Driving Licences
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to change the licensing regulations for older motorists. [14203]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
There are no plans at present to change the present arrangements. Those aged 70 and over may renew their driving licences for periods of up to three years subject to satisfying the health requirements. All drivers are under a statutory obligation to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of any relevant disability from which they suffer.
Road Schemes
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the road schemes by each local authority which make up the existing commitments in the local transport
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 276
settlement 1997-98, indicating for each (a) the total costs and (b) whether contracts have been entered into between local authorities and construction firms. [14195]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The schemes which are being supported in 1997-98 are listed in the table. Information on contracts could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.
| Authority | School name | Total cost £000
|
|---|
| Bexley | A201 Erith-Thamesmead Spine Road (phase IV) | 33,339
|
| Enfield | A110 Nags Head Road/High Street Ponders End | 4,857
|
| Greenwich | A206 Woolwich Road/improvements | 24,159
|
| Harrow | A409 Wealdstone bypass | 16,517
|
| Harrow | A409 Sheepcote Road widening for two-way traffic | 2,905
|
| Hillingdon | A402 Uxbridge Town Centre improvements | 2,281
|
| Hounslow | A315 Hounslow Town Centre-Urban Relief Road | 10,885
|
| Kensington and Chelsea | A404 Harrow Road Junction/Ladbroke Grove Canal Bridge | 9,171
|
| Kingston | A240 North-South Strategy-A240 Corridor improvements | 4,494
|
| Newham | A117 East Ham Town Centre Relief Road/pedestrianisation | 13,864
|
| Newham | A11 Stratford Gyratory modifications | 3,756
|
| Westminster | A404 Harrow Road/Ladbroke Grove widening | 4,398
|
| Manchester | A601 Intermediate Ring Road stage 2 | 44,072
|
| Oldham | A62 A62/A627 Oldham Way improvements | 5,850
|
| Salford | A506 Trafford Road (The Quays-White City) | 20,782
|
| Trafford | A56 City Link/White City interchange | 36,721
|
| Trafford | A506 Trafford Road improvements | 23,952
|
| Knowsley | A530 Link Road M57 to A562 | 47,334
|
| Sefton | A59 Aintree Park Lane improvements | 3,300
|
| Wirral | A502 Birkenhead Freeport route | 4,687
|
| Barnsley | A619 Dearne Towns link road | 39,510
|
| Doncaster | A630 Wheatley Hall road | 8,608
|
| Sheffield | A610 Outer Ring road (Darnall) stages II, III & IV | 20,669
|
| Newcastle upon Tyne | A608 West Central route | 20,996
|
| Birmingham | A512 Lichfield Road improvements phase 1 | 19,004
|
| Birmingham | A47 Heartlands Spine Road Phase 3 | 26,004
|
| Birmingham | A47 Heartlands Spine road phase 2 | 58,220
|
| Birmingham | A34/A435 South Birmingham improvements phase 1 | 3,548
|
| Coventry | A444 North-South road phase 1 | 22,586
|
| Coventry | A444 North-South road phase 2 | 22,270
|
| Dudley | A461 Dudley Southern bypass | 55,000
|
| Sandwell | A403 Churchbridge improvements Sandwell | 3,840
|
| Solihull | A45 West Midlands Renaissance Area improvements | 18,528
|
| Wolverhampton | A412 Wednesfield Bypass and Industrial Access | 25,325
|
| Leeds | Leeds inner ring road stages 6 and 7 | 78,821
|
| Leeds | Leeds City Centre Loop phase 3 | 8,079
|
| Wakefield | A628 Hemsworth bypass | 10,161
|
| Redcar and Cleveland | A174 Skelton and Brotton bypass | 12,260
|
| Stockton on Tees | A104 Portrack land dualling | 7,791
|
| Kingston upon Hull | A103 Ennerdale link road | 30,487
|
| North East Lincolnshire | A16 Grimsby Peakes parkway | 25,048
|
| York | B1228 Peasholme Green Bridge | 4,728
|
| Peterborough | A415 Werrington to Glinton phase 2 | 9,578
|
| Buckinghamshire | A413 Wendover bypass | 13,971
|
| Buckinghamshire | A421 Tingewick bypass | 12,802
|
| Cheshire | A533 Davenham bypass | 18,150
|
| Cheshire | A534 Wheelock bypass | 11,548
|
| Cheshire | Chester park and ride phase 2 | 6,847
|
| Cornwall | A39 Trispen bypass and A30 link | 6,050
|
| Cumbria | A595 Dalton in Furness to Askam in Furness improvements | 4,618
|
|
|
| Derbyshire | A6 London road diversion | 14,595
|
| Dorset | A37 improvements | 8,869
|
| East Sussex | A22 New route (Dittons to seaside) Eastbourne | 27,866
|
| Gloucestershire | A430 Gloucester south west bypass | 22,290
|
| Hampshire | A331 Blackwater valley route (centre section) | 39,338
|
| Hampshire | A325 Woolmer link road | 2,803
|
| Hertfordshire | A121 Cheshunt link road | 16,297
|
| Kent | A299 Thanet way dualling Sections 1-7A) | 184,605
|
| Kent | A206 South Thames-side development route stage 1 | 20,850
|
| Kent | A228 Hale street bypass | 10,400
|
| Kent | A256 Whitfield to Eastry/Whitfield bypass | 37,770
|
| Kent | A28 A20 Barracks link Ashford | 3,950
|
| Kent | A226 South Thames side development route stage 4 | 18,354
