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Rats
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he proposes to ensure that rats do not escape into properties from sewers. [68117]
Mr. Meale:
Sewerage undertakers have ongoing programmes to control and reduce the number of rats in public sewers. These include baiting, which is usually targeted only in those areas where there is evidence of
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rats so as to avoid unnecessary waste of funds. In following up one of the recommendations of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee Report on Sewage Treatment and Disposal, my officials are initiating discussions between the Local Government Association and Water UK to establish what further action may be needed, who should carry it out and whether local authorities need greater powers. The water industry is also conducting research into the most effective ways of controlling rats in sewers.
Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will incorporate a rodent damage test for drainage pipes in the review of Part H of the Building Regulations. [68119]
Mr. Raynsford:
In considering whether the advice on preventing rodent damage needs to be strengthened, the review of Part H will consider all relevant issues.
Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of rat infestations of homes and businesses. [68120]
Mr. Raynsford:
The DETR's 1996 English House Condition Survey collected data on the incidence or rodents and the types of treatments that are being used to treat any infestation. Results should be published later this year.
Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what arrangements are in place to monitor the contamination of drinking water supplies by leaking sewers and drains; and what has been the results of such monitoring in each of the last three years. [68122]
Mr. Meale:
Water companies are required to notify the Drinking Water Inspectorate of any event or incident which affects or threatens to affect drinking water quality. In 1998, 1997 and 1996 water companies reported 7, 4 and 7 occasions respectively when a leaking sewer threatened drinking water quality and precautionary measures were taken to protect consumers, but on all of these occasions there was no evidence that public health was affected.
| Year | Number of samples from consumers taps | Number (%) of samples in which faecal coliforms detected |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 156,306 | 111(0.07) |
| 1996 | 157,342 | 97(0.06) |
| 1997 | 157,252 | 97(0.06) |
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Air Services (Punctuality)
Mr. Gorrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to monitor the punctuality of scheduled air services in the same way as rail services are currently monitored. [68533]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The Civil Aviation Authority has published monthly and annual punctuality statistics for scheduled and charter passenger services from principal airports since January 1998. Reports are published monthly on the CAA's website (www.caa.co.uk) and a press notice outlining trends in delays is issued quarterly.
Highways Agency Projects
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list Highways Agency projects in 1998, including the 1998 national travel survey, which made use of (a) automatic traffic counters, (b) roadside interviews, (c) manual classified counts and (d) additional surveys undertaken outside the normal hours of 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays. [67710]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The following is a table based on the information which is readily available, of the Highways Agency's projects for which surveys were undertaken in 1998. The table uses the types of surveys defined in the question but the headings describing the types of survey have been abbreviated to (a) ATCs, (b) RSIs and (c) MCCs.
| Project | ATCs | RSIs | MCCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A14 Route Management Strategy | Yes | ||
| Salisbury Transport Study | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A2/A282 Dartford Traffic Surveys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bristol Severnside Study | Yes | ||
| A596 Wigton Bypass before/after | Yes | Yes | |
| A5 Fazeley before/after | Yes | Yes | |
| A1M Washford-Dishforth | Yes | ||
| M621/M1 Link before/after | Yes | ||
| M65 Blackburn Southern Bypass | Yes | ||
| M1/A1 Link (Lofthouse/Branham) before/after | Yes | ||
| A564 Derby Southern Bypass | Yes | ||
| A1033 Hendon Road Improvement | Yes | Yes | |
| M62 J8 and J8-9 widening | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A56 Manchester Sub-Regional Highway Model | Yes | Yes | |
| A140 Newton Flotman | Yes | Yes | |
| A13 Wennington-Mar Dyke before/after | Yes | ||
| A11 Roudham Heath-Attleborough | Yes | ||
| A12 Hatfield Peveral-Witham Link Road | Yes |
The National Travel Survey is undertaken by DETR and consists of household interviews only. As part of DETR's continuous collection of traffic data, the following surveys were undertaken during 1998:
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Continuous automatic traffic counters at 134 sites;
Approximately 6,000 manual classified counts between 7am and 7pm weekdays;
Manual classified counts (16 or 24 hour) at approximately one third of the 523 sites on screen lines and cordons across London; and
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Aid (EU)
7. Mr. David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the provision of value for money in the EU aid budget. [67509]
15. Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the cost-effectiveness of the EU development aid programme. [67521]
Clare Short: We have inherited from the previous administration a commitment that 30 per cent. of my budget is channelled through the EC and a situation where EC aid spending is skewed against the poorest countries and is often of poor quality. In December we published our strategy to improve EC performance.
We are actively seeking support for this strategy in the Commission, the European Parliament and among Member States. I welcome the report of the Development Select Committee supporting the Government's strategy.
Development Education
9. Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to promote awareness of development issues among young people. [67512]
Mr. Foulkes: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have visited many schools and colleges on each of our visits to towns and cities throughout the UK and found great enthusiasm for development issues. Expanding the coverage of these issues in the school curriculum is our top priority and we are pursuing this with other Departments and agencies in relation to each part of the United Kingdom.
Sudan
10. Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what medical aid projects the Government are currently supporting in Sudan. [67515]
11. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide pharmaceutical products as aid to Sudan. [67516]
Clare Short: Our humanitarian response to the crisis in Sudan last year, which amounted to £37 million, included an allocation of £5.5 million for health care to the most vulnerable groups. The Government of Sudan, by its own admission, is spending 80 per cent. of the national budget on the civil war. The major priority for improving life for the people of Sudan is an end to the war.
Education (Girls)
12. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what ways her Department is supporting the education of girls in poorer countries; and if she will make a statement. [67517]
Clare Short:
As we make clear in the Development White Paper, we are strongly committed to the key international targets of Universal Primary Education by
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2015 and gender equity in primary and secondary education by 2005. We are working in the international system to try to increase the commitment to meeting this target and prioritising these targets in all our programmes. For example, we have recently committed over £200 million to basic education in a number of countries including Ghana, India, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and our largest ever single education commitment of £67 million for Uganda.
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