| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Water Bills
Mr. Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those water companies that charge for the payment of bills at post offices. [124657]
Mr. Mullin: Water companies do not charge their customers for payment of bills at post offices. Post Office Counters Ltd. levy a handling charge (currently £1 per transaction) for paying bills at post offices. This charge does not apply to GiroBank account holders.
There is significant variation in the policy of water companies in England towards payment of water bills at Post Offices. Information available from water companies indicates that five companies currently subsidise all of any Post Office handling charge on behalf of their customers:
- Cambridge Water
- Folkestone and Dover Water
- North West Water
- South Staffordshire Water
- Southern Water.
- Essex and Suffolk Water
- Northumbrian Water
- Severn Trent Water
- South West Water
- Thames Water
- Yorkshire Water.
6 Jun 2000 : Column: 207W
Payment arrangements for the other companies vary. Such arrangements include part-subsidising the Post Office handling charge, or fully subsidising it for certain groups of customers (such as pensioners). All companies which do not offer an option to pay free of charge at Post Offices offer alternative locations (such as banks and shops) where free payments can be made.
Under the Water Industry Act 1999, water companies have to submit their charges schemes to the Director General of Water Services for approval. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has issued guidance to the Director General of Water Services on the approval of schemes, which encourages companies to offer a range of payment options to customers, particularly those on low incomes, which they can take up at no extra cost. In approving schemes for 2000-01, the Director required all companies to ensure that charges schemes made provision for making cash payments free of charge at reasonably accessible locations.
Regional Development Agencies
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will give a list of the 10 largest grants awarded by each of the regional development agencies in England since their inception. [124237]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 5 June 2000]: The 10 largest grants awarded by each of the regional development agencies since their inception are as follows:
6 Jun 2000 : Column: 208W
Air Cargo
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions under what conditions he would liberalise the UK/USA aviation agreement for air cargo; and if he will make a statement. [124535]
Mr. Mullin: The liberalisation of cargo as well as passenger services will be discussed at air services talks with the United States commencing on 13 June. We will press the United States to allow greater access to the US domestic market for UK carriers.
6 Jun 2000 : Column: 209W
Forest of Dean
Mrs. Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of granting special status for the Forest of Dean; and what advice he has given to local planning authorities concerning the Forest of Dean and the local minerals plan; [124168]
- (2) if he has instructed the local planning authorities and the Mineral Planning Authority to treat the Forest of Dean as if it were an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. [124169]
Mr. Mullin: The Countryside Agency decided in November last year not to pursue the designation of the Forest of Dean as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at this time but instead to devise a package of regeneration measures to deliver integrated rural development in the Forest.
The Government Office for the South West has submitted comments to Gloucestershire County Council on the initial and revised deposit drafts of the Minerals Local Plan, with a request that they be drawn to the attention of the Inspector at any public local inquiry and be made public. We are still considering a proposal from the Countryside Agency that we should advise the Council to treat the Forest of Dean as if it were an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for the purposes of the Minerals Local Plan.
Mrs. Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has agreed to the funding of the post for the Countryside Agency Co-ordinator for the project in the Forest of Dean to develop special status. [124170]
Mr. Mullin: This is a matter for the Countryside Agency. The Agency's approved budget of £55.1 million for this year has been set against its main objectives as agreed with my Department. The Agency is responsible for the allocation of moneys within the budget to individual projects. I understand that a project officer has been appointed to take forward the delivery of integrated rural development in the Forest of Dean.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |