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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 14 April 2000
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND
THE REGIONS
Railways (Shropshire)
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by constituency the railway stations and railway lines in Shropshire which have been (a) closed and (b) opened (i) between 1979 to 1997 and (ii) since May 1997. [118540]
Mr. Hill: This information is not held in the form requested. However, I am aware that Telford Central station was opened in 1985, and that New Hadley station was closed in the same year. A freight only line from Shrewsbury Sutton Bridge to Abbey Foregate was closed in the late 1980s. The Rail Regulator has not given consent to closure of any passenger services or stations in Shropshire since the provisions of the Railway Act in 1993 came into force.
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of households that will be taken out of fuel poverty by Government schemes in each of the next 15 years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such schemes in each of the next 15 years. [118414]
Mr. Meacher: A key programme is the New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, which with a budget of £260 million over the next two years, is currently expected to take 460,000 households out of fuel poverty. The impact of other policies on the number of fuel poor households is less clear.
We estimate the number of households in fuel poverty is currently about 4.5 million, and that at current rates of the HEES programme the great majority should be removed from fuel poverty within a decade.
Motorways
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of porous asphalt have been laid on motorways in each year since 1995. [118535]
Mr. Hill: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Peter Nutt, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Nutt to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 14 April 2000:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of porous asphalt have been laid on motorways in each year since 1995.
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Detailed records are not held centrally by the Highways Agency but we estimate the lengths of porous asphalt laid during these years to have been as follows:
| Year | Lengths of porous asphalt laid |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 1.0 mile, M25 (one carriageway) |
| 1995 | 0.5 miles, M1 (both carriageways) |
| 1996 | 1.5 miles, M25 (one carriageway) |
| 1997 | 2.3 miles, M25 (both plus carriageways), plus 1.5 miles (one carriageway) |
| 1998 | 7.5 miles, M40 (both carriageways) |
| 1999 | 0.2 miles, M1 (one carriageway) |
Porous asphalt was introduced by the Highways Agency for use on trunk roads in 1993. At that time it was the only option available for providing a quieter road surface but was not suitable for use in all situations. Further development resulted in alternatives including proprietary quiet, thin surfacings, and in 1998, 'whisper' concrete. These two materials offer many of the advantages of porous asphalt with few of its drawbacks, not least its high cost. This has meant that porous asphalt has been little used.
The new quiet surfacings are now being used widely by the Highways Agency both for surfacing new roads and for maintaining existing roads. Their performance is very effective and in use they can often be mistaken for porous asphalt being quiet, and reducing spray in wet weather.
If it would be helpful, John Williams our road surfacings specialist, would be pleased to discuss both porous asphalt and other road surfacings in current use with you. His telephone number is 020 7921 4635.
Road Maintenance (Victoria Embankment)
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason road maintenance work was permitted along the Victoria Embankment on the morning of 6 April; what assessment was made of its impact on (a) road congestion and (b) access for emergency services; what assessment was made of the option of carrying out the work at night; and if he will make a statement. [118650]
Mr. Hill: Westminster City Council is the highway authority for Victoria Embankment. I understand that, on the morning of 6 April, contractors working for Westminster City Council took down a lamp column at the junction of Northumberland Avenue and Victoria Embankment. This was required in connection with Hungerford Bridge works, but had become urgent because the lamp column appeared to be unsafe. The works involved a lorry parked across the junction and the erection of traffic cones in Northumberland Avenue and on the eastbound carriageway of Victoria Embankment.
Works of this type in the carriageway are not usually subjected to formal analysis of their effects on congestion or emergency access unless complete closure of the road is required.
Westminster City Council have advised me that it is their policy to carry out works during the working day to avoid the environmental problems caused by working at night and weekends although planned work is avoided at peak hours on traffic sensitive routes.
Ship Weights
Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is
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the deadweight tonnage of (a) UK-owned ships and (b) non-UK-owned ships, strategically and commercially managed in the United Kingdom. [119202]
Mr. Hill: At the end of December 1999, 1,026 trading ships were managed from the United Kingdom. Of these ships, 4.5 million deadweight tonnes were UK-owned and 29.5 million deadweight tonnes non-UK-owned.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Concessionary Television Licences
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many concessionary television licences for persons living in warden-assisted homes have been (a) granted and (b) withdrawn in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [118366]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 10 April 2000]: The following information is provided by the BBC, which has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system:
| Year | Number of accommodation for residential care concessionary licences issued (1)(2) |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 635,703 |
| 1993-94 | 655,165 |
| 1994-95 | 677,104 |
| 1995-96 | 641,136 |
| 1996-97 | 650,013 |
| 1997-98 | 651,822 |
| 1998-99 | 645,876 |
| 1999-2000 | 654,191 |
(1) Qualifying accommodation includes residential and nursing homes, sheltered housing schemes and almshouses.
(2) Records of concessionary television licences issued moved from a wholly manual system to a computerised system in 1996. This change highlighted the inaccuracy of the earlier system and is thought to account for much of the fall between 1994-95 and 1995-96.
A full ten-year record of the number of concessionary licences issued would require manual extraction of information from paper records in the initial years. No records are kept of the number of concessionary licences withdrawn, nor can such information be extracted from existing data, as it is not possible to distinguish between withdrawal of the concession and other reasons for non-renewal.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Special Schools
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the Regional Review Group established to consider the issue of therapy input to special schools; and when he expects to receive a report. [118661]
Mr. George Howarth: The Regional Review Group has drawn up an inter-agency agreement for the provision of health and social services to children in schools with special educational needs. It is currently undertaking a number of more detailed reviews of various types of health and social services provision to children with
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special educational needs, including therapy provision. I understand that the Group will be considering a draft report on this in early May and will also discuss the timing of its referral to the relevant Government Departments.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Land Rover
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Ford Motor Company told him that it was to buy Land Rover from BMW before the official announcement. [118698]
Mr. Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has many contacts with companies including the Ford Motor Company. Issues discussed are often commercially confidential.
