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Arts Grants (London)
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what level of local authority grant aid has been paid by the London boroughs of (a) Wandsworth, (b) Hammersmith and Fulham and (c) Bromley to arts and theatre organisations in each of these boroughs for (i) 1997 and (ii) 1998; and if he will make a statement. [89466]
Mr. Meale: This information is not centrally available.
Sellafield
Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his departmental news release number 544, of 11 June, what is the reason for the delay in the posting of the Sellafield MOX plant consultation documents on his Department's web site; and if he will extend the consultation period to compensate for the shortened notice given. [89314]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 1 July 1999]: On 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 399-400, my right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced the go-ahead for uranium commissioning and a further round of consultation into the economic case for the Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication plant at Sellafield. On the day of the announcement, copies of the consultation documents were sent to:
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Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what estimate the Government made, prior to its announcement, of the effect of the increase in diesel fuel duty announced in the Budget statement on employment in the road haulage industry; and what estimate he has made of levels of employment in the industry over the next six months; [89650]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Government closely monitor the level of employment in the road haulage industry through the Labour Force Survey and the Annual Employers Survey. The statistics for the spring quarter of 1999 will not be ready for release until 14 July. However, the figures for goods vehicles drivers do not show a significant change between end-1997 and end-1998.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority concerning low fuel state occurrences involving foreign airlines; and if he will make a statement. [89519]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
DETR and Civil Aviation Authority officials discussed the allegations concerning an aircraft of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in detail with representatives of the airline. MAS has co-operated fully in reviewing their fuel policy and examining why, on a very few occasions, low fuel levels may have been recorded at the completion of a flight. MAS offered to provide weekly reports of fuel levels for all its aircraft on arrival in the UK and this has been incorporated into their conditions for operating into this country.
Under the Chicago Convention, responsibility for regulating an airline, including compliance with minimum fuel regulations, lies with the country in which the airline is based.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from (a) The British Archaeological Trust and (b) the Association of Local Government Archaeology Officers regarding the effect of the local government settlement for 1999-2000 on archaeological services. [89402]
Mr. Meale
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: We have received no direct representations from these organisations on the settlement approved by this House on 4 February 1999, Official Report, columns 1138-86. I am, however, aware of their concerns, through the Early Day Motion number 377 laid in the House on 2 March and correspondence from the hon. Member.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and the outcome of the
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OSPAR Convention meeting in Hull on 21 to 25 June; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the submissions made by (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other OSPAR contracting parties and recognised observer organisations relevant to the United Kingdom. [89732]
Mr. Meale:
The annual meeting of the OSPAR Commission, held in Hull at the invitation of the UK Government from 21 to 24 June, was opened by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. The main outcomes were the adoption of a strategy on environmental goals and management mechanisms for offshore activities (which, with the four strategies adopted at the Ministerial meeting in Portugal last year, means that all the main activities of the OSPAR Commission are now covered by long-term strategies), of a recommendation on the best available techniques for the manufacture of emulsion-PVC, and (with a reservation from Norway) of guidelines on artificial reefs in relation to marine living resources.
Other matters discussed mainly concerned the implementation of the long-term strategies adopted last year. On the strategy for radioactive substances, the Contracting Parties agreed to intensify their efforts to implement it by focusing on the principal sources of discharges, emissions and losses, including the reprocessing of nuclear fuel and some other nuclear and non-nuclear activities; where action by the operators of nuclear installations is required, the Contracting Parties agreed to ensure that this is taken without delay. Another major theme was the improvement of the structure of the OSPAR Commission and of its working practices, in order to help the implementation of the strategies.
The UK delegation presented no formal papers to the meeting. The papers which the OSPAR Commission has agreed to make public can be found on its web-site: www.ospar.org.
Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding the harmful effect on the racing pigeon population of raptors. [89658]
Mr. Meale
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: My Department has received a number of representations concerning the effect of raptors on racing pigeons. This issue is being considered by the Raptor Working Group co-chaired by my Department and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. The working group is due to make its final report before the end of the year. To assist the working group in drawing its conclusions my Department let a research contract to assess the impact of raptor predation on pigeons and to investigate the effectiveness of non-lethal deterrents. It is hoped that the findings of this research will help to provide some guide to pigeon fanciers as to how they may best reduce any losses they may be incurring.
Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will use his powers under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to control raptors. [89417]
Mr. Meale
[holding answer 2 July 1999]: Raptors are protected by Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This reflects obligations under the EC Wild Birds Directive 79/409/EEC to protect all naturally
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occurring species of birds. The control raptors can only be licensed for the reasons set out in Section 16 of the 1981 Act, provided that there is no other satisfactory solution.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to answer parliamentary question 81262, a holding answer for which was given on 19 April. [89741]
Mr. Meacher:
A full answer was given to the hon. Member on 27 April 1999, Official Report, columns 88-89.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made with the possibility of using electronic equipment in the Greater London Authority elections. [90057]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government have been considering the potential for introducing more innovative and up to date electoral procedures. Electronic voting is one of the areas the Howarth Working Party recommended for further consideration and piloting. The Working Party expects to submit a summary of its recommendations to Government later this month and its detailed report at the end of the summer. The London Mayor and Assembly elections on 4 May 2000 provide an excellent opportunity to introduce a more up to date system of voting or counting, more in keeping with our modern way of life.
organisations previously consulted by the Environment Agency as part of their consideration of the MOX plant;
organisations and individuals who made representations in response to either of the two consultations held by the Environment Agency; and
organisations and individuals who made representations to my Department.
The publishing of consultation papers is an important part of my Department's communication strategy. Although it is our policy to publish consultation papers on the web site, this is not the primary method of consultation. It is there to complement our more established means of publication and notification. Therefore, I do not see any case for extending the consultation period. The documents were available on the web site on 25 June, as soon as the necessary preparations could be completed.
(2) what is his estimate of the number of jobs lost in the British road haulage industry since the recent increase in the diesel fuel duty. [89649]
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