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Departmental Vehicles
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the guidance (a) he and (b) his Green Minister have issued concerning the introduction of low and nil emission fuel technology into the Department's vehicle fleet. [90693]
Ms Glenda Jackson [holding answer 19 July 1999]: My Department is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its own transport activities, through the implementation of green transport plans. One important aspect of our plan for DETR headquarters is to reduce business car use and its associated emissions to a minimum. My Department is producing guidance on greener vehicles and cleaner fuels to include in our "Green Guide for Buyers", which was distributed across government in February 1998. Both DETR's green transport plan for its headquarters and the buyers' guide can be found on the Internet at www.environment.detr.gov.uk.
Local Government Act 1988
Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made with his plans to repeal section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement. [91986]
Mr. Meale:
The Government have made a clear commitment to repeal section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, and plan to do so as soon as Parliamentary time permits.
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 597
Mr. Singh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many appointments to quangos he made between (i) 1 June 1997 and 31 May 1998 and (ii) 1 June 1998 and 31 May 1999. [92043]
Mr. Meale:
The Secretary of State has made the following appointments to NDPBs, nationalised industries and public corporations sponsored by the Department:
| 1 June 1997 to 31 May 1998 | 1 June 1998 to 31 May 1999 | |
|---|---|---|
| NDPBs: | ||
| Executive | 71 | 207 |
| Advisory | 75 | 110 |
| Tribunals | 132 | 207 |
| Nationalised Industries | 3 | 9 |
| Public Corporation | 3 | 5 |
| Total | 284 | 538 |
Mr. Singh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many members of Britain's (a) ethnic minority communities and (b) Asian community he appointed to quangos between (i) 1 June 1997 and 31 May 1998 and (ii) 1 June 1998 and 31 May 1999. [92114]
Mr. Meale: The Secretary of State has appointed the following ethnic minority candidates to NDPBs, nationalised industries and public corporations sponsored by the Department:
| 1 June 1997 to 31 May 1998 | 1 June 1998 to 31 May 1999 | |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Community | 7 | 15 |
| Other ethnic minorities | 10 | 13 |
| Totals | 17 | 28 |
Full details of the Department's plan on equal opportunities are contained in "Quangos, Opening Up Public Appointments 1999-2002", published by the Government on 25 May 1999, a copy of which is deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. This sets out
our goals and objectives for improving representation of women, people from ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 598
Official Documents
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish a list of all those official documents of the last Administration which have been seen by (a) him, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) special advisers in his Department and (d) non-career civil servants appointed since May 1997 in his Department. [92179]
Mr. Meale [holding answer 20 July 1999]: A large number of official documents were generated during the period of the previous Administration, many of which were published or put in the public domain. Since May 1997, the Department has been guided by the convention governing access to the papers of a previous Administration, as set out in the then Prime Minister's reply to a written question on 24 January 1980, Official Report, columns 305-07.
English Partnerships
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the budget for English Partnerships in the North West of England in each year since 1994; and what are the proposed budgets for the next three years. [91462]
Mr. Meale [holding answer 21 July 1999]: English Partnerships' budget for the North West from 1994 to 1999 was as follows:
| Year | Administration and running costs | Land and Property Programme | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | n/a | 49.5 | 49.5 |
| 1995-96 | 5.1 | 51.1 | 56.2 |
| 1996-97 | 6.1 | 49.8 | 55.9 |
| 1997-98 | 6.3 | 78.1 | 84.4 |
| 1998-99 | 6.2 | 95.0 | 101.2 |
The proposed land and property programme for the North West for the next three years is as follows. The administration costs have been subsumed within those for the North West Development Agency (NWDA).
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 597
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land and Property Programme | 79.8 | 82.0 | 64.0 |
| Total NWDA administration budget, including for the land and property programme | 12.1 | 11.9 | 11.9 |
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 597
Driving Tests
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many non-United Kingdom passport holders have made an application to take a UK driving test in each of the last five years. [92024]
Ms Glenda Jackson
[holding answer 21 July 1999]: We do not collect those data.
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 598
Mr. Viggers:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make representations to the French Government about its extensions to the season for shooting songbirds. [92414]
Mr. Meale:
The measures member states should take to protect wild birds, including the extent of hunting seasons, are laid out in the EC Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (79/409/EEC). It is the responsibility of the European
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 599
Commission to ensure that member states comply with the provisions of EC Directives, and my Department supports the Commission in this aim.
Mr. David Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the proportion of municipal waste incinerated with energy/heat recovery in each of the past 10 years; and what targets he has set for the next 10 years. [92075]
Mr. Meale:
Reliable surveys of municipal waste arisings, and the management options selected for those wastes, have been conducted since 1995-96. The figures for the quantities of municipal waste incinerated are as follows:
| Waste management option | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1996-98 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incineration with energy recovery | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Incineration without energy recovery | 4 | 3 | 0.2 |
The Government published their draft waste strategy for England and Wales, "A Way With Waste", on 30 June 1999. Within the draft strategy, the following targets and goals are identified:
Mr. David Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the prospects for the completion of the A511 bypass around Ashby-de-la-Zouch. [92077]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Leicestershire County Council, along with all other local highway authorities, will be submitting its Local Transport Plan (LTP) by the end of July. If the bypass is included in the Council's LTP, my Department will very carefully consider the case for it against competing bids for major new schemes and other areas of expenditure. The announcement of the local transport settlement is due to be made shortly before Christmas.
Mr. David Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the prospects for an A6 bypass around Kegworth, Leicestershire. [92078]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The proposal for an A6 Kegworth bypass is to be considered as part of the Multi-Modal Study looking at North-South movements in the East Midlands which came about as part of the Roads Review. The study is due to start in the autumn and will take approximately two years to complete.
22 Jul 1999 : Column: 600
to recover 45 per cent. of municipal waste by 2010 (with a target of 40 per cent. recovery by 2005);
to recycle or compost 30 per cent. of household waste by 2010 (with a target of recycling or composting 25 per cent. of household waste as soon as possible).
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