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Local Government Review
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the total cost to date of all stages of the local government review process for (a) his Department (b) local councils in England. [14588]
Mr. Raynsford: The cost of the Local Government Commission, which undertook the structural review of Local Government between 1992 and 1997, was £21.261 million. Under the Local Government Re-organisation Costs Scheme the most recently available bids for transitional costs submitted by all reorganising authorities in respect of expenditure incurred between 1994-95 and 1997-98 total £439.152 million.
Utility Trenching
Ms Jennifer Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the impact of unregulated utility trenching on the environment in the west midlands. [14725]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, local highway authorities have a duty to co-ordinate utility street works and the utilities have a duty to co-operate with the highway authorities and with each other. The Act also imposes requirements as to the standard of reinstatements and as to signing and guarding of works in progress. The Government keep the working of the Act under review and expect to make changes to the associated secondary legislation from time to time.
Regional Development Agency, West Midlands
Ms Jennifer Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he will take to include the voluntary sector in the preliminary planning for a Regional Development Agency in the west midlands. [14724]
Mr. Caborn:
In taking forward our proposals for Regional Development Agencies in England, we have closely involved all the key stakeholders in each region, including those from the voluntary sector. Detailed arrangements for the Regional Development Agencies will be set out in a White Paper on England's regions to be published in the next few weeks.
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 483
Mr. Prior:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of the uniform business rate was paid by small and medium enterprises; and what was the uniform business rate per employee paid by (a) small and medium enterprises and (b) large companies in the last year for which figures are available. [14805]
Mr. Raynsford:
This information is not held by the Department.
Mr. Prior:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much revenue was raised by the uniform business rate in the last year for which figures are available. [14886]
Mr. Raynsford:
Total contributions paid into the non-domestic rating pool for distribution back to local authorities was £11,471 million for 1995-96, the last year for which figures are available.
Ms Jennifer Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce an environmental impact appraisal system to assess the damage to trees on streets caused by (a) utility trenching, (b) roadworks, and (c) traffic disruption. [14726]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have no plans to introduce a general requirement for environmental appraisal in relation to street trees. However, in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (85/337/EEC), certain projects undertaken by utilities and highway authorities require such assessment where they are judged likely to have significant effects on the environment. In such cases, the developer must provide an Environmental Statement which includes, amongst other things, a description of any likely significant effects on trees and other flora.
Dr. Whitehead:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what investigations he has undertaken into the environmental consequences of the entry of manufactured sucrose polymers into the Untied Kingdom food chain. [14937]
Angela Eagle:
As far as I am aware, no investigations have been undertaken by this Department into the environmental consequences of the entry of manufactured sucrose polymers into the United Kingdom food chain.
Miss Kirkbride:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to change the requirement for areas which consist mainly of green belt land to take their full quota of the requirement for new homes. [14763]
Mr. Raynsford:
Government polices encourage local authorities to make full and effective use of land within existing urban areas. The Government have a national target of 50 per cent. of all new housing to be built on previously used land.
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 484
The Government's Green Belt policies remain as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2. There is a presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt, except where there are very special circumstances justifying the proposal which outweigh the harm to the Green Belt. PPG2 emphasises that, once fixed, Green Belt boundaries should be changed only in exceptional circumstances. Any such changes proposed by a local planning authority would need to be subject to full public consultation. They must be advertised for a period of six weeks, during which anyone may lodge an objection. The planning authority have to consider all the objections and representations made to them. An inquiry must then be held, unless none of the objectors wish to take part. In addition my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minster would need to be satisfied that all opportunities for development within the urban areas contained by or beyond the Green Belt had been fully considered.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will exempt from the trunk road review the scheme to detrunk the A40 through Cheltenham; and if he will make a statement.[14903]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The consultation exercise at present taking place as part of the trunk road review specifically invites views on the size and role of the network and whether some trunk roads should be transferred to local authorities or vice versa. In these circumstances I think that I would be premature to proceed with consideration of a specific proposal, such as detrunking the A40 through Cheltenham, before we have concluded the review.
Ms Jennifer Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the directors of the Housing Corporation, indicating the tenure of their directorships, their remuneration and the qualifications which led to their appointments. [14730]
Mr. Raynsford:
In making appointments to the Board of the Housing Corporation, candidates are sought who, in addition to their individual areas of expertise and knowledge, are able to take a broad view of housing policy and related issues. Candidates should be able to contribute usefully in directing a major Non-Departmental Public Body and to make constructive contributions to the development of social housing policy at the national level. The Board needs members with a range of skills and expertise extending from knowledge of finance and regulation to an understanding of how housing policy impacts on other areas of social welfare.
Miss Kirkbride:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much more of its own reserves Bromsgrove district council will be permitted to spend on council house improvements in the current financial year and in each of the next three years under the terms set out in the Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Bill. [14762]
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 485
Mr. Raynsford:
The Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Act 1997 provides for a local authority's set-aside capital receipts to be taken into account when Supplementary Credit Approvals are distributed. The Act underpins the Government's Capital Receipts Initiative under which Bromsgrove District Council is entitled to receive Supplementary Credit Approvals to the value of £188,000 in 1997-98, and £564,000 in 1998-99. These resources may be used to support housing and housing associated regeneration works. In the first instance, however, it is for individual councils to decide on priorities in their area. Longer-term funding arrangements under the Initiative are being considered in our Comprehensive Spending Review.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the transposition of European Council directive 96/29/Euratom on basic radiation safety standards on the current nuclear waste management strategy of the United Kingdom. [14715]
Angela Eagle:
Directive 96/29/Euratom lays down basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionising radiation. It updates standards set for these areas by previous Directives. The new Directive is required to be implemented into United Kingdom law by 13 May 2000. The precise manner of implementation is currently being considered by Government.
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