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Cabinet Governance

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Cabinet governance in (a) Teeside area and (b) local authorities across the country; and if he will make a statement. [126493]

Ms Beverley Hughes: We have made no general assessment of initiatives individual councils are currently pursuing. These initiatives are being carried out under the existing legislative framework which is not designed for cabinet governance. The Local Government Bill [Lords] provides a framework tailor made for executive arrangements, including cabinet governance and directly elected mayors. There is considerable international experience of the benefits that these forms of governance can bring, particularly of the benefits directly elected mayors can bring for their local communities.

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Central Railway

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if representatives of Central Railway attended his recent Rail Summit. [126533]

Mr. Hill: No.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2000, Official Report, column 315W, on Central Railway, if officials of his Department have met representatives of Central Railway within the last two months; and if he will make a statement. [126564]

Mr. Hill: Officials from the Government Office for the South East and the Highways Agency held discussions earlier this month with representatives of Central Railway about its proposed rail project.

Central Railway also took part in a seminar in May hosted by the Government Office for the West Midlands as part of its transport Multi-Modal Study.

New Deal for Communities

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been spent on New Deal for Communities; and what projects qualify for funding under New Deal for Communities. [126545]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The New Deal for Communities (NDC) fosters the intensive regeneration of some of our poorest neighbourhoods, supporting projects that tackle such problems as poor job prospects, high levels of crime, educational underachievement, and poor health. To get funding, community based partnerships in eligible areas must first develop a long-term strategy for delivering sustainable change. Since November 1999, 16 pathfinder partnerships have received offers of long-term support and made a start on implementing their strategies. As at April 2000, spending under the NDC had reached £4.9 million.

Treaty of Nice

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the matters currently decided by the Department of (a) the Environment, Transport and the Regions, (b) of Health and (c) for Education and Employment which would be decided by the EU if the present Draft Treaty of Nice is agreed. [126578]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The current Intergovernmental Conference, which will lead to the Treaty of Nice in December, is about reforming the European institutions in preparation for enlargement. It is not envisaged that this will entail any transferring of competence.

Social Housing

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for schemes enabling tenants of social housing to convert their rents to mortgages. [126793]

Mr. Raynsford: There is already such a scheme called "Rent to Mortgage". It was introduced by the previous administration in 1993 and was publicised at a cost of

19 Jun 2000 : Column: 13W

£414,000. Yet to date there have only been 51 sales. Because of this lack of demand there are no plans to extend or expand such schemes.

Shimizu v. Westminster City Council

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he proposes to take following the House of Lords judgment in the case of Shimizu (UK) Ltd. v. Westminster City Council in 1997. [126967]

Mr. Raynsford: My Department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have today jointly issued a consultation paper inviting views on whether any further action should be taken by Government following the House of Lords ruling in this case. The paper proposes that an application for planning permission should in future be required for certain works of partial demolition within conservation areas, such as the demolition of boundary walls and fences.

The proposals issued today are designed to address problems that have been identified as arising as a direct result of the Shimizu judgment. They are separate from, and do not prejudge, the broader review of heritage policy which my hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts announced in November 1999.

Comments are requested by 14 August 2000. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Millennium Experience

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the advantages and disadvantages of changing the planned end date of the Millennium Experience exhibition at the Dome. [125931]

Mr. Chris Smith: There are no plans to close the Millennium Experience before 31 December 2000.

Live Theatre

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the total public subsidy that will be paid to live theatre in England, and its total audience, in each of the last five years. [126322]

Mr. Alan Howarth: I have asked the Arts Council of England, as the national body responsible for supporting live theatre, to provide this information. When it is available, I will write to my hon. Friend, and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received from the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, about its funding. [126868]

Mr. Alan Howarth: My right hon. Friend has received no recent representations from the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, about its funding.

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Contractors

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures Her Majesty's Government proposes to ensure that those British contractors who have been debarred by the World Bank from future funding on grounds of fraud and corruption in the procurement of goods and services are restricted in access to UK bilateral aid funds, ECGD credits and funds from other multilateral development banks. [125781]

Clare Short: We welcome the action by the World Bank to investigate cases of alleged corruption. We have asked the Bank to make available to national authorities the information on which they have taken a decision to debar firms from procurement. We understand that the Bank is in discussion with other multilateral development agencies about corruption cases. It is up to the Board of each agency to reach its own conclusions based on the evidence, but we would support a robust line against corruption within their programmes. There are no procedures to limit access to ECGD facilities by any company debarred by the World Bank from receiving funds, but ECGD are looking at how to tighten up their anti-corruption procedures.

We will consider information on the World Bank's and others' lists of debarred contractors, along with other commercial data, about any company or individual bidding for DFID work, before awarding a contract.

Brazil

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will give details of the Brazilian Government's land reform initiatives supported by her Department since 1997. [126019]

Clare Short: We have not supported any Brazilian Government land reform initiatives since 1997. Our current Country Strategy Paper for Brazil (published December 1998) states our aim to pursue specific opportunities to support the Brazilian Government's land reform programme in order to assist the needs of the poorest. However, despite discussions with INCRA, the National Land Resettlement Agency, we have not yet been able to identify a suitable entry point into this highly politically sensitive and difficult area.

Uganda

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's bilateral country programme aid for Uganda is spent by the Government of Uganda. [126454]

Clare Short: Our programme of bilateral assistance to Uganda is set at £57 million in the current financial year. Of this we anticipate that £38 million will be disbursed as budget support, flowing directly through the Government of Uganda consolidated fund. Over the next two financial years the programme is expected to increase to £60 million and £70 million respectively. Of these amounts, £42 million and £53 million respectively will be channelled through the Government of Uganda's budget. Thus the proportion flowing through the budget will rise from 67 per cent. in 2000-01 to 76 per cent. in 2002-03.

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