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Drivers (Licences and Insurance)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the numbers of drivers (a) driving without a full licence and (b) driving without adequate insurance; and what plans he has to reduce these numbers. [87149]

Ms Glenda Jackson: In 1997 there were 130,500 prosecutions for driving without a licence, 46,000 for driving while disqualified and 48,500 for failing to produce a driving licence. This suggests that in any one year 225,000 people or approximately 0.8 per cent. of drivers are detected driving while unlicensed. We intend, when a suitable legislative opportunity occurs, to introduce legislation to empower police services to have

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direct access, in defined circumstances, to the driver licensing database so that offences can be more readily detected at the roadside.

It is estimated that between 4 per cent. and 6 per cent. of motorists drive while uninsured, an offence for which 310,500 people were prosecuted during 1997. Plans for a motor insurance database have been drawn up by the insurance industry with the support of my Department. Once implemented, police will be able to check insurance details at the roadside.

Rail Services (Carriage of Bicycles)

Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will discuss with the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and South West Trains the re-instatement of bicycle carriage on all trains to a minimum of 10 spaces per five car train. [87256]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The franchise agreements which govern the provision of service require train operators to provide facilities for the carriage of bicycles, so far as it is practicable for them to do so and subject to the availability of space on their rolling stock. The only five car trains operated by South West Trains are Wessex Electrics on services from London Waterloo to Southampton-Bournemouth, Weymouth and Poole. These

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trains can currently carry five bicycles per five car unit in specially designed racks. We have made it clear that one of the key criteria to be considered in any franchise renegotiation will be the commitment to promote Integrated Transport.

Welsh Highland Railway

Mr. Snape: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to approve the application for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 for the reconstruction of the Welsh Highland Railway between Dinas and Porthmadog. [87583]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The application is being given the most careful consideration and I will ensure that my hon. Friend is informed of the outcome.

Ministerial Meetings (Ireland)

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 January 1998 indicating the dates and locations, the Ministers involved and the names of the Irish Ministers and officials in each case. [87428]

Mr. Prescott: The information for DETR is as follows:

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Date	Location	DETR	Irish Minister
23 February 1998	Dublin	Angela Eagle	Tom Kitt, Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs
24-25 April 1998	Chester	Michael Meacher	Noel Dempsey, Minister for the Environment
25 January 1999	London	Glenda Jackson	Mary O'Rourke TD, Minister for Housing
19 February 1999	Dublin	Hilary Armstrong	Robert Molloy, Minister for Housing
25 February 1999	London	Michael Meacher	Joe Jacob, Minister for Agriculture

Relevant officials were also in attendance.

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Road Safety (Traffic Speeds)

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of how the Slow Down Campaign will benefit vulnerable users of rural roads. [87635]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The DETR is currently engaged in a comprehensive review of speed policy. This will include a full assessment of the measures needed to improve speed management in rural areas and the safety of all road users, particularly the more vulnerable pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians. Officials have met a number of interested parties, including the Slower Speeds Initiative (formerly the Slow Down Campaign).

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many crashes on rural roads causing injury were associated with excessive speed, listing the fatalities, serious injuries and slight injuries, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [87634]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The national reporting system for injury road accidents does not specifically record whether an accident took place on a "rural road". However, the 1998 casualty data for accidents which took place on roads with a speed limit in excess of 40 mph are shown in the table.

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The contribution of speed to these accidents is not comprehensively recorded, but it is estimated that speed is a contributory factor in one third of road accidents on all roads.

Casualties on non built-up (4) roads: GB 1998

Severity	Casualties
Fatal	1,855
Serious	14,321
Slight	71,882
All severities	88,058

Note:

Roads with a speed limit in excess of 40 mph with the exception of motorways

Listed Buildings

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many listed buildings in each category have been destroyed since 1992. [87629]

Mr. Raynsford: My Department records, on a financial year basis, cases where local planning authorities in England notify the Department that they intend to grant consent for the total demolition of a listed building, consents which the Department itself issues, and other total demolitions which are brought to our attention. Since

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the House of Lords judgment in the case of Shimizu (UK) Ltd. v. Westminster City Council, the demolition of a curtilage building is likely to be treated as an alteration and hence is no longer included in the demolition statistics from 1997-98. The figures for the last seven years are:

Year	Grade I	Grade II *	Grade II
1992-93	0	0	68
1993-94	0	2	62
1994-95	1	12	79
1995-96	2	0	49
1996-97	1	5	55
1997-98	0	2	56
1998-99	0	0	50

Records are not kept centrally on the extent to which consents are implemented.

