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Household Projections (Hampshire)
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the projected estimate of the number of new households in Hampshire in 2016 (a) in 1992 and (b) at the most recent date; and if he will make a statement. [88121]
Mr. Raynsford: The 1992-based household projections gave a projection of 0.783 million households for Hampshire for 2016. Preliminary information on counties from the 1996-based household projections was sent to Regional Planning Conferences in May. These new figures show a projected 0.81 million households in Hampshire in 2016.
Out-of-town Supermarkets
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the number of car journeys made to out-of-town supermarkets in the last year for which figures are available. [88328]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Data are not available on the number of car journeys made to out-of-town supermarkets.
Local Authority Housing (Single Mothers)
Lorna Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many local authorities do not make housing provision for single mothers under the age of 18 years. [88393]
Mr. Raynsford: Under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (the homelessness legislation), all housing authorities are obliged to secure temporary housing for homeless single mothers under the age of 18 years if they are not intentionally homeless and there is no other suitable accommodation available for them to occupy in the district. Local authorities are also empowered to allocate housing under Part VI of the 1996 Act to people on their housing registers. Information on the number of local housing authorities who make provision of housing for young single mothers through their housing registers is not held centrally.
Walking
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many officials in his Department are directly employed promoting walking policies; and what proportion this figure represents of the total number of people employed by his Department. [88163]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
Work in support of walking policies, including research, accounts for the whole of one post and a significant part of nine others. On 1 April 1999 there were 3,450 full-time equivalent civil servants working in DETR (Central).
Mr. Sayeed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what additional funding he plans to make available for the A5/M1 link road in Bedfordshire. [88171]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The possible A5/M1 link road in Bedfordshire would form part of the Luton Northern Bypass, which is a major long-term local authority scheme. Bedfordshire County Council and Luton Borough Council are currently working on a joint 5-year local transport plan submission for the area. I understand that the Translink public transport scheme is likely to be their highest priority major project.
In the Trunk Road Review the A5 Dunstable Bypass and the M1 Junction 6A-10 Widening were included in the London to South Midlands Study area--which is in the Tranche 2 of the Government funded study programme. The study will address a range of transport issues including motorway congestion, development pressures and access to major urban areas such as Luton and Dunstable and possible local solutions including any A5/M1 Link North of Dunstable.
Dr. Stoate:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what discussions he has had with Railtrack regarding the introduction of 12 car trains between North Kent and London; [88203]
(3) what discussion he has had with Railtrack regarding the upgrading of the power supply on North Kent lines to allow longer trains to run; [88204]
(4) what discussions he has held with Railtrack regarding the completion of new track signalling systems for North Kent commuter lines. [88201]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
This is a matter for Railtrack who are currently discussing with OPRAF and Connex the options for introducing 12 car trains between North Kent and London and the related issues of new track signalling systems, upgrading the power supply and facilitating the use of REGEN braking system in Networker trains.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers he has to require a train operating company to implement a refurbishment of a particular station. [88401]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Train operating companies are obliged to meet certain minimum standards at stations which are set out in their franchise agreements. These do
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not cover refurbishment of stations which is primarily the responsibility of Railtrack with the train operating companies.
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on transport links and access to the Millennium Dome from East London and Essex. [87234]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Millennium Experience will be a 'car free' event, with parking at the Dome site restricted to Orange Badge Holders only and extensive parking controls in place on and around the Greenwich peninsula. The transport strategy devised for the Experience therefore focuses on access to the Dome site being made by public transport.
For visitors travelling from East London and Essex, the most convenient public transport route will be travel by surface rail to either Stratford or West Ham stations, or where appropriate the Docklands Light Railway to Canning Town station, and transfer on to the extended Jubilee Line to make the short journey to North Greenwich station, which is located adjacent to the entrance of the Dome site.
For visitors who seek to make the first leg of their journey by car, the New Millennium Experience Company is intending to manage a small number of formal park and ride facilities around London at which a limited number of visitors each day, who pre-book in advance, will be able to leave their vehicles before completing their journey on convenient public transport links. For visitors travelling from East London and Essex, the most convenient park and ride facility will be the proposed site in the north east sector of London which, subject to planning permission, will be located at Stratford. Visitors parking at the Stratford site would be transferred the short distance to Stratford station by shuttle bus, where they would again take the extended Jubilee Line to North Greenwich Station.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the amount of green-field land that will be required to meet the Government's targets for new house-building by (a) 2010 and (b) 2015. [88785]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government does not set targets for new house-building. Housing requirements are derived both locally and regionally and land for housing is allocated through the planning process. The Government's target is that 60 per cent. of additional housing should be built on previously developed land or should re-use existing buildings.
Mr. Lock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment the Government have made of the effects of rate relief granted to charity shops on the development of small and medium-sized towns. [88615]
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Mr. Meale:
No assessment has been made of the effects of granting rate relief to charity shops. However, as part of the Treasury's overall review of charity taxation my Department is considering whether there is a need to issue further guidance to local authorities to ensure that only those charity shops which 'wholly or mainly' sell donated goods receive rate relief.
Mr. Lock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what financial assistance is available through local government to support small and specialist shops in small and medium-sized towns; and if he will make a statement. [88616]
Mr. Meale:
There is no specific financial assistance available for small and specialist shops in small or medium sized towns. The Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) does fund comprehensive regeneration schemes put forward by local partnerships (which may include local authorities) in deprived areas. These schemes usually have multiple objectives and it is not possible to quantify their benefit to particular business groups. However, small shops may benefit from schemes which assist business start-ups, living over the shop, environmental improvements and provision of security measures.
(2) what discussions he has had with Railtrack regarding the introduction of trackside equipment to allow North Kent Networker trains to make use of their REGEN braking system; [88202]
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