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Rough Sleepers
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of policies over the past 10 years in reducing the incidence of rough sleeping. [106594]
Ms Armstrong: Thorough independent evaluations were carried out on each of the three main phases of the Rough Sleepers Initiative, from 1990 to 1999, as well as on smaller individual projects. The most recent evaluation report, "Homes for Street Homeless People, An evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative", was published in December 1999 and copies were placed in the House Libraries.
Gardening Leave
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many officials in his Department are currently on gardening leave; and if he will make a statement. [108158]
Ms Beverley Hughes: We interpret the term "gardening leave" as applying to staff who have no current assignment and are in receipt of full pay and are not required to attend for work.
One member of staff falls into this category.
Road Safety
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will make an announcement about road safety policy; and if he will make a statement. [108157]
Mr. Hill:
We will shortly be publishing a new road safety strategy, which will set out a range of measures for improving road safety.
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Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the co-ordination between Government Departments of scientific advice and policy development relating to dangerous chemicals. [106592]
Mr. Meacher:
The Government published a strategy on chemicals in the environment, "Sustainable production and use of chemicals: A strategic approach", in December 1999. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.
This strategy includes mechanisms for obtaining independent scientific advice and developing policy on dangerous chemicals in the environment in an open and transparent way with the assistance of a new Stakeholder Forum. This Forum will comprise representatives from all of the major stakeholders and will provide advice to Government on the assessment and management of chemicals in the environment. Government Departments, including those with responsibility for health and trade, will be represented on the Forum. Government Departments will continue to work together taking account of the advice from this Forum.
Ms Kelly:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to make changes to the appeals system for non-domestic rates valuations from 1 April 2000; and if he will make a statement. [108602]
Ms Armstrong:
In March 1999, as part of the Financial Management and Policy Review of the Valuation tribunal service, we consulted on possible changes to the appeals system for business rates. Appeals against a rating assessment can take some years to resolve because of the sheer numbers that are received. At present, businesses are too often in the dark about when their appeal will be considered. This is unacceptable. I believe it is important to businesses that they are given this information and an opportunity to make representations to appropriate bodies for earlier action if they believe this to be necessary.
Therefore we propose the following reforms to improve the business rates appeals system:
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I believe that these and other initiatives will bring greater clarity to the appeals system and more certainty to businesses about when their appeals will be resolved. They will be achieved through a combination of regulation and best practice.
Priority will be given to the settlement of appeals relating to the 1995 rating list and previous lists. We intend to deal with these appeals as far as possible before work starts on new appeals against the 2000 list.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 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 9 September 1999. I enclose a copy for ease of reference.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for South Suffolk of 12 January. [108045]
Mr. Hill:
I replied to the hon. Member on Monday 31 January. I enclose a copy for ease of reference.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the overseas aid budget for the current financial year is targeted at the provision of primary education. [107425]
Clare Short:
My Department has commitments totalling around £800 million to education, of which three-quarters is for basic and primary education. We have committed over £300 million to such programmes since May 1997. In 1998-99 over 16 per cent. of bilateral programme commitments were targeted towards primary education.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list for the past 12 months (a) the financing proposals prepared by the European Commission which her officials have been asked to consider for approval at the European Development Fund Committee and the EC Asia and Latin America Committee, (b) the amounts of European Development assistance concerned for each of these projects, (c) the dates on which her officials received the documentation for these projects, (d) the dates of the meetings at which each of these was to be considered and (e) in each case whether the projects were approved. [106135]
Clare Short:
A table listing the financing proposals put forward for approval at the European Development Fund and Asia and Latin America Management Committees over the past year, to the extent that records are available, has been sent to the hon. Member and a copy placed in the Library. The documentation is usually received by officials about three week before each meeting.
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Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the (a) Royal Parks Agency and (b) Royal Parks Constabulary about applying spot fines to cyclists caught exceeding speed limits in the Royal Parks. [107457]
Mr. Alan Howarth
[holding answer 1 February 2000]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Royal Parks Agency, which includes the Royal Parks Constabulary, about applying spot fines to cyclists caught exceeding speed limits in the Royal Parks.
There is a practical obstacle to enforcing speeding offences against cyclists because bicycles are not obliged to have speedometers. However, we constantly monitor the impact of cycling on other park users. If we find that problems are arising, we will consider what measures might be appropriate to deal with them, including the introduction of fixed penalty notices.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received about access to sports playing fields by inner-city schools. [108133]
Kate Hoey:
Since the beginning of the new school term in September, my right hon. Friend and I have received no such representations.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list for each parliamentary constituency (a) the total proceeds in cash terms of National Lottery ticket sales over the past five years, (b) the total grants to good causes for the last five years, and (c) the total prize money distributed over the last five years; if he will give in each case the average figure for all constituencies; and if he will make a statement. [106504]
Kate Hoey
[holding answer 24 January 2000]: I have placed in the Libraries of the House tables showing (a) total National Lottery tickets sales by constituency (average for each constituency, £38,290,852); and (b) total National Lottery awards by constituency (average for each constituency, £10,838,719) for the first five years of the National Lottery (to 13 November 1999). The total amount won in prizes over the same period was £11,926,610,114, which equates to an average of £18,098,043 per constituency. The breakdown of prizes by constituency is not available.
a new comprehensive programme setting out when ratepayers can expect their appeals to be considered by the Valuation Officer and, if any remain unresolved, when the case may be heard by the Valuation Tribunal;
the opportunity for ratepayers to make representations if they believe that their place in the timetable is unreasonable;
improvements in the quality and timeliness of information provided to ratepayers about their valuations;
clear guidelines on what information the ratepayer should be given and when;
work towards ending the culture of brinkmanship by cutting off last minute discussions prior to the hearing at the Tribunal;
on a trial basis, exchanging information on valuations prior to Tribunal hearings.
We will also encourage early submissions of appeals, limiting the extent to which late appeals can be retrospective. Existing rating lists will close to any new appeals on 31 March 2001.
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