House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 3 Nov 1998 (pt 7)

Windfarm (Lambrigg)

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will call in the planning permission granted by South Lakeland District Council for a windfarm at Lambrigg, Cumbria. [57865]

Mr. Raynsford: I am currently considering whether the planning application should be called in. I will ensure that the hon. Member is notified of the decision as soon as possible.

Rural Action

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received options from the Rural Action National Steering Group on the future funding of Rural Action. [58267]

Mr. Meale: No, but we understand that the contractor for the Rural Action National Steering Group has prepared a draft Business Plan setting out a strategy for the future of Rural Action and proposals for its funding. The draft is under consideration by The National Steering Group.

Road Noise

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies into the potential for reducing noise from roads in residential areas he undertook during the preparation of the roads White Paper. [58245]

Ms Glenda Jackson: A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England confirmed that we will continue to develop noise reducing surfaces. Account was taken of recent developments in road surfacing technology but no new studies were undertaken.

Rating Review (West Dorset)

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess

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the effects on business in West Dorset of a rating review for non-domestic rates, conducted in 2000, but based on rental values of April 1998; and if he will make a statement. [58243]

Mr. Raynsford: The next non-domestic rating revaluation in England will come into force on 1 April 2000 and will be based on rental values at 1 April 1998. The revaluation will not be completed until late 1999, and therefore, it is too early to predict its effects on business in West Dorset.

Parish Trustees

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to encourage trustees under any circumstances to act under the Local Government Act 1972, section 13(3) and section 13(4) in the absence of a direction being given by the relevant parish meeting. [58222]

Mr. Raynsford: The appointment of Parish trustees, who are simply the depository of the title to parish property, is a matter for the parish meeting. A judgment of the Court of Appeal has indicated that they may take steps appropriate for the protection of parish property provided that those steps are not in conflict with any direction given by the parish meeting.

Motor Vehicles (Imports)

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to allow an increase in the number of personal imports of motor vehicles from outwith the EU. [57938]

Ms Glenda Jackson: A public consultation began on 14 October about proposals to alter the existing arrangements for importing cars and light goods vehicles that have not been type-approved in the EU. We propose to tighten the personal import rules, so that only individuals who have lived abroad for at least 12 months, and have used the vehicle there for at least six months, will be able to use the current Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) inspection. For other non type-approved imports, we propose an end to the fixed limits on the number of vehicles of any one model that may enter service, coupled with an enhanced SVA inspection of the key safety, security and environmental standards that have to be met before the vehicle can be licensed and registered. These enhanced standards are broadly equivalent to EU type-approval but can still be applied at reasonable cost. The proposed measures are designed to improve the choice of vehicles available to consumers, whilst maintaining the safety and environmental standards appropriate for use in Britain.

Wild Boar (West Dorset)

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to eliminate feral populations of wild boar in West Dorset. [58247]

Mr. Meale: Whilst we are keeping the situation under review, the small numbers of animals estimated at present to be in Dorset are not believed to pose any immediate threat to health, safety or native biodiversity. Therefore, there are no plans to eradicate the animals.

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Cash Limits

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to change his Department's cash limits and running cost limits for 1998-99. [58337]

Mr. Prescott: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, my Department's cash limits will change as follows. All references to the take-up of end year flexibility refer to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's announcement of 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 131-36.

(i) the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 1--Housing, construction, regeneration, countryside and wildlife, England--will be reduced by £9,200,000 from £1,801,539,000 to £1,792,339,000. This decrease is the result of reducing spending on private sector renewal on Section P. It will allow an increase in provision by £9,200,000 on the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 13--Ordnance Survey.

Paragraph 5 of the introduction to the 1998-99 Main Estimate for Class VI, Vote 1 says that the Urban Regeneration Agency will surrender to the Consolidated Fund any receipts in excess of £11.6 million. The figure should have read £116 million.

(ii) the DETR/LACAP(E) (Local Authority Capital--Environment) non voted cash limit will be increased by £3,234,000 from £924,998,000 to £928,232,000 to allow further Supplementary Credit Approvals to be issued to local authorities to enable funding of additional Cash Incentive Scheme grants. The increase results from the take-up of end year flexibility.

