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EU Landfill Directive
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress is being made on implementing the EU Landfill Directive; and when he plans to inform the waste industry of the terms of the legislation to implement the Directive. [93619]
Mr. Meale: The EC Landfill Directive entered into force on 16 July 1999, and member states have two years to introduce the provisions necessary to comply with the Directive.
Work on implementation is progressing well; a consultation paper on the formal mechanisms for implementing the biodegradable municipal waste targets in Article 5 of the Directive will be published later in the summer, with the results being reflected in the final version of the Waste Strategy. The Government's proposals for implementing the other requirements of the Directive will be the subject of further consultations early next year.
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Final decisions relating to the legislation required to implement the Directive will be made in light of these consultation exercises.
Charlotte Atkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the fourth consultation paper on the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations will be issued. [93620]
Mr. Meale:
We expect to issue this consultation paper during the week beginning 9 August with a deadline for comment of 8 October.
Charlotte Atkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations will come into force; and what period industry will have to prepare for the new regime. [93621]
Mr. Meale:
The regulations are needed to transpose Directive 96/61 on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, which must be achieved by 31 October. Industry has been extensively consulted already and existing plant will have up to eight years before it is brought within the new regime.
Charlotte Atkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Environment Protection (Destruction of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Injurious Substances) Regulations will be published. [93638]
Mr. Meale:
We are about to consult the Injurious or Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee, set up under section 140 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. When we have received and considered the advice of that committee, we shall publish the necessary notice in the London Gazette under section 140(6) of that Act, and make the regulations publicly available.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy not to grant approval for any GM plant under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 as amended, where such plants contain antibiotic marker genes. [93208]
Mr. Meacher:
Any application to release a genetically modified (GM) plant containing an antibiotic marker gene would be subject to a scientific assessment of risk carried out case-by-case on the basis of an environmental risk assessment. No consent would be given if the antibiotic marker gene in question would be harmful to human health or the environment.
The UK was instrumental in ensuring that the political agreement reached at the June Environment Council provided for the identification and phasing out of antibiotic marker genes which are harmful to human health and the environment.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list
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those who attended the first meeting of the National Countryside Access Forum; and what arrangements are being made for industry and the trade unions to be represented in the forum. [93297]
Mr. Meacher:
The National Countryside Access Forum has been established, at the Government's request, by the Countryside Agency. Those attending the first meeting on 21 July, as members of the Forum, were:
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what contingency plans exist under which the M4 bus lane restriction may be lifted in the event of an accident causing a blockage to one or both of the other lanes of the eastbound carriageway. [93588]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The design of the M4 bus lane included the formulation of contingency plans for dealing with accidents and incidents on the section of motorway including the bus lane. These were agreed with and are operated by the police. The police opened the bus lane to all vehicles for a short time on the morning of 23 July, following an accident that closed the two other lanes.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the extra expenditure for London Underground in 2000. [93539]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The additional resources announced on 15 July 1999, Official Report, columns 600-11, for London Transport in 2000-01 will mean that investment in the core Underground network should be in excess of £500 million, including investment under the PFI. London Transport announced
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details of this investment programme that the additional resources would help deliver on 22 July. I am arranging for London Transport's detailed breakdown to be placed in the Library of the House. This investment will lead to improvements across the network.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the membership of the task force set up to monitor improvements to London Underground; when it will first meet and how often; how long it has been established; what penalties the task force will be able to impose for performance failures by London Transport; and if he will publish the terms of reference for the task force. [93541]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
As already announced the task force will be led by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport and its terms of reference are to monitor improvements to London Underground. Its membership will include representation from DETR, the Government Office for London, the Treasury, and London Transport. The first meeting will take place later in the summer, and the task force will meet regularly thereafter.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish details of the planned maintenance programme for London Underground per line over the next 12 months and details of line closures over the next 12 months. [93536]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Details of the planned Underground maintenance programme are a matter for London Underground.
For details of the temporary line closures London Underground are planning over the next 12 months, I refer to my reply of 2 July 1999, Official Report, column 291, to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood).
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the daughter document on aviation. [93537]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
In last year's integrated transport White Paper (Cm 3950) we announced that we would prepare a White Paper on UK airports policy, and that we would commission a series of preparatory studies in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the North of England, the Midlands and South West England. The then Minister of Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, North and Bellshill (Dr. Reid), announced on 11 March 1999, Official Report, columns 360-61, a wide-ranging study of airport issues in the South East and East of England. He stated that we expect the studies to take around two years, and that the Government envisages that the results will be incorporated in the airports White Paper. We intend to make a further announcement about this in due course.
Professor Ian Mercer, Secretary General of the Association of National Park Authorities;
Mr. Hywel Davies, Chief Executive of the British Horse Society;
Mr. Iain McMorrin, Chair of the Access and Conservation Committee of the British Mountaineering Council;
Ms Kate Parminter, Director of the Council for the Protection of Rural England;
Sir Edward Greenwell, Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Country Landowners' Association;
Ms Pam Ashton, Chair of Campaigns and Policy Committee of the Cyclists Touring Club;
Mr. Peter Davidson, of Hertfordshire County Council representing the Local Government Association;
Air Commodore Simon Bostock, Moorland Association;
Mr. Tim Bennett, Deputy President of the National Farmers' Union;
Mr. Jo Burgon, Coast and Countryside Adviser for the National Trust;
Mr. Jerry Pearlman, Honorary Solicitor for the Ramblers' Association;
Mr. Gwyn Williams, Head of Species and Habitat Policy for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds;
Ms Pamela Warhurst, Deputy Chair of the Countryside Agency, chaired the meeting.
Business and trade union interests will be represented on the Forum by independent members who will be appointed by the Countryside Agency in August.
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