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London Underground

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what responsibility the Minister for Transport takes for operational performance of London Underground Ltd. [91484]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 15 July 1999]: The responsibilities of the Secretary of State and his Ministers for the operational performance of London Underground Ltd. are laid out in the London Regional Transport Act 1984, as amended.

Departmental Travel

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to reduce the use of official cars by officials in (a) his Department, (b) executive agencies of his Department, (c) his Department's-sponsored non-departmental public bodies, including regional development agencies and (d) the Government Offices for the Regions. [91452]

Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 15 July 1999]: Green Transport Plans covering our Headquarters buildings, Executive Agencies and Government Offices aim to reduce the environmental impact of the journey to work and travel on official business.

In addition, our travel and subsistence rules have been revised, with now only a single mileage rate to encourage the use of public transport rather than rates based on car engine size. Claims also have to verify that the most cost effective means of transport was used and the use of a car is considered only where public transport was not a viable option.

Further Green Transport Plans will be in place, in line with the Government target, for all other key Departmental buildings, i.e. those where it is the major occupier and has over 50 staff, by March 2000.

Fuel Storage Tanks

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to require the owners and operators of fuel storage tanks (a) to ensure that drain cocks on such tanks are fitted with a lockable device to prevent accidental spillage and (b) to ensure that operating procedures are in place to ensure that such devices are used. [91777]

Mr. Meale: The Environment Agency's Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPG2) on above ground oil storage tanks recommends that all tanks should have valves or cocks with lockable or removable hand wheels to prevent accidental spillage. The Guidelines (PPG11) also state that a routine programme of inspection and maintenance should be established.

21 Jul 1999 : Column: 516

The Government are considering whether further measures to prevent water pollution from industrial, commercial and institutional (residential and non- residential) oil storage installations are needed. We expect to make an announcement shortly.

Countryside Agency

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money his Department has provided to the Countryside Agency for the development of quiet lanes. [91800]

Mr. Meale: The Countryside Agency has allocated £253,000 of its grant in aid for this financial year to the Quiet Roads initiative. This will bring the total spent on the initiative since it was launched by the Countryside Commission two years ago to £450,000.

Water Companies

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend the programme of work which water companies are being requested to carry out on the environment during the period 2000 to 2005 following the recent adjustment to the cost of capital made by the Director General of Water Services for the 1999 periodic review. [91798]

Mr. Meale: The Government's guidance to the Director General on the environmental and water quality improvements to be delivered by 2005 was published under the title "Raising the Quality" in September 1998. More detailed proposals for individual company programmes were announced on 1 March 1999.

These programmes and the cost of capital will both be factors which the Director General takes into account in the draft price determinations he plans to announce on 27 July.

Affordable Homes

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many affordable homes to rent were developed in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998 in (i) Salisbury district, (ii) North Dorset district, (iii) New Forest district, (iv) Kennet district and (v) Test Valley district. [91794]

Mr. Raynsford: The additional rented social lettings provided in these districts in 1997-98 and 1998-99 by registered social landlords, with support from the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme (ADP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant (LASHG), were as follows:

District1997-981998-99
Salisbury12195
North Dorset9351
New Forest124148
Kennet218138
Test Valley5768

These additional social lettings come from new build, the purchase and rehabilitation of existing property and from empty properties brought into use for temporary

21 Jul 1999 : Column: 517

social housing. The ADP and LASHG also support the provision of homes for shared ownership and incentive schemes which assist social tenants to move into home ownership and vacate their lettings for others in housing need.

According to information provided to the Department by local authorities, there was no new building of council housing in these districts in 1997-98 and 1998-99 (other than that provided by LASHG).

Local Government Act 1988

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people have been prosecuted in each year since 1988 under section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. [91868]

Mr. Meale: No local authority to date has been taken to court for breach of section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. I should clarify that the restrictions in the section apply to the actions of local authorities, not individual people.

Waste Strategy, London

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has commissioned on a waste strategy for London; what were the results of that research which has been completed; and if he will make a statement. [91781]

Mr. Meale: My Department has not commissioned any such research.

Driving Tests

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is the waiting time for a practical car driving test in Carlisle; and if he will make a statement; [91442]

Ms Glenda Jackson: [holding answer 19 July 1999]: The current waiting time for driving tests is nine weeks in Carlisle. The Driving Standards Agency has brought in two extra examiners to help reduce the waiting time locally.

The Agency's service targets for test delivery are that the national average waiting time will not exceed six weeks, and that appointments will be available within 10 weeks at 99 per cent. of permanent driving test centres.

Central Railways

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what meetings have taken place between Special Advisers in his Department and representatives of or advisers to Central Railways. [91989]

Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 20 July 1999]: None.

