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Local Elections

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures his Department is taking in order to increase voter interest in local elections. [84393]

Mr. Meale: Our modernisation agenda for local government, as set out in the White Paper, "Modern Local Government--In Touch with the People", published in July 1998, includes a range of measures designed to reinvigorate local democracy and to modernise local electoral arrangements. Where this programme requires legislation, it will be implemented when parliamentary time allows.

Aggregate Supply Report

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place the London Economics report on the cost and benefits of aggregate supply in the Library. [84498]

Mr. Raynsford: A pre-publication copy of the Report was placed in the House of Commons Library on Monday 17 May. A copy of the printed report will be provided as soon as it is available.

18 May 1999 : Column: 289

Planes (Fuel)

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incidents have been reported to him involving planes entering United Kingdom air space with insufficient fuel to meet safety standards in the past two years; and if he will make a statement. [84487]

Ms Glenda Jackson: In the past two years the CAA has received 12 reports of aircraft arriving at UK airports with fuel levels below the prescribed minimum.

The international standard for minimum fuel levels is contained in Annex 6 to the Chicago Convention. This requires that an aircraft should arrive at its destination airport with enough fuel to make an approach to land, carry out a missed approach, fly to an alternate airport, hold for 30 minutes and carry out the subsequent approach and landing. The aircraft should also carry a contingency reserve specified by the relevant national aviation authority. The breaching of minimum fuel levels does not immediately place an aircraft in danger.

Train Operating Companies

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the public subsidy given to each of the train operating companies for the most recent year for which figures are available. [84656]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The latest available public subsidy for each train operating company are contained in OPRAF's 1997-98 Annual Report, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Integrated Transport

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from the Local Government Association in respect of possible future legislation to implement the White Paper on Integrated Transport. [84232]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The Government have received a number of representations from the Local Government Association. We aim to introduce the legislation to implement further elements of the integrated transport strategy as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets have been set for improving energy efficiency in his Department's buildings at (a) Eland House, (b) Ashdown House and Great Minster House. [84234]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The targets are to reduce energy emissions by:


(a) 13% in Eland House and Ashdown House by March 2005 compared to June 1997, and
(b) 3% in Great Minster House by March 2000 compared to March 1999.

Eland House was occupied in 1997 and Ashdown House in 1998. Both buildings were fitted out to high standards of environmental design to maximise energy efficiency.

18 May 1999 : Column: 290

Great Minster House was occupied in 1995. This building was fitted out to a more conventional style and the controls for energy management are not as sophisticated as for Eland and Ashdown House.

Elections

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has undertaken on correlation between voter turnout in local elections and the frequency of elections. [84543]

Mr. Meale: This year we have commissioned wide-ranging research to examine the factors affecting turnout in local elections. The expected results will include an updating of the Department's report, "Explaining election turnout: a secondary analysis of local election statistics", published in 1994.

Concessionary Fares (London)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning improvements to the London concessionary fares scheme; and if he will make a statement. [84545]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The Government have received representations from Members of Parliament, the Association of London Government, the Transport Committee for London, organisations representing Freedom Pass Holders and some individual Freedom Pass Holders.

I would refer the hon. Member to my statement to the House on 4 May 1999, Official Report, column 771, in which I explained that we have given careful consideration to a number of proposals for improving the scheme. We will be introducing amendments in the Lords which will update the scheme and help maintain its stability. For the statutory reserve scheme the start and finish times will be brought up to date and the arrangements for determining costs will be clarified. We also plan to give the boroughs powers to set up a statutory joint committee dealing with concessionary fares, which will have the option of taking decisions on the basis of qualified majority voting.

Air Pollution

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to implement the recommendations of the KPMG report on the setting of fees for local air pollution control. [84700]

Mr. Meale: KPMG is currently undertaking an investigation of local air pollution control regime costs in England and Wales commissioned by the Welsh Office, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The final report of the study, which will be completed in July, will inform our decisions on charging levels for 2000-2001 and any structural changes in 2001-2002 in England. Local authority and trade associations will be consulted on all proposed changes.

The future level of local air pollution control charges in Wales will be a matter for the National Assembly.

18 May 1999 : Column: 291

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the changes in local air pollution control fees for each year since 1997-98. [84702]

18 May 1999 : Column: 292

Mr. Meale: The local air pollution control fees and charges for England and Wales since 1997-98 are as set out:

18 May 1999 : Column: 291

Table A

Charges for:
Type of chargeType of process1997-981998-991999-2000
Application FeeStandard (those not listed below)1,0401,0651,280
Waste oil burning appliance/s under 0.4MW100100120
Unloading of petrol into storage tanks at a service station100100120
Mobile screening and crushing plant See table B
Annual Subsistence ChargeStandard (those not listed below)640660790
Standard charge where paid quarterly660685820
Waste oil burning appliances under 0.4MW100100120
Unloading of petrol into storage tanks at a service station100100120
Odourising of natural gasAs standard charge240290
Mobile screening and crushing plant See table B
Substantial changesStandard (those not listed below)665680815
(Sections 10 and 11 of the Act)Waste oil burning appliance/s under 0.4MW656580
Unloading of petrol into storage tanks at a service station656580
Change to implement an upgrading plan100100120

18 May 1999 : Column: 291


Mobile screening and crushing plant
Where the process comprises mobile crushing and screening plant, the application fee and subsistence charge payable will be dependent upon the number of authorisations held by the operator. The following application fees and subsistence charges apply for these plant.

Table B

Charges for each authorisation:
Type of chargeNumber of authorisations held by operator1997-981998-991999-2000
Application fee1 or 21,0401,0651,280
3 to 7624639765
8 and over312319385
Subsistence charge1 or 2640655785
3 to 7384393470
8 and over192196235

The information relating to Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.


Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce the fee level for local air pollution control for 1999-2000. [84701]

Mr. Meale: Details for the 1999-2000 England and Wales charging scheme for local air pollution control under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are set out in my written answer dated 22 February 1999, Official Report, columns 62-64.

The information relating to Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.


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