| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Packaging Waste
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Elmet (Mr. Burgon) of 28 January 1999, Official Report, column 335, on packaging waste, if he will provide details of the consultation process referred to in paragraph (viii); and when it will be concluded. [80384]
Mr. Meacher: The Department will shortly be issuing a consultation paper covering the Advisory Committee's proposal to change the present percentage activity obligations. We expect the consultation period to last approximately 6 weeks.
The consultation will consider the Advisory Committee's recommendation that there should be a 2 per cent. reduction in the convertor activity obligation (from 11 per cent. to 9 per cent.), a 1 per cent. increase each in the packer/filler activity obligation (from 36 per cent. to 37 per cent.) and retailer activity obligation (from 47 per cent. to 48 per cent.).
West Coast Main Line
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to enforce standards of service on the West Coast Inter City main line; and if he will make a statement. [80276]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The Franchise Agreement specifies performance and service quality standards which must be met. The Franchising Director monitors compliance with these standards and has powers to take enforcement action if they are not met.
Treaty of Amsterdam
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each of the new responsibilities which he will assume when the signed Treaty of Amsterdam takes effect and for each (a) the likely effect on departmental staffing, (b) the bodies or persons in the European Union principally concerned and (c) the relevant section of that treaty and the consolidated treaties of the European Union and European Community. [80417]
Mr. Meale: The Treaty of Amsterdam will have minimal impact on the responsibilities of the Department and its staffing. As far as the EU Institutions are concerned, there will be an increased role for the European Parliament in some of the areas covered by the Department due to the extension by the Treaty of the co-decision procedure to much of the EU legislation in the transport and environmental fields.
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice he has received from IATA in relation to the impact of the millennium bug on airport and airline safety. [80031]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My Department has received no specific advice from IATA. The Department proposes to issue guidance on the millennium compliance situation of
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 76
foreign aircraft and airports by 1 October, although the timing may be subject to the availability of relevant information. The guidance will be based largely on information received from governmental sources such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)--the major international aviation governmental organisation--and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), supplemented by information from relevant sources such as IATA.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 March 1999, Official Report, columns 467-68, on road accidents, if he will break down the number of road deaths in 1997 by borough council areas. [80002]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Information for all borough council areas is not readily available. However fatalities in 1997 by county and unitary authority are shown in Table 46a of "Road Accidents Great Britain 1997: The Casualty Report". A copy of this publication may be found in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to carry out a study on the rail link between London and Cheltenham/Gloucester; what discussions he has had with (a) train operators and (b) Railtrack about this line and the services on it; what discussions he has had about providing a dual track from Swindon to Kemble; and if he will make a statement. [80106]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We have no plans to carry out a study on the rail link between London and Cheltenham/Gloucester, and we have had no discussions with the train operators or Railtrack about this line or the services on it, or about providing a dual track from Swindon to Kemble.
Mr. Sayeed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the level of tender prices for new and additional rural bus services in Bedfordshire funded by the rural bus service grant. [80248]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The award of contracts for subsidised bus services is a matter for the local authority concerned. However, a number of local authorities, of which I know Bedfordshire is one, have reported concerns about recent increases in tender costs. We will be considering this issue as part of our assessment with local authorities of the impact of the rural bus subsidy grant and in monitoring bus industry performance more generally.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions whom he has consulted in the course of making his decision over the application by British Nuclear Fuels plc to operate a mixed oxide plutonium fuels plant at Sellafield; what
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 77
matters are currently under consideration in respect of the application; and when he expects to make an announcement on the matter. [80402]
Mr. Meale:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Stunell) on 11 November 1998, Official Report, column 189.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to paragraph 9.51 of his Department's Annual Report 1999, Cm 4204, what international work on the implementation of the convention on the safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel has been supported by the United Kingdom. [80203]
Mr. Meale:
The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management has yet to enter into force. The UK signed the Convention on 29 September 1997, the day it opened for signature. Preparations for UK ratification of the Convention are under way.
Since the Convention opened for signature, the International Atomic Energy Agency has held two informal meetings to discuss preparations for implementation of the Convention's reporting and peer review requirements. UK experts have taken an active part in these meetings.
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will order an extraordinary audit of the activities of Kingshurst Parish Council in the Borough of Solihull. [80421]
Ms Armstrong:
The appointment and conduct of auditors is a matter for the Audit Commission, who may order an extraordinary audit where they consider that a departure from the normal audit cycle is required. My right hon. Friend has no reason to override the role and responsibility of the Audit Commission in the case of Kingshurst Parish Council.
Mr. Ian Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is introducing to promote the increased transport of freight by rail. [78818]
Mr. Prescott:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Khabra) today, Official Report, column 4.
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to reply to the letter of 20 August from the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East about a traffic reduction initiative in Essex. [79783]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My Department has no record of receiving a letter from the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East on this subject.
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 78
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations he has received concerning the commission payable by mobile home owners to site owners on completion of the sale of a home; [80099]
(3) what steps he plans to take to ensure that mobile home owners have the right to choose the suppliers of public utilities to their homes. [80100]
Mr. Raynsford:
My Department established the Park Homes Working Party last year to examine the concerns raised by national groups representing mobile home (or park home) owners and the large number of representations we have received from home owners themselves. These cover a wide range of issues including the commission payable when a home is sold on site and issues relating to the supply of utilities to individual homes.
(2) what review he has conducted of the working of the Mobile Homes Act 1983; [80098]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |