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ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Rail Services

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the amount of money earmarked for refurbishment of the (a) Holyhead-Chester-Crewe and (b) Wrexham to Bidston rail routes; and if he will make a statement. [118192]

Mr. Hill: The Department understands from Railtrack that:

(a) around £3 million is committed for renewals on the Holyhead-Chester-Crewe rail route, principally to increase the line speed from 75mph to 90mph where practical and install Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS). Additionally, it is expected that around half of the £62m of new rolling stock being delivered to First North Western Trains over the next few months will be running in and around this area.
(b) around £1 million is committed for renewals on the Wrexham to Bidston rail route, principally to install TPWS and improve stations and track.

Species Legislation

Mr. Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee on species legislation; and if he will make a statement. [118426]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 10 April 2000]: In autumn 1998, my Department requested the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to review the effectiveness of the species protection Schedules to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The JNCC has recently concluded its review and advises that the Schedules have been generally effective in deterring persecution of the species listed, that they should be retained to give legal protection to appropriate animals and plants, and also makes a number of recommendations.

I am already actively considering all of the issues raised in the JNCC's recommendations. Some, like the recommendation concerning enforcement of wildlife

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legislation, are already being addressed through the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill. With other aspects, I recognise that improvements to protection for threatened species in the wider countryside beyond the provisions of this Bill may be warranted and am considering what might be appropriate. Some measures may not necessarily require primary legislation, including JNCC's recommendation concerning the Quinquennial Review of the Schedules. I look forward to receiving JNCC's advice at the next Quinquennial Review in due course.

I also agree the problem caused by invasive alien species does need to be addressed and we plan to review the effectiveness of policy concerning non-native species which can present an ecological threat to the United Kingdom's indigenous wildlife.

Departmental Inquiries

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2000, Official Report, column 311W, on departmental inquiries, what was the cost of each of his Department's commissioned reviews listed in his answer; what reports have been published to date; and what subsequent recommendations have been acted on. [118754]

Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 11 April 2000]: Information for reports and recommendations from the reviews listed in the Answer of 3 April have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Information on the cost of each review is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

UK/USA Meetings

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what meetings have been held between United States Government officials and his Department in (a) the USA and (b) the UK in the last 12 months, indicating the dates and locations of the meetings and the subjects discussed. [118626]

Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 11 April 2000]: Ministers and officials of the Department are in regular contact with officials of the United States Government and discuss a wide range of subjects. In addition to bilateral contracts, we often meet them in the margins of other international meetings.

Detailed information of meetings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Greater London Authority

Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the staffing structure of the units established to prepare for the establishment of the Greater London Authority. [118836]

Mr. Hill: The Government announced on 31 March 1999 the appointment of a Head of Transition for the Greater London Authority (GLA) and on 27 July 1999, the issuing of a consultation paper--"The Shape of Things to Come"--on the initial organisation of the GLA. Following the consultation period, I announced, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Mr. Fitzpatrick) on 7 December 1999, Official Report, column 482W, the publication of a

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response document to the consultation--"Shaping up for the Mayor and Assembly". This highlighted some minor changes to the organisational structure originally proposed. Copies of both documents were placed in the House Library.

Work has since proceeded to put in place an initial staffing structure, along the broad lines set out in the consultation paper. The future structure of the GLA, including permanent appointments for senior posts, will, of course, be a matter for the GLA itself, once it is established.

Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the staff posts which have been created to prepare for the establishment of the Greater London Authority, indicating the salaries of those posts and the length of their contracts; [118837]

(2) how many staff have been (a) appointed and (b) seconded by the Government to prepare for the establishment of the Greater London Authority. [118838]

Mr. Hill: The Government announced in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Efford) on 31 March 1999, Official Report, column 76W, the setting up of a Transition Team to make the arrangements for the establishment of the Greater London Authority (GLA) and to enable the Mayor and Assembly to operate effectively from 8 May 2000. The Transition Team currently comprises 52 temporary staff, of whom 17 are on secondment from local government, the Civil Service and other organisations, 15 have been appointed on short-term contracts and 20 are agency staff.

To date, 55 new permanent GLA staff have been appointed. These comprise secretarial, administrative, receptionist, human resources, legal, financial and best value staff, on salaries ranging from £18,800 to £49,000. In addition, 135 staff from the former London Research Centre, London Ecology Committee and London Planning Advisory Committee are reporting to the Secretary of State from 1 April and will transfer to the GLA on 8 May 2000 (or, in the case of a small group of London Research Centre staff, to Transport for London on 8 July 2000).

As well as the Transition Team, some 50 civil servants in the Government Office for London are currently working on aspects of the establishment of the GLA and its functional bodies, including the drafting of secondary legislation and transfer orders and schemes, support to the Greater London Returning Officer, and arrangements for the payment of grant.

Mr. Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he intends to issue to the Greater London Authority on ethical standards under section 66 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. [119825]

Mr. Hill: I have today placed copies of the Secretary of State guidance to the Greater London Authority on ethical standards in the Library of the House.

Lorry Weights

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 4 April 2000, Official Report, column 427W, on 44 tonne lorries, what studies he has (a) carried out

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and (b) commissioned on the effect on (i) rail freight and (ii) the environment of allowing the use of 44 tonne lorries; if he will publish data on the expected level of direct transfers between road and rail freight following the introduction of such lorries; and if he will list the measures the shadow Strategic Rail Authority is planning to support rail freight. [118841]

Mr. Hill: In its interim report "Permitting 44 tonne lorries for general use in the UK", the Commission for Integrated Transport considered carefully the impact of 44 tonne lorries on the rail freight market.

The Government accept the Commission's view that the overall environmental advantage lies in allowing 44 tonne lorries to operate generally. Not only will the efficiency savings result in a substantial reduction in lorry mileage but the use of 6-axle lorries, with a lower drive axle weight, will cause less wear to roads and bridges than existing 40 tonne, 5-axle vehicles already on our roads. This is based on research carried out by the US Highways Research Board, and confirmed by the UK Transport Research Laboratory and by work carried out in Germany.

The Commission concluded that further work to estimate the precise effect on rail freight's market share would be unlikely to produce reliable results in the light of the Rail Regulator's forthcoming review of track access charges and other factors.

The Government set up the shadow Strategic Rail Authority (sSRA) with a remit to develop detailed recommendations on measures to promote the growth of rail freight. That work will help inform our 10-year plan for transport, due to be published in the summer, and the Commission's final report on 44 tonne lorries, expected in the autumn.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Commission for Integrated Transport will make its final report on the case for allowing 44 tonne vehicles on to UK roads; and what assessment his Department has made of the impact of permitting 44 tonne lorries on the carriage of goods by rail. [119157]

Mr. Hill: I understand that the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT) hope to produce their final report on 44 tonne lorries and the development of rail freight in late autumn this year. I also understand that the report will concentrate on options for rail freight and will not revisit the case for 44 tonne lorries.

My Department relied on CfIT's very thorough analysis of the effects on rail freight of the introduction of 44 tonne lorries, and has not carried out separate studies.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when his Department's announcement on raising the maximum general lorry weight limit to 44 tonnes was made to the House. [119279]

Mr. Hill: My noble Friend the Minister for Transport wrote to my hon. Friend on 11 April explaining that this announcement was included in the Budget Red Book.

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