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Rail Franchises
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will ensure that, where a new franchise is awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority, the performance standards in the new franchise agreement are applied during the unexpired period of the old franchise agreement; [129687]
- (2) what powers the Strategic Rail Authority has to ensure a smooth and rapid transfer when it awards a new franchise to a company different from the one currently providing the service and the existing company decides to continue until its contract expires. [129705]
Mr. Hill: This would be a matter for negotiation between the Franchising Director and the existing and potential franchisees. In the event of failure to agree transfer arrangements in advance of expiry of the existing franchise, the existing franchisee would be obliged to continue to honour its contractual commitments.
Atomic Energy
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes he plans to make to the location of intermediate and high level nuclear waste by the United Kingdom Government in the returns to the International Atomic Energy Agency for 2000; and what requests for environmental sampling have been received by the Government from the Agency since 15 May 1997. [129135]
Mr. Meacher: I am not aware of any requests from the International Atomic Energy Agency for returns about the location of intermediate and high-level nuclear waste, or on environmental sampling.
New Trains
Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the further exemption order for the fleet of new trains to be introduced into service by Anglia
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Railways Ltd. and ScotRail Railways Ltd. in respect of provisions of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998. [130052]
Mr. Hill: We have received further applications from Anglia Railways Ltd. relating to their Class 170/2 trains and ScotRail Railways Ltd. relating to their Class 170/4 trains. These seek to revoke the original Orders and replace them with new Orders. These have been discussed with our statutory advisers the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.
Exemption Orders relating to the exemption of the Class 170/2 and 170/4 trains have been laid in Parliament today. Copies are available from the Library.
Abandoned Vehicles
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department will commission research into possible links between abandoned vehicles, vandalism and other crime; and if he will make a statement. [128490]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I have been asked to reply.
While we have no current plans for research into links between abandoned vehicles, vandalism and other forms of crime, we will consider this area when we next review the forward work programme. We are mindful that abandoned vehicles can be an indicator of problems affecting a neighbourhood, and the local Crime and Disorder Partnerships do take into account action to address such issues when devising the local strategy.
WALES
Council House Sales
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary on the release of additional council house sales receipts; and if he will make a statement. [129501]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 13 June 2000, Official Report, column 571W.
Lords Lieutenant
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money his Department has spent in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available on (a) Lords Lieutenant and (b) their deputies in Wales. [129680]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department holds information on Lords Lieutenant's expenditure for the financial years 1996-97 onwards. The total expenditure for each of these years is as follows:
| Expenditure | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 20,277.19 |
| 1997-98 | 21,120.85 |
| 1998-99 | 18,500.45 |
| 1999-2000 | (1)19,566.55 |
| 2000-01 | (2)4,539.00 |
(1) This figure includes payments made by the Welsh Office to 30 June and by the Wales Office from 1 July.
(2) To date.
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Information on expenditure prior to 1996 could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
PRIME MINISTER
Adoption
Ms Buck: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement concerning his review of adoption of children from care. [130095]
The Prime Minister: I have today published a study from the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU), which forms the first part of my review of adoption. Copies of the study have been placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries. I asked the PIU to provide an initial assessment of the main problem areas, identify options and make recommendations to the Government on the use of adoption for children in the care of local authorities. The report contains a range of options for promoting greater use of adoption, and for making it faster and more straightforward. To ensure that there is the fullest possible debate on this issue, the report is published for consultation. In the light of views expressed in consultation we will then publish a White Paper before the end of the year setting out the Government's new approach to adoption, and including proposals for new legislation, to be introduced next year.
Ministerial Code
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on how many occasions since May 1997 Ministers in the Cabinet Office have made a declaration of interest to their colleagues under circumstances envisaged in Paragraph 110 of the Ministerial Code; [129149]
- (2) how many times he has been consulted by Ministers under the procedures outlined in paragraph 109 of the Ministerial Code; on what occasions any such consultations took place; and if he will make a statement; [129182]
(3) what discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on Paragraph 109 of the Ministerial Code (a) with respect to his tenancy of a flat in Clapham and (b) other matters. [129236]
The Prime Minister: Information relating to internal advice and consultation is not disclosed under Exemption 2, Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Internet Broadcasts
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how many weekly prime ministerial internet broadcasts he has given; on which dates each was available on the No. 10 website; how many hits each broadcast experienced during the week following its posting on the website; and for what reason he has discontinued his weekly internet broadcasts. [129223]
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The Prime Minister [holding answer 5 July 2000]: There have been 14 broadcasts, all of which are still available on the website. They are:
- 30 June 2000--Economic Policy
- 19 May 2000--Sierra Leone
- 2 May 2000--Strategic Direction of Government
- 21 April 2000--Northern Ireland
- 14 April 2000--Russia
- 7 April 2000--New Deal for over-50s
- 31 March 2000--Health
- 24 March 2000--The Budget
- 17 March--Streamlining Public Services
- 10 March--Drugs
- 3 March--Mozambique
- 25 February--Health
- 18 February--Drugs
- 11 February--Education.
I will continue to regularly record broadcasts for the website. The latest broadcast, on economic policy, was published on the website on 30 June.
Lord Levy
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to increase the accountability to Parliament of Lord Levy. [129707]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 5 July 2000, Official Report, column 218W.
Engagements
Mr. Gill: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16 May 1998. [129738]
The Prime Minister: I was hosting the G8 Summit in Birmingham.
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