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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Flight Crew Licensing
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking at European Communities Level to enforce compliance with the age limits in the joint aviation requirement on flight crew licensing. [97144]
Mr. Mullin: Under Council Regulation 3922-91 on the harmonisation of aviation technical standards the national aviation authorities of member states are required to be members of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). The Regulation also adopted some of the JAA's Joint Aviation Requirements (JARs) as the European Community's harmonised standard and established a procedure to adopt future JARs as the EC standard. Where a JAR has not yet been adopted under EC law, JAA member states implement them under national law and are obliged, under the JAA Arrangements, to use their best efforts to implement JARs by the due date. The JAR on Flight Crew Licensing (JAR-FCL) was adopted by the JAA in 1996 with an implementation date of 1 July 1999.
JARs generally set standards that are compatible with those set by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) under the terms of the Chicago Convention, but can introduce differences, so long as member states notify the differences to ICAO. In drawing up the JAR-FCL, the JAA determined that commercial pilots can safely be licensed to the age of sixty five, provided that only one pilot in a multi pilot aircraft may be over 60: this differs from the ICAO standard under which a person can only act as a pilot in command if they are under 60. The UK and most other JAA member states are, or are in the process of, applying this age limit. However, the French Authorities are continuing to apply the ICAO age limits within French airspace, although co-pilots up to the age of 65 are permitted. The UK has raised this matter both within the JAA and directly with the French authorities.
National Air Traffic Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions since May 1997, on what dates, and for what duration he met representatives of the air traffic controllers to discuss the Government's proposals for the National Air Traffic Services. [97248]
Mr. Mullin: Since May 1997, Ministers in this Department have met representatives of air traffic controllers on eight separate occasions.
Household Waste
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are
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the targets, and corresponding dates, for the increase in the recycling of household waste; and if he will make a statement. [97140]
Mr. Mullin:
In the draft waste strategy "A Way with Waste", published on 30 June 1999 by my Department and the Welsh Office, we have set a goal of recycling or composting 30 per cent. of household waste by 2010. We will aim to meet the existing target of recycling or composting 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005.
By 2015 we expect to recover value from two thirds of our household waste, with at least half of this through recycling or composting.
Devolution of responsibility for waste policy means that final decisions about the way the strategy is taken forward in Wales will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of houses in England and Wales have (a) three, (b) four, (c) five and (d) six inches of loft insulation. [97226]
Mr. Mullin:
It is estimated that around 15 per cent., 24 per cent., 10 per cent. and 17 per cent. of homes with accessible lofts in England and Wales have respectively three, four, five and six inches or more of loft insulation. A further 11 per cent. have two inches or less and in 13 per cent. of cases the depth of the insulation is not known. Over 6 per cent. have no loft insulation and there are no data for the remaining 3 per cent. of homes.
Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which body is responsible for monitoring complaints by air passengers regarding perceived dangerous in-flight incidents. [97265]
Mr. Mullin:
The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for the safety regulation of UK registered aircraft and airlines. Under the Air Navigation Order UK airlines are required to report all in-flight occurrences which could affect the safety of the aircraft so that the CAA can monitor airline safety performance. The CAA review all such reports and publish a monthly summary. If a passenger has a concern about an in-flight incident on a UK airline they should take it up with the airline concerned in the first instance. If they are not happy with the response they should write to the CAA.
The safety regulation of foreign airlines is primarily the responsibility of the State in which the airline is based. Foreign airlines operating to the UK are required to comply with the minimum standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. When the Department receives a complaint from a passenger which indicates that a foreign airline operating to the UK is not complying with ICAO standards we will follow the matter up with the airline concerned, or its regulatory authority.
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Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what relationship he proposes between Regional Development Agencies and local authority development agencies. [97837]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Working in partnership is a central part of the new approach in the regions. We asked the Regional Development Agencies to draw up their regional strategies in conjunction with regional partners, including local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors.
Implementing the strategies will also require genuine partnership working, since it requires co-ordination and coherence in policies and across programmes.
Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what part regional development agencies will play in the development and implementation of local transport policies. [97835]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Regional Planning Guidance incorporates regional transport strategies which in turn inform local transport plans. RDAs are key partners in the preparation of RPG and draw attention to the transport priorities as they see them related to their regional economic strategies.
Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what relationship he proposes between regional development agencies and local authorities. [97836]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Our regional agenda, set out in the 1997 White Paper "Building Partnerships for Prosperity" is based on a number of principles. These include the need for regional structures to be based on partnership, with each local or regional interest being able to contribute effectively towards an integrated and coherent strategic programme which commands general support. We have, therefore, asked the RDAs to proceed in dialogue with regional partners--local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors--and work to secure the support of regional interests.
Successful implementation of RDA strategies will mean genuine partnership working in the regions since it will involve co-ordination and coherence in policy and across programmes.
Local authorities have a significant stake in the work of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). Four of the thirteen board members of each RDA are drawn from local government.
The Regional Chambers will also be a key partner of the RDAs. The Chambers are local authority led, but also include representatives from business, the voluntary sector and others. Their statutory functions include commenting on the RDAs' strategies and receiving reports on the RDAs' activities.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes in the law will be required to implement the Government's policy for speeding up the process of buying and selling homes in England and Wales. [96379]
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Mr. Mullin:
We believe that most of the actions we are seeking from service providers can be achieved on a voluntary basis, except that home buyers' searches will probably need to be put on a statutory footing. However, sellers' information packs will need to be made compulsory to ensure that everyone benefits from them. The surveyor will be liable both to the seller and the buyer for the House Condition Report which will be part of the seller's information pack. These changes will require legislation and we plan to do this as soon as a suitable opportunity arises.
Source:
GfK Home Audit, Ownership of home insulation at December 1998.
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