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Standard Spending Assessments

Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the standard spending assessment per head of population for each English county for (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) 2000-2001, ranked from highest to lowest; and if he will make a statement. [122238]

Ms Armstrong: Three tables have been placed in the Library giving the standard spending assessment per head of population for each English county for 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 respectively.

Railtrack Safety Company

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2000, Official Report, column 360W, on Railtrack, under what statutory provisions Railtrack is required to consult before creating a safety company; with whom it will consult; and what are the terms and timetable for the consultation. [122457]

Mr. Hill: Arrangements for consultation by Railtrack before the proposed safety company assumes any safety responsibilities and in respect of other requirements for the company's operation are expected to be specified in modifications to its Network Licence. The Rail Regulator will consult shortly on his proposals for these modifications before the nature of the obligations are finalised. These would be imposed under the Railways Act 1993.

Water Sources (Drug Residues)

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what evidence he has assessed which indicates that potentially damaging residues from medicinal drugs are contaminating waterways and drinking water sources. [121528]

Mr. Mullin: Last year the Environment Agency commissioned a review of human pharmaceuticals in the environment for completion by the end of May. This will report on the information available on such substances in the environment, their occurence, fate and ecological effects and will provide a basis for further work. The Department has also funded extensive monitoring for drug residues in drinking water sources since the 1970s. Although certain common drugs have been detected at very low concentrations in some drinking water sources, current drinking water treatment processes are effective in removing them.

Ten Year Transport Plan

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has decided to publish his 10-year transport plan before the end of July. [122485]

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Mr. Hill: As with all such departmental reports, we will publish the plan when it is ready.

Rail Access Charges Review

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Rail Regulator will conclude his review of access charges. [122486]

Mr. Hill: It is the Rail Regulator's present intention to publish his final review notice on access charges in early September 2000, subject to the outcome of the consultation announced on 14 April, the deadline for responses for which is 26 May.

Urban Task Force

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many of the recommendations made by the Urban Task Force in the report, "Towards an Urban Renaissance", have been implemented; and if he will make a statement. [122167]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The Urban Task Force report, "Towards an Urban Renaissance", made more than 100 recommendations about how to revitalise our towns and cities. It formed an excellent contribution to the debate on how to reverse the social, physical and economic decline that many of our urban areas have faced in recent decades.

The Government are looking at the report's conclusions in detail as we prepare for the forthcoming White Paper on urban policy. But we, and others, have already addressed around a quarter of the recommendations including:

Setting up three pilot Urban Regeneration Companies in Liverpool, East Manchester and Sheffield. These will co-ordinate the regeneration of run-down urban neighbourhoods within a wider local strategy developed by the local authority and its partners, listening to local people's needs and ensuring local priorities are met.

Setting up nine pilot home zones--traffic schemes in residential areas which will give residents more control over traffic movements and ensure that the needs of people, rather than traffic, come first.

Publishing revised planning policy guidance on development plans (PPG12) which advocates simpler and more effective development plans. This helps to fulfil the Urban Task Force's recommendation to streamline the planning process.

Piloting eight Private Finance Initiatives for Housing Revenue Account pathfinders, helping fulfil the need to attract private investment in local communities.

Taking steps to put Local Transport Plans (LTPs) on a statutory footing, ensuring that local authorities take an integrated and strategic approach to planning transport provision in their area.

Publishing draft revised planning policy guidance on transport (PPG13) to promote civilised towns and cities where the needs of people are given priority.

Setting up a new Government unit for neighbourhood warden schemes to provide pump-priming funding to test out these schemes.

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Publishing revised planning policy guidance on Housing (PPG3) which introduces a new sustainable approach to planning for housing. This addresses many of Lord Rogers' recommendations through its main provisions which include:

Targets to put 60 per cent. of new homes on brownfield sites--set at all levels of the planning hierarchy, from regional to local level, and contributing to the achievement of the national 60 per cent. target.

A sequential approach--to ensure that brownfield land is used for development before greenfield land whenever possible.

New policies on land take--to avoid inefficient development and encourage higher intensity development in urban areas around good transport nodes.

Looking again at greenfield land in the system--to ensure that land already allocated for housing meets the new approach.

New car parking standards--removing minimum car parking standards, and substituting a maximum of, on average, 1.5 car parking spaces per dwelling.

A new emphasis on quality development--to stress the need for imaginative design, taking account of what people want and ensuring better links with public transport.

Improved housing choice and affordability--encouraging mixed communities with mixed tenures and strengthening the preference for affordable housing to be provided on-site.

Tackling unpopular housing--by getting local planning authorities to look at how to recycle existing buildings as well as recycle land.

Many other recommendations will be addressed in part or in full by the new power which the Government are giving to local authorities to promote and improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area. Other recommendations are also being taken forward in the context of the Government's Housing Green Paper.

Building Control

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made with the setting up of an advisory body on performance standards in building control. [122679]

Ms Beverley Hughes: My Department and the National Assembly for Wales have joined the Association of Corporate Approved Inspectors, the Construction Industry Council, the District Surveyors Association and the Local Government Association in signing a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a new Building Control Performance Standards Advisory Group.

The Advisory Group's terms of reference are:

to keep under review the effectiveness of the standards and guidance published in "Building Control Performance Standards" (July 1999) and to make recommendations for revisions of the standards and guidance

to advise on, and draw up recommendations on, performance indicators for the effective delivery of building control and procedures for the monitoring of building control bodies

to consider complaints from building control bodies, other statutory bodies and other parties with an interest in relevant building work, that building control bodies have not acted in accordance with the Building Control Performance Standards; where appropriate, to refer such complaints to relevant other bodies; and/or to make recommendations to the building control bodies concerned on prevention of future non-compliant action.

I welcome the formation of the Advisory Group, which met for the first time on 10 May 2000. I look forward to working with the Group and its member bodies to

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promote continuous improvement in standards of service in both the public and private sectors of the building control profession.

In addition to representatives of the signatory bodies, there will be a representative of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee and two members representing building users and construction clients.

The Audit Commission has accepted an invitation from the Group to participate in its work as observers.

The first chair of the Group is Michael Finn FRICS who chaired the steering group which drew up the performance standards for building control published in July last year. The Construction Industry Council will provide the secretariat for the Group for an initial period of three years.

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