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Housing Waiting Lists
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each London borough the number of (a) families on the housing waiting list, (b) families on the transfer list and (c) his estimates of the number of single people who need housing but are not accepted on to waiting lists. [108874]
Mr. Mullin: The latest information on the number of households on the housing registers of London boroughs was included in my reply to my hon. Friend on 1 December 1999, Official Report, columns 205-06W. Information on transfer lists, and estimates of single persons in housing need but not accepted on to housing registers, is not held centrally.
Global Warming
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department is funding into the potential severity of 100 year climatic events due to global warming; and if the Environment Agency will take this into account in commenting on planning applications. [109012]
Mr. Meacher:
My Department supports a £7.8 million programme on climate prediction at the Hadley Centre, which is based at the Met Office. Part of this research programme considers how sea level is projected to rise as a result of climate change. Extreme climate events are characterised by their "return period", i.e. the 100-year water level is the water level which occurs once in every 100 years. The Hadley Centre projections have been used by the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory to calculate how the return period for the current 100-year water level might change by the 2050s at a number of UK ports. The projections are currently very uncertain because of
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incomplete understanding of the climate system, and do not allow for any changes in storminess which may result from climate change.
The projections indicate that in England and Wales, a current high tide which would be expected to occur once in every 100 years will occur more frequently. This would be exacerbated if storminess were also to increase as a result of climate change.
The Environment Agency considers new research (some of which it is actively involved in) as it emerges and uses it to inform procedures for responding to planning applications.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to develop the safety management system operated by National Air Traffic Control Ltd; [108525]
Mr. Mullin:
My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Transport and I had two meetings with the Institute of Professional and Managerial Staff and the Public and Commercial Services Union in December at which we made clear that the Government have the highest regard for the Safety Management System operated by NATS. We have indicated that the system will remain in place, subject only to such changes and improvements as are agreed with the Safety Regulation Group (SRG) of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The new arrangements, proposed in the current Transport Bill, will lead to the separation of SRG as the regulator, from NATS as operator, as recommended by the Select Committee on the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Under these arrangements, SRG will continue to have robust oversight of all NATS operations. This oversight will include the approval of processes and procedures through the NATS Safety Management System to ensure that traffic flows are regulated and managed at safe levels, irrespective of increasing demand, and that staff are rostered in compliance with the Scheme for the Regulation of Air Traffic Controllers' Hours (SRATCOH), so as to deal safely with the resulting volume of traffic.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has had from representatives of the British Association of Air Line Pilots and the Institute of Professional and Managerial Staffs on proposed changes in the status and organisation of air traffic controllers; and if he will make a statement. [107552]
Mr. Mullin:
Since September, my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Transport and I have had four meetings with the Institute of Professional and Managerial Staffs and the Public and Commercial Services Union. The Deputy Prime Minister and the British Association of Air Line Pilots were present at one of these meetings. We propose to hold a further meeting with the unions shortly. Subjects discussed include the future of National Air Traffic Services Ltd. under the public-private partnership which the Government
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proposes to establish, and the vital importance of maintaining in full existing safety standards in the air traffic control industry.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to issue a licence allowing the de-zoning of the existing hackney carriage zones to form a single zone in Herefordshire; and if he will make a statement. [109075]
Mr. Hill:
A request from Herefordshire Council to approve its resolution to amalgamate existing hackney carriage zones is being carefully considered and a decision will be made as soon as possible.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many (a) miles of track and (b) railway junctions in Scotland are controlled by (i) colour light signal systems, (ii) radio-electronic token signals and (iii) mechanical semaphore signals. [108652]
Mr. Hill:
1,497 miles of track in Scotland are controlled by coloured lights systems, 400 miles by Radio Electronic Token Block Signalling and 700 miles by mechanical semaphore signalling. An equivalent figure for railway junctions cannot be given as it is dependent on the definition used.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the track mileage in Scotland which has electronic train protection, broken down by mileage of the system used; and how many (a) miles of track and (b) junctions in Scotland are not covered by electric or electronic train protection. [108653]
Mr. Hill:
2,454 miles of track in Scotland are protected by the Automatic Warning System (AWS). 143 miles of track on the Ayr-Stranraer and Aberdeen-Inverness routes are without AWS, although they will be fitted later this year. The Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) will be fitted to 1,424 signals and 88 buffer stops by 2003. An equivalent figure for railway junctions cannot be given as it is dependent on the definition used.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the number of sub-post offices which receive (a) 50 per cent. rates relief and (b) 100 per cent. rates relief; and what would be the estimated cost of extending rates relief at (i) 50 per cent. and (ii) 100 per cent. to all sub-post offices; and if he will make a statement. [108906]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The number of rural post offices receiving the 50 per cent. mandatory village shop rate relief and the number to which local authorities have granted discretionary relief of up to 100 per cent. are not collected centrally. However for 1998-99, the last year which figures are available, sole village stores and post offices in England received £2,022,332 in mandatory relief and £1,091,833 in "top up" discretionary relief.
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We are unable to estimate the cost of extending both mandatory and discretionary rate relief to all sub post offices because information is not held centrally on the number and rate liabilities of those already receiving village shop rate relief and those which are not. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has approved the terms of reference for the South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study; and how he will ensure consistency in evaluating the demands for, and constraints on, airports and air service development in the South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study. [109353]
Mr. Mullin:
I have now approved the final terms of reference for the South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study, taking account of comments received following the consultation on draft terms of reference. Copies will be placed in the House Libraries. They will be circulated to interested parties, and will be on the DETR website.
(2) what plans he has to maintain safe levels in the volume of air traffic. [108527]
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