|
| Kent | A289 Wainscott northern bypass | 58,071
|
| Lancashire | A6 South Ribble: M65 Interface improvements | 12,727
|
| Lincolnshire | A57 Lincoln: Ropewalk to Carholme road. improvements | 11,090
|
| Lincolnshire | A15/1 Market Deeping bypass | 10,561
|
| Northamptonshire | A605 Warmington bypass and Tansor improvements | 4,810
|
| Northumberland | A189 North Seaton duplication stage I | 10,645
|
| Nottinghamshire | A609 Awsworth and Cossall bypass | 4,821
|
| Nottinghamshire | A611 Mansfield eastern outer ring road (phase 2) | 3,007
|
| Nottinghamshire | A608 M1 to A611 improvement Annesley | 5,099
|
| Oxfordshire | B403 improvements between A421 Tingewick and A43 | 6,073
|
| Somerset | A39 Wells Relief road | 14,163
|
| Somerset | A37 Yeovil to Dorset boundary phase 1 | 5,813
|
| Staffordshire | A50 Uttoxeter town centre bypass phases I and II | 17,224
|
| Staffordshire | A527 Tunstall western bypass phases I and II | 23,788
|
| Surrey | A331 Blackwater valley route (Aldershot road-Lynchford road) | 78,586
|
| West Sussex | A230 Burgess Hill link road | 6,032
|
| Worcestershire | A44 Broadway bypass | 8,405
|
| Worcestershire | A422 Worcester Western bypass and link roads | 13,770
|
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 277
Rural Transport
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list (a) new and (b) existing rural packages which have been submitted by local authorities in their Transport Policies and Programmes for 1998-99 and the amount bid for in each. [14193]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The packages which are targeted substantially on rural areas are:
| Local authority | Package | 1998-99 bid £000s
|
|---|
| (a) New | |
|
| Kent CC | Romney Marsh | 375
|
| Surrey CC | STAR2 | 502
|
| West Sussex CC | SCRIPT Telematics Rural | 240
|
| Devon CC | Rural | 220
|
| Cumbria CC | Lake District | 640
|
| North Yorkshire CC | North York Moors | 193
|
| North Yorkshire CC | Yorkshire Dales | 203
|
| Suffolk CC | Rural | 400
|
| |
|
| (b) Existing | |
|
| East Sussex CC | Ashdown Forest | 400
|
|
|
| Hampshire CC | New Forest | 500
|
| Cornwall CC | Falmouth | 907
|
| Devon CC | Dartmoor | 329
|
| Derbyshire CC | Hope/Derwent | 322
|
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 278
Air Safety
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what further steps will be taken to review flight paths and container safety standards in respect of the transport of mixed oxide fuel by air. [14285]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I am satisfied with current operational procedures which require that such flights should be made over water as far as possible, avoiding large conurbations.
Container safety standards for the transport of radioactive material are kept under continuous review by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and made mandatory for air transport when incorporated into the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. The UK will continue to contribute to future regulatory developments through both the IAEA and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Local Authority Capital Receipts
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to relax the current controls on local authorities re-investing their non-housing capital receipts. [14027]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Act 1997, which has just come into force, will enable Ministers to take account of most receipts set aside by local authorities for debt repayment in determining amounts of supplementary credit approvals. The measure will allow the additional resources we have made available under our housing capital receipts initiative to be distributed to local authorities taking account of historically generated housing capital receipts, as well as need. The Government's immediate priority is for a housing initiative to get extra resources into tackling the backlog of housing need. We have no plans at present for a similar initiative for other services.
National Parks and Marine Reserves
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to establish new (a) national parks and (b) marine nature reserves; and if he will make a statement. [13684]
Angela Eagle
[holding answer 4 November 1997]: The designation of new National Parks in England is the responsibility of the Countryside Commission, subject to confirmation by the Secretary of State. The Countryside Commission proposes to bring together the results of current work on landscape designated areas next spring. Its report to Ministers will include advice on whether National Park status might be effective and appropriate for any areas where the landscape may be considered in need of greater protection.
6 Nov 1997 : Column: 279
There are no plans to establish any new Marine Nature Reserves in England.
The designation of National Parks and Marine Nature Reserves in Wales is a matter for the Secretary of State for Wales.
