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Cycling Policies
Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people in his Department are directly employed promoting cycling policies; and how many were so employed in May 1997. [84721]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Work in support of cycling policies, including research, accounts for the whole of three posts and a substantial part of six others. The equivalent figures for May 1997 were four and six. One research post has been transferred to work on walking and Home Zones.
School Budgets
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what extent the costs assumed for the area cost adjustment in school budgets differed from actual costs in the last year for which figures are available. [84765]
Mr. Meale: It is not possible to make the comparison requested. It is the difficulty of determining the actual cost which would be relevant to the area cost adjustment that gives rise to much of the disagreement about that adjustment.
Debt
Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will publish a list of English local authorities broken down by classification and ranked by (a) outstanding debt and (b) outstanding debt per head of population; [84863]
- (2) if he will publish a list of English local authorities ranked (a) by outstanding debt and (b) by outstanding debt per head of population. [84862]
Mr. Meale: The latest information on levels of debt outstanding for each local authority in England relates to 31 March 1997. I have today placed the information requested in the Library of the House.
High-level Waste
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will
21 May 1999 : Column: 472
place in the Library a copy of the report, "High-Level Waste and Spent Fuel Disposal Research Strategy", DETR/RAS/98.006, dated May 1998. [84761]
Mr. Meale:
Copies have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Geraint Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the implications for the Code of Local Government Conduct of the decision of the Court of Appeal relating to Dame Shirley Porter and Mr. John Magill. [84915]
Ms Armstrong:
We have made no such assessments. In March 1999 we published detailed proposals (Cm 4298), including a draft Bill, for Councils to adopt new constitutions and for a new ethical framework for local government. The proposals for the new ethical framework include introducing new statutory codes of conduct together with an enforcement regime involving independent investigation of alleged unethical conduct.
Mrs. Gordon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which a councillor, applying for a discretionary grant from his or her council, may lobby other councillors to vote in favour of that grant. [84920]
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which a councillor applying for a discretionary grant to his or her council may put that matter before a meeting of the council for decision. [84922]
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which a councillor who has a personal (a) pecuniary and (b) non-pecuniary interest in a matter before his or her council may put a proposal to the council relating to that matter. [84919]
Ms Armstrong:
The National Code of Local Government Conduct, published in April 1990, provides guidance to members of local authorities on their conduct, including on the disclosure of pecuniary and other interests, and on dealings with the council. It makes clear that the statutory requirements on disclosure of interests must be scrupulously observed at all times, and that councillors should never seek or accept preferential treatment in their dealings with the council because of their position as a councillor.
In March 1999 we published detailed proposals (Cm4298), including a draft Bill, for a new ethical framework for local government including introducing new statutory codes of conduct which will be rigorously applied through an enforcement regime involving independent investigation of alleged unethical conduct.
Siobhain McDonagh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which the leader of a council can be regarded as acting on behalf of that council. [84923]
21 May 1999 : Column: 473
Ms Armstrong:
There are currently no legal powers for a single councillor to act on behalf of their council.
In March 1999 we published detailed proposals (Cm 4298), including a draft Bill, for councils to adopt new constitutions, including decision making structures where an executive mayor or other councillors could act on behalf of the council. In parallel with the new constitutions we are proposing a new ethical framework for local government, which includes each council adopting a statutory code of conduct for councillors reflecting the particular decision making structure of its new constitution.
Judy Mallaber:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which political considerations can be the prime motivating factor for a decision taken by members of a local authority. [84921]
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which it would be permitted for electoral advantage to be the motivation behind a local authority decision. [84917]
Ms Armstrong:
It is the responsibility of each local authority to satisfy itself as to the legality of its actions. Local authorities, like other public bodies, are subject to the requirements of administrative law. They may not act illegally, irrationally or with procedural impropriety, and hence their decisions must be made taking account of only considerations which a Court would judge relevant.
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which legal advice can act as authority for a course of conduct by a local authority. [84916]
Dr. Whitehead:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance on the circumstances, when legal advice has been taken based on incomplete instructions, in which a local authority may act on the basis of that advice. [84918]
Ms Armstrong:
It is the responsibility of each council to satisfy itself as to the legality of its actions.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many appeals against refusal by local councils of consent to fell trees under the protection of tree preservation orders have been made since May 1997. [84911]
Mr. Meale:
My Department has received 1,174 appeals between 1 May 1997 and 31 March 1999 against local councils' refusals of consent to carry out felling or other works on trees under the protection of tree preservation orders or against their failure to determine such applications.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many decisions by inspectors to allow consent to fell trees under tree preservation orders he has overturned since May 1997. [84912]
21 May 1999 : Column: 474
Mr. Meale:
None. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions decides himself appeals against local councils' refusal of consent to fell protected trees. Inspectors are involved (a) when the appellant requests a Hearing or Public Inquiry or (b) when the appeal raises technical or arboricultural issues. However, in all cases, the Secretary of State makes the final decision, having regard to the Inspector's advice.
Mrs. Humble:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide financial assistance to South Lakeland District Council under the Bellwin scheme for costs incurred following the severe flooding over 5 and 6 January. [85311]
Mr. Meale:
I am satisfied that financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme is justified in the case of South Lakeland District Council given the exceptional nature of the floods and the damage caused. A scheme will, therefore, be established under section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Grant will be paid to the authority to cover 85 per cent. of the eligible costs above a threshold which have been incurred by the authority in dealing with the flooding.
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