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Freight Transport
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the tonnage of freight which has transferred from road to rail in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [85520]
Mrs. Liddell: My Department has not made estimates of this type. However, the Department does provide freight grants to companies to assist with the capital costs and track access charges associated with transferring freight from road to rail and inland waterway. Since May 1997, the Department's Freight Grants Unit has awarded grants to assist in the transfer of an estimated 15,918,610 tonnes of freight.
Asbestos
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what surveys his
26 May 1999 : Column: 172
Department has commissioned on the amount of asbestos which is present in buildings which are still in use; and if he will make a statement. [85518]
Mr. Raynsford:
No such surveys have been commissioned by the Department in the last 10 years.
At the request of the Department, the Medical Research Council, Institute for Environment and Health, carried out a review of the sources and uses of asbestos in buildings, the levels of exposure in the non-workplace environment and the health effects of such exposures. The report of this work entitled "Fibrous materials in the environment" was published by the Institute on 18 November 1997. A copy is in the Library.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of local authority properties which are regarded as unfit for human habitation. [85517]
Mr. Raynsford:
Local authorities are asked to provide information on all dwellings in their area which are unfit (i.e. because they fail to meet the fitness criteria in Section 83 of Schedule 9 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989) in their annual Housing Investment Programme returns. Separate figures are requested for local authority, registered social landlord, other public sector and private sector dwellings. The figures provided are local authorities' own estimates and are not necessarily compiled on a consistent basis.
The latest available figures are for 1 April 1998 and are given in the 1998 "HIP OI All Items Print", a copy of which is in the Library. The print includes county totals where estimates have been provided by all the authorities in the county.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress of the planning appeal in relation to Belmont Stables, Mill Hill. [85619]
Mr. Caborn:
The Inspector will submit his report to the Planning Inspectorate very shortly.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress in respect of the planning decision in relation to the RAF East Camp Site, Colindale. [85618]
Mr. Caborn:
We will issue a decision in due course.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from UK airlines concerning the future of US/UK civil aviation agreements. [85479]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are in frequent communication with UK airlines, large and small.
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Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Government's policy to retain responsibility for bilateral negotiations with third countries on civil aviation agreements. [85480]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We would consider transferring bilateral responsibilities to a third party only if we judged that to be in the wider interests of UK aviation.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions his Department has held with their US counterparts concerning the future of US/UK civil aviation agreements; who was present at those meetings; what were the agenda and the conclusions; and if he will make a statement. [85478]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
At a meeting in Washington on 20 April, the Deputy Prime Minister and US Transportation Secretary Slater agreed that informal talks between UK and US officials about air services arrangements should take place in May. This was confirmed by my noble Friend Lord Whitty in the House of Lords on 28 April 1999, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 301-03, and the two teams of officials met on 18-20 May in London. The UK team comprised three DETR officials, two FCO officials and a representative from the Civil Aviation Authority; the US team comprised three State Department officials and three Department of Transportation officials. The discussions were broad and preliminary, with the emphasis on a phased approach to air services liberalisation.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in the delivery of the recommendation from the Inspector on the Heathrow fifth terminal. [85513]
Mr. Caborn:
The inquiry closed on 17 March 1999 and the Inspector told the inquiry that he expects to take up to two years to produce his report. Some 39 Applications and Orders are before the Inspector, who has taken evidence from over 750 witnesses with over 5,400 inquiry documents and 25,000 written representations. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will decide the application as soon as possible after receipt of the Inspector's report and recommendation.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extend fuel duty rebate to community transport schemes. [85613]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Possible changes to the scope of the bus fuel duty rebate scheme will be considered as part of the advice on all aspects of the public funding of bus services which we will be requesting from the new Commission for Integrated Transport when it begins its work next month. 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.
26 May 1999 : Column: 174
Sir George Young:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to issue the consultation paper on the proposed rules for London minicab operators in accordance with the implementation of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998. [85669]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have today with the Public Carriage Office issued the consultation paper. The Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 was an important step in bringing the safety of the travelling public in London in line with the rest of the country. The provisions of the Act were warmly welcomed by both the industry and consumer safety groups.
This consultation paper is the first step in implementing the Act and sets out proposals for the licensing of London minicab operators. It aims to strike a balance between the need to protect consumers and the interests of small business.
There will be an eight week period for responses and following assessment of responses we intend to undertake a short consultation before announcing the regulations for the licensing of London minicab operators.
Further consultation documents on the proposed rules for London minicab drivers and vehicles will be issued later this year and early next year respectively.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the fleet of 44 new trains to be introduced into service by LTS Rail Ltd. comply with the provisions of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998; and if he will make a statement. [85727]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
As I explained in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 167, we are expecting to receive a number of exemption applications from train operating companies whose designs for new rail vehicles were well advanced prior to the 1998 Regulations coming into force.
We have received such an application from LTS Rail Ltd. The exemptions, which have been discussed with our statutory advisors, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, are mostly of a very minor nature and have been requested for a relatively short time only.
The exemptions will not prevent disabled people from using the new trains. Indeed, we believe that the introduction of the new class 357 trains will make a significant contribution to improving mobility opportunities for disabled people in the area.
An Order relating to the exemption of these rail vehicles has been laid in Parliament today.
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