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London Government

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which regional chamber will cover London; and if he will set out its boundaries. [18177]

Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 28 November 1997]: In July we published proposals for a new elected strategic authority for London, to cover the area comprising the 32 London Boroughs and the Corporation of the City of London. Subject to a referendum on 7 May, we shall introduce substantive legislation next year to establish the new authority.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department proposes to treat the GLA as a tier of regional government. [18172]

Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 28 November 1997]: The GLA will be a new form of city-wide strategic local Government.

Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reviews his

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Department plans of the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation by local authorities. [18577]

Mr. Raynsford: We monitor the extent to which local authorities use bed-and-breakfast accommodation for homeless households through the quarterly statistics that authorities supply to us.

Bed-and-breakfast hotels may have a role to play as very short-term accommodation, but, as my Department's Code of Guidance on the homelessness legislation states, should be used only as a last resort.

Planning Appeals

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what criteria he uses to determine which planning appeals for supermarket developments are called in for his own determination. [18199]

Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 28 November 1997]: In recovering planning appeals for his determination, as distinct from planning applications called in prior to decision by a local planning authority, my right hon. Friend has regard to the criteria in paragraph 36 of the Government's response to the Fifth Report from the Environment Committee, Session 1985-86 (Cmnd. paper 43).

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors underlie the prohibition of appeals against a planning application which is allowed by a local authority. [17242]

Mr. Raynsford: In recent years, the scope for third parties to participate in the planning process has been increased by requiring that development plan policies are adopted only after widespread consultation and making it a statutory requirement that all planning applications are publicised. It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to act in the general public interest when determining planning applications and we therefore have no plans to introduce a third party right of appeal against the granting of planning permission. Such a right could be used to delay or effectively veto many acceptable developments needed for the health and growth of our economy.

Water Saving Trust

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will establish a water saving trust with a similar remit to the Energy Saving Trust. [18502]

Angela Eagle: We have no plans to establish such a trust. The Environment Act 1995 introduced a duty for the water companies to promote the efficient use of water, and we look to the water companies to fulfil this duty with vigour, imagination and enthusiasm.

A49 (Shropshire)

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many fatalities have occurred as a result of accidents on the A49 in Shropshire in each of the past 10 years. [18410]

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Ms Glenda Jackson: The information requested is shown in the following list:











Liability Orders

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to amend legislation to allow the cancellation of liability orders where these have been made in error. [17241]

Mr. Raynsford: The Department's recent consultation paper on council tax enforcement included a proposal to give local authorities a power to request a magistrates' court to overturn a liability order where they consider it to have been made in error. The outcome of the consultation exercise will be announced shortly.

Factory Noise

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review permitted noise levels from urban factories. [17243]

Angela Eagle: It is for local authorities to deal with noise pollution from urban factories. Noise from certain factories will be considered as part of my Department's continuing consultation on the future implementation of EC Directive 96/61 "Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control".

Waste Management (West Yorkshire)

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the holders of a waste management licence in West Yorkshire. [17244]

Angela Eagle: The Environment Agency is required to maintain a public register of current waste management licences. I have been informed by the Environment Agency that its public register records the following as holders of waste management licences in West Yorkshire:

















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Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many prosecutions were pursued, in West Yorkshire, for contraventions of waste management regulations in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [17245]

Angela Eagle: The Environment Agency is responsible for the enforcement of waste management legislation. I have been informed by the Environment Agency that the number of waste-related prosecutions in West Yorkshire brought by the Agency, and prior to 1 April 1996 by waste regulation authorities, for the calendar years 1993-1997 is as follows:

Number
199318
199420
199516
199620
1997 (to date)25

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