Recycling

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what measures he is taking to encourage recycling by (a) local authorities, (b) businesses and (c) individuals; [87950]

(2) what measures he is taking to encourage a market for recycled products with particular reference to paper; [87951]

(3) what measures he is taking to encourage the use of recycled products. [87952]

Mr. Meale: In July 1998 the Government established a Market Development Group to consider the measures that could be taken to enhance the markets for recycled materials, including paper, and to develop proposals to help overcome any barriers. The Group considered a range of measures, including the use of economic instruments; quality standards and specifications for recycled goods and materials; the concept of eco-design; whether longer term contracts for the sale of recyclable materials might be helpful; and whether it is desirable to set mandatory levels of recycled content for specified goods.

The Group has now finished its work and its report and recommendations for action will be published for consultation at the same time as the draft waste strategy.

Wembley

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with English Partnerships about the regeneration of Wembley around the new English National Stadium. [87792]

Mr. Raynsford: English Partnerships, LB Brent, the English Stadium Trust and Development Company, Sports England and the Government Office for London have jointly sponsored a comprehensive regeneration framework for Wembley. This work is shortly to be completed and in its next stage involves an area masterplan running in parallel with the design of the stadium and intended to secure a significant upgrade in Wembley's economic and physical environment.

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Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with local police and transport police about passenger safety and crowd control at Wembley Park, Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium stations. [87788]

Mr. Raynsford: Wembley's ability to handle large crowds through its public transport infrastructure was central to its successful bid for the new National Stadium. Issues of passenger safety and crowd control are a matter for the long standing and successful liaison arrangements between the stadium operator, local police, London Transport and other rail operators.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to ensure that the quality of the built environment surrounding the new English National Stadium is adequate to accommodate international events. [87790]

Mr. Raynsford: This is a matter for the London Borough of Brent as local planning authority in the first instance. Their unitary development plan contains policies to protect and enhance the built environment around the Stadium which they will apply to the planning application for the Stadium when it is made and those for other development proposals as they come forward.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he will take to ensure that the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium brings economic benefits to the local area. [87845]

Mr. Raynsford: The Wembley Park Regeneration Partnership between local public and private sector interests was formed for just this purpose. The Partnership has secured Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund support of £15,255,000, towards an overall £137 million seven year programme of infrastructure and training/ employment initiatives in the Business Park surrounding the Stadium. The programme commenced in April 1996.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the applicability of lessons learned from the regeneration at Greenwich to the regeneration of Wembley. [87793]

Mr. Raynsford: There are distinct differences between the Greenwich Peninsula and the development context at Wembley; not least in the depth and extent of contaminated land and pre-existing levels of transport provision. We are keen however that appropriate lessons from both Greenwich and other key London Regeneration sites are incorporated into the Wembley solution.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Sport England and the local planning authority on the capacity of the public transport infrastructure around the new English National Stadium. [87789]

Mr. Raynsford: Wembley's successful bid for the National Stadium was based on the adequacy of its local transport infrastructure. The impact of the Stadium on this infrastructure will turn both on detailed design which will not be unveiled until mid summer, and the substance of the planning application to the London Borough of Brent, which I understand will not be made until October. In the

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meantime I am a member of the Stadium Development Monitoring Committee, which is the natural focus for visitor management issues, and at which Sport England are represented.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Government Office for London about the SRB5 bid for Wembley submitted by the London Borough of Brent; and on what dates. [87794]

Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning met with GOL officials and the London Development Partnership on 14 June to discuss all London bids in the current SRB round.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson), has to visit Wembley to inspect the public transport infrastructure around the new English National Stadium. [87791]

Mr. Raynsford: My hon. Friend has been invited by the London Borough of Brent to visit the area in early July. No itinerary has yet been finalised but there may well be an opportunity to visit the Stadium environs.

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