| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Rivers (SSSI Status)
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each river in England and Wales which is proposed for SSSI status. [44844]
Angela Eagle: I will ask the Chief Executives of English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales to write to the right hon. Member.
Road Signs
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to (a) evaluate and (b) introduce the Scottish Strungbow type road signs. [44861]
Ms Glenda Jackson: These signs indicate that road users can leave and rejoin a main road via a bypassed town or village. They were included in the Traffic Signs Regulations 1994, and can therefore be used by English traffic authorities as appropriate.
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on proposals for reducing the number of road signs in rural areas. [44482]
Ms Glenda Jackson: It is for the relevant highway authority to decide how many signs are necessary or appropriate in the light of local circumstances. The hon. Member will know, from the debate he initiated on 18 March 1998, Official Report, column 1258-61, that studies are underway which are intended to produce researched recommendations on good design practice for rural traffic management. The CTMG demonstration projects, announced by the Minister for Transport on 31 March 1998, Official Report, column 494-95, include an assessment of the effects of removing or repositioning signs from roads on Dartmoor, but the results are not expected to be published before the end of next year.
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the restrictions on the use of fibre optic traffic signs. [44483]
Ms Glenda Jackson: All traffic signs used in this country must conform with the requirements of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 (SI 1519) or be specially authorised by the Secretary of State. The TSRGD do not specify any particular technology for variable signs, but fibre optic and other light emitting signs are required to meet the Secretary of State's requirements for optical performance and safety. New designs of light emitting variable signs, actuated by vehicles travelling at excessive speed, have been specially authorised at sites in North Norfolk and elsewhere as part of a monitored experiment, which is still in progress, to assess their effect on reducing speeds and improving safety.
Carlisle Airport (Nuclear Material)
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on flights of nuclear material out of Carlisle airport. [44878]
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 573
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My Department has received 6 such representations since May 1997.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the £140 million of new Government money for the Channel Tunnel Link becomes due, how much of it will depend on the completion of Phase II of the line. [44885]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
LCR expect to complete the CTRL by 2007. The sum of £140 million, the payment of which depends on Eurostar revenues, would not be payable before 2010--so it is not linked to any particular phase of CTRL construction.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the benefits for Coventry and the West Midlands region, from the proposed Channel Tunnel Rail Link via Stratford. [44723]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My right hon. Friend took account of the evident enthusiasm for Regional Eurostar services including that from the West Midlands in reaching his recent agreement with LCR which he announced on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 367-70. He has asked the transport operator who will take responsibility for Eurostar (UK) Ltd to assess the feasibility of running regional services and report by the end of the year.
Mrs. Lait:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the terms of Railtrack's option to build the second phase of the CTRL through London. [45410]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
It is intended that Railtrack shall be granted by LCR an exclusive option to commit to purchase the assets relating to the second phase of construction of the CTRL; that this option must be exercised no later than 1 July 2003; and that in the event that Railtrack does not exercise that option, LCR will be obliged to find another third party, or complete the second phase itself.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the new agreement on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link makes provision for sleeper services running on the link; and if he will make a statement. [44672]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The deal announced by my right hon. Friend on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 367-70, does not involve provisions for sleeper services. In July 1997 European Night Services Ltd. announced that they had dropped their plans for services from the regions to Paris. I understand that the Joint Venture have no plans for sleeper services.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how long it is estimated the journey time will take from Heathrow to Paris by the proposed new service announced by the Eurostar consortium; [44886]
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 574
(3) which rail lines the service between Heathrow and Paris by the Eurostar consortium will use; and what rail services currently use those rail lines; [44884]
(4) how frequent the rail service between Heathrow and Paris by the Eurostar consortium will be. [44887]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My right hon. Friend announced on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 367-70, that the Eurostar operator intends to run services from Heathrow through the Channel Tunnel from 2001. Precise routes, service patterns and journey times have yet to be defined.
Ms Ward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend legislation relating to travellers; and if he will make a statement. [44604]
Mr. Raynsford:
My Department has no plans to amend sections 77 to 80 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which give local authorities powers to deal with unauthorised camping, and which repealed local authorities' duty to provide sites and the Secretary of State's power to pay grant for such sites.
My Department is committed to issuing good practice advice to local authorities on unauthorised camping, and it is proposed to launch this on 29 October at a conference organised by the National Association of Gipsy and Traveller Officers in Coventry.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he plans to take to impose obligations on fuel suppliers to give advice on energy efficiency; and if he will make a statement. [44881]
Angela Eagle:
The relevant regulators already require electricity and gas suppliers to provide customers, on request, with advice on energy efficiency. For the future, the Government's Green Paper "A Fair Deal for Consumers" proposes that Ministers will issue statutory guidance to the regulators on social, environmental and energy efficiency matters, including matters (such as advice to customers on energy efficiency) which are already dealt with in the present regulatory framework.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many local authority refusals of planning permission for telecommunications masts were overturned on appeal by planning inspectors in the year 1997-98. [44951]
Mr. Raynsford:
54 out of a total of 122 appeals made against local planning authority refusals for telecommunications masts/towers were allowed in the year 1997-98.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 575
Mr. Prior:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement regarding the future development of the mobile telecommunications industry in rural areas. [44484]
Mr. Raynsford:
This Government's general policy on telecommunications development is to facilitate the growth of telecommunications systems while protecting the environment. Mobile services are important to an efficient modern national telecommunications network. This will help bring considerable economic and social benefits to all parts of the country, including rural areas. The establishment of such a network should not, however, happen at disproportionate cost to the environment. For that reason, we announced our expectation that operators would provide evidence to local planning authorities that they have carefully considered the use of existing masts, buildings and other structures before seeking to erect any new mast.
(2) if the proposed rail service between Heathrow and Paris by the Eurostar consortium is intended to connect with any French airport; [44888]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |