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Genetically Modified Foods
Mr. Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he has responded to the Local Government Association statement on genetically modified foods. [75496]
Mr. Meacher: Yes, I have responded to the Local Government Association statement on genetically modified foods and a copy has been placed in the Library.
Media Relations
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84201]
Mr. Meale [holding answer 18 May 1999]: Detailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial years 1997-98 and 1998-99 were provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on the Government Information and Communication Service (HC 770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House. The number of GICS Press Officers in post in DETR(C) on 1 May 1999 was 37.
Special Advisers in this Department have ad hoc contact with the media but none are specifically employed in media relations.
Global Warming
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment
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he has made of the report published in the New Scientist on 1 May on the speeding-up of the cooling of the mesosphere and its likely impact on global warming. [84909]
Mr. Meale:
Cooling of the upper atmosphere is an expected consequence of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, and although the reported study is yet to be completed, and the size of the cooling confirmed, cooling of the mesosphere is not expected to impact significantly predictions of climate change.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision exists to facilitate the reinstatement of canals obstructed by road construction and improvement. [84905]
Mr. Meale:
There is a duty for a highway authority wishing to promote a road scheme which would cross a waterway where there are extant navigation rights to provide a suitable crossing. The Department is reviewing the issues of managing the different interests involved in canal restoration and highway schemes. This should be covered in the daughter document on inland waterways which will be published in the next few months.
Ms Kelly:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 17 May 1999, Official Report, column 245, if he will list (a) the dates on which claims were made, (b) the dates on which compensation was received, (c) the value of the compensation claimed and (d) the region in which the employee was working, for all claims since 1991 by former employees of British Rail who are diagnosed as having mesothelioma, asbestosis or primary carcinoma of the lung, related to exposure to asbestos. [84985]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I understand from the British Railways Board that information requested is not available in a form which can be analysed in the manner requested without disproportionate cost.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers his Department retains to ensure that the plans of the water companies for asset replacement are consistent with public safety. [84892]
Mr. Meale:
The Government require water companies to operate in ways which are consistent with public safety through a variety of regulatory requirements, such as those concerned with health and safety at work and the quality of drinking water, rather than through control of their asset replacement policies.
The Director General of Water Services is required to exercise his powers and duties in the manner that he considers is best calculated to secure that the functions of water and sewerage undertakers are properly carried out as respects every area of England and Wales, and that undertakers are able to finance the proper carrying out of their functions.
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The Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Wales have published "Raising the Quality", giving guidance to the Director General of Water Services on the environmental and quality obligations to be achieved by the water industry in England and Wales 2000-05. That guidance covered such public health matters as tackling deteriorating raw water quality and reducing the risk from cryptosporidium. Ministerial guidance has also been given in "Maintaining Public Water Supplies" on issues arising in the preparation of water resources plans by the water companies in England and Wales. The Director General will take this guidance into account in determining water company price limits in the current Periodic Review of water prices.
Ministers also have power, under Section 208 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to give directions to water undertakers covering emergencies and in the interests of national security.
Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 18 May 1999, Official Report, column 287, concerning reviews by the Audit Commission of the District Auditor's investigation of Westminster City Council's designated sales, if he will list the reviews carried out. [85061]
Ms Armstrong:
The Audit Commission considered reviews concerning the auditor's investigation into Westminster City Council's designated sales on two occasions in 1994, two occasions in 1995 and most recently in April 1996.
Dr. Tony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to use his powers to regulate relative tolling levels in respect of the Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [85037]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
There are no plans to do so. A statutory decision has been reached to change the basis on which the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (BNRR) has been promoted and authorised. The Decision Letter of 23 July 1997 followed a lengthy statutory process. In it the Secretary of State decided against modifying the BNRR toll order to prescribe a relationship between the tolling levels of different classes of vehicle. The Court of Appeal judgment of 23 March concluded that there was no requirement for the Secretary of State to impose restrictions on the relative level of tolls and, although he did have a power to do so, his statutory decision was perfectly valid.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the (a) benefits and (b) disadvantages of exempting lorry and bus drivers from European Union eyesight standards. [85261]
Ms Glenda Jackson
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: Drivers of lorries and buses (group 2) who obtained their licence since the implementation of the Second EC Driving Licence Directive on 1 January 1997, are subject to the Directive eyesight requirements.
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Drivers of group 2 vehicles who obtained their licence before 1 January 1997, who are unable to meet the Directive eyesight requirements for such vehicles, but who can continue to meet the pre-Directive requirements, may renew their licence.
Drivers of group 2 vehicles who obtained their licence before 1 January 1997, who are unable to meet the pre-Directive requirements for such vehicles, but who can continue to meet the requirements applicable when they obtained their entitlement, may renew their licence provided that they have not been involved in a road accident in the preceding 10 years where defective eyesight was a contributory factor and that they have adequate recent experience of driving these vehicles. This has allowed drivers with a safe driving record over many years to retain their employment.
We have no evidence that preserved rights for these drivers have had an adverse effect on road safety.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Road Safety Strategy will be published; and what representations he has received on the inclusion of casualty reduction targets. [85262]
Ms Glenda Jackson
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: It is intended to publish the road safety strategy and targets in Autumn 1999 in order to reflect the findings of the review of speed policy announced in chapter 3 of the Government's Transport White Paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone".
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