kinnock on a wide range of issues. My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Transport last met Commissioner Kinnock at the Transport Council on 9 October, where the weekend lorry ban imposed by some member states was one of the issues discussed. In addition, my noble Friend, the Minister for Roads, met Commissioner Kinnock on 6 October to discuss a range of road related issues--including freight transport in the EU.
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into ways in which (i) existing housing stock and (ii) new housing could meet changing household needs better over individual lifespans. [13011]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Department has commissioned three relevant studies:
(i) a study has recently been completed on the conversion of local authority housing to meet the changing needs of tenants;
Since (ii) has just started and (i) and (iii) have recently been completed, the Department has not yet evaluated the outputs from these studies. Evaluation of study (iv) has been taken into account in reaching conclusions on extension of the building regulations, which will be announced shortly.
(ii) research has just been commissioned on conversation, demolition and redevelopment, which will examine the potential of converting the existing housing stock of redeveloping sites to meet the increased demand for housing;
(iii) a feasibility study to develop an economic model of the demand and need for social housing has also just been completed;
(iv) a study has recently been completed into the cost implications of extending the building regulations to make new dwellings more accessible to disabled and elderly people.
Climate Change
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about recent negotiations in Bonn on a draft treaty on climate change. [13128]
Angela Eagle:
The negotiating meeting in Bonn from 20 to 31 October made slow progress. The UK remains determined to work to ensure a successful outcome at Kyoto. To this end, the Deputy Prime Minister will be chairing an important meeting of developed countries in Tokyo on 8-9 November.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 269
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to increase the level of scrutiny of the performance of the newly privatised rail companies; and if he will make a statement. [13173]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Ministers have given the Franchising Director new objectives, instructions and guidance under the Railways Act 1993. These require him to maintain a comprehensive and rigorous programme of performance monitoring, and to publish a quarterly bulletin describing the operating performance of franchise operators. Comprehensive monitoring is also carried out to secure compliance with franchise agreements and to operate performance incentive regimes. Passenger Transport Executives carry out additional monitoring of performance within their areas.
The Government intend to strengthen the regulation of the railway in the interests of passengers and to establish a new Strategic Rail Authority. Decisions about what new powers are required, and whether further scrutiny would be appropriate in the future, will be taken within our review of transport policy which will lead to a White Paper next year.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the compliance of the proposal by the European Commission to harmonize and review blood alcohol limits with the obligation of subsidiarity; and if he will make a statement. [13693]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are actively considering the case for changing the UK blood alcohol limit. Our assessment of the European Commission proposals, including the relevance of subsidiarity, will be made in the light of what we conclude is appropriate for drivers in the UK.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to restore to local authorities the power to provide municipal public transport; and if he will make a statement. [13694]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
There are no current plans to change the powers of local authorities in this respect but my Department is reviewing all aspects of the provision and regulation of local bus services as part of the development of an integrated transport policy.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 270
Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information his Department has collated on the rate of destruction of dry stone walls. [14396]
Angela Eagle:
The latest information on national losses of dry stone walls is derived from Countryside Survey 1990. This estimated that the total length of dry stone walls in Great Britain was 191,000 km in 1990, and that the overall length of dry stone walls had decreased by about 10 per cent. since 1984.
Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure the protection and good maintenance of dry stone walls in upland rural areas. [14398]
Angela Eagle:
I refer to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend on 9 July 1997, Official Report, column 495, which described the grant assistance available from the Government and powers available to local authorities and National Parks for the protection and maintenance of dry stone walls.
Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to determine the effect on the biodiversity of the countryside and upland areas of the dismantling of dry stone walls. [14397]
Angela Eagle:
My Department has not commissioned any such research. We are not aware of any directly relevant research on this subject, although the results of Countryside Survey 1990 showed that linear features in general were an important source of botanical diversity in the countryside.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have to review the long-term policy proposals set out in the 1995 Rural England White Paper; and if he will make a statement. [14298]
Angela Eagle:
The Government are committed to developing an integrated approach to tackling the problems of rural areas. Current policies and programmes are being reviewed as part of the Government's comprehensive spending reviews; notably the Countryside and Rural Policy spending review, conducted jointly by my Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the level of untreated sewage discharge released by storms or flash floods. [14036]
Angela Eagle:
Sewerage systems are designed to handle the expected normal sewage load through continuous, controlled and treated discharges. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) operate when this predetermined level is exceeded as a result of rainfall run-off entering the sewer. The sewage will be considerably diluted by the rainwater causing the overflow.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 271
Except in areas of exceptionally high amenity value, these CSOs are not routinely monitored, so it is not possible to estimate the level of untreated sewage discharged in this way. However the design and construction of new and refurbished storm water overflows are controlled on a site specific basis by the Environment Agency on the principle that the frequency of discharge should be related to the dilution available and the uses made of the receiving water.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what was the level of sewage leakage for each of the water companies in the last year for which figures are available; [14035]
Angela Eagle:
Leakage from sewers cannot be measured in any meaningful way and there are no plans at present to set sewage leakage targets. However, information on the condition and serviceability of assets was collected by the Director General at the last periodic review. Only 3 per cent. of critical sewers and 2 per cent. of non-critical sewers were in the worst condition grade. The Director General has asked companies to report on the state of their sewers in the asset inventory and serviceability return to Ofwat next summer, as part of the periodic review process.
(2) what plans the Government have to implement targets for a decrease in sewage leakage. [14037]
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