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Railways (Public Accountability)
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of public accountability for the railway system. [18799]
Ms Glenda Jackson: We are committed to establishing more effective and accountable regulation of the railways to ensure that the system is run in the public interest. As a first step towards improving public accountability, we have introduced new Objectives, Instructions and Guidance for the Franchising Director and a concordat with the Rail Regulator, designed to strengthen railways regulation. We are also conducting a wide ranging review which will look at all aspects of the rail industry, including the shortcomings of the sanctions already available to the regulators.
Government Buildings
Mr. Rhodri Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy on insuring their building estate against fire and other risks. [18837]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 2 December 1997]: The policy on insurance is set out in Chapter 27 of Government Accounting. There is a requirement to consult HM Treasury before taking out commercial insurance, except for:
- (a) building insurance where insurance is a condition of a lease and the lessor will not accept an indemnity;
(b) overall site insurance; and
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Angela Eagle [holding answer 2 December 1997]: My Department does not keep a central record of building insured against fire or other risks.
Political Donations
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what meetings he or his ministers have had with individuals who are connected with housebuilders or construction companies and who have made donations to the Labour party of more than £5,000. [18979]
Mr. Prescott: My Ministers and I have met representatives of the construction and housebuilding industries on numerous occasions as part of our policy responsibilities for efficient construction, land use planning, housing, transport and environmental sustainability.
Information on donations to the Labour Party at more than £5,000 is published in the Labour Annual Report Donations to the Conservative Party are not of course disclosed.
Thorne and Hatfield Moors
Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much of the area of Thorne and Hatfield Moors is currently in the process of being returned to the legal ownership of English Nature; and when this will be completed. [18972]
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Angela Eagle:
In 1992 Fisons, the predecessor of Levingtons, gave the freehold ownership of 1,175 hectares at Thorne and Hatfield Moors to English Nature. Legal arrangements for the management of the sites for their nature conservation interest were concluded in 1994 and in 1995 this area of land was declared a National Nature Reserve.
Two further areas of 205.7 hectares and 80 hectares were handed back to English Nature in 1996. Legal arrangements for the handback of these two areas is not yet complete.
These areas represent 56 per cent. of the SSSI.
Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to issue new guidance on the conduct of compulsory competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement. [19448]
Ms Armstrong:
I have today published a new Departmental Circular No. 16/97 (Welsh Office 62/97) which gives authorities guidance on the conduct of compulsory competitive tendering (CCT).
The guidance reflects the new regulations on CCT laid before Parliament on 21 November. These amended the existing framework for CCT in England and Wales to make it more flexible and encourage local authorities to move to a Best Value-based approach to service delivery. The new guidance will allow authorities to pursue the principles of Best Value in a manner consistent with the purpose of the CCT legislation (that is that local authorities carry out work only if they do so competitively) and provide more flexibility to tendering.
A draft of the guidance formed part of a package of proposed changes to CCT which went out to consultation on 25 July. The new Circular takes account of the views of 112 local authorities and related organisations, professional bodies and private sector interests who responded specifically to the draft. A further 19 responses were received by the Welsh Office. Copies of the responses are held in the DETR's Library.
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The guidance sets out the Government's views on how CCT should be carried out in the period before Best Value is implemented. It emphasises the importance of ensuring that competition is undertaken in an open and transparent manner and that service users and providers are consulted on the level and standard of services to be provided. Local authorities should secure services which are economic, effective and efficient and in which considerations of price and quality are properly balanced. Competing bids need to be evaluated objectively and authorities need to deal fairly with potential contractors to ensure that tendering practice does not advantage any one potential supplier or suppliers.
The new guidance applies immediately to those services currently subject to CCT. The Secretary of State will take into account the extent to which there has been a contravention of the guidance in determining whether or not authorities have acted anti-competitively.
Mr. Caplin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his decision about which local authorities will pilot the duty of best value; and if he will make a statement. [19462]
Ms Armstrong:
I intend to announce these decisions later this week. My Department will write to all local authorities and other organisations that submitted proposals to pilot Best Value. I shall place a list of proposals, together with a record of the decision taken on each proposal, in the Library on the day of the announcement.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had concerning the principle of state liability for damages to citizens and the environment from an accident involving the shipment of nuclear materials. [18403]
Mr. Battle:
I have been asked to reply.
I have had no such discussions. Under UK law, which is in line with international conventions, the nuclear operator is exclusively liable for nuclear damage. All nuclear operators are required to have third party insurance arrangements, which include risks associated with nuclear material in transit.
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Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current costs of the Berlaymont renovation and connected expenses; what was the original projected cost; if he will make a statement on the presence of asbestos in that building; and which other Community institutions are in the process of relocation. [18480]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The Berlaymont building was evacuated in 1991, after the discovery of asbestos. The cost of renovation is estimated at ECU 325 million. The cost of asbestos removal is estimated at ECU 90 million. These costs will initially be borne by the Belgian Government (which owns the building). The Commission will reimburse the renovation costs (but not the cost of asbestos removal) over 27 years and will pay ECU 50 million for the building's shell. Legal ownership of the Berlaymont will then pass to them.
The only Community institution in the process of relocating is the European Parliament, which recently moved into a new building in Brussels and is constructing new premises in Strasbourg.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if decrypting powers resulting from discussions centring on COM (97) 503 will be available to (a) Europol and (b) agencies of the European Community; and if he will make a statement. [18489]
Mr. Robin Cook:
COM (97) 53 is a consultation document. It does not propose specific legislation but seeks comments on the basis of which the Commission intends to come forward with detailed proposals. Its primary focus is on digital signature rather than on encryption. It makes no prescription for decryption powers.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about his Department's policy towards the EU Commission's Agenda 2000. [18856]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Enlargement of the European Union (EU) will enhance stability and prosperity across Europe and is strongly in the national interest. Reform of the EU's main policies is essential for enlargement to be successful. That is why we broadly welcome the proposals made in the European Commission's Agenda 2000 document, in particular:
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to begin EU accession negotiations as soon as possible with those candidate countries that are ready while ensuring an all-inclusive enlargement process.
to maintain the ceiling on the Community budget's Own Resources at 1.27 per cent. of EU-GDP throughout the next financing period from 2000-2006.
to reform the CAP by cutting support prices and increasing targeted measures for rural areas and the environment.
to reform the Structural and Cohesion Funds while maintaining their budget ceiling at 0.46 per cent. of EU-GDP and treating new and present Member States fairly.
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