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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Coalfields Task Force
9. Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he can report on implementing the recommendations of the coalfields task force. [58612]
Mr. Prescott: I will launch the Government's response to the Coalfields Task Force Report at the Second Coalfields Conference on Tuesday 1 December at the Peterlee Leisure Centre in County Durham. Copies of the written responses will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Leylandii
10. Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce legislation relating to Leylandii and other fast-growing trees. [58613]
Mr. Meale:
We are considering whether there is a need for Government intervention in relation to problems caused by leylandii trees and other high garden hedges. We will announce our conclusions in due course.
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 474
11. Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the need to review council tax rates for (a) second and (b) mobile homes. [58614]
Ms Armstrong:
On 30 July we published our Local Government White Paper--"Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People". In this we explained that the council tax is working well as a local tax and that it has been widely accepted. In reviewing council tax, we had to balance the expense and potential great disruption of a revaluation against various proposals for change. We have concluded that the current valuation base remains broadly acceptable, and is likely to remain so for the next few years. While we shall be keeping the fairness of the council tax under review we do not propose to change the council tax levels for second homes or mobile homes during the course of this Parliament.
28. Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the current arrangements for levying council tax on second homes. [58633]
Ms Armstrong:
In response to the consultation paper on local government finance, we received 40 representations on second homes. Since the election, we have also received an additional 121 representations on second homes. Of the representations received, 118 were in favour of not applying the 50 per cent. reduction for second homes and 43 were in favour of retaining the reduction.
12. Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the capital receipts programme on housing to date. [58615]
Mr. Prescott:
Having a decent home for everyone is a goal of a civilised society. We promised to release funds to restore and build new houses for rent, and that is what we are doing. Capital allocations of around £750 million have been made available to local authorities under the Capital Receipts Initiative in 1997-98 and 1998-99. I have today placed information in the Libraries of both Houses on the capital receipts allocations for Local Authorities in England for 1997-98 and 1998-99.
20. Ms Buck:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the capital receipts programme in the London region to date. [58623]
26. Mr. Linton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the capital receipts programme in the London region to date. [58630]
Mr. Raynsford:
Under the Capital Receipts Initiative, London has received £220 million in 1997-98 and 1998-99. On average, around 70 per cent. of these resources will be spent by local authorities on renovations to their own housing stock, benefiting over 100,000 dwellings. Approximately 40 per cent. of this work will include energy efficiency improvements. The resources will also help to finance the building or acquisition of around 1,000 extra dwellings.
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 475
13. Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has had from the business community regarding his proposals for new business taxes. [58616]
Mr. Raynsford:
Since the publication of the White Paper "Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People", we have discussed the proposals for local business rates with representatives of a number of business organisations.
14. Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans to reform the structure of local government. [58617]
Ms Armstrong:
As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister told the House when announcing our White Paper on modern local government, on 30 July 1998, Oficial Report, columns 529-46, on 30 July 1998, Official Report, columns 529-41, our programme of reform today is about how councils work and how they can be more in touch with the people whom they serve. We have seen over the past few years what a distraction boundary and structure changes can be.
15. Mr. Bradshaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's actions to meet the carbon dioxide reductions agreed at Kyoto. [58618]
Mr. Meacher:
On 26 October the UK became one of the first developed countries to launch a consultation exercise on policy options for meeting its climate change targets. The paper lists the steps the Government have already taken and sets out in detail further options.
16. Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure a more equal level of funding for local authorities in England. [58619]
Mr. Raynsford:
We made a commitment to a fair distribution of grant for all authorities. We shall make changes only where we are convinced that it would be fair to do so and in keeping with our policy priorities.
17. Mr. Ennis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what response he has had to the announcement of new planning guidance governing opencast coal mining. [58620]
Mr. Caborn:
I published draft revised planning guidance on coal extraction in England on 16 October. Comments are requested by 15 January 1999. As yet we have received very few responses.
18. Mrs. Heal:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the purpose of the Children's Parliament. [58621]
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 476
Mr. Prescott:
The purpose of the Children's Parliament on the Environment is two-fold: first, to build on the interest that young people have in the environment and to stimulate them to think about what can be done, and in particular what they can do themselves, to secure a healthy future for everybody; and, secondly, to provide children with an opportunity to develop an understanding of, and take an active role in, the democratic process, and to understand their duties, responsibilities and rights as citizens.
19. Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the total amount paid from housing revenue account surpluses in housing benefits to council house tenants in the last financial year. [58622]
Mr. Raynsford:
Our latest information is that £1.226 billion of housing element surpluses in the Housing Revenue Account was used to offset the cost of rent rebates in 1997-98.
21. Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning the capital allocation system. [58624]
Ms Armstrong:
Following the publication of the capital finance consultation paper "Modernising local government: capital finance", we received 353 responses from the English local authority community, 27 from organisations representing local authorities, 4 from business and their representative organisations and 40 from others with an interest in local government including members of the public and academics. The vast majority of these responses concerned the capital allocation system.
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