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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 17 April 2000
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Local Authority Newspapers
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring his Department undertakes of the content of local authority newspapers; and if he will make a statement. [118782]
Ms Beverley Hughes: My Department does not monitor the content of local authority newspapers.
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy that newspapers published by local authorities should be subject to the complaints procedure of the Press Complaints Commission; and if he will make a statement. [118781]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Press Complaints Commission is part of a self-regulatory regime for the newspaper industry. All local authority publicity, including newspapers published by local authorities, is subject to the statutory regulatory regime provided by the Local Government Act 1986 and the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity issued by the Secretary of State thereunder.
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy not to grant permission for the siting of telecommunication masts in residential areas until the Independent Expert Group on mobile phones has reported; and if he will make a statement. [119185]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, set up at the instigation of the Government and chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, is currently considering the possible health effects of the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing research. The Group is expected to finalise its report shortly. The Government will consider the Group's recommendations and issue a response.
Planning (Flood Alleviation)
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue planning policy guidelines to planning authorities indicating how they should handle planning applications for development in areas known to be at risk of flooding but in which the necessary flood alleviation works have not been undertaken. [119474]
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Ms Beverley Hughes: My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning announced on 13 April 2000, Official Report, columns 249-50W, the publication of a consultation draft of a new Planning Policy Guidance Note 25, "Development and flood risk". This sets out all the considerations to which planning authorities should have regard when handling applications for development in flood risk areas. Copies are available in the Library.
We will consider the responses to this consultation with a view to issuing the new PPG in its final form later this year.
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers planning authorities have to (a) defer and (b) reject planning applications for development in areas known to be at risk of flooding pending the completion of flood alleviation works. [119473]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Local planning authorities have powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to impose conditions on a grant of planning permission requiring the carrying out of necessary flood alleviation works as part of a development where such works would form part of the development. Where the necessary flood alleviation works would be required elsewhere than the development site, local planning authorities may impose a condition requiring that the development should not proceed until those works have been carried out, whether by the developer or by any other body. In addition, a developer and local planning authority may enter into an agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to ensure that the necessary works are carried out as part of the development.
Flooding issues are important considerations in the determination of applications for development in areas known to be at risk of flooding. Local planning authorities have powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to refuse applications where that risk outweighs other material considerations in the absence of flood alleviation works. Where such works are planned, local planning authorities may refuse an application for development on the grounds of prematurity pending the completion of such works.
Second Homes (Council Tax)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by what mechanism and to what value his Department compensates for loss of council tax income to local authorities resulting from the 50 per cent. discount on second homes. [119181]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 14 April 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 15 February 2000, Official Report, column 469W.
Online Services
Mr. Robert Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the services which (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies responsible to his Department (i) provide on-line and (ii) expect to be deliverable on-line by 2002. [119443]
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Ms Beverley Hughes: So that the Cabinet Office can publish the spring 2000 report monitoring progress towards delivery of all Government services electronically by 2005 we are currently collecting data which will include our progress on delivering 25 per cent. of Government services electronically by 2002. I do not want to pre-empt that report but I can say that we currently provide a range of services electronically that include:
| Service | Currently on-line | On-line by 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) DETR(C) | |||
| Local Government Grant Settlement | Yes | -- | |
| Dissemination of Hourly Air Pollution | Yes | -- | |
| Port Traffic Statistics Collection | Yes | -- | |
| Supply of International Haulage Permits | -- | Yes | |
| Electronic Procurement Programme | -- | Yes | |
| Applications to Import/Export Wildlife | -- | Yes | |
| Bird Registration | -- | Yes | |
| Touring Caravan Exemption Certificates | -- | Yes | |
| HGV/PSV Operator Licensing | -- | Yes | |
| Local Bus Registration | -- | Yes | |
| (b) Executive Agencies | |||
| Highways Agency-- Consultation | Yes | -- | |
| Highways Agency-- Information Line | Yes | -- | |
| Highways Agency-- Website | Yes | -- | |
| DVLA: Registration of a First Vehicle | Yes | -- | |
| DVLA: Duplicate Driver Licences | Yes | -- | |
| DVLA: Exchange of Driver Licences | -- | Yes | |
| DVLA: Duplication Vehicle Registration Documents | -- | Yes | |
| DVLA: Re-Licensing Vehicles Subject to Vehicle Test | -- | Yes | |
| VI: Submission of Vehicle Model Details | -- | Yes | |
| VI: Issue of HGV/PSV Certificates | -- | Yes | |
| HSE: Health and Safety Notifications | -- | Yes | |
| MCA: Ship Registration | -- | Yes | |
Regeneration Programmes
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans his Department has for merging the New Deal for Communities into the Government's regeneration scheme; [119027]
- (2) what plans he has to fund the Single Regeneration Budget beyond Round 7. [119029]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 14 April 2000]: The level of funding for regeneration programmes beyond March 2002 and the respective future role for each
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programme, including the Single Regeneration Budget and New Deal for Communities, is being considered in the current Spending Review. The outcome of the Review and the Government's new expenditure plans for the period to March 2004 should be announced in July.
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money from the Single Regeneration Budget 5 Programme, "Gateways to Community Success", (a) has been and (b) is due to be, provided to fund skills development and training in the Dartford area. [118843]
Ms Beverley Hughes: "Gateways to Community Success" was approved last year under the Single Regeneration Budget 5 Programme. The scheme aims to develop the capacity of organisations to equip local residents with personal and vocational skills relevant to the needs of the local labour market. Total SRB funding of £4.3 million will be made available to the scheme over a seven year period from 1999 to 2006. In the first year, £200,000 (mainly for set-up costs) was provided by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), which is now responsible for Government SRB fundings.
Most of the specific projects supported under this scheme will benefit residents across the whole of the Thames Gateway area in North Kent. It is difficult therefore to break down how much funding will be targeted specifically at Dartford. However, one project under this scheme (Making Connections) is aimed at residents in and around the Temple Hill area of Dartford. Within the overall scheme, this specific project will receive total SRB funding of £809,000. In the first year, £30,000 (again mainly for set-up costs) was provided by SEEDA.
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