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Global Environment Assistance
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will state her Department's budget for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000 for global environment assistance. [78770]
Mr. Foulkes: In 1997-98 the Department spent £18.7 million on global environmental assistance. In 1998-99 the budget is £19.5 million and in 1999-2000 the budget will be £18.4 million.
Know How Fund
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money from the Know How Fund has been allocated to Russia in each of the last four years. [78911]
Mr. Foulkes: Bilateral assistance to Russia has been allocated by financial year as follows:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 28.5 |
| 1996-97 | 28.0 |
| 1997-98 | 28.0 |
| 1998-99 | 29.0 |
The Department for International Development also contributed approximately 15 per cent. of the cost of the European Union's Tacis programme.
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Ministerial Meetings (US)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times Ministers in his Department have met their counterparts in the US Government since 1 June 1998; and if he will list the dates and locations of each meeting, the Ministers involved on each occasion, and the name of the US counterpart at each meeting. [77117]
Mr. Prescott: The information for DETR is as follows:
| Date | Location | DETR minister | US counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 July 1998 | Washington | Richard Caborn | Saul Ramirez (Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development) |
| 16-18 September 1998 | Japan | John Prescott | Stu Eizenstat (Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs) |
| 10-13 November 1998 | Buenos Aires | John Prescott, Michael Meacher | Stu Eizenstat (Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs) |
| 25 January 1999 | London | John Prescott | Frank Loy (Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs) |
| 30 January 1999 | London | John Prescott | Al Gore, Vice President |
Community Transport (Fuel Rebate)
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to extend fuel duty rebate to community transport services. [76512]
Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 16 March 1999]: Fuel duty rebate is an important element in Government financial support for local bus services. Possible changes to its scope will be considered as part of the study we will be asking the new Commission for Integrated Transport to undertake on all aspects of public funding for bus services. We will also be considering carefully all the recommendations of the review of voluntary and community transport commissioned by my Department, the report of which will be published shortly.
Road Haulage
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the change in the number of British-owned road haulage firms over the next year. [77286]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My Department does not hold information on the numbers of British owned road haulage firms. Road haulage companies based in Great Britain are required to hold a goods vehicle operator's licence, issued by the local Traffic Commissioner, for each traffic area in which they have an operating centre: so many of the larger companies will hold more than one licence. Figures for the number of licences in issue each year from 1993-97 show a cumulative decline of
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some 9 per cent. over the period. Figures for 1997-98 show a slight increase, 0.5 per cent., over the previous year. I estimate that figures for the current year, ending 31 March, will be similar to those for last year. It is too soon to make any estimates for next year.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much his Department spent per capita of population on transport infrastructure investment in (a) Greater London, (b) Docklands and (c) the North West of England during the most recent five years for which figures are available. [77666]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Comprehensive information is not available in the form requested. In the last five years, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions directly invested in transport infrastructure in (a) Greater London, (b) Docklands and (c) the North West of England through a number of different programmes. Local authorities may also have invested in transport infrastructure through Revenue Support Grant, although detailed records of this are not kept by the Department.
The directly supported capital expenditure in the five year period to April 1998 was:
| (a) Greater London | (b) Docklands | (c) North West of England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk roads (£ million) | (3)1,256 | 1,051 | |
| Local Transport Capital (£ million) | (3)449.4 | 457.1 | |
| Capital Challenge (£ million) | 0 | 0 | (4)39 |
| Freight grants (£ million) | 4.37 | 0 | 4.88 |
| Local authority airports (£ million) | 0.01 | 0 | 5.56 |
| London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) (£ million) | -- | (5)123.016 | -- |
| Docklands Light Railway (£ million) | -- | 84.035 | -- |
| London Transport/Traffic Director for London (£ million) | (3)3,768 | -- | |
| Woolwich Ferry (£ million) | -- | 1.967 | -- |
| Total (5 years) (£ million) | (3)5,686.8 | 1,557.5 | |
| Population (million) | 7.122 | 6.89 | |
| Spend per Capita | (3)£798 | £226 |
(3) Combined figure for Greater London and for Docklands--not separately identifiable
(4) Capital Challenge was a new programme introduced in 1996-97
(5) LDDC closed in April 1998
Millennium Transport Insurance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the availability of insurance for transport providers on 1 January 2000; and if he will arrange to meet transport providers to discuss this issue. [77894]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Members of my Department are in frequent discussion with transport providers about their plans to maintain services on 1 January 2000. In general, the matter of insurance is between the transport providers and their insurers.
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As regards aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority is requiring all UK licensed operators to provide confirmation that their insurance specifically includes cover for possible computer date recognition problems. Failure to provide satisfactory confirmation will lead to the CAA taking action to suspend operating licences.
Rail operators are required as a condition of their licence, to have adequate insurance cover. The Rail Regulator has made it clear that he does not expect exclusions relating to the millennium date change problem to be a part of such insurance cover.
Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to end the charging of the over-70s for renewing their driving licences. [78301]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
There are no plans to end the charging of drivers aged 70 or over for renewing their driving licences.
Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the costs to public funds of the subsidies and other financial incentives provided to the Canary Wharf development and associated Enterprise Zone since its establishment. [78302]
Mr. Meale:
Information as requested on an individual development within an Enterprise Zone is not readily available.
| £ million (1997-98 prices) | |
|---|---|
| Cost to the Exchequer of the Capital Allowances | 736.0 |
| Rate Relief | 66.8 |
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