| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Dumped Motor Vehicles
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many dumped motor vehicles there were in the Greater London area in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [113605]
14 Mar 2000 : Column: 114W
Mr. Mullin:
The removal of abandoned vehicles in the Greater London area is the responsibility of local authorities under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 and the Department holds no central records of the number of vehicles identified as abandoned and subsequently removed and disposed of.
14 Mar 2000 : Column: 115W
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring his Department carries out on emissions from open-topped tourist buses in town and city centres. [113639]
Mr. Hill:
The Government do not specifically monitor emissions from open-topped tourist buses. These vehicles only account for a very small proportion of bus journeys, even in towns and cities with a large tourism industry.
The Government, nevertheless, want to encourage more clean, low emission vehicles for public and private bus services in towns and cities. We have introduced fiscal measures to encourage cleaner vehicles and fuels, including a VED concession for buses with very low particulate emissions and a fuel duty differential for ultra low sulphur diesel.
All buses and coaches are already subject to a black smoke emission test, as part of the annual roadworthiness test, and the Vehicle Inspectorate has powers to conduct roadside emission testing of these vehicles. The Government are also currently considering whether local authorities should have similar powers following trials by seven local authorities.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the cost of extending the 50 per cent. concessionary fare scheme to 100 per cent., using the same basis as outlined in the national concessionary fares scheme cost assessment (annexe B), in the consultation document, "Implementation of Statutory Minimum Concessionary Fares Commitment". [113582]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 8 March 2000]: The estimated extra cost, in respect of people of pensionable age, and assuming a minimum charge of £5 for a bus pass, is in the order of £300 million per year for local authorities in England and Wales. This reflects the fact that relatively few local authorities already operate concessionary fare schemes which provide travel at less than half fare.
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what steps his Department is taking to encourage nautical education; [113546]
(3) what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the GCSE in nautical studies. [113577]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 8 March 2000]: The Government attach great importance to encouraging young people to consider a career at sea. DETR provides training support grants through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme, proposes to attach a minimum training obligation to the shipping tonnage tax, and
14 Mar 2000 : Column: 116W
strongly supports the educational role played by the Merchant Navy Training Board as the National Training Organisation.
Following representation on behalf of the Hull Trinity House School and the London Nautical School, we are consulting colleagues in the Department for Education and Employment on how best to support nautical education, including GCSE Nautical Studies.
Mr. Bradshaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people within his Department are working full-time on (a) cycling and (b) walking; and what the figures were in each of the last five years. [113913]
Mr. Hill:
A total 11 staff in my Department are employed wholly or almost wholly on matters concerned with cycling and/or walking. All are full-time. This is the same number as a year ago. Figures for earlier years are not available on a comparable basis.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the length of hedgerows which have been destroyed during each of the last three years. [114138]
Mr. Meacher:
This information is not held centrally. However, a survey of hedgerow stock is being undertaken as part of Countryside Survey 2000 and the results are due to be published around the end of this year. This will provide estimates of the length of hedgerow that has been lost from the countryside since previous surveys in 1990 and 1993, and a baseline for monitoring future changes.
Sir Paul Beresford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department's south-east and east of England Regional Air Services Study will include an assessment of the northern runway option at Gatwick. [114344]
Mr. Mullin
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: As the then Minister for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, North and Bellshill (Dr. Reid), announced on 11 March 1999, Official Report, columns 360-61W, the study will examine a wide range of options, including both terminal and runway capacity. The study has started from the position that nothing is ruled in or ruled out. Options will be appraised through a process of successive sifts. Following completion of the study there will be a public consultation on the options arising from it. Until then, it would be premature to comment on the status of any option.
Mr. Hunter:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the safety aspects relating to potentially dangerous loads of the accident on the M3 near Basingstoke on 7 March. [114371]
14 Mar 2000 : Column: 117W
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The police and HSE are currently investigating this serious incident which occurred near Junction 7 on the M3 on 7 March and involved a lorry carrying butane gas cylinders. I will consider any general implications for amendments to safety regulation once that investigation has been reported.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he will give details of his replacement for the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund; [114415]
Mr. Mullin
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Estates Renewal Challenge Fund facilitated the transfer of negative value council housing stock to registered social landlords. Where its housing strategy includes such a transfer, a local authority may now consider funding it through its main housing investment programme and, as my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning announced on 7 December 1999, over £2 billion has been allocated for local authority housing investment in 2000-01. The New Deal for Communities programme, the Single Regeneration Budget and the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme may also be used to fund negative value transfers.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is his estimate of the acreage of brownfield sites available for housing development in (a) London and (b) the South East Region; [114385]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 13 March 2000]: Information on previously developed sites in England, which may be available for redevelopment has been collected in Phase 1 of the National Land Use Database. Summary provisional estimates published last May in the DETR/GSS Information Bulletin 500 show the area for each Government Office Region of vacant, derelict and other previously developed land and the amounts which either had planning permission or were judged suitable for housing. The extract table shows the provisional results for the Government Office Regions for South East and London. Final estimates will be published shortly. The estimates are a 'snapshot' for 1998, based on the sites reported by local authorities at the time and may only be a partial appraisal. They take no account of future supply of previously developed land. Urban capacity studies, as required by Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (issued 7 March), will provide local authorities with a further means of identifying the full scope for reuse of land and buildings for housing.
14 Mar 2000 : Column: 118W
(2) what recent representations he has received regarding the GCSE course and examination in nautical studies; [113548]
(2) what additional money will be available for the replacement of the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund next year. [114414]
(2) what register there is of brownfield sites available for housing development in (a) London and (b) the South East Region. [114384]
| Government Office Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| London | South East | |
| Planning allocation or permission (4): | ||
| Housing | 660 | 1,870 |
| Mixed use | 920 | 1,740 |
| Other | 680 | 2,890 |
| None | 570 | 3,240 |
| All previously developed land that is unused or may be available for redevelopment: | 2,820 | 9,740 |
| of which-Suitable for housing (5) | ||
| Total area | 1,720 | 81,650 |
| Number of dwellings(6) | 5,460 | 119,820 |
(3) Comprises previously developed vacant and derelict land, vacant buildings (excluding single dwellings except where they could be developed into 10 or more dwellings); land or buildings currently in use, which are allocated in the local plan for any developed use, have planning permission for housing or with known potential for redevelopment
(4) Land that has planning permission or is allocated in a local plan for the use indicated (includes some allocations in draft plans)
(5) Based on sites judged by the local authorities to be suitable for residential development immediately, within 5 years, or suitable with planning or development constraints
(6) Based on existing planning permissions or estimated capacity based on current density assumptions
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |