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Council Tax Benefit Subsidy
21. Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will postpone the implementation of proposals to limit the payment of council tax benefit subsidy in 1999-2000 to allow for consultation on the impact of its introduction. [68284]
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 148
Ms Armstrong:
We have consulted fully on our proposals. There is no reason to delay introduction of the scheme.
22. Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department is undertaking on planning for leisure and tourism. [68285]
Mr. Caborn:
A research project on Planning for Leisure and Tourism is currently being undertaken for my Department. It is looking at how planning policy guidance for England could best facilitate leisure and tourism developments whilst achieving more sustainable patterns of development and travel. The final report is expected in July.
25. Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish the findings of the consultations he undertook concerning the consultative document "Fishing Vessel Accidents and the Recovery of Those Lost at Sea". [68288]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have today published an analysis of the responses made to the consultation paper. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The Government's response to the consultation exercise will be published in due course.
27. Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the revision of standard spending assessments for West Sussex county council. [68290]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Standard Spending Assessment for West Sussex County Council for 1999-2000 is £464.8 million, an increase of 3.7 per cent. from the previous year.
28. Mr. St. Aubyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the level of planning fees. [68291]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government's aim has been to raise planning fees gradually over a number of years until they enabled 100 per cent. recovery of local authorities' total estimated costs of determining planning applications. The two fee increases introduced in 1997 have brought us to this point and we have no immediate plans to raise fee levels. However, in the context of Best Value, my officials are currently working with the Planning Officers' Society on more systematic ways of measuring planning costs. This work may form the basis of a revision of planning fees in due course.
29. Ms Squire:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to enhance the reliability and quality of passenger rail services. [68292]
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 149
Ms Glenda Jackson:
A National Rail Summit will be held on 25 February to build upon the short-term measures agreed with franchisees and Railtrack last November and to kick start a long-term effort to improve standards across the railway network. We will be looking to the rail industry to demonstrate at the Summit how they propose to deliver year-on-year improvements in performance.
30. Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he next intends to meet the members of the North West Regional Development Agency to discuss arrangements between sub-regional structures and the region. [68293]
Mr. Caborn:
I plan to meet the North West Regional Development Agency Board within the next few weeks.
31. Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the urban renaissance report produced by the urban task force. [68294]
Mr. Caborn:
An urban renaissance is vital in order to improve city environments and to tackle the problems of social exclusion. I welcome the Urban Task Force's Halfway Report 'Urban Renaissance'. The report shows that the Task Force's consultation exercise has gathered valuable contributions from a wide range of sources. This gives assurance that the Task Force's final recommendations will have a sound base. The Task Force will produce their final report and recommendations to the Deputy Prime Minister in the early summer.
32. Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he has taken to improve access to public transport in rural parts of Derbyshire. [68295]
Dr. Reid:
We have already allocated just over £1.5 million for improved bus services in rural Derbyshire as part of the additional funding for rural transport of £50 million announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor in his last budget. Over half of Derbyshire's allocation will be used to fund the Southern Derbyshire Rural Access Initiative, a scheme aimed at improving transport links to help combat social exclusion in rural areas. There will be further allocations in future financial years. In addition, £600,000 has been allocated to Derbyshire for rural and non-package minor works in the local transport capital settlement for 1999-2000.
33. Ms Keeble:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the west coast main line upgrade on rail services to Northampton. [68296]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
None. I understand that Railtrack is shortly to provide the Rail Regulator and the Franchising Director with a report on its Strategic Review
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 150
of services between London and Northampton. The Review will identify options for meeting future demand and improving services.
As part of his assessment of the type and level of services the network should provide, the Franchising Director, acting as part of the shadow SRA, will consider the options identified by Railtrack against the planning criteria already approved by Ministers. A report to Ministers is expected during the second half of the year.
34. Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for annual elections to borough councils in London. [68297]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government's White Paper, "Modern Local Government--In Touch with the People" (Cm 4104) sets out our policy for more frequent elections for councils, including for London boroughs which would have elections by thirds in each of the years between elections to the Greater London Authority.
35. Mr. Rapson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role of buses in the integrated transport policy. [68298]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Our Transport White Paper last year made it clear that we see buses as having a central role in an integrated transport policy, with a renewed emphasis on quality services meeting passengers' needs. We shall be issuing a further paper shortly setting out our proposals in more detail.
36. Mr. Hinchliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to introduce targets for the increased use of waterways for freight transport. [68299]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Government are committed to encouraging greater use of inland waterways, and will be re-examining the rules of the freight grant scheme with a view to increasing the number of applications for inland waterways projects. There has been a significant increase in the 1998-99 budget. However, as the scheme is demand-led it is not possible to set meaningful targets.
37. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government have taken to encourage the dissemination of good practice on planning enforcement. [68300]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government have encouraged good practice on planning enforcement by publishing "Enforcing Planning Control: Good Practice Guide for Local Planning Authorities", in July 1997. The Guide covers good practice on investigation, negotiation and formal action, illustrated by actual cases. A copy of the Guide is available in the Library.
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 151
38. Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the return of the bus employees superannuation trust pension funds to its members. [68301]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 12 January 1999, Official Report, column 167.
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