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Council Tax (Somerset)
Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the (a) real terms and (b) cash terms rise in the Council Tax in Somerset for each year since 1983-84; and if he will make a statement. [110801]
Ms Armstrong:
The information for each year since the introduction of Council Tax in 1993-94 is as follows:
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| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Real change | ||||||
| Mendip | 7.1 | -1.9 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 4.9 |
| Sedgemoor | 4.8 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 4.8 |
| Taunton Deane | 2.9 | 0.9 | 8.5 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
| West Somerset | 12.0 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.4 |
| South Somerset | 3.7 | 2.5 | -0.0 | 4.8 | 2.5 | 4.7 |
| (b) Actual change | ||||||
| Mendip | 8.6 | 1.0 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 5.8 | 7.3 |
| Sedgemoor | 6.3 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 8.3 | 4.8 | 7.2 |
| Taunton Deane | 4.3 | 3.8 | 12.0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.2 |
| West Somerset | 13.6 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.7 |
| South Somerset | 5.2 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 7.7 | 5.8 | 7.0 |
(29) The percentage changes are calculated from the headline Council Tax (Band D, 2 adults) amounts, before transitional relief and Council Tax benefit. These amounts cover the authority's own Council Tax plus the Council Tax of Somerset County Council and Avon and Somerset Police Authority.
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London Transport
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 337W, on London Transport, on what date he will report on London Transport's expenditure on external consultants up to the end of the first half of the current financial year. [110894]
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Mr. Hill:
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas) on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 525W.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has
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to facilitate the building of more homes in villages of fewer than 3,000 people, through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme. [110787]
Mr. Mullin:
I have asked the Housing Corporation to continue to ensure in the year 2000-01 that 3.4 per cent. of new approvals through the Approved Development Programme are in settlements with a population of 3,000 people or fewer. This will generate 750 new homes.
The number of new homes produced through the Approved Development Programme in subsequent years will depend on the outcome of this year's Spending Review.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the public inquiry into the Thameslink 2000 project will commence. [111006]
Mr. Hill:
The inquiry arrangements have not yet been finalised. I hope to make an announcement about this shortly.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total revenue raised by the Packaging Recovery Note system in (a) 1998 and (b) 1999. [110641]
Mr. Mullin
[holding answer 17 February 2000]: In 1998, my Department estimates that revenue raised by the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) System was some £78,000,000. A final outturn for 1999 is not yet available but on the basis of the first three quarters' outturn, our preliminary estimate is that revenue from the PRN system in 1999 will have been in the region of £62,000,000.
Mr. Grogan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to scrutinise the operation of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997. [110907]
Mr. Mullin:
The report of a review of the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 was published in June 1998. This included information from a Local Government Association survey of its members on the operation of the Regulations. We are currently evaluating the results of research into the review proposals and in the light of that expect to publish draft regulations for consultation later this year.
Mr. Hurst:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of installations to be affected by the introduction of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, specifying (a) pig installations and (b) poultry installations. [110738]
Mr. Meacher:
Only farms with more than 2,000 places for pigs over 30 kilos or 750 places for sows, or 40,000 places for poultry, will be regulated under IPPC. The Environment Agency estimates that in England and Wales
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this will encompass up to 435 pig installations and about 1,200 broiler installations, and 200 laying hen installations; for poultry, the great majority of installations will not come into IPPC until 2003, and for pigs until 2004.
Mr. Hurst:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the charges to be levied by other EU countries and by Scotland consequent upon the introduction of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive; and if he will make a statement. [110737]
Mr. Meacher:
The Environment Agency is gathering information on charging practices associated with IPPC in other EU countries. This will inform the development of a long-term charging scheme. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency proposes to apply its existing charging schemes relating to discharges to air, land and water to IPPC as an interim measure, with an increase in tariff of 10 per cent. to reflect the extra regulatory activities associated with IPPC.
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government will take with its counterparts in the European Union to ensure that the Montreal Protocol of 1987 is implemented; and if he will make a statement. [110773]
Mr. Meacher:
The Montreal Protocol is implemented within the European Union by EC Regulation 3093/94 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The current Regulation enables the EU to meet its commitments under the Protocol as agreed by Parties at the Copenhagen Meeting in 1992. A new EC Regulation is currently being agreed which will implement subsequent revisions to the Protocol.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to protect (a) vascular plants, (b) fungi, (c) lichens, (d) bryophytes and (e) stoneworts; and if he will make a statement. [110706]
Mr. Mullin:
All wild plants are protected from picking, uprooting and destruction by unauthorised persons under section 13 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The highest level of protection is given to wild plants of species listed in schedule 8 to the Act. All intentional picking, uprooting and destruction of wild plants of these species is prohibited. Sale of plant species listed in schedule 8 is also prohibited.
Additionally, there are a number of Biodiversity Action Plans being implemented for many species of vascular plants, fungi, lichens, bryophytes and stoneworts.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of (a) wild flower meadows, (b) open heaths, (c) open peat bogs and (d) hedgerows were (i) destroyed and (ii) seriously damaged between 1979 and 1997 in (x) England and (y) Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. [110705]
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Mr. Mullin:
Comprehensive information on loss and damage to wildflower meadows, open heaths, open peat bogs and hedgerows for England for the full period between 1979 and 1997 is not currently available. However, it is estimated that 18 per cent. of non- agriculturally improved grasslands and calcareous grasslands, 2 per cent. of open heaths and 2 per cent. of open peat bogs were converted for agriculture or forestry in Great Britain in the period between 1984 and 1990. It is estimated that 12 per cent. of hedgerows were removed in England and Wales in the period between 1984 and 1993. These losses were partly compensated for by creation and natural regeneration of habitats and planting of new hedges. No separate estimates of damage are currently available for any of these features.
Control Directive
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