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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Food Control
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money was provided in the standard spending assessment in each year between 1989-90 and 1998-99 for enforcement of the law in relation to food control. [77523]
Ms Armstrong: The information requested is not available.
Standard spending assessments cover the whole range of local authority services. Specific amounts are not identified for enforcement in relation to the law on food control. The level of resources for enforcement of food control legislation is a matter for individual local authorities.
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the preparedness of local authorities and emergency services in Gloucestershire for dealing with the millennium bug; and if he will make a statement. [77484]
Ms Armstrong: It is each authority's responsibility, for which they are accountable to their local people, to ensure they are adequately prepared for the Millennium Bug and have proper plans in place for the emergency services. Independent assessment of the state of preparedness is being carried out by auditors and the Audit Commission, which, in June, will be naming any council which is not making sufficient progress. We have also appointed teams in the Government Offices to help councils to prepare for the Millennium Bug, and to report on the state of preparedness of the local government sector to Action 2000's National Infrastructure Forum.
Road Surfaces
Mr. Gorrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to hold trials of the use of shredded tyres in new road surfaces. [77424]
Ms Glenda Jackson: There are no proposals for trials of surfacings incorporating shredded tyres within new road surfaces on the Department's trunk roads. New road surfaces are being developed with shredded tyres forming part of their composition. The Highways Agency is working closely with surfacing manufacturers and local authority associations to develop further the scope for using recycled tyres in road surfaces and in other highways applications. The materials will be subjected to trials when capable of meeting the required levels of performance for safety and durability.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what use is made of recycled material from car tyres in road surfaces; and if he will make a statement. [77825]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
Recycled material from car tyres is not currently used in road surfaces specified for the Department's trunk roads. New road surfaces are being developed with shredded tyres forming part of their composition. The Highways Agency is working closely with surfacing manufacturers and local authority associations to develop further the scope for using recycled tyres in road surfaces and in other highways applications. The materials will be subjected to trials when capable of meeting the required levels of performance for safety and durability.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ratify the Convention on Environmental Rights signed at the Aarhus Conference in Denmark on 25 June 1998. [77656]
Mr. Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress made following the signing of the Aarhus Convention on environmental rights in June 1998; and whether Britain will have ratified the Convention in time to be involved in the first meeting of signatories in Moldova in April. [78014]
Mr. Meale:
We intend to ratify the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision- Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention) as soon as we have the necessary measures in place to implement its provisions. In particular, that requires new legislation on access to environmental information. We are considering including measures in the forthcoming Freedom of Information Bill to implement the access to information provisions of the Convention.
The United Kingdom will play a full part in the first meeting of signatories to the Convention in Moldova in April, which will discuss a work programme on follow-up to the Convention. The United Kingdom has offered to host a workshop as part of that work programme.
The Convention will come into force when sixteen countries have ratified it. That is not expected to be until 2000 at the earliest. The Convention Secretariat is not aware that any country has yet ratified.
Mr. Darvill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plan to consult on the proposal contained in the consultation paper, "Residential Leasehold Reform in England and Wales", to give to leaseholders of houses a similar right of first refusal to that of qualifying tenants in blocks of flats. [77650]
Mr. Raynsford:
We must first consider all the responses to the existing consultation paper, which are still being received. We expect to proceed with further consultation later in the year.
23 Mar 1999 : Column: 152
Mr. Darvill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what form the consultation about the technical details of the Government's proposal to create a new right for a majority of the leaseholders in a block of flats to take over the management of the block will take; and when that consultation will take place. [77651]
Mr. Raynsford:
We will issue a consultation paper on the new right to manage once we have decided on the main issues of principle in the light of the responses to our existing paper. I would expect that to be later this year.
Mr. Darvill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has carried out on the numbers of former local authority tenants who have acquired leasehold flats under the right to buy legislation and are now unable to resell their homes on the open market; and if he will publish the results of that research. [77649]
Mr. Raynsford:
My Department carried out two research studies which were published by HMSO in 1995 as Housing Research Reports, "The Resale of Former Council Homes" and "Leaseholders and Service Charges in Former Local Authority Flats". Copies of both reports and summaries are in the Library of the House.
The Department has been carrying out further research into leaseholders of social landlords since 1996 as part of the Survey of English Housing. The Survey involves an annual sample of around 1 in 1,000 households and has collected data only on 256 leasehold properties which had been purchased from a local authority by a sitting tenant; and of these, only 18 had put their home on the market at some time since purchase. We shall publish results once we have statistically significant information.
Mr. Darvill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he plans to publish the result of the financial management and policy review of rent assessment panels in England; [77653]
Mr. Raynsford:
We intend to publish a report on the outcome of the first phase of the financial management and policy review of rent assessment panels in England by the summer. This phase will involve examining the role of the panels and their functions, assessing the extent to which these are necessary and considering options for achieving best value. We will, as part of the review, be considering all aspects of the operation of the leasehold valuation tribunals.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the planning application for the RAF East Camp site, Colindale. [77865]
Mr. Caborn:
Shortly.
23 Mar 1999 : Column: 153
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the planning application for Barnet Football Club at Copthall Stadium. [77873]
Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what criteria are used to assess bids for agencies seeking appointment to installerships under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme with particular reference to (a) pricing of measures, (b) quality of work, (c) customer care provisions and (d) training opportunities; and if he will make a statement. [77657]
Mr. Meale:
The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) is managed for the Department under contract by Eaga Ltd. As part of the contract, Eaga is responsible for the appointment of installers to carry out work in designated areas under the scheme. Installers seeking appointment are required to demonstrate that they can meet the required standard of quality of work and customer care, and have the appropriately qualified and trained staff. Those meeting these criteria are then assessed on the basis of price.
(2) when he expects to complete his consideration of the future of the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal following the financial management and policy review of rent assessment panels in England. [77652]
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