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Proportional Representation
Mr. Evans: To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to hold a referendum on whether proportional representation should be introduced for elections to the United Kingdom Parliament. [110335]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the Leader of the Opposition in the House on 12 January 2000, Official Report, column 274.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Police Service
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria relating to minor criminal records will govern entry into the proposed Police Service for Northern Ireland; what class of criminal conviction is a barrier to recruitment to the RUC; and what plans he has to change the criteria. [107815]
Mr. Ingram: A note setting out the current criminal convictions criteria has been placed in the Library. It is also available on the Royal Ulster Constabulary's website.
The criteria will be reviewed in light of the recommendations on recruitment in the Patten Report.
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Hull, North of 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 5W, if he will list the responsibilities of the Chief Constable of the RUC when he was a detective superintendent at RUC Headquarters. [108429]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 8 February 2000]: While I was content to answer the previous question from my hon. Friend for Hull, North, I do not consider it appropriate to answer questions relating to the operational responsibilities of individual members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 463W
Construction Industry
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance his Department gives to aid the development of the construction industry. [107848]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Department operates a sponsorship programme to support the technical and commercial development of the construction industry.
We invest approximately £25 million a year in research and dissemination of best practice to help and encourage the industry to improve its competitiveness and its performance on such issues as sustainability, diversity, health and safety, training etc. This includes over £8 million to support collaborative research with industry.
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 464W
From within this total, the Department contributes funds to support the work of the Construction Industry Board, the Construction Best Practice Programme, the Movement for Innovation Board and the Housing Forum, on their work to improve the industry's performance.
The Department also provides support for external and internal trade missions to promote UK interests in overseas markets.
Mr. Baldry:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much funding he has provided to support the (a) Movement for Innovation, (b) Construction Industry Training Board, (c) Construction Best Practice programme and (d) Housing Forum for the years (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000. [R] [108707]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
DETR funding has been as follows:
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 463W
| Financial year | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
|---|---|---|
| Movement for Innovation | ||
| M4I Board/Local Government Taskforce/Change the Face of Construction/other publicity and conferences | 110 | 615 |
| Housing Forum | 0 | 100 |
| Construction Industry Board (including National Construction Week) | 140 | 155 |
| Construction Best Practice Programme | 1,300 | 2,000 |
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 463W
Please note that because a number of expenditures are expected to arise at around the turn of the financial year, out-turns for the current financial year may vary from the above estimates.
Housing (Elderly People)
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase the availability of suitable housing to the elderly. [109247]
Mr. Mullin: Over the lifetime of this Parliament, we are providing nearly £5 billion of extra resources for investment in housing in England. Most of these resources are being directed through local authorities who are key to the delivery of our housing policies. £2.1 billion has been allocated to local authorities in 2000-01, through the Housing Investment Programme--48 per cent. more than was available in the current year.
We believe that local authorities are best placed to decide on the needs and priorities of their areas and their investment decisions for these additional resources should be based on robust local assessments of the housing needs of all groups within the community, including addressing the needs of the elderly.
In particular, grants are available through local authorities, to help elderly and disabled people to carry out adaptions and improvements that enable them to remain in comfort and safety in their own homes. Provision for disabled facilities grants is due to increase by a quarter over the current expenditure period, and this is expected to pay for over 10,000 additional adaptations.
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 464W
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many regional development agency boards have more than one member with expertise in rural matters. [109810]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
All RDA boards have at least one member with rural expertise. Yorkshire Forward and the East of England RDA have two board members with rural expertise.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many brownfield sites his Department has identified in (a) rural and (b) urban areas; and what is the total area of such sites in each category. [109766]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Provisional results from the first phase of the National Land Use Database (NLUD), published in May last year estimated that, in 1998, there were about 33,000 hectares of previously developed vacant and derelict land in England. An additional 23,000 hectares of land are potentially available through reuse of vacant commercial buildings, land currently in use but allocated in plans for redevelopment or with planning permission for housing, and other sites expected to become available for redevelopment. These results were compiled from information on more than 30,000 previously developed sites.
This information is not available for urban and rural areas separately.
Dan Norris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish a list of brownfield sites in England. [110235]
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 465W
Ms Beverley Hughes:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Mr. Wyatt) on 28 January 2000, Official Report, column 357W.
Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the United Kingdom is on target to meet the level of carbon dioxide reduction agreed at Kyoto. [109575]
Mr. Meacher:
The UK has a legally binding target under the Kyoto Protocol of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008-12. Our emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol fell by almost 9 per cent. between 1990 and 1997 and is on target to meet our commitment. The Government will shortly be publishing a draft UK climate change programme for consultation. The draft programme will show how the UK plans to meet its legally binding Kyoto target and move towards the domestic goal of a 20 per cent. cut in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2010.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many bilateral meetings were held between his Department and its Austrian counterpart in each of the last five years; and what was discussed at each meeting since May 1997. [109872]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Any records of bilateral meeting between the DETR (or the former DOE or DOT) and its Austrian counterpart are not held centrally. It would therefore involve a disproportionate cost in trying to retrieve the information.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those previously planned meetings and their subject, between his Department and its Austrian counterpart which have been cancelled since the formation of the new Austrian Government. [109899]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
There were no previously planned meetings between DETR and its Austrian counterpart when the new Austrian Government was formulated.
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