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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 10 April 2000
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Marine Accidents Investigation Branch
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much funding was received by the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement on the resourcing of the Marine Investigation Branch. [116734]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 3 April 2000]: The expenditure of the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch for the last six years has been:
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 831,840 |
| 1995 | 866,426 |
| 1996-97 | 913,337 |
| 1997-98 | 1,106,707 |
| 1998-99 | 1,579,266 |
| 1999-2000 | 1,284,218 |
In 1996 the accounting period changed from the calendar year to the financial year.
The Department keeps the funding of the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch under continuous review. The Department is examining alternative funding arrangements that will take account of the increase in the Branch's use of underwater surveys as a method of investigation.
Packaging Waste
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the timetable for the forthcoming review of the statutory registration fee structure for packaging waste compliance schemes. [117949]
Mr. Meacher: Work on the consultation is close to completion and we anticipate issuing it within the next few weeks.
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research has been undertaken on the advantages and disadvantages of volume discounting of statutory fees, following the discount in statutory registration fees received by the largest packaging waste compliance scheme. [117950]
Mr. Meacher: The mechanism for calculating registration fees paid by compliance schemes to the Agencies--the scheme fee mechanism--under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations was developed to reflect the costs to the Agencies of the functions which they carry out and was
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introduced following consultation in 1996. Concerns have been expressed to the Department that the assumptions underlying the scheme fee mechanism are not correct. The Department is therefore proposing to issue a consultation paper in which the advantages and disadvantages of different options will be discussed.
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations his Department has received on the statutory registration fee structure for packaging waste compliance schemes. [117948]
Mr. Meacher: Following representations from some compliance schemes, the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, my Department is preparing a consultation paper on the mechanism used to calculate the registration fees paid by compliance schemes under the Producer Responsibility Obligation (Packaging Waste) Regulations. The paper is being prepared in consultation with the Agencies and is due to be issued in the next few weeks. The Government are required by law to consult before making any changes to the regime. We will provide all interested parties with an opportunity to comment further on the issues involved.
Local Deprivation Index
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the index of local deprivation, indicating the numbers which were (a) in favour of the new proposals, (b) opposed to the new proposals and (c) requested the release of the underlying data used to compile the new index. [117932]
Ms Beverley Hughes: One hundred and twenty-five responses have been received from different areas and different organisations. 89 of these are in favour of the new proposals, 36 are opposed or raise concerns about aspects of the new proposals. 20 areas have requested the release of the underlying data.
RAF East Camp Site, Colindale
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the planning issues arising from the RAF east camp site, Colindale. [117842]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State's consideration of this case is at an advanced stage and his decision will be issued shortly.
Brent Cross Extension Scheme
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received the inspector's report on the planning inquiry into the Brent Cross extension scheme; and when he expects to make a decision. [117843]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State received the Inspector's report last December and issued his decision on 6 April. I have sent a copy of the decision letter to my hon. Friend.
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Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods (Regeneration)
Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what encouragement his Department is providing for the regeneration of disadvantaged neighbourhoods. [117869]
Ms Beverley Hughes: A framework version of our national strategy for the regeneration of deprived communities will be published shortly, with a final version emerging later in the year. In the meantime, new ideas, new approaches and existing best practice are already being identified with our New Deal for Communities partnerships, one of which is now forming for the Marsh Farm Estate in Luton, and with other regeneration partnerships across the country.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much was spent on assisting asylum seekers (a) directly and (b) indirectly by local authorities in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999 to date. [117859]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 6 April 2000]: Information concerning local authority direct or indirect expenditure on asylum seekers is not centrally available. Relevant grants paid to local authorities in England by the Department of Health and the Home Office are in the table:
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults/Families Grant (DH)(1) | 9.8 | 68.0 | 169.9 | (2)7.2 |
| Asylum Seekers Support Grant (HO) | -- | -- | -- | (3)303.9 |
| Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children's (UASC) Grant (DH) | 3.0 | 1.6 | 20.2 | 52.2 |
(1) These grants became the responsibility of the Home Office in 1999-2000.
(2) Payments in respect of audited accounts for 1998-99.
(3) This includes £82 million which has not yet been paid to authorities.
Note:
1998-99 and 1999-2000 subject to audit reconciliation.
Rough Sleepers
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on average how many people slept on the streets each night in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) Scotland in the last year for which figures are available. [118226]
Mr. Mullin: On 15 December 1999 the Government published their latest estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in England. This estimate showed that, as at June 1999, there were 1,633 people sleeping rough on any one night, of which 635 were in Greater London. Copies of the estimate are available from the House Libraries.
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Responsibility for the Rough Sleepers Initiative in Scotland is a devolved matter. I understand, however, that no such figures are available for Scotland, or on a UK wide basis.
Devon County Council
Sir Peter Emery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from Devon county council concerning the excess spending over standard spending assessment for 2000-01 by the Devon and Cornwall Fire Service; and what response he has made to them. [118504]
Ms Armstrong: Cornwall has its own fire service. Devon has a Combined Fire Authority consisting of representatives from Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Devon county council's representation on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2000-01 drew attention to the gap between Fire Standard Spending Assessment and the level of spending on the fire service. My officials' reply to the council told them that the Secretary of State would take their comments into consideration before taking his final decisions on the settlement. This he did.
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