BMW/Rover
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will place a copy of the handwritten contemporaneous note taken by officials of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann in the Library; [118730]
- (2) if the note of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann which was placed in the Library is the only record that was made of that meeting; [118727]
(3) what briefing he received about the details of each of the 27 contacts between his Department and BMW that took place between 1 December 1999 and 31 March 2000; and if he will make available any briefing he received on those contacts; [118723]
(4) when the note of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann, which was placed in the Library, was prepared; [118709]
(5) to whom the note of his meeting with Professor Samann on 10 March was circulated; [118728]
(6) if he will make public telegrams from (a) UKREP, (b) the Berlin Embassy and (c) HM Consul-General Munich relating to BMW since 23 June 1999; [118720]
(7) what advice he was given by the British Embassy in Berlin between June 1999 and March 2000 in respect of BMW/Rover; [118753]
(8) what briefing was made available to (a) DTI Ministers and (b) other Government departments about the details of any of the 27 contacts between his Department and BMW, details of which he has placed in the Library; [118718]
(9) if he will publish details of all the 27 contacts between his Department and BMW between 1 December 1999 and 31 March 2000; [118722]
(10) if the note from his PPS, dated 22 December 1999, is the only record that was made of his telephone conversation with Professor Milberg of that date. [118714]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: The documents released to the Trade and Industry Committee were made available at the specific request of the Select Committee and I refer to the evidence that I gave to the Select Committee.
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It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to disclose information which might undermine the long-established conventions protecting the confidentiality of the internal decision-making process. The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information recognises the need for confidentiality of internal opinion, advice, recommendation and deliberation to ensure that matters can be discussed candidly and frankly within Government.
The Code of Practice also recognises the need to protect a third party's commercial confidences.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) who requested his meeting with Professor Samann on 10 March; [118729]
- (2) if the note of his 10 March meeting with Professor Samann, which was placed in the Library, is a full record of the meeting. [118717]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: I refer to my evidence given to the Trade and Industry Committee on 5 April.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make available the internal correspondence between Ministers concerning BMW, Longbridge and Rover since 23 June 1999. [118721]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: These documents contain information that is commercially sensitive.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he first notified the Prime Minister of the deteriorating situation at Rover; [118725]
- (2) when he asked his Department to notify the Prime Minister's staff of the deteriorating situation at Rover. [118726]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: My Department has been in close contact with No. 10 on this issue throughout.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when BMW first indicated to him that it was reconsidering the ownership of Rover, Longbridge. [118751]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: When I spoke to Professor Milberg on 15 March.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the standard practice of his Office in respect of making notes of his official telephone conversations. [118724]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: Telephone calls are monitored and notes are made if the call contained issues of substance.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he took following his meeting on 10 March at which Professor Samann stated that there was a risk of 8,000 job losses. [118719]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: I refer to my evidence to the Trade and Industry Committee on 5 April.
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Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contact (a) he and (b) his officials had with Commissioner Monti between 23 June and 11 December 1999 concerning Rover's application for regional selective assistance. [118710]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: I had a number of discussions with Commissioner Monti in this period covering a range of issues including the application for aid in support of the R30.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) for what reason he telephoned Professor Milberg on 11 December 1999; [118711]
- (2) for what reason no record of his conversation with Professor Milberg on 11 December 1999 was prepared; [118715]
(3) what Professor Milberg said concerning the future of Rover during his telephone conversation on 11 December 1999. [118716]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: I telephoned Professor Milberg at his home on the afternoon of Saturday 11 December. I made the call from my own home. In my evidence to the Select Committee on 15 February, I gave details of the conversation.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions took place between Professor Milberg and the BMW board in January following his conversation of 22 December 1999 with Professor Milberg; [118713]
- (2) what steps he took to establish if discussions had taken place between Professor Milberg and his board in January following his conversation of 22 December 1999. [118712]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: My Department monitored the situation to see if a meeting of the BMW Supervisory Board had been called. No such meeting was called in either January or February. After our telephone conversation on 22 December 1999 the first meeting of the BMW Supervisory Board was on 16 March 2000.
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the nature of his contacts with BMW between 22 December 1999 and 10 February 2000; [118708]
- (2) what contact with BMW took place between 22 December 1999 and 10 February 2000 involving (a) his Department's Ministers or officials, (b) UKREP Brussels, (c) the British Embassy Berlin and (d) HM Consul-General Munich; [118706]
(3) for what reason there is no record of his contact points with BMW between 22 December 1999 and 10 February 2000. [118707]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: My officials were in regular contact in relation to the 88(2) investigation into the aid for the R30 project during this period. They would have informed me if it had been advisable for me to contact BMW directly.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when Professor Milberg asked him to issue the statement which was distributed to the Press on the afternoon of 30 March; [118761]
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- (2) for what reason he issued a statement from Professor Milberg to the Press on 30 March; [118762]
(3) when he was informed that the text of the statement from Professor Milberg which he issued to the Press on 30 March was not approved by BMW; and what steps he took to inform those present at the press briefing of the official BMW Press Release of the same date. [118760]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 11 April 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to my supplementary evidence to the Select Committee.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the first three tranches of regional selective assistance for BMW/Rover were due to be paid under the agreement with BMW announced in June 1999. [118269]
Mr. Byers: I refer to the evidence I gave to the Trade and Industry Committee on 5 April.
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