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Road Accidents
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many motorway and trunk road cross-over accidents have occurred in the past five years involving the rupture or crossing of safety barriers; and what form of construction was used for those road barriers. [17171]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The total number of accidents involving rupture or crossing of safety barriers on motorways and trunk roads is not known. However, the numbers of injury accidents which involved one or more vehicles striking or crossing the central safety barrier are as shown below. No information is available regarding the form of construction of the barriers involved in these accidents.
| Year of Accident | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| One or more vehicles hit central safety barrier | 1,388 | 1,490 | 1,594 | 1,621 | 1,736 |
| One or more vehicles crossed central reservation | 230 | 182 | 188 | 171 | 156 |
| One or more vehicles hit central safety barrier and crossed the central reservation. | 46 | 57 | 56 | 64 | 61 |
Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many drivers have (a) been involved in and (b) suffered (i) serious injury and (ii) death from road traffic accidents within 12 months of passing their test in each of the last five years. [17635]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The information is not available in the form requested. However, it is estimated that:
- (a) about one driver in five has an accident involving at least damage within 12 months of passing the driving test;
(b) about one in five casualties (to all road users) occur when at least one driver involved is within three years of passing the driving test;
(c) there are around 25,000 casualties per year (to all road users), of which around 3,500 are fatal or serious, in accidents involving a driver aged 17-25 and within 12 months of passing the driving test.
27 Nov 1997 : Column: 620
Telecommunications Masts
Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1997, Official Report, columns 48-49, on applications for telecommunications masts, if he will list the types of serious threat to amenity which might give sufficient grounds for rejecting an application. [17567]
Mr. Raynsford: An application for prior approval determination allows the local planning authority the opportunity to say whether they wish to approve, within 28 days, details of the siting and appearance of a telecommunications mast permitted under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. It is for the local planning authority to determine whether the siting or appearance of the development would pose a serious threat to amenity on a case by case basis. Guidance on factors the authority may take into consideration when determining whether to give or refuse such approval is contained in Planning Policy Guidance note 8 and Appendix E to Circular 9/95. The answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning on 4 November 1997, Official Report, columns 152-53, announced a further factor for consideration in these circumstances.
Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many local authority planning refusals for telecommunications masts were overturned on appeal by planning inspectors in (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96 and (c) 1996-97. [17530]
Mr. Raynsford: The number of appeals allowed against local authority refusals for telecommunications masts/towers information is as follows:
| Year | Total number of mast appeals | Number of appeals allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 58 | 23 |
| 1995-96 | 55 | 37 |
| 1996-97 | 85 | 37 |
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many redundant telecommunications masts have been removed; and if he will list their locations: [17751]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the procedures in place to monitor the removal of redundant telecommunications masts. [17752]
Mr. Raynsford:
Development carried out by a telecommunications code system operator under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 is subject to the condition that apparatus shall be removed as soon as reasonably practicable after it is no longer required for telecommunications purposes. Where telecommunications development requires a planning application to the local planning authority, it is open to the authority to impose a similar condition on any planning permission granted. It is for the local planning authority to take any necessary enforcement action where they consider that planning conditions have not been observed. In addition, the provisions of the Telecommunications Act 1984 allow occupiers of land to require the removal of redundant apparatus from their land where access for the purposes of installing that apparatus was originally
27 Nov 1997 : Column: 621
granted to the operator under the Code Powers granted to them by that Act. Data on the number of redundant masts removed are not held centrally.
Mr. St. Aubyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many telecommunication posts (a) under 15 metres and (b) over 15 metres were erected in the United Kingdom in each of the years since 1993 to the latest available date. [17633]
Mr. Raynsford:
This information is not collected centrally. We attach considerable importance to minimising the environmental impact of telecommunications mast development. It is for the that reason that my hon. Friend the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning recently stated our expectation that operators will provide evidence to local authorities that they have carefully considered the use of existing masts, buildings and other structures before seeking to erect any new mast.
Mr. Eric Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to improve the markets for waste-derived compost. [18127]
Angela Eagle:
I am today announcing the publication of two guides which are aimed at improving the markets for waste-derived compost. The first contains practical guidance for large-scale producers of waste-derived compost, such as local authorities and the waste industry, setting out how they can design and market their product effectively to a variety of end users, particularly those in the horticulture and landscaping industries. The second guide is aimed at potential users, such as landscape architects and contractors, and explains the benefits of using waste-derived compost in their operations.
One of our major environmental objectives is to promote sustainable waste management across the country. Every nine months we produce enough waste in the United Kingdom to fill lake Windermere. And of the estimated 26 million tonnes of municipal solid waste produced in 1995-96, around 85 per cent. was landfilled. It is therefore vital that, in future, we choose waste management options which preserve and enhance our environment and safeguard human health. We are therefore committed to increasing the quality and quantity of organic waste which is composted. This means a greater degree of centralised composting by local authorities and the waste management industry. But to make such schemes viable, we also need to expand the markets for waste-derived compost and thereby increase the demand for the product.
We hope that these guides will make a valuable contribution to this by providing practical advice to compost producers and specifiers. They will be widely distributed free of charge to local authorities in England, waste management companies, composting organisations, landscaping architectural practices and selected landscaping contractors.
Copies of the guides have been placed in the house Libraries.
27 Nov 1997 : Column: 622
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to improve fire safety in homes. [17554]
Mr. Raynsford:
Part B of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 1991 makes requirements with regard to fire safety when building work is undertaken with regard to all buildings, including homes. Guidance on ways of meeting these requirements is given in Approved Document B. This Document is currently being revised and changes will be proposed that will improve fire safety in the home. The draft Approved Document will be issued for public consultation in the near future. Most relevant to homes there will be additional guidance on the siting and installation of smoke alarms, including in loft conversions to two storey houses, and on means of escape, in particular the provision of suitable windows in habitable rooms.
Mr. Tom King:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the total number of unoccupied homes in England (i) in 1990 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available; and what proportion was owned by (a) local authorities, (b) central government departments, (c) the private sector, (d) housing associations and (e) others. [17711]
Mr. Raynsford:
Estimates are given below of the numbers of vacant dwellings in England on 1 April in 1990 and, the latest date for which figures are available, in 1996.
| 1990 | 1996 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion (per cent) | |
| Local authority(1) | 99,400 | 14 | 79,600 | 10 |
| Housing associations(2) | 19,700 | 3 | 23,600 | 3 |
| Other public sector(3) | 17,000 | 2 | 20,000 | 3 |
| Private sector(1) | 587,000 | 81 | 667,000 | 84 |
| Total | 723,000 | 100 | 790,000 | 100 |
Sources:
(1) HIP1 returns from local authorities.
(2) Housing Corporation HAR10/1 returns from housing associations.
(3) Govnerment Departments and HIP1 returns from local authorities.
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