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Local Government
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2000, Official Report, column 145W, on local government, what meetings he and his ministerial colleagues have had with the New Local government Network on the Government's modernisation agenda. [108380]
Ms Armstrong: Ministers have met the New Local Government Network on a number of occasions. A range of topics on the Government's modernisation agenda have been discussed.
Home Improvement Agencies
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the awarding of section 169 grant for home improvement agencies. [108219]
Mr. Mullin: Grant is payable to local authorities under section 169 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to support the running costs of home improvement agencies operating in their areas. My Department is currently considering authorities' applications for the renewal of grant in 2000-01, and will announce the allocations as soon as possible.
Bournemouth International Airport
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how long the Government Office of the South West took to decide whether or not to call in the planning application submitted by Bournemouth International Airport for a new passenger terminal; and if he will make a statement. [108340]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The planning application which Bournemouth International Airport submitted to Christchurch Borough Council on 28 November 1997 was referred to the Government Office for the South West on
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21 July 1999. The application was called in for the Secretary of State's own determination, after careful consideration of all the issues, on 20 December 1999.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the performance of the Government Office of the South West against the target of reaching 80 per cent. of decisions on whether or not to call in planning applications within three weeks and 100 per cent. of cases within seven weeks in the last 12 months. [108339]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
During 1999 the Government Office for the South West issued 85 per cent. of decisions on whether or not to call in such applications within three weeks, and 88 per cent. within the secondary target of seven weeks.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many decisions on whether or not to call in planning applications were reached after more than seven weeks since May 1997. [108338]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The total number of decisions for 1998 and 1999 is 294. Prior to 1998, the information was not collated on computer and, as a result, the figure for 1997 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his latest estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in England. [108341]
Ms Armstrong:
On 15 December 1999 the Government published their latest estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in England. This estimate showed that, as at June 1999, there were 1,633 people sleeping rough in England on any one night, of which 635 were in Greater London. Copies are available from the House Libraries. We will be publishing shortly updated figures for Central London, following recent single night street counts.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many letters he has received since 1 May 1997 on (a) constituency matters and (b) other matters of Government policy from each of those Members of the House who have not taken the oath of allegiance. [108402]
Ms Armstrong:
I am not able to provide this information to my right hon. Friend as correspondence between Members and Departments is treated in confidence unless the originating Member chooses to make such issues public.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will introduce a new target for PM10 emissions; and if he will make a statement. [108334]
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Mr. Meacher:
I announced the publication of the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 19 January. When launching the Strategy, I explained that work is already in hand which will allow us to consider a new objective for particles towards the end of this year. This work includes consideration of particles' health effects: the costs and benefits of reducing levels of particles in air; and the effects of recent policy developments on particle levels.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the percentage of municipal waste that will be recycled by (a) 31 December 2001, (b) 31 December 2005 and (c) 31 December 2010. [108337]
Mr. Meacher:
The Government have set a goal of at least 30 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2010. The Government are also committed to achieving 25 per cent. as soon as possible, and hope to do this by 2005.
The latest municipal waste recycling and composting figure for England and Wales is 8 per cent. (based on 1997-98 data).
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many prosecutions have been made under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the illegal release of Schedule 9 plants. [108300]
Mr. Mullin:
Prosecutions under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are brought by the police, and it is not a requirement for them to notify this Department of any such prosecutions. The Department has no record of any section 14 prosecutions in respect of plants.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many licences have been issued under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for release of Schedule 9 plants. [108299]
Mr. Mullin:
In the last five years one licence has been issued under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the release of Schedule 9 plants. This was for an experimental release of Japanese knotweed, "Fallopia japonica", at a single site in Cheshire to assess the plant's competitive abilities against native weed species.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his estimate is of the cost of controlling invasive plants which are (a) scheduled and (b) unscheduled under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [108301]
Mr. Mullin:
Information about the cost of controlling invasive plants, whether scheduled or not, is not co-ordinated centrally and therefore is not available.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce changes to PPG23. [108336]
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Ms Beverley Hughes:
The waste planning elements of PPG23 have already been dealt with and published under PPG10--Planning and Waste Management (September 1999). We propose to revise the remainder of PPG23 in two stages: the first dealing with contaminated land, and the second dealing with the planning aspects of pollution control, including air quality and water quality. We aim to issue a draft for consultation on contaminated land and planning issues to coincide with the entry into force of regulations and guidance on the new regime for the management of contaminated land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, expected in April 2000. Preparation of a consultative draft on planning and pollution control will follow the implementation of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) under new Pollution, Prevention and Control Regulations, expected in May 2000.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer the proposed merger of United Newspapers and Carlton to the Competition Commission. [108182]
Dr. Howells:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will decide whether or not to refer this case to the Competition Commission in the light of advice he has received from the Director General of Fair Trading. He will announce his decision as soon as is practicable.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is his policy that the exemption which allows exclusive car distribution and dealership arrangements will end in October 2002. [108177]
Dr. Howells:
The provision permitting car manufacturers to operate selective and exclusive distribution networks on certain conditions, commonly known as the cars block exemption, is a European Commission Regulation (Regulation (EC) 1475/95). The European Commission is currently reviewing its operation in order to draw up an evaluation report by the end of this year. This report will in turn provide a basis for discussions involving the Commission and the member states on what, if anything, should replace the block exemption when it expires on 30 September 2002. We wish to ensure that the review is undertaken in as thorough and transparent a way as possible.
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