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Airports Policy
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the timetable for the review of his Department's UK airports policy and implementation of resulting recommendations. [75425]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We announced in "A New Deal for Transport" (Cm 3950) that we will prepare a UK airports policy looking some 30 years ahead, and that in
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doing so we will take account of the Inspector's report on the Heathrow Terminal 5 Inquiry. After the Secretary of State has received the Inspector's report, the Government will, of course, need to consider it carefully before we can come to decisions on his recommendations and can publish the new airports policy. In the meantime we are pressing ahead with preparatory studies needed for the review of airports policy.
Mr. Stringer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incidents there have been in each of the last five years of objects falling from commercial airlines over the UK; and how many such falling objects have caused (a) personal injury and (b) damage to building. [75676]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The number of incidents of falling objects reported to the Civil Aviation Authority are as follows:
| Total number of incidents | Number causing damage on ground | Personal injury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 52 | 27 | 0 |
| 1995 | 41 | 23 | 0 |
| 1996 | 56 | 32 | 0 |
| 1997 | 61 | 29 | 0 |
| 1998 | 60 | 34 | 0 |
Note:
These objects include ice fragments and other miscellaneous items. Generally it is not possible to confirm the precise origin of such objects. The figures for incidents of damage on the ground include damage to items such as cars, garden furniture and patios as well as buildings.
Rail Services
Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision he is making for the cost of rail services secured by the English Passenger Transport Executive in 1999-2000. [76409]
Ms Glenda Jackson: A special grant report has been laid before the House today for the payment of Metropolitan Railway Passenger Service Grant in 1999-2000 to English Passenger Transport Authorities (PTAs). The main purpose of the grant is to provide support to those PTAs for the local rail services provided by franchise operators and secured by the PTAs' Passenger Transport Executives under the terms of the franchise agreements with franchisees and the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising.
Ships (Inspections)
Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many ships were found to be unhygienic as a result of the inspections of ships for nuisances; and how many special notices were served under the provisions of the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979 in each year since 1990. [74968]
Ms Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
The Department does not keep central records on the results of tests made under the Environmental Health Act 1990 and the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979,
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which are a local inspection function. However, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has provided figures on the number of ships detained under Merchant Shipping legislation where deficiencies have included food and hygiene items. Figures before 1994-95 are not available.
| Year | Number of ships detained where deficiencies included food and hygiene items |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 48 |
| 1995-96 | 63 |
| 1996-97 | 64 |
| 1997-98 | 75 |
WALES
Bell Pottinger Good Relations
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his decision to award the contract for providing information about the National Assembly to Bell Pottinger Good Relations. [73005]
Mr. Michael: My Department appointed Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury following a competition arranged by the Central Office of Information on behalf of the Welsh Office. They were appointed on the basis that they gave the strongest, most effective response to the tendered campaign.
All competing Agencies were required to demonstrate that they could deal effectively with local issues and operate effectively with the Welsh Office in Cardiff. Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury invited sister company Bell Pottinger Good Relations to assist them in the competition to meet this requirement, and to provide wider expertise for the National Assembly for Wales campaign.
This appointment was ratified by the Independent Advisory Committee on Advertising.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last discussed housing problems with council housing authorities; and if he will make a statement. [74180]
Mr. Michael:
As Chair of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance, I meet local authority housing representatives on a regular basis. At the last of these meetings on 15 December housing issues were discussed.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from the pupils of Llanover Primary School concerning the speed limit on the A4042 in Llanover, near Abergavenny; what plans he has to review the speed limit on the road; and if he will make a statement. [74888]
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Mr. Hain:
The Headteacher of Llanover Primary School sent the former Secretary of State a selection of letters from pupils concerning the speed of traffic along the nearby A4042 in May 1998.
Since traffic generally travels at under 50 mph along this stretch of road past the village, there are no plans for a reduced speed limit as it would not essentially be self regulating.
We will however continue to keep this part of the A4042 under review and will review the speed limit if there is any significant change in the situation there.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
As announced in the White Paper on the future of transport, a national review is under way to develop a speed policy that takes account of the contribution of reduced speeds to environmental and social objectives as well as to road safety.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he proposes to make to his voted cash limits for the current year. [76353]
Mr. Michael:
Subject to the approval of the related Supplementary Estimate, I propose to increase the cash limit on class XIV, vote 2 by £4,144,000 from £851,924,000 to £856,068,000. This increase results from an addition to the education programme for the purchase of school books, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement on 9 March 1999, Official Report, columns 173-90. Schools will have until July of this year to spend their allocations of these extra resources. This increase will be met from the Reserve and will not add to the overall level of public expenditure.
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will announce his decisions on the amended proposals to reconfigure NHS trusts in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. [76399]
Mr. Michael:
I have today announced my decision to establish the University Hospital of Wales and Llandough NHS Trust and the Cardiff and District Community NHS Trust to become operational on 1 April 1999. This decision follows public consultation which ended on 28 January, and supports my vision for the NHS in Wales made in my statement to the House on 3 December 1998, Official Report, columns 1053-66. The establishment of these two trusts is a first step towards creating a single integrated health service for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan with acute, community and mental health services delivered through a single trust. In order to bring as much certainty as possible to the process so that staff in the new trusts know exactly where they stand, a further public consultation will start in July on the details of the process of forming the single trust and on the timing, which it is hoped will be sooner rather than later.
A copy of the press release detailing my announcement, along with a summary of all responses received by the Welsh Office on this matter during the consultation period, a copy of the report of the reconfiguration project
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team on local consultation and a copy of the report of independent consultants who were commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the consultation proposals, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the planned starts for homes to be built by housing associations in 1998-99. [75494]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
Housing associations are expected to achieve starts on up to 2,300 homes during the year, of which approximately 70% will be new build.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
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