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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 30 November 1998
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Environment Agency
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list (i) the new duties which he plans to give the Environment Agency in England and Wales and (ii) the resources which the Government will provide to the Agency to carry them out; and if he will make a statement. [61194]
Mr. Meale: The Environment Agency will undertake new duties, shortly, under the COMAH and Groundwater Regulations. Other legislation in preparation, such as the Pollution Prevention and Control Bill and regulations on Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Terphenyls, may also place new obligations on the Agency.
In common with the Agency's other regulatory expenditure it is proposed that the annual cost of work on the (CIMAH) Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 (£1.3m) and on the Groundwater Regulations 1998 (£3m), and the cost of other new obligations will be recovered largely through charges on those regulated. For preparatory work and other costs for which charging is not feasible the Agency may draw on its annual block allocation of grant-in-aid which will be increased to over £106 million in 1999-2000 following this year's Comprehensive Spending Review.
Special Areas of Conservation
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the list of candidate special areas of conservation proposed under the European Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora will be reviewed to take account of the new research by the World Wide Fund for Nature. [61005]
Mr. Meale: No. The list of candidate sites was selected using a rigorous, iterative scientific process which applied the Directive's site selection criteria. There has also been extensive consultation on the proposals and additions made in the light of earlier comments from WWF and others.
Service Personnel (Council Tax)
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to allow service personnel to have their council tax demand waived during periods when they are posted on tours (a) abroad and (b) in Northern Ireland. [60861]
Mr. Raynsford:
A person is counted towards the council tax bill at whichever dwelling is considered to be their "sole or main residence". The council tax is
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essentially a means of contributing towards the cost of providing a range of local services throughout a local area. These services include, for example, education, police and fire services, and highways maintenance. Whether people work in this country or abroad, it is reasonable that they should make a contribution towards the cost of local services where they maintain their sole or main residence. Members of the Armed Forces are treated in the same way as anyone else in determining sole or main residence and we do not have any plans to change this.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Cop-4 talks held in Buenos Aires. [61010]
Mr. Prescott:
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Ms Ryan) and to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on Thursday 19 November, Official Report, columns 837-38.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the Government's policy is on the shipment of United Kingdom nuclear waste to Australia for final disposal and storage. [61009]
Mr. Meale:
I am not aware of any proposal to ship United Kingdom nuclear waste to Australia. Under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, any such proposal would be subject to approval by the competent regulatory authorities in both countries.
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about the growing of high hedges adjacent to the boundaries of residential property; and what policy initiatives he is planning to address the issues raised in the representations. [61663]
Mr. Meale:
We have received numerous representations about the growing of hedges adjacent to the boundaries of residential property. Our current policy regarding the problems caused by such hedges was set out in my previous reply to the hon. Member on 28 October 1998, Official Report, columns 164-65.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish, for each train operating company, the percentage of trains arriving at their destination more than three minutes early. [61656]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
This information is not readily available. Such trains would be recorded as having arrived on time according to the definition of "punctual" for the relevant route group in the Franchising Director's performance bulletins, copies of which are in the House Library.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish, for each train operating company, the percentage of (a) London commuter trains, Gatwick Express trains and short distance ex-regional railway trains, arriving at their destination between three minutes and four minutes 59 seconds late, (b) ex-InterCity trains and ex-Regional Railways long distance trains arriving at their destination between five minutes and nine minutes 59 seconds late and (c) ScotRail sleepers arriving at their destination between 10 and 30 minutes late for the latest available period. [61657]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
This information is not readily available. Such trains are recorded as having arrived on time according to the definition of "punctual" for the relevant route group in the Franchising Director's performance bulletins, copies of which are in the House Library.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to reduce the maximum time trains can be late whilst still being classified as punctual within the criteria set for the Passenger's Charter performance statistics. [61658]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The immediate priority is for train operators and Railtrack to improve the punctuality of services within its current, reasonable definition.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to be able to release highway authorities from the requirement to seek his Department's approval prior to introducing 20 mph limits on roads for which they have responsibility. [60933]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I shall be introducing secondary legislation shortly in order to remove the consent requirement. I expect the new system to be in operation in the new year.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he or his Ministers held with (a) OPRAF and (b) Connex South Central before the decision was taken not to extend the latter's franchise. [61654]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
None. However, as required by his Objectives, Instructions and Guidance, the Franchising Director notified the Deputy Prime Minister prior to announcing his decision not to extend Connex South Central's franchise.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons the application by Connex South Central to extend its franchise was refused; if he is prepared to consider an amended offer from the company; and if he will make a statement. [61653]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Franchising Director announced in July that he considered that he could obtain better value for money by competitively retendering the franchise on its expiry after seven years. The company cannot make a further offer under the option that was in
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their original contract. However, we have said that we are prepared in principle to consider proposals to renegotiate franchises to secure additional passenger benefits and commitments to more demanding performance targets.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate (a) the rate of road traffic growth which could be expected to occur between 1997 and 2002 if no action was taken to reduce this and (b) the rate of road traffic growth which is now expected to occur following Government action to reduce road traffic growth. [60927]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The 1997 National Road Traffic Forecasts were based on previous policies. The increase in total traffic between 1997 and 2002 implicit in the 1997 central forecasts is 9 per cent.
The Department has begun working on a revised set of forecasts which will reflect the new direction for transport provided by the New Deal. This work involves developing new approaches to forecasting traffic and its environmental and economic effects. Once the Commission for Integrated Transport is established next year, it will be advising the Department on our revised forecasts. One of the first things we will be consulting the Commission on is the alternative forecasting approaches we could use. Once we have the Commission's advice on this question, we will be able to complete our plans and announce a target date for publication.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to set targets for reductions in traffic levels (a) nationally and (b) for particular areas; and if he will make a statement. [60928]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 November 1998, Official Report, column 458.
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