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PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Drug Testing Kits
Mr. Clappison: To ask the President of the Council what action has been taken during the UK Presidency of the European Union in respect of the manufacture and distribution of (a) ecstasy and (b) other drug testing kits. [44162]
Mr. George Howarth: I have been asked to reply.
No specific work on the general availability of drug testing kits for Ecstasy or other drugs has been undertaken at European Union level during the United Kingdom Presidency. The manufacture and distribution of such kits is essentially a matter for individual member states in accordance with their domestic legislation.
As far as the application of drug testing equipment to law enforcement purposes is concerned, the European Commission is taking forward a research project to identify the requirements for roadside drug testing equipment, which will make a comparative assessment of existing equipment or prototypes. The project is expected to start before the end of 1998.
Millennium Line
Mr. Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce the preferred route for the Millennium Line. [44088]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I understand that the Chelsea- Hackney Line has been described as the Millennium Line.
The scheme will be examined in the light of our current work on transport integration, the development of a Greater London Authority incorporating a London Transport Authority and our consideration of transport priorities for London.
Leasehold Commercial Premises
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what
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information he collates on the proportion of leasehold commercial premises which receive individual fuel bills based upon occupancy levels. [44382]
Mr. Raynsford:
My right hon. Friend does not collate information on the proportion of leasehold commercial premises which receive individual fuel bills based on occupancy levels.
Ms Jenny Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the current annual salary of (a) the Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation and (b) the regional directors of the Housing Corporation. [44421]
Mr. Raynsford:
The salary of the Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation is derived from Pay Bands 7 and 9 for senior civil servants. The current annual salary is £96,456 (effective from 8 April 1998). In addition, the Chief Executive is eligible for consideration of an annual performance bonus of up to 15 per cent. of current salary, and provision of a car valued for tax purposes at £6,953.
The salaries for Regional Directors of the Housing Corporation are derived from Pay Bands 1 and 3 for senior civil servants and all fall within the range of £47,633 to £67,515. In addition they are each provided with the use of a car.
Ms Jenny Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the annual running costs of (a) the head office of the Housing Corporation and (b) the West Midlands regional office of the Housing Corporation in (i) 1994, (ii) 1995, (iii) 1996 and (iv) 1997. [44420]
| £ million | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | |
| Headquarters | 16.6 | 17.0 | 16.2 | 15.8 |
| West Midlands | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
Pennine Bridleway
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on funding of the Pennine Bridleway route as far as Kirkby Stephen. [44854]
Angela Eagle: Funding for the Pennine Bridleway, including the proposed northern extension, comes from the Countryside Commission's budget.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a complete list of all those in Cumbria who may be owners or have an interest in the land which may be subject to one of the possible routes of the Pennine Bridleway. [44857]
Angela Eagle:
The Countryside Commission, for reasons of confidentiality, does not publicise the names of those participating in its informal consultations on National Trail proposals.
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Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish each of the possible routes for the Pennine Bridleway which has been identified by the Countryside Commission. [44858]
Angela Eagle:
The Countryside Commission is still conducting informal consultations over possible routes for the Pennine Bridleway northern extension. Once the Commission begins its formal consultation, it will publish the proposed route. The route of the Pennine Bridleway between Carsington Reservoir, Derbyshire, and Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, was approved by the Secretary of State in 1995.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he has received from the Countryside Commission on their plans for the Pennine Bridleway in Cumbria; and if he will make a statement. [44855]
Angela Eagle:
I understand that the Countryside Commission is currently undertaking informal consultations on the route of the proposed northern extension of the Pennine Bridleway in Cumbria with a view to identifying a single route for formal consultation later this year. We expect that a proposal will be put to the Secretary of State next year.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the parish councils through which the proposed Pennine Bridleway might pass in Cumbria. [44856]
Angela Eagle:
The route of the proposed Pennine Bridleway in Cumbria might pass through the following parish councils:
Midgeholme
Farlam
Castle Carrock
Cumrew
Ainstable
Kirkoswald and Renwick
Glassonby
Ousby
Culgaith
Milburn
Long Marton
Dufton
Murton
Warcop
Musgrave
Appleby
Bandleyside
Soulby
Waitby
Ravenstonedale.
Transport Council
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) of 24 March 1998, Official Report, columns 85-86, on the Transport Council, which delegates requested a study into the employment effect of
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the abolition of duty free; and which Ministers expressed regret at the reasoned opinions sent to the member states by the Commission on the EC/US air transport negotiations. [44891]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Discussion on the abolition of duty free was prompted by a proposal from the Irish delegation. The right hon. Member's question on EC/US air transport negotiations was not one on which formal votes were taken in the Council, and there is therefore no official record of the stance taken by delegations on it.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish housing policy guidance for Cumbria including the Government's estimate of the additional housing required. [44860]
Mr. Raynsford:
We have recently issued to all housing authorities guidance for the 1998 Housing Investment Programme round, which includes advice on housing policy, designed to assist authorities in developing their own strategies appropriate to the needs of their area.
Housing figures for Cumbria, based on 1992 household projections, were issued in Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) in May 1996. These figures were an average annual net addition of 1,500 per year between 1991 and 2011, making a total of 30,000 new dwellings. These were allocated between the individual districts in Cumbria by the County Council in its Structure Plan which covers the years 1991-2006 and was adopted in July 1995.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to assist with the renovation of housing stock in (a) Eden, (b) Carlisle and (c) Allerdale districts. [44845]
Mr. Raynsford:
In common with housing authorities across the country, Eden, Carlisle and Allerdale receive resource allocations under the Housing Investment Programme for that purpose. In addition, Carlisle and Allerdale also benefit from the Capital Receipts Initiative. Allocations for the year 1998-99 are as follows:
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Housing investment programme | Capital receipts initiative | |
| Allerdale | 1,884,000 | 713,000 |
| Carlisle | 1,543,000 | 1,240,000 |
| Eden | 799,000 | Nil |
Eden does not receive resources from the Capital Receipts Initiative since it is a "debt free" authority, and is therefore, unlike most authorities, able to use any capital receipts it generates to invest directly according to its local priorities.
In addition, the Government have acknowledged the particular need to address investment on Allerdale's Salterbeck estate by this year approving Estates Renewal Challenge Fund bid, with provisional approval being given grant to just under £4m over the next three years.
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