North West Development Agency

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which

21 Jul 1999 : Column: 518

persons acted as independent assessors in the sift and interview of candidates for appointment to the Board of the North West Development Agency. [91473]

Mr. Meale: Dr. Joan Firth acted as independent assessor in the sift and interviews of candidates for appointment to the Board of the North West Development Agency.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what potential conflicts of interest were taken into account when appointments were made to the Board of the North West Development Agency. [91474]

Mr. Meale: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions asked all candidates for appointment to complete a questionnaire, giving details of any companies or partnerships of which they were or had been a director or partner during the past 10 years. Candidates were specifically asked to declare any facts that they felt might be raised in public in the future in relation to their suitability to hold the appointment, particularly anything that could be presented as a conflict of interest.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the names of individuals and other bodies who nominated persons to the Board of North West Regional Development Agency; [91470]

Mr. Meale: Nominations were invited from regional stakeholders. I list here the names of those individuals and bodies who nominated people. A press release was issued to the regional press saying that Regional stakeholders had been invited to make nominations. In addition an advertisement inviting applications for board membership of all DETR's NDPBs was placed in The Sunday Times, The Guardian and the Journal (ethnic press).

Nominations for the RDA Board were received from the following organisations/individuals:



21 Jul 1999 : Column: 519


    Hurlston Management Ltd.


    Ian Stewart MP


    Jane Kennedy MP


    Lancashire Council of Mosques


    Lancashire County Council


    Lindsay Hoyle MP


    Lord (Lewis) Carter


    Lorna Fitzsimons MP


    Louise Ellman MP


    LWS Waste Services


    Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry


    Merseyside Development Corporation


    Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food


    Mrs. A. Rea


    National Farmers Union


    Nicholas R. Winterton MP


    North West Council for Training and Enterprise


    North West Region Co-operative Enterprise Ltd.


    North West Regional Association


    North West Tourist Board


    Prof. Martin Harris CBE, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellors NW Universities


    Partnership Projects Ltd.


    Paul Goggins MP


    Prof. John Last CBE


    Richard Corbett MEP


    Roy Phillips


    Rural Development Commission


    TEC National Council


    The National Trust


    The NW Federation for Sport, Recreation and Conservation


    The right hon. Margaret Beckett


    The Rural Development Commission


    Tim Collins CBE, MP


    United Kingdom Co-operative Council


    United Utilities PLC


    West Cumbria Partnership


    Wigan MBC


    Zeneca Group plc.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct the North West Development Agency to carry out an internal inquiry into the change in the costs of mileage allowances arising out of the transfer of English Partnership offices from Cockermouth to Penrith. [91464]

Mr. Meale: No. This is an operational matter for the North West Development Agency.

21 Jul 1999 : Column: 520

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the location is of the office in his Department which held the data relating to nominations to the Board of the North West Development Agency. [91471]

Mr. Meale: The data relating to nominations to the Board of the North West Development Agency are held by the Government Office for the North West, located in Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate has been made of the freehold value of English Partnerships' offices in Cockermouth on the basis of English Partnerships remaining as a tenant. [91472]

Mr. Meale: Issues relating to accommodation are a matter for the North West Development Agency. The English Partnerships office at Cockermouth transferred to the Agency on 1 April 1999. I understand that the portfolio of premises, including the offices at Lakeland Business Park, is valued annually by independent valuers. The most recent valuation took place on 31 March and reflected the occupation of the premises by Agency staff. For commercial reasons the precise detail of the annual valuation is confidential.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which organisation will receive the moneys raised from the sale of English Partnerships' offices at Home Wood in Cockermouth. [91457]

Mr. Meale: I understand that Home Wood is now known as Lakeland Business Park. It was transferred from English Partnerships to the North West Development Agency (NWDA) on 1 April 1999. The estate at Lakeland Business Park consists of a number of office blocks, one of which is occupied by NWDA staff. The premises at Lakeland Business Park are owned by the NWDA and any proceeds from the sale of those premises would come to the Agency subject to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions' accounting regulations. The premises, however, are not currently programmed for disposal.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 6 July 1999, Official Report, column 447, what estimate has been made of the letting value of the English Partnerships offices in Cockermouth. [91458]

Mr. Meale: Issues concerning accommodation are a matter for the North West Development Agency. I understand from the Agency that the current rental estimate for the premises at Cockermouth is £4.50 per square foot.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if all offices to be occupied by the North West Development Agency have or are to have BREAM ratings. [91459]

Mr. Meale: Issues relating to accommodation are a matter for the North West Development Agency. I understand that it is the Agency's policy to ensure that all new offices will obtain a BREAM rating.

21 Jul 1999 : Column: 521

The Agency is currently either occupying premises which it has inherited or occupying existing premises on a temporary basis. The premises at Mercury Court in Liverpool, Lakeland Business Park in Cumbria, New Town Hall in Warrington and Mulfield House in Birchwood, Warrington, do not have a BREAM rating.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were the annual (a) office-related costs and (b) total of salaries and estate-related costs for the English Partnerships offices in Cockermouth for each of the last two years. [91460]

Mr. Meale: The annual figures for English Partnerships Cockermouth were as follows:

£

1997-981998-99
Salaries357,000322,000
Other office related157,000170,000
Estate related353,000343,000

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will establish an independent inquiry into the change in the costs of mileage allowances arising from the transfer of English Partnerships' offices from Cockermouth to Penrith. [91463]

Mr. Meale: No. This is an operational matter for the North West Development Agency.

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