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Company Cars
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures the Government plan to take to reduce excessive mileage by company cars. [68289]
Dr. Reid: I refer to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Brake) today, Official Report, column 117.
Disruptive Passengers (Airlines)
Mr. McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with airlines regarding problems caused by disruptive passengers. [68280]
Dr. Reid: On 25 November 1998 I held a meeting with representatives of the airline industry, and other interested organisations to discuss ways in which the problem of disruptive behaviour by airline passengers could be addressed. As a result a working group was established to consider ways of gaining reliable data about the number of incidents of disruptive behaviour and to consider the need for research into their causes. Its first meeting was on 1 February.
PPG 13
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish planning policy guidance No.13 on transport. [68286]
Mr. Raynsford: The draft consultation PPG 13 will be published in the summer.
Trunk Roads
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding levels of public spending on trunk roads. [68287]
Dr. Reid: We have had, and continue to have, many representations regarding the levels of public spending on trunk roads--some arguing for more expenditure, others for less.
Integrated Transport
Mr. Gummer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the proposals in his Integrated Transport White Paper which (a) require primary legislation, (b) require secondary legislation and (c) can be implemented under current legislation. [66044]
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 152
Dr. Reid:
The great majority of the proposals can be implemented under current legislation. I have today written to the right hon. Member with details of the proposals in all three categories, and have placed a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bradshaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce his conclusions following the consultation on bull bars. [69407]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 8 February 1999, Official Report, column 8.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many meetings his Department's Ministers have had with National Air Traffic Services since May 1997 in connection with NATS' investment programme and commercial future; and what plans they have to consult United Kingdom airline representatives before any policy decision is taken. [69474]
Dr. Reid:
Ministers have had 16 meetings with NATS since May 1997. These meetings covered a broad range of topics including the company's investment programme and commercial future. The Government issued a consultation paper on the future of NATS in October 1998. Airlines were invited to comment; and a number of them have done so.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 21 January 1999, Official Report, column 562, if he will make a statement on the five incidents involving interception of illegally imported radioactive contaminated metals; when and where the metals were discovered; what their origin was; and what steps have been taken to prosecute those responsible. [69628]
Mr. Meale:
The five cases referred to in my answer of 21 January are:
| Date | Location discovered | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| July 1997 | Willenhall | Possibly Russia |
| July 1997 | Sheffield | Probably Russia |
| September 1997 | Sheffield | Probably South Africa |
| July 1998 | Sheffield | Georgia |
| August 1998 | Hathersage, N. Derbyshire | Probably Russia |
The people discovering the above incidents in the United Kingdom are not considered to be at fault; they acted very responsibly in declaring an inadvertent importation of radioactive materials, to the Environment Agency. They could not have known about the radioactive content before receipt. Therefore no enforcement action has been taken in the UK. No information is available about what action was taken overseas.
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 153
The assistance of the metals industries in protecting the environment and the public from the potential consequences of such incidents is welcomed. The Environment Agency works with overseas enforcement authorities, by exchanging information via the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and INTERPOL, to help them pursue regulatory investigations in the countries of origin.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list (a) for the 50 local authorities with the highest and (b) for the 50 local authorities with the lowest dependency on council tax benefit, the proportion of actual 1998-99 council tax that was funded by council tax benefit; and if he will make the information available to local authorities in electronic form. [69364]
Ms Armstrong:
The actual proportion of council tax in 1998-99 funded by council tax benefit will not be available until later this year when local authorities have finalised their financial accounts for 1998-99. However, I have placed in the Library of the House, two tables which show for the authorities requested, the proportion of council tax yield to be funded by council tax benefit which is consistent with the budgets and council taxes set by local authorities for 1998-99. The information is also consistent with data to be used in the Council Tax Benefit Subsidy Limitation Scheme for 1999-2000 and will be made available to local authorities on the Department's Internet site.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate for the most recent year for which figures are available (a) the total amount paid in business rates in South Gloucestershire and (b) the amount received by South Gloucestershire Council from central Government out of the total yield of business rates. [69475]
Ms Armstrong:
The authority calculated £44.7 million to be its provisional contribution to the rating pool for 1998-99 as a result of collecting business rates from the businesses in its area, and it will receive £55.4 million back from central Government as its share of the distributable amount of non-domestic rates. In 1999-2000, the latter figure will rise to £60.9 million; estimates of the former figure are not yet available.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which ministers will be attending, and what position the Government will be advocating, at the forthcoming meeting in Colombia to discuss the Biosafety Protocol. [69821]
Mr. Meacher
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: The Government are eager to ensure that the final meeting of the Open-ended Ad hoc Working Group on Biosafety developing the Biosafety Protocol reaches a successful conclusion. I refer the hon. Member to replies given to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Stunell) on
9 Feb 1999 : Column: 154
19 January 1999, Official Report, column 446, that set out the Government's position on commodities, liability and redress and socio-economic considerations.
We believe the scope of the protocol should be broad, covering all transboundary movements of LMOs resulting from modern biotechnology which may have an adverse effect on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, with a mechanism for granting exemptions.
The UK believes that the Protocol should refer to the precautionary principle. The EU has proposed its inclusion in the preamble to, and in the objectives of the Protocol.
On AIA procedures, our aim is to establish a predictable, science-based and transparent regime which establishes controls proportionate to the risks.
We will argue strongly for the inclusion of provisions requiring the exporter to indicate, either through labelling or accompanying documentation, whether the movement/ shipment contains LMOs. This will also help to show that a movement is in conformity with the Protocol and will provide transparency and openness on LMOs.
It is clear that Parties must have or develop the capacities to be able to make informed decisions about proposed transboundary movements. We therefore believe that the protocol should reflect the need for the strengthening of human and institutional capacities.
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