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Radioactive Waste
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if Her Majesty's Government have received the report prepared for the
1 Feb 2000 : Column: 520W
Irish Government on the radiological and environmental implications of the disposal in the Irish Sea of radioactive waste arising from United Kingdom sources, published in January 2000. [107511]
Mr. Meacher:
My Department has received a copy of the report prepared by the Irish Task Force on the Dumping of Radioactive Material in the Maritime Area.
The Irish report supports the findings of the UK National Radiological Protection Board's report "Assessment of the Radiological Implications of Dumping in Beaufort's Dyke and Other Coastal Waters from the 1950s" (November 1997). It concludes that the potential radiation doses from the dumped material are well below those considered significant for radiological protection purposes.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the depleted uranium weights that were on board the Korean Airlines plane that crashed outside Stansted Airport in January. [107447]
Mr. Mullin
[holding answer 31 January 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 122W.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the standard national rate on mortgages set by local authorities; and if he will change the way the rate is set to bring it closer to commercial interest rates. [108037]
Mr. Mullin:
The standard national rate of interest on local authority mortgages is declared from time to time by the Secretary of State in accordance with Schedule 16 to the Housing Act 1985, taking into account prevailing building society interest rates. The current standard national rate is 6.51 per cent. There are no current plans for changes to the way in which the standard national rate is calculated.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact on his policy of the Spath-Holme Judgment of 20 January regarding rent increases in private rented property. [107632]
Mr. Mullin
[holding answer 31 January 2000]: We are giving careful consideration to the implications of the Court of Appeal's decision to quash the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999. We remain committed to protecting tenants from excessive increases in fair rents. We intend to petition another place seeking permission to appeal the Court's decision.
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by what percentage the average local authority social services budget exceeds the corresponding SSA element. [107986]
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Ms Beverley Hughes:
The average local authority social services budget exceeds its corresponding SSA for 1999-2000 by 10.9 per cent.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require insurance companies to insist on minimum standards of maintenance and repair of leased properties they insure. [107732]
Mr. Mullin:
We have no plans to do so. An insurance company could only enforce such standards by refusing to pay any claim where minimum standards had not been met. This would not help leaseholders. Where landlords are responsible for maintaining property but fail to do so properly, leaseholders should consider asking a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to appoint a new manager for the building.
However, we are considering options for regulating managers of residential leasehold property as part of our wider leasehold reform package. Such arrangements could be used to tackle poor management standards and to ensure that leasehold property is properly maintained.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the role of parish and town councils. [107307]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Parish councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy in our country and they will continue to play a key role in many of our towns and villages. Modern and dynamic parish councils have a real part to play in the democratic constitution of this country.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 338W, on departmental research contracts, if he will place in the Library a copy of the standard research contract in use by his Department. [107098]
Mr. Mullin:
As requested, a copy of the standard research contract conditions in use by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, has been placed in the Library of the House of Commons. Minor variations are made to the contract conditions from time to time.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish tables showing the amounts of income lost to each local authority pension fund since budget changes to dividend tax credits. [107958]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Information on any loss of income by individual local authority pension funds due to budget changes to dividend tax credits is not available centrally.
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Mr. Soames:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his assessment of the permanent annual increase in costs accruing to West Sussex County Council resulting from recent changes in the rules for the taxation of investments. [107872]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Information to assess the financial effect of changes in the rules for the taxation of individual local authority investments is not available centrally.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received on the theory element of the driving test; how many such representations were from national organisations; and what plans he has to ensure that all eligible members of the public have equal access to a theory test. [107456]
Mr. Hill:
Since October 1999, one Parliamentary Question has been asked about the driving theory test-- I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 November 1999, Official Report, column 601W--and we have answered five letters. One letter was from a driving instructor association, and one from a road safety organisation. As part of our social inclusion agenda, we make every effort to ensure that all candidates have their needs accommodated. Test centres have been furbished to meet the needs of the physically disabled. Candidates normally select their answers by touching the screen, but help is available where required. Audio support using headphones is provided in English and Welsh, and in 14 other languages. The test is available with British Sign Language. Candidates with special needs are allowed up to double the normal time to complete the test.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what allowances the Driving Standards Agency makes for people with dyslexia to take the theory test during a driving test. [107455]
Mr. Hill:
Since 4 January, the driving theory test has been delivered using a touch screen computer system. This has significant benefits for dyslexic candidates, who can use earphones to listen to an English language voice-over reading the questions and answer options. Dyslexic candidates are allowed up to double the normal time to complete the test.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he will reply to the letter of 6 July 1999 from the hon. Member for South Suffolk; [108044]
Mr. Hill:
I replied to the hon. Member on Monday 31 January. I have supplied a copy for ease of reference.
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Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy on the circumstances in which planning inquiries may be held on proposals to build waste incinerators, and the rights of objectors to such proposals to have a public inquiry. [108320]
Mr. Raynsford:
The building of a waste incinerator requires planning permission, for which an application must be made to the local planning authority. Where a local planning authority refuses an application for planning permission, grants it subject to conditions or fails to determine it within eight weeks, the person applying for permission may appeal. The appeal may be dealt with by public inquiry or hearing, although most are dealt with by written representations. An inquiry is likely to be held in the very small proportion of cases where my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State considers it necessary to call in a planning application to determine it himself, instead of leaving it to the planning authority.
My right hon. Friend's policy on call-ins was stated in a written answer by my predecessor on 16 June 1999, Official Report, column 138W and this remains the position. He will be very selective about calling in planning applications. He will, in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. Such cases may include, for example, those which in his opinion:
(2) when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member from South Suffolk of 12 January. [108045]
may conflict with national policies;
could have significant effects beyond their immediate locality;
give rise to substantial regional or national controversy;
raise significant architectural and urban design issues; or
may involve the interests of national security or of foreign Governments.
However each case will continue to be considered on its individual merits.
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