(iii) the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 2--Planning, roads, local transport and vehicle safety--will be reduced by £3,425,000 from £364,579,000 to £361,154,000. The reduction arises from the take-up of £172,000 capital end year flexibility and an increase of £36,403,000 to provide for the write-off of debt owed by the Humber Bridge Board to the Public Works Loan Board, less an inter vote transfer from this vote to Class VI, Vote 6, of £40,000,000 reflecting London Transport's responsibility for the Croydon Tramlink project.

(iv) the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 3--Environmental protection and water--will be increased by £537,000 from £334,237,000 to £334,774,000. The increase results from the take up of the £582,000 capital end year flexibility to increase grant in aid to the British Waterways Board; and an inter vote transfer of £147,000 from Class XVII, Vote 1 (Property Advisers to the Civil Estate) to increase grant in aid to the Environment Agency to pay for additional accommodation costs; offset by inter vote transfers from this vote to Class XIII, Vote 3 and Class XIV, Vote 2 for the Scottish and Welsh regional energy efficiency offices (£40,000 and £44,000); to Class XIII, Vote 3 for grant to Energy Action Scotland (£24,000); and to Class VI, Vote 5 to allow for increased Departmental running costs following the winding up of the UK Ecolabelling Board (£84,000).

As a consequence of (iv) above, there will be an increase to the external financing limit for the British Waterways Board of £582,000 from £52,690,000 to £53,272,000. This change will enable the Board to fund urgent works on the canal network.

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(v) the DETR/LGR (Local Government Reorganisation) Non-Voted Cash Limit will be decreased by £750,000 from £126,550,000 to £125,800,000, reflecting savings on the Local Government Residuary Body's borrowing approvals. This saving will be used to offset an increase outside the cash limit on Class VI, Vote 4 (Local Government and Regional Policy, England) to pay for the costs of emergency financial assistance to local authorities.

(vi) the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 5--Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions: administration--will be increased by £2,642,000 from £437,850,000 to £440,492,000. As a consequence of the changes to the Vote, the gross running cost limit for the Health and Safety Executive has increased by £249,000 from £156,696,000 to £156,945,000 and the gross running cost limit for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has decreased by £16,000 from £603,653,000 to £603,637,000.

The changes reflect the take-up of £2,500,000 of the available £6,000,000 capital end year flexibility as well as inter-vote transfers: from Class V, Vote 1 of £150,000 and Class IX, Vote 1 of £250,000 in respect of capital costs for the Government Offices for the Regions; from Class V, Vote 1 of £300,000, of which £249,000 will be classified as running costs, for the additional costs to the Health and Safety Commission in enforcing the Working Time Regulations; and, from Class VI, Vote 3 of £84,000 for the running costs from absorbing the functions of the UK Ecolabelling Board; offset by inter-vote transfers from this Vote to Class XIII, Vote 6 of £50,000 and Class XIV, Vote 3 of £50,000 for energy efficiency work and an increase in appropriations-in-aid of £542,000 for the Sale of PSA Services Businesses.

(vii) the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 6--Transport Industries--will be increased by £130,000 from £75,060,000 to £75,190,000. The change is a result of increases in the latest estimates of the National Bus Company pensions case legal costs. London Underground's external finance limit will be increased by £69,000,000 from £523,250,000 to £592,250,000. This relates to the take-up of £29,000,000 capital end year flexibility and an inter-vote transfer from Class VI, Vote 2 of £40,000,000 in respect of the Croydon Tramlink.

(viii) the cash limit for Class VI, Vote 11--Office of the Rail Regulator--will be increased by £120,000 from £8,800,000 to £8,920,000. This increase reflects the take-up of £120,000 capital end year flexibility. There will also be a reduction of £205,000 from £8,400,000 to £8,195,000 in running costs to be transferred to capital within the cash limit. Such additional funding will allow the scheduled maintenance and refurbishment of office space currently occupied by the Rail Users Consultative Committee (RUCC) for Scotland to proceed.