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Alleyways
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the provisions of Section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 to allow local authorities to apply to magistrates for the closure of alleyways to reduce anti-social behaviour. [86867]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
This matter is being considered in the context of an on-going review of road traffic regulation law.
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A number of representations have also been received since the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 8 March 1999, Official Report, columns 21-33, of the Government's intention to introduce legislation to improve the rights of way system. We expect to issue a consultation paper on rights of way shortly.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the release of allergenic material caused by the movement of grain within the dock system at Seaforth. [86833]
Mr. Meale:
It is presumed that the question relates to the release of allergenic material to air. The Environment Agency is responsible for assessing releases to air from processes requiring authorisation under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Agency confirms that at the present time there are no processes dealing with grain within the Seaforth dock area that are authorised under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Releases to the air from these processes would therefore fall within the remit of Sefton Borough Council Environmental Health Department and/or the Port Authority. The Agency is not involved in this process.
Mr. Tony Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress is being made in establishing the Strategic Rail Authority. [86989]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The shadow Strategic Rail Authority has been operational from 1 April. We are committed to establishing a statutory Strategic Rail Authority at the earliest legislative opportunity.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the average weight of a loaded lorry as found by the weighbridge inspectors (a) in the latest year for which figures are available, and (b) (i) five years, (ii) 10 years and (iii) 20 years before that year. [87012]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Enforcement officers from the Vehicle Inspectorate do not retain weight records of vehicles weighed, unless the vehicle is overloaded. The records held are not kept in a central database. It is not possible, therefore, to provide the information requested.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what response he has received from the Rail Regulator on the merits or otherwise of direct funding for Railtrack; and if he will make a statement. [86749]
Ms Glenda Jackson
[holding answer 15 June 1999]: The Deputy Prime Minister asked the Rail Regulator to advise on the advantages and disadvantages of direct funding. That advice has been received and we will announce our conclusions in due course.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the total investment planned by Railtrack, excluding moneys for maintenance and renewal, over the next five years intended to increase freight movements by rail. [86434]
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Railtrack concerning the capital development plan and public investment in it; and if he will make a statement. [86892]
Ms Glenda Jackson
[holding answers 15 and 16 June 1999]: Railtrack's proposals for investment in the rail network over the next 10 years--for both passenger and freight--were set out in its 1999 Network Management Statement (NMS), published in March. The Rail Regulator is currently considering whether the investment proposed in the NMS meets the reasonable requirements of the industry and its funders. In doing so the Regulator will take into account the views of the industry and the shadow Strategic Rail Authority.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day since 15 April; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that day. [87326]
Mr. Meale:
Since 15 April, 298 questions have to date been tabled for answer on a named day. 68 per cent. have received a substantive answer on that day.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to reverse the decline in the lapwing population; and if he will make a statement. [87277]
Mr. Meale:
My Department is working with MAFF to assess the impact of changing farming practices on the lapwing. A 5-year project, involving collaboration between MAFF and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Game Conservancy Trust (GCT) and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, is investigating the role of pesticides and other factors in the decline of farmland bird species.
The Government also fund agri-environment and other schemes to encourage farmers to provide conditions which will benefit breeding lapwing. The Government are committed to a continuing expansion of areas under the major agri-environment schemes is making an extra £40 million available over three years for these schemes in England.
In addition MAFF has commissioned research into:
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Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many London borough councils provide housing accommodation for homeless people within their borough. [87288]
Mr. Raynsford:
Under the homelessness legislation, all local housing authorities must provide accommodation for eligible households who are unintentionally homeless and in priority need, if no suitable alternative accommodation is available in the district. Accommodation provided must be within the authority's own district, so far as is reasonably practical. Information about the location of accommodation provided under the homelessness legislation is not held centrally.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of private sector landlords who are members of a trade association of landlords. [87350]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Department does not have this information.
However, we know that the National Federation of Residential Landlords has 42 affiliated landlord associations covering some 10,000 members and that the Residential Landlords Association has 560 individual landlord members. Additionally, the British Property Federation has over 500 members, which include companies, individuals and associations, who own, manage and invest in and develop property in the commercial and residential sector. Overall there are some 2 million privately renting households and the median number of lettings in a landlord's portfolio is seven.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the costs of bringing up to standard the housing stock in (a) Burnley, (b) Pendle, (c) Blackburn, (d) Hyndburn and (e) Rossendale. [87351]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Department has not made specific estimates of the cost of bringing up to standard the housing stock in these areas.
the possible relationship between farming practices over the last 20 years and the changes in the populations of a number of representative farmland birds,
the effects of agricultural change on bird populations
Source:
Housing Investment Programme--Annual Plan form
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