| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the level of UK carbon dioxide emissions in each year from 1990 to date. [86663]
Mr. Meale: The following table gives estimates of carbon dioxide emissions for each year from 1990 to 1998 from the UK's greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The 1998 data are provisional. Emissions in 1998 are provisionally estimated to be 7 per cent. lower than in 1990, due mainly to the switch from coal to gas in electricity generation, and increased efficiency of nuclear power stations.
| Year | Emissions (million tonnes of carbon) |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 168 |
| 1991 | 169 |
| 1992 | 165 |
| 1993 | 161 |
| 1994 | 159 |
| 1995 | 157 |
| 1996 | 162 |
| 1997 | 155 |
| 1998 | (1)156 |
(1) Provisional
Council Tax
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it a criminal offence to claim falsely the single person's discount for the council tax; and if he will make a statement. [86381]
Mr. Meale: A 25 per cent. discount applies where a dwelling is the sole or main residence of one person, or where all but one resident is disregarded for the purpose of a discount. We do not have any plans to make it a criminal offence to make an invalid claim for the 25 per cent. discount. However, local authorities already have powers to impose a penalty of £50, without having to go to the Courts, if a person receiving a discount fails to notify the authority that he is no longer (or never was) eligible for it.
Brownfield Sites
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to publish statistics on the proportion of new development on brownfield sites; and if he will make a statement. [86356]
Mr. Caborn: Estimates of the proportion of new development on previously developed land are published annually in the statistical Bulletin series "Land Use Change in England". The latest results were published in December 1998 in issue no 13, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. The next edition should be published in September 1999.
Abandoned Vehicles
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what
15 Jun 1999 : Column: 84
assessment he has made of the trend in the number of abandoned vehicles over the last two years; and if he will make a statement; [86865]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My Department does not monitor the number of abandoned vehicles collected from the public highway by local authorities. There is no requirement for local authorities or the police to provide the Secretary of State with information in respect of the abandoned vehicles which they have dealt with.
The number of abandoned vehicles was not an issue raised with this Department by the Local Government Association during discussions on the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), which provided substantial additional provision for local authorities over the three year period covered by the CSR.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make an announcement on plans to introduce legislation to control (a) leylandii and (b) other trees and bushes on private property which cause nuisance; and if he will make a statement. [86922]
Mr. Meale:
I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Russell) on 17 November 1998, Official Report, column 473.
Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish the report of the Departmental Working Group on nuisance caused by hedges; and if he will make a statement. [86777]
Mr. Meale:
The voluntary code of practice on the information to be provided on the sale of hedging plants, drawn up the Leylandii Working Group, is being launched to the horticultural and landscape industry today. Copies have been placed in the Library; otherwise, the position remains as set out in my reply to the hon. Member on 19 March 1999, Official Report, column 881.
Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to reform the area cost adjustment. [85812]
Mr. Meale:
We shall be examining possible improvements to the area cost adjustment as part of the Review of Revenue Grant Distribution.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to set targets in respect of his proposals to reduce road traffic levels; and if he will make a statement. [86433]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Government are already implementing policies to tackle road traffic as a vital part of our integrated transport strategy set out in last year's White Paper. We already have a number of international and national targets for protecting the environment and
15 Jun 1999 : Column: 85
promoting more sustainable transport, and will ask the Commission for Integrated Transport, which will be starting work shortly, to advise us on further targets. We remain committed to publishing our first report under the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998, on the issue of whether to set a national traffic reduction target, by the end of this year.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has for defining overcrowding on trains. [86691]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
It is not proposed to change the current definition of overcrowding. For services into London and also some commuter services into other large cities, overcrowding is defined in franchise agreements in terms of passengers in excess of capacity. Trains have a nominal capacity (the number of standard class seats for journeys of more than 20 minutes; plus, for journeys of less than 20 minutes, an allowance of 0.55 sq metres of floor space per standing passenger) which should not be exceeded by more than 3 per cent. in the morning and evening peaks combined. This is the general definition of overcrowding. It is broadly comparable with that formerly used by British Rail. The current practice of systematically controlling overcrowding only on commuter services also reflects previous British Rail practice.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had recently with (a) the train operating companies, (b) rail users and (c) trade unions on the subject of overcrowded trains. [86692]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The problem of overcrowding on trains was discussed at the National Rail Summit on 25 February which was attended by train operating companies, rail users and trade unions.
Ms Rosie Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with bus operators on the quality of their services. [85799]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
DETR Ministers and officials are in frequent contact with bus operators on a wide range of issues as the policies for improving bus services announced in last year's Transport White Paper are taken forward. Improving the quality of service is prominent among the issues considered in these discussions.
Ms Rosie Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the position reached in respect of the pensions scheme of the former National Bus Company. [87246]
Mr. Prescott:
I am pleased to be able to announce substantial progress in the settlement of the long running dispute concerning the payment to the Government in 1990 of surpluses held in the two National Bus Company pensions funds. At the first opportunity following full consideration of all the relevant legal and other issues,
15 Jun 1999 : Column: 86
I instructed the Department's lawyers to open discussions with the pension trustees with a view to obtaining a just and equitable out of court settlement as soon as possible.
Those discussions have been successful. Offers have been made which the trustees have indicated they intend to recommend as acceptable. An application will be made to the Court for its approval of the proposed settlement terms as soon as possible following all proper consultation with the beneficiaries.
(2) what plans he has to help local authorities deal with an increase in abandoned vehicles resulting from the fall in the price of scrap metal. [86866]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |