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Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to afford the landscape in areas of outstanding natural beauty the same degree of protection as that which applies in the national parks. [114340]
Mr. Meacher: Current planning policy provides Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) with a high degree of protection similar to that applicable in National Parks. Planning Policy Guidance (PPG 7: The Countryside--Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development) requires policies and development control decisions affecting AONBs to favour conservation of the natural beauty of the landscape. The environmental effects of new proposals will be a major consideration, although it will also be appropriate to have regard to the economic and social well-being of the areas. It would normally be inconsistent with the aims of designation to permit the siting of major industrial or commercial development in these areas and only proven national interest and lack of alternative sites can justify an exception. Applications for mineral workings or new roads must also be subject to the most rigorous examination.
We expect to make an announcement soon about measures to conserve and enhance designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Council Tax
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list in rank order the 20 local authorities with the highest percentage of their area's housing falling in Band A of the council tax, indicating in each case the percentage of the total housing stock that is (a) unfit and (b) vacant. [114341]
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Ms Beverley Hughes:
The table lists in rank order the 20 authorities with the highest percentage of dwellings in Band A, showing in each case the percentage of the total housing stock for that area that is unfit and vacant.
| Percentage of housing stock (12) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Local authority | Percentage falling in Band A | (a) Unfit | (b) Vacant |
| Easington | 83.7 | 14.3 | 5.3 |
| Kingston upon Hull | 73.7 | 3.7 | 6.2 |
| Wansbeck | 73.3 | 9.2 | 5.3 |
| Derwentside | 73.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| Sedgefield | 71.1 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
| Manchester | 70.1 | 7.0 | 5.7 |
| Nottingham City | 68.0 | 6.0 | 2.4 |
| South Tyneside | 67.9 | 2.8 | 3.5 |
| Wear Valley | 67.7 | (12)5.5 | (12)6.7 |
| Sunderland | 67.6 | 6.9 | 3.5 |
| Liverpool | 67.6 | (12)13.7 | 8.1 |
| Gateshead | 66.3 | 5.8 | 3.0 |
| Bolsover | 65.8 | 7.7 | 5.4 |
| Barnsley | 65.3 | 6.2 | 4.2 |
| Pendle | 64.8 | 14.5 | 5.5 |
| Burnley | 64.5 | 23.0 | 9.9 |
| Stoke on Trent | 64.3 | (12)17.7 | 4.1 |
| Hartlepool | 64.0 | 6.2 | 3.7 |
| Blyth Valley | 63.8 | 11.8 | 2.6 |
| Leicester | 63.6 | (12)12.6 | (12)5.2 |
(12) Figures for unfit and vacant housing of the Other Public Sector stock, which includes housing owned by Government Agencies, Regional, Health, Police and Fire authorities, were unavailable for these authorities from the 1999 HIP returns. This sector covers a very small percentage of the overall total housing stock.
Source:
DETR annual Housing Investment Programme (HIP) (Operational Information) returns) 1999
Planning
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral statement of 7 March 2000, Official Report, columns 863-65, on planning, what assessment he has made of the predicted need for new houses in Suffolk by (a) 2005 and (b) 2020. [114343]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State will shortly announce his response to the recommendations of the Panel, which conducted a public examination into draft regional planning guidance for East Anglia. There will be full public consultation before the final guidance is issued.
Car Mileage
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to require information about car mileage to be notified to the DVLA when the car is sold; and if he will make a statement. [114495]
Mr. Hill:
DVLA already has a voluntary mileage recording scheme in place and there are plans to extend this once equipment becomes available. A mandatory mileage declaration scheme will be introduced as soon as the necessary primary legislation is in place.
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Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the safety tests carried out by classification societies related to lifejackets; and on what date the approval was rescinded. [114529]
Mr. Hill:
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) regularly monitors the performance of the Classification Societies which carry out test and approval for lifejackets and other equipment. The MSA certificate of type approval for the lifejackets carried by the Sleipner, issued by Bureau Veritas, was withdrawn on 24 January 2000.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the result of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency investigation into the safety of lifejackets following the loss of the Sleipner ferry. [114528]
Mr. Hill:
Following the loss of the Sleipner, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) worked in close liaison with the Norwegian and Italian authorities to test the lifejackets used on board the vessel at the time of the accident.
MCA contracted the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology in Aberdeen to carry out comprehensive tests of the performance of the lifejacket. These tests were witnessed by the manufacturers, the Classification Societies Bureau Veritas and RINa, as well as the MCA. The tests demonstrated that the lifejacket was unable to meet the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements.
As a result of the tests, Bureau Veritas withdrew the approval of the lifejacket. MCA issued a Press Release drawing attention to UK ship owners that this lifejacket should be replaced on all UK ships.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many prosecutions for breaches of safe manning certificates have taken place in the last 12 months. [114526]
Mr. Hill:
There have been no prosecutions in the United Kingdom for breaches of regulations relating to Safe Manning documents in the last 12 months and there are no such prosecutions currently pending.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce legislation to ensure that all UK vessels carry voyage data recorders. [114524]
Mr. Hill:
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is actively considering international regulations for the carriage of Voyage Data Recorders (VDR), which will next be discussed at the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) in May 2000. At the European level, Council Directive 1999/35/EC, which was adopted on 29 April 1999, provides for the fitting of voyage data recorders to roll-on/roll-off ferries and high-speed passenger craft. Implementation is to be no later than 30 months after the publication of IEC standard No. 61996 or by 1 January
16 Mar 2000 : Column: 327W
2001, whichever of these dates comes later. UK legislation will apply the international requirements to UK vessels.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many random inspections of vessels in UK ports have taken place in the last 12 months, and how many prosecutions resulted from these inspections. [114527]
Mr. Hill:
5,303 inspections of vessels by officers of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency took place in the United Kingdom in the period 1 March 1999 to 29 February 2000.
Three prosecutions resulted from these inspections.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to eliminate risks posed by the practice of payment by incentive by road hauliers. [114519]
Mr. Hill:
All road hauliers, freight operators and drivers must abide by the road traffic regulations on, for example, the fitting and use of speed limiters and drivers' hours. Within the context of these and other regulations governing the way in which the industry is operated, payment schemes are a matter for industry itself. The Vehicle Inspectorate collates intelligence on vehicle operators and, where there is a suggestion that the payment of incentives is encouraging malpractice, they will investigate.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many multi-agency stops were carried out by his Department with other agencies in the last 12 months; where they took place; and how many multi-agency stops were carried out in 1997-98. [114534]
Mr. Hill:
The police organised seven national, co-ordinated multi-agency enforcement exercises in 1999-2000, which were supported by Vehicle Inspectorate and other enforcement agencies. Each exercise consisted of checks on vehicles carried out at between 70 and 100 sites throughout Great Britain, including Motorway Service Areas, Weighbridge Sites, Goods Vehicle Test Stations and other roadside locations.
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