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Green Transport Plans

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the budget was for promoting green transport plans in 1999-2000; and what is the predicted outturn of expenditure for 1999-2000. [115514]

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Mr. Hill: The original budget was for £2 million. The predicted outturn is around £0.5 million.

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons the Government transferred £500,000 for the promotion of green transport plans budget in 1999-2000 to other uses. [115515]

Mr. Hill: £500,000 was transferred to make the best use of predicted underspend. This is a new programme to promote the take-up of travel plans through guidance and advice to employers and schools. We have decided to wait for the results of a pilot programme of site specific advice before rolling out a more substantial programme.

Housebuilding (Chelmsford)

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess the impact his statement of 7 March on housebuilding will have on the Chelmsford Local Authority area; and, as a result of his statement, how many houses will have to be built in Chelmsford, (a) over the next five years and (b) over the next 16 years. [114782]

Ms Beverley Hughes [pursuant to her answer, 16 March 2000, c. 330W]: The Secretary of State's proposed changes to the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East and for the East of England will now be published on 27 March.

Housebuilding Statistics

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he will publish the housebuilding figures announced on 7 March broken down by county; [114413]

Mr. Raynsford [pursuant to his answers, 13 March 2000, c. 31-32W, 34-35W]: The Secretary of State's proposed changes to the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East and for the East of England will now be published on 27 March.

SCOTLAND

Poindings and Warrant Sales

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent (a) advice he has received and (b) representations he has made in respect of the impact of abolishing poindings and warrant sales on the Government's ability to recover unpaid tax or VAT. [112043]

Dr. Reid [holding answer 28 February 2000]: I have not received advice or made representations in respect of the impact of abolishing poindings and warrant sales on the Government's ability to recover unpaid tax or VAT.

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Press Releases

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local newspapers and media bodies to which his Department sent news releases during the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000. [113983]

Dr. Reid [holding answer 10 March 2000]: All media outlets can request press releases. Targeted distribution will rely on the subject and content of the specific press release. The numbers involved in listing these outlets would incur disproportionate costs. Press releases are available electronically to all media outlets via Cable and Wireless. The are also available on the Internet.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000 what was (a) the number of occasions on which couriers were used to distribute news releases from his Department and (b) the total cost of using couriers to distribute news releases. [113973]

Dr. Reid [holding answer 10 March 2000]: All press releases are distributed electronically via Cable and Wireless. Couriers have not been used to distribute press releases.

PRIME MINISTER

Staff (10 Downing Street)

Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will list those staff paid for by the Labour Party who are working in No. 10 Downing Street, indicating their function in each case; [112055]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 February 2000]: The information requested is as follows:


As has been the case under successive Administrations, marginal costs associated with the Political Office are met from within the overall budget for No. 10 Downing Street.

Roger Liddle

Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions, and at what venues, during November and December 1999 his Defence and Foreign Affairs Adviser, Mr. Liddle, made speeches at seminars in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries. [112001]

The Prime Minister: Seminars attended by Mr. Liddle during this period were informal. On all occasions he made introductory remarks that formed the basis for discussion. He did not speak from a written text.

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Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Prime Minister when he will answer the question from the hon. Member for Croydon, South tabled on 22 February 2000, concerning Mr. Roger Liddle (ref. 112076). [115370]

The Prime Minister: I have done so today. The question referred to by the hon. Member bears the reference number 112001 and not 112076.

Joint Ministerial Committee

Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Prime Minister how many plenary meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee on the relationship between Westminster and the devolved Administrations have been held. [114585]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 14 March 2000]: The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) has not met to consider the relationship between Westminster and the devolved administrations. However, the guidance note on "Common Working Arrangements," agreed by the official committee of the JMC, includes guidance on handling relations between the Administrations and Westminster. This note is available in the Library of the House and on the Cabinet Office website (at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk /constitution/2000/devolution/).

Official Visits Abroad

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to paragraph 72 of the Ministerial Code and the answer by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, of 13 March 2000, Official Report, column 33W, if it is his policy that Ministers should be willing to provide information on their overseas travel more frequently than once a year. [115207]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 17 March 2000]: A detailed list of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas, and information on spend by all Ministers on travel overseas for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year. It is reasonable that, in response to a Parliamentary Question seeking information similar to that which is currently being assembled, the hon. Member was informed that he would have to wait for the published list.

Union with Ireland Act 1800

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to commemorate the date of the 200 Anniversary of the Union with Ireland Act 1800; and if he will make a statement. [114546]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 17 March 2000]: None.

House of Lords

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will publish the correspondence between the Government and Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank concerning the appointment of peers to the House of Lords; [115423]

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The Prime Minister: It is established practice under section 8(c) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to information, opinions and assessments given in relation to recommendations for honours.

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