| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Washable Nappies
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to promote the use of washable nappies for environmental reasons; and if he will make a statement. [105178]
Mr. Mullin: Disposable nappies are a significant proportion of household waste. However, when all environmental impacts are taken into account, it is not established whether disposable nappies are environmentally preferable in the majority of cases.
We encourage individuals to consider environmental factors when making purchasing decisions. Ultimately, though, it is for parents to decide which type of nappy is best suited to their circumstances.
Rural Bus Services (Chorley)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring his Department carries out of the level of bus services to rural areas in Chorley District. [105549]
Mr. Hill: Information on rural bus services is collected at County level.
Following introduction of the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant in 1998 the Department undertook a monitoring exercise to assess the impact of the new grant. This showed that over 1,800 new or improved services had been introduced in England; 42 of those services were in Lancashire.
Europe/North-West Rail Link
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what role his Department will play in ensuring direct rail links from Europe to the North-West in order to help businesses in this area. [105267]
Mr. Hill:
I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 7 December 1999, Official Report, column 477W. Such services have been the subject of an extensive
24 Jan 2000 : Column: 126W
independent review, which Ministers are currently considering. An announcement on publication will be made in due course.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the cost to business of traffic congestion on British motorways. [105264]
Mr. Hill:
Various estimates have been made of the value road users place on the total amount of time lost to congestion on the road network for different years and using different methods. They agree that taking all road users together and the British network as a whole the total runs to billions of pounds every year, and has been rising.
Although motorways account for a significant proportion of traffic--nearly 20 per cent. of all vehicle kilometres in England in 1996--analysis undertaken for the Government's report "Tackling Congestion and Pollution", published yesterday, suggests that they account for only about 5 per cent. of the total amount of vehicle time lost.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the congestion costs of the movement of police-escorted wide loads between 7am and 7pm. [105543]
Mr. Hill:
Delays caused by individual movements of police-escorted wide loads will vary significantly between circumstances depending on the time of travel and the route taken. I am not aware that any assessment has been made of the overall impact on the journey times of other road users.
Mr. Hurst:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list, for each London borough, in the year 1998, the percentage of waste disposal by (a) landfill, (b) recycling and (c) incineration. [105327]
Mr. Mullin:
The tables set out the available information for the percentage of municipal waste recycled, landfilled and incinerated in 1997-98 for the London boroughs. Full information is available for unitary authorities, which are responsible for both waste collection and disposal. For the boroughs that are waste collection authorities, the percentage of municipal waste recycled is shown. Landfill and incineration data are not available for individual waste collection authorities, as this is the responsibility of the waste disposal authority.
24 Jan 2000 : Column: 127W
| Recycling and composting | |
|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | n/a |
| Barnet | 7 |
| Brent | 3 |
| Camden | 7 |
| Ealing | 6 |
| Enfield | 7 |
| Hackney | n/a |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 5 |
| Haringey | 3 |
| Harrow | 6 |
| Havering | n/a |
| Hillingdon | 6 |
| Hounslow | 9 |
| Islington | 2 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 6 |
| Lambeth | 4 |
| Newham | 2 |
| Redbridge | 4 |
| Richmond upon Thames | n/a |
| Waltham Forest | 4 |
| Wandsworth | 5 |
| Recycling and composting | Landfill | Incineration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Riverside Waste Authority | 1 | 99 | 0 |
| East London Waste Authority | 0 | 87 | 13 |
| North London Waste Authority | 2 | 56 | 42 |
| West London Waste Authority | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Note:
No response to the 1997-98 survey was received from the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Hackney and Havering, and data for Richmond upon Thames, Merton and Westminster are incomplete.
Source:
Municipal Waste Survey
Water Industry
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on prospects for employment in the water utilities following Ofwat's recommendations on water pricing. [105147]
Mr. Mullin:
The examination of the water industry's costs and efficiency assumptions is a matter for the Director General of Water Services. He has a statutory duty to secure that water companies properly carry out
24 Jan 2000 : Column: 128W
their functions and are able to finance them. These functions must be carried out in full compliance with all legal requirements, including drinking water quality (regulated by the Drinking Water Inspectorate), health and safety (regulated by the Health and Safety Executive), environmental standards (regulated by the Environment Agency) and customer service and continuity of supply (regulated by the Director General himself). In conducting his periodic review of water price limits the Director General expects companies to improve on efficiency savings that they have already achieved. It will be for water and sewerage undertakers to ensure that they maintain the necessary staff and other resources to meet these obligations in full.
In deciding how to meet price limits set by the Director General, companies will need to consider the range of measures open to them, including factors such as dividend policy, as well as the option of making staff redundant.
The Government believe that it is possible to deliver substantial quality improvements and reductions in customers' bills, for the benefit of consumers. The environmental and water quality improvement programmes will create significant new employment opportunities, although my Department has not undertaken or commissioned research on employment in the water industry.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the expenditure by his Department and its agencies on road safety schemes in each financial year since 1997. [105485]
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 7.3 |
| 1998-99 | 50.6 |
| 1999-2000 | (38)39.3 |
(38) To date
The basis for classifying road expenditure was revised from 1998-99 onwards, and the information for 1997-98 is not directly comparable with subsequent years. It may understate the position.
Leasehold Valuation Tribunals
Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring his Department undertakes of the work of Leasehold Valuation Tribunals; and if he will publish a report on that monitoring. [105813]
Mr. Mullin:
My Department monitors the work load and staffing of the Leasehold Valuation Tribunals and their progress in resolving a variety of disputes relating to leasehold property. In addition, we have commissioned a study to monitor the implementation of the leasehold provisions of the Housing Act 1996, including the experience of leaseholders and freeholders using the tribunals. A report on the study will be published by the summer. We are also examining all aspects of the operation of the tribunals as part of a wider review of
24 Jan 2000 : Column: 129W
the Rent Assessment Panels. I announced publication of a consultation paper on the review on 18 November 1999, Official Report, column 5W.
Mr. Lepper:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he has issued to Leasehold Valuation Tribunals since September 1997. [105812]
Mr. Mullin:
Leasehold Valuation Tribunals are independent statutory bodies and my Department does not issue them with guidance. The Presidents of Rent Assessment Panels, from which membership of the tribunals are drawn, are responsible for providing advice to members on legal, valuation and procedural matters relevant to the work of the tribunals.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |