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Waste Disposal
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what data he has collated in respect of the average distances between waste collection points and landfill disposal sites. [14529]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 11 November 1997]: There are no such data currently available.
Overseas Travel
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the expenditure by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on overseas travel for (i) 1980-81, (ii) 1987-88, (iii) 1990-91, (iv) 1991-92, (v) 1992-93, (vi) 1993-94, (vii) 1994-95, (viii) 1995-96, (ix) 1996-97 and (x) 1 May to 30 September 1997; and if he will provide a breakdown to show (1) air fares and (2) other expenditure relating to overseas travel.[15231]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 11 November 1997]: Figures for years (i) and (ii) are not available. Figures for the Department and its Agencies, where these are available, for years (iii) to (x) are listed below. This information is not held centrally for Non Departmental Public Bodies and the information could only be gathered at disproportionate cost. A breakdown to show air fares and other expenditure is not available.
| £000 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Department(12) | Agencies(12) | |
| (iii) 1990-91 | 1,400 | 232 |
| (iv) 1991-92 | 1,707 | 296 |
| (v) 1992-93 | 2,390 | (13)-- |
| (vi) 1993-94 | 2,156 | (13)-- |
| (vii) 1994-95 | 1,888 | 476 |
| (viii) 1995-96 | 1,807 | 494 |
| (ix) 1996-97 | 1,601 | 419 |
| (x) 1 May to 30 September 1997 | 568 | 201 |
(12) Figures include overseas subsistence as well as travel costs.
(13) Figures are not held separately from other travel costs.
12 Nov 1997 : Column: 554
House Building (Essex)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the number of new homes that need to be built in (a) the county of Essex; (b) the northern part of Essex; (c) the Borough of Colchester and (d) the District of Tendring. [15350]
Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 11 November 1997]: Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) was issued by the Secretary of State for the Environment in 1994. It was based on advice provided by the regional conference of local authorities (SERPLAN). The Guidance sets out the additional dwellings required in Essex for the period 1991-2006 as 80,000. Guidance does not give a distribution between districts--this is decided in the Essex structure plan, prepared and adopted by the county council. In accordance with the 1994 Guidance, the pre-deposit consultation draft of the replacement Essex County Structure Plan provides for 84,600 new dwellings in Essex in the period 1995-2011, of which 12,650 would be in the borough of Colchester and 6,500 in the District of Tendring.
SERPLAN is currently preparing advice on the revision of RPG9, including the updating of housing requirements to take into account the latest household projections, economic and environmental factors.
Genetically Modified Maize
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on (a) the position taken by his officials and (b) the outcome of proceedings at the meeting of the Article 21 Committee, in Brussels, on 5 November, with respect to Austria'a prohibition of genetically modified maize under Article 16 of Directive 90/220 EEC. [15473]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to my response to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson) on 6 November 1997, Official Report, column 281.
Food and Drink Outlets
Valerie Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue new guidancee on the A3 Use Class (Food and Drink) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as amended, in order to differentiate between larger and smaller outlets; and if he will make a statement. [14825]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Use Classes Order 1987 groups together various types of land use because, in planning terms, they have a similar impact on a neighbourhood. As public houses, wine bars, restaurants and hot food takeaway premises tend to raise the same land use issues, they are all included within Use Class A3. There are no plans to amend or to issue new guidance on this Class, although we keep the arrangements under review.
12 Nov 1997 : Column: 555
Mr. Ennis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to (a) take forward the European Spatial Development Perspective and (b) obtain European Minister's views on urban issues. [15912]
Mr. Caborn:
Our aim under the UK Presidency is to complete, in co-operation with other Member States, the draft European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP). The intention is for this to be agreed by EU Ministers at their informal meeting to be held during our Presidency, in June 1998.
The ESDP is the result of collaboration between Member States and the European Commission to promote an integrated approach to spatial development through partnership, co-operation and sharing expertise. A partially completed draft was agreed by Ministers at Noordwijk in June 1997 as a basis for consultations now taking place within each country. This is now on the Internet. In the UK we have invited interested bodies to take part in a series of seminars to discuss the draft document with others and to send us their written views by 31 December.
During December and January, I will undertake a series of bilateral meetings with other European planning ministers and with the Commission and other European institutions, to discuss with them the results of their national consultations. These meetings will seek to ensure that Member States will be in a position to agree the draft ESDP at their meeting in June. Some of these bilateral meetings will be handled by my hon. Friend the Scottish Office Minister with responsibility for local government, housing and transport, the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Chisholm).
The UK is also planning a European initiative on urban issues based on good practice experience. We will prepare the initial phase of a possible guidance framework on selected aspects of urban policy in consultation with other Member States. This will form the basis for discussion at the EU ministerial meeting in June.
Mr. Levitt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representation he has received regarding the implementation of Directive 97/11/EC on the assessment of certain public and private projects on the environment; and if he will make a statement. [16029]
Mr. Caborn:
A consultation paper was issued on 30 July setting out in broad terms the Government's proposals for implementing the amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (97/11/EC). To date, 170 responses have been received from business, government and environmental organizations in the UK, as well as members of the public. A list of the responses has been placed in the Library of the House. Copies of all the responses have also been placed in my Department's library.
12 Nov 1997 : Column: 556
Ms Jennifer Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many bids were made in 1997 in the United Kingdom under the ADAPT training programme to run from 1997 to 1999; how many bids were successful; and what proportion of the United Kingdom allocated budget has been committed to United Kingdom projects. [14264]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
In the United Kingdom, 344 bids were assessed in 1997 under the ADAPT Programme. Of these, 185 were successful. The Programme budget for ADAPT for the period 1995 to 1999 is 316,812,000 Million ECU of which 192,174,790 Million ECU-- 670.7 per cent.--has been committed to projects. 12,508,706 Million ECU has been allocated to Technical Assistance.
Mr. Forth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people graduated from universities in England and Wales in (a) arts and humanities, (b) science and engineering, (c) medicine and (d) law in (i) 1967, (ii) 1977, (iii) 1987 and (iv) the most recent available year. [14503]
Dr. Howells:
The available data covering all higher education institutions in 1996 and former University Funding Council Universities and former polytechnics for earlier years are given in the following table.
| Thousands | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of graduation | ||||
| Subject(15) | 1967 | 1977 | 1987 | 1996 |
| Arts/humanities(16) | n/a | 14.1 | 20.6 | 52.7 |
| Science and technology | n/a | 25.2 | 36.2 | 64.6 |
| Medicne(17) | n/a | 4.6 | 6.9 | 15.1 |
| Social, administrative and business studies(18) | n/a | 17.4 | 20.8 | 54.8 |
n/a = not available.
(14) In 1977 and 1987 full-time only for former polytechnics, full and part-time for former UFC universities; full and part-time for all establishments in 1996.
(15) The definitions of the subject groups were revised in 1985 for former UFC establishments, in 1987 for former polytechnics and for all establishments in 1996.
(16) Including education.
(17) Including subjects allied to medicine.
(18) Including law which cannot be separately identified in all years. In 1996 there were 9.3 thousand graduates in law.
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