---

Task Forces

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many task forces have been set up by his Department dealing with transport since May 1997; if he will list the membership of all such task forces with their qualifications and place of residence; and if he will list the dates on which they are expected to report and their terms of reference. [122593]

Mr. Hill: Since May 1997 my Department has set up three task forces dealing specifically with transport issues, the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force, the Shipping Task Force and the Task Force for London Transport. The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Air Traffic

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what communication he has received from the Commission on proposals to create a European common aviation area, an aviation safety agency, and amendments to regulation 95/93 concerning airport slot allocation, and proposals for strengthening the powers of Eurocontrol air traffic services; and when each of their numbered programme initiatives are due for consideration at (a) UKREP and (b) the Transport Council. [122680]

Mr. Mullin: The initiatives are due for consideration at (a) UKREP and (b) the Transport Council. The European Commission was granted a mandate in 1996 to negotiate a European Common Aviation Area with 10 Central and Eastern European countries. The negotiation process is now largely completed and the Commission hopes that it will be able to present a final Agreement for signature at a Transport Council later this year.

With regard to communication on the establishment of a European aviation safety authority, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer given on 16 May 2000, Official Report, column 83W. At the Transport Council on 28 March 2000, the Council agreed that further analysis should be undertaken of the best legal form for the EASA, with the aim of taking a decision at its June meeting.

There has been no recent communication on amendments to regulation 95/93 concerning airport slot allocation.

The Commission's Communication entitled "The creation of a single European sky", to which I also referred in my answer of 16 May 2000, did not include proposals for strengthening the legal powers of Eurocontrol air traffic services. Rather it envisaged measures to strengthen the provision of air traffic control services in Europe. To that extent, it is fully in line with the Government's proposals for a Public Private Partnership for NATS, which will enhance aviation safety through securing the investment needed for NATS' modernisation programme and the injection of key management skills to deliver that programme to time and budget.

In June 1998 the Transport Council, under UK Presidency, agreed a mandate for the Commission to negotiate Community accession to Eurocontrol. EC membership of Eurocontrol would not strengthen the legal

24 May 2000 : Column: 538W

powers of Eurocontrol but would provide the impetus for both the reform of the Eurocontrol organisation, and to compel States to make collective commitments and to implement decisions on measures to improve the European Air Traffic Management System. The terms of Community accession to Eurocontrol are now effectively agreed, but the Commission cannot bring forward a proposal for the Council to authorise Community signature of the Protocol until the UK and Spain reach agreement on the inclusion of Gibraltar within the territorial scope of the Protocol.

Partnership Investment Programme

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on gap funding; and if he will make a statement. [122819]

Ms Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 21 March 2000, Official Report, columns 471-72W. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions met Commissioner Monti on 2 March to discuss the problems we face in partnership working with the private sector in regeneration, since the Commission's decision that the Partnership Investment Programme breached the state aid rules. These discussions continue at official level.

DVLA

Mr. Darvill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many successful claims for compensation for actual financial loss were submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency as a direct consequence of the Agency's maladministration during (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999; [122827]

(2) how much compensation was paid to claimants by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency arising from claims for actual financial loss incurred as a consequence of the Agency's maladministration in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [122828]

Mr. Hill: The information requested is as follows. It covers ex-gratia payments made by the Agency where customers have incurred actual financial loss as a result of delays or errors:

Year	Number of cases	Amount paid (£)
1997	262	7,663.73
1998	262	8,529.95
1999	367	(20)21,423.73

(20) The amount excludes 143 cases, totalling some £5,521.38 where compensation has been paid for missing identity documents associated with Photocard Licences. DVLA are in negotiation with the Royal Mail to seek reimbursement of some of the costs incurred.

Roads (Greater London)

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the mileage of (a) red routes and (b) cycle lanes in the Greater London area. [122906]

24 May 2000 : Column: 539W

Mr. Hill: The length of the red route network is 315 miles. There are at present some 865 miles of cycle lanes in the Greater London area comprising 27 miles on the red route network and 838 miles on the London Cycle Network.

Departmental Properties

Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department or the Highways Agency are the registered owners of the property known as No. 3, Upton Lovell, Warminster, Wiltshire; on what date the property was purchased; and for what reasons. [122929]

Mr. Hill: I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Peter Nutt, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Nutt to Mr. David Faber, dated 24 May 2000:

The Transport Minister, Keith Hill has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Landau Cottage, Upton Lovell, Warminster.
The Highways Agency owns this property. It was acquired on 16 November 1990 because the former owners served a blight notice requiring us to purchase it. The notice was accepted because the preferred route of the A36 Codford to Heytesbury Improvement scheme affected the property.

Bus Stop (Bridge Street)

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will call for a report from London Transport on when the stop for southbound buses on the east side of Bridge Street will be reinstated. [123065]

Mr. Hill [holding answer 22 May 2000]: I understand from London Transport that the stop cannot be reinstated until the completion of road and pavement resurfacing work associated with the Portcullis House and Jubilee Line developments. The work is being managed, on behalf of the Parliamentary Works Directorate, by consultants who estimate that it will be completed by the end of September.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the risks involved in using genes from the cauliflower mosaic virus in the development and application of genetically modified crop varieties. [122999]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 22 May 2000]: The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) have considered this issue in detail. A full copy of their advice has been placed in the House Library.

ACRE conclude that the cauliflower mosaic virus, when used in the development and application of genetically modified crop varieties, represents an extremely low risk to human health and the environment.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct SCIMAC to revise separation distances between GM and non-GM crops growing experimentally in the

24 May 2000 : Column: 540W

United Kingdom following the disclosure of new information on cross-pollination of oil seed rape plants in Canada. [123268]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 23 May 2000]: We are investigating this and will report soon.

HFCs

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the contribution which replacing HFCs in refrigeration and air conditioning with non-global warming alternative technologies could make in helping the UK reach its Kyoto targets. [122855]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 23 May 2000]: The recently published draft climate change programme estimates that emissions of HFCs from refrigeration and air conditioning in 2010 will be the equivalent of around 1.6 million tonnes carbon (0.9 per cent. of total UK emissions).

Our new HFC policy sends a clear signal to industry and users that they should look closely at all the alternatives and select those that are more environmentally acceptable where they do exist. Safety, technical feasibility and cost effectiveness also need to be taken into account before investment decisions are taken. At the same time we recognise that HFCs are necessary to replace ozone- depleting substances in some applications, and that HFC emissions reduction strategies should not undermine commitments to phase out ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol.

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is with regard to encouraging the use of non-global warming alternatives to HFCs in refrigeration and air conditioning systems which are commercially available. [122857]

Mr. Meacher: The Government policy on the use of alternative refrigerants to HFCs is encompassed in our new longer-term policy on HFCs set out in the recently published draft climate change programme. It states that

HFCs are not a sustainable technology in the long-term but recognises that they are necessary to replace ozone-depleting substances in some applications, and that the HFC emission reduction strategies should not undermine commitments to phase out ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. HFCs are used in a wide range of applications, and they will continue to be used where they are needed. At the same time our new policy sends a clear signal to industry and users that they should look closely at all the alternatives and to select those that are more environmentally acceptable where they do exist. Safety, technical feasibility and cost effectiveness also need to be taken into account before investment decisions are taken.

---