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South-east Planning Area
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what area of land in the South-east planning area is designated for its (a) intrinsic environmental value of international importance, (b) intrinsic environmental value of national importance, (c) landscape value and (d) cultural value. [129073]
Mr. Raynsford: Within London and the South East, areas designated for their intrinsic environmental value of international importance amount to 92,235 hectares designated under the Ramsar Convention and 98,800 hectares designated Special Protection Areas and candidate Special Areas of Conservation. Areas designated as being of national importance, namely National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, amount to 13,780 hectares and 135,600 hectares respectively. Over 7,000 square kilometres are designated areas of landscape value, namely Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the New Forest Heritage Area. In addition there are five World Heritage Sites and over 3,270 Ancient Scheduled Monuments.
Motorcyclists (Penalty Notices)
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to investigate the issuing of incorrect road tax penalty notices to motorcyclists; and if he will make a statement. [128778]
Mr. Hill: A recently publicised case involving a motorcyclist, where enforcement action was commenced when the motorcycle was in fact licensed, has led DVLA to review its procedures to ensure that this does not happen again.
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Before any action is taken by DVLA, the national vehicle register is checked to establish whether vehicles are unlicensed at the time of offence. This safeguard should avoid action being taken against motorists in the situation where a licence has been taken out, but the vehicle register has yet to be updated with the licensing details from the Post Office.
Rail Franchises
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultation the Government and the shadow Strategic Rail Authority will conduct with (a) local rail users, (b) local rail user groups and (c) local and regional authorities in the award of (a) new and (b) extended rail franchises. [129389]
Mr. Hill: The Franchising Director is operating an inclusive consultation process for franchise replacement. The Instructions and Guidance issued to him require him to consult, as appropriate, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales, the Greater London Authority, local authorities, Passenger Transport Executives, regional planning bodies, Regional Development Agencies and Rail Passenger Committees (formerly Rail Users Consultative Committees). He is also encouraging bidders for replacement franchises to consult with these authorities and passenger representatives about the proposals in their bids.
Homelessness
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he has issued to local authorities on (a) consulting registered social landlords regarding nominations, framing allocations policies and homelessness strategies and (b) preparing a corporate action plan to deal with homelessness and the prevention of homelessness; and if he will make a statement. [129258]
Mr. Raynsford: The Code of Guidance on Parts VII and VII of the Housing Act 1996 includes guidance on section 167 of the 1996 Act, which requires local housing authorities to consult registered social landlords with which they have nomination agreements when adopting or changing a housing allocation scheme. The Code also includes guidance on framing allocations policies. The Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choice; A decent home for all", proposes giving more choice to applicants for social housing, and improving the safety net for homeless households, including a multi-agency approach to developing homelessness strategies. The Government propose to issue a revised Code of Guidance on Parts VII and VII of the Housing Act 1996 later this year, taking account of the developing agenda on social lettings and homelessness as set out in the Housing Green Paper and responses to the consultation on this.
Social Housing
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much discretion will be given to local authorities under the Housing Green Paper proposals to change the way in which allocations are made to social housing, to take account of housing problems in their own area; and if he will make a statement. [129257]
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Mr. Raynsford: The Government consider that choice for those seeking social housing should be as wide as possible. However, the Housing Green Paper proposals recognise the wide variations in demand for housing in different parts of the country. Local authorities are responsible for local housing strategies and developing lettings policies which reflect local housing needs. We will wish to ensure that the framework for lettings schemes is flexible enough to deal with these local circumstances. We intend to consider responses to the Housing Green Paper and to consult with local government, Shelter and others before finalising our proposals.
Open-air Concerts
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the safety measures which apply to large open-air concerts, following the deaths at a recent concert in Denmark; and if he will make a statement. [129691]
Mr. Meacher: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently carried out a major review of guidance covering music events, including large open-air festivals. "The event safety guide: a guide to health, safety and welfare at music and similar events" was launched in October 1999. In addition, a revised version of HSE's guidance booklet "Managing Crowds Safely" is due to be published later this year. HSE will review the proposed guidance in the light of the deaths at the Roskilde Festival.
Right to Buy
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the recommendation of the Environment, Transport and the Regional Affairs Committee that the right to buy legislation should be amended so as not to apply to settlements with fewer than 5,000 properties. [129692]
Mr. Raynsford: We are considering the Committee's recommendations. Our Rural White Paper later this year will address the issue of affordable housing in rural areas.
Trans-European Network
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what ports in the UK are included in the Trans-European Network transport network; and what (a) EU and (b) UK funds have been used for improving facilities at those ports in each year since 1994. [129466]
Mr. Hill: At present, no individual ports are specifically included within the transport Trans-European Network (TEN). Rather, projects at inland ports and seaports may be eligible for European Union (EU) TEN funding if they correspond to the specifications or criteria set out in Section 4 and 5 of Annex II to the TEN guidelines (Decision No. 1692/96/EC of 23 July 1996).
To date, EU TEN funding to ports has only been offered in relation to studies. Since 1995, when the TEN
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programme was introduced, the UK ports which have been allocated funding, and the total funds offered, are as follows:
| Year | Ports receiving funds | EU funding |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | None | -- |
| 1996 | None | -- |
| 1997 | Portsmouth; Great Yarmouth; Boston; Port of London; Southampton; Felixstowe; Heysham | 0.70 |
| 1998 | Portsmouth; Sunderland; Tyne; Humber; Heysham; Southampton; Harwich | 1.60 |
| 1999 | Great Yarmouth | 0.24 |
The Government have not provided any funding for improving facilities at UK ports during the period 1994 to 2000.
NATS
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the companies or organisations that have expressed interest in becoming the strategic partner in National Air Traffic Services Ltd.; and if he has received representations from them about forecast capital spending in NATS. [129763]
Mr. Mullin: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey) on 14 June 2000, Official Report, column 640W.
Playing Fields
Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the planning policy guidance is regarding development of playing field sites. [129795]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Planning Policy Guidance note 17: "Sport and Recreation" emphasises the special significance of playing fields and that they should normally be protected. The Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields) (England) Direction 1998 requires referral to the Secretary of State of planning applications for development of local authority-owned playing fields or those currently, or in the previous five years, in educational use, where Sport England has objected but the local planning authority is minded to grant permission. The Secretary of State then has the opportunity to call in the application for his own determination.
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