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Brownfield Developments
32. Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received concerning brownfield housing developments in the north-west. [107338]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State has received a number of representations in the course of his statutory planning functions and the review of the Regional Planning Guidance for the north-west.
Homelessness
34. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on actions taken by his Department to tackle homelessness among young people. [107341]
Ms Armstrong:
Since coming to office, we have taken a number of positive steps to tackle youth homelessness and ensure better housing outcomes for young people. These include work on the promotion of local homelessness strategies and preventative initiatives; setting up the Youth Homelessness Action Partnership to look at the particular problems young homeless people face; and committing an integrated budget of £145 million until 2002 to tackle all aspects of rough sleeping.
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Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in implementing the recommendation of the Social Exclusion Unit to allow housing authorities to accept as being vulnerable under the provisions of homelessness legislation 16 and 17 year olds who have no family support. [108520]
Mr. Mullin:
Local authorities already have the power to accommodate young people whom they consider to be vulnerable and therefore in priority need, under the provisions of the Housing Act 1996. We recognise that young people who are leaving care may face particular difficulties in making the transition to independent living, as a consequence of institutionalisation and perhaps having limited back up support. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' revised draft Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation and Homelessness, due to be published in the Spring, will therefore recommend that local authorities treat young care leavers, and 16-17 year olds with little or no back up support, as being vulnerable under the homelessness legislation.
In the revised Code of Guidance we will be recommending strategies for co-ordinated working between agencies, including the value of exploring joint assessments for those with multiple needs at an early stage. The Guidance will also explicitly refer to the need for this approach when assessing homelessness applications from vulnerable people and when dealing with the needs of young people between the ages of 16-18. The forthcoming Housing Green Paper is likely to include proposals for reform of the homelessness legislation to provide further protection for vulnerable people in priority need.
35. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what follow-up action he has undertaken with developing countries on the proposals adopted at the Kyoto summit. [107343]
Mr. Meacher:
Climate change is a global problem which requires a global response. The Government are working with developing countries to promote ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions without compromising economic growth. This was a key theme during my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's visits to India and China.
36. Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the Greater Nottingham area rail development strategy. [107344]
Mr. Hill:
Funding for the capital cost of heavy rail schemes is now generally a matter for the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA). The SSRA is currently in discussion with Nottinghamshire County Council about the Strategy. I understand that the County Council will shortly be submitting a pre-qualification bid for funding to the SSRA under the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme for a new station at Ilkeston. The Strategy was however, also included as part of the proposals for local heavy rail
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network development within the Greater Nottingham Local Transport Plan, submitted in July 1999. It is open to the authorities to use their block allocations to support rail improvements associated with the Strategy.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to review the method of calculating the spending needs of local authorities. [107339]
Ms Armstrong:
Assessment of the relative spending pressures faced by local authorities is an important step in the distribution of revenue grants from central to local government. The method of distributing grants is being reviewed, and discussions are well underway between central and local government officials on a range of options for improving the system. Decisions about the merits of the various options for reform will not be taken until we have consulted widely this summer.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the risk incurred in travelling as (i) a driver of a car, (ii) an adult passenger in a car, (iii) a child passenger in a car, (iv) a driver of a motorcycle, (v) an adult pillion passenger on a motorcycle and (vi) a child pillion passenger on a motorcycle; and if he will make a statement. [107131]
Mr. Hill:
The risks incurred travelling are normally compared in terms of kilometres travelled by different users (passenger kilometres). The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Adult | Child | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Severity | Driver | Passenger | Passenger |
| Car | |||
| Fatal | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| KSI(2) | 4.0 | 4.6 | 2.0 |
| All | 36 | 40 | 27 |
| TWMV (3) | |||
| Fatal | 12 | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| KSI(2) | 145 | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| All | 554 | (4)-- | (4)-- |
(2) Killed and seriously injured
(3) Two Wheeled Motor Vehicles; includes mopeds, scooters and motorcycle combinations
(4)Kilometres travelled by pillion passengers are not available
Building Regulations
Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve energy conservation standards required by the building regulations; and if he will make a statement. [108018]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Amendment proposals are being prepared with the aim of maximising the Building Regulations' contribution towards achieving our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and our UK domestic target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions,
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while also meeting requirements for better regulation. I intend that a consultation paper setting out our proposals should be issued shortly.
Mr. Hunter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take measures to enable local authorities to remove more promptly motor vehicles which have been abandoned on (a) public and (b) private land; and if he will make a statement. [108115]
Mr. Mullin:
We have no plans to shorten the period of notice a local authority must give before removing from public or private land any vehicle which it considers has been abandoned. The existing regulations are intended to provide owners with safeguards against a local authority prematurely assuming a vehicle is abandoned and having it towed away for scrap. They also ensure that local authorities do not have to go to the unnecessary expense of removing and storing vehicles that may not, in the event, have been abandoned.
We believe that the current legislation provides a good balance between the powers of the police and local authorities to deal with abandoned vehicles and the rights of vehicle owners.
Mr. Hunter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers are available to local authorities to impose crowd control and safety measures on the organisers of popular events which are held on private land; and what plans he has to strengthen them. [108114]
Mr. Meacher:
The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 requires the organisers of popular events held on public land to control risks to workers or the public arising from work activities. These provisions are enforced by local authorities. There are no plans to strengthen these powers.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the driver test centres in the Greater London area. [108171]
Mr. Hill:
In the Greater London area, driving theory tests are conducted from six centres:
Croydon, Ilford, Kingston upon Thames, Palmers Green, Southwark and Uxbridge.
Practical tests for learner car drivers are conducted from 30 centres (moped and motorcycle tests are also conducted at those centres shown in italics):
Barking, Barnet, Bexleyheath, Chingford, Greenford (Horsenden Lane and Ruislip Road), Hayes, Hendon, Hither Green, Hornchurch, Ilford, Isleworth, Loughton, Mill Hill, Morden, New Southgate, Pinner, Sidcup, South Norwood, Southall, Southfields, Surbiton, Sutton, Teddington, Wallington (Mint House and Old Town Hall), Wanstead, West Wickham, Winchmore Hill and Wood Green.
Practical tests for learner lorry and bus drivers are conducted from four centres:
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