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Paint (Volatile Solvents)

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of potential health hazards arising from paints containing a high amount of volatile solvents; and if he will make a statement. [131685]

Mr. Meacher: High exposures to any number of solvents can be damaging to health. Most hazardous solvents used at work, including paints, have specific occupational exposure limits set after detailed scientific reviews of their health effects. Employers using any hazardous solvent must follow the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999.

The safety of chemical products, including paint, sold to the general public or used at work is regulated by the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 1994 which require, among other things, that product manufacturers must assess a product for its health effects (for example, toxicity, irritancy). If dangerous, the product must then be labelled with a warning symbol and with phrases indicating the dangers. The particular chemical(s) which causes the product to be classified must also be named on the label.

The regulations require that all potentially dangerous chemicals supplied to the general public must be in packaging which is properly labelled and contains warning about the potential hazards and giving brief advice on suitable precautions. Manufacturers would also, if relevant, be required to give details of how to use the product safely. Chemicals used at work must be supplied with a safety data sheet.

Green Ministers

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Elmet of 13 July 2000, Official Report, columns 631-32W, for what reasons (a) the Treasury, Home Office and Department of Social Security were not represented by Ministers at the Green Ministers Meeting and (b) the Cabinet Office, Prime Minister's Office, Department for Education and Employment, Wales Office, Scotland Office, Northern Ireland Office and Ministry of Defence were not represented at the meeting. [132016]

Mr. Meacher: Green Ministers from Treasury, Department of Social Security, Cabinet Office, Department for Education and Employment and Ministry of Defence were engaged on official business elsewhere. The Green Minister for the Home Office had an unavoidable private engagement. All but the Department for Education and Employment and Ministry of Defence were represented by officials. The Wales Office, Scotland Office, Northern Ireland Office and Prime Minister's Office receive papers for meetings but only attend on an ad hoc basis.

Brownfield Land

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many hectares of contaminated brownfield land were identified in the UK in (a) 1970, (b) 1980, (c) 1990 and (d) 2000. [132106]

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Mr. Mullin: Estimates of the amount of contaminated land are not available. The amounts of derelict land in England were recorded in the Derelict Land Surveys. These defined derelict land 'land so damaged by industrial or other developments that is incapable of beneficial use without treatment.' Not all derelict land is necessarily contaminated.

The Derelict Land Surveys show that the area of derelict land in England amounted to 43,273 hectares in 1974, 45,683 hectares in 1982, 40,500 hectares in 1998 and 39,600 hectares in 1993.

The National Land Use Database provides 1998 estimates for England of all previously developed land that is unused or may be available for redevelopment. The total of 57,710 hectares includes some 19,340 hectares of derelict land. This figure is lower than the 1993 estimate partly because of reclamation and partly due to the exclusion of some derelict land that has blended back into the natural landscape and was considered to have limited development potential.

Sellafield

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the cost and effectiveness of (a) retrofitting dry store facilities to magnox reactors and (b) using dry store canisters, in his consideration of the closure process for the magnox reprocessing line at Sellafield. [130871]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 24 July 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe on 25 July 2000, Official Report, column 518W.

Post Offices

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discretion the DVLA has in respect of authorising post offices to issue motor vehicle licences; and if he will make a statement. [132416]

Mr. Hill: DVLA's contract with Post Office Network Banking (PONB) requires a 4,000 strong network of motor vehicle licence issuing offices throughout the country. DVLA does not select or authorise the individual offices, that is the responsibility of PONB. DVLA does not have the necessary knowledge of the various catchment areas and characteristics of individual post offices to assess potential demand.

Road System

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to use quieter surfacing when resurfacing the M3 between junctions five and seven becomes necessary. [132344]

Mr. Hill [holding answer 24 July 2000]: Our 10 year strategy for transport, Transport 2010--The 10 Year Plan, has been published and sets out proposals for dealing with road noise, including the provision of quieter surfaces on over 60 per cent. of the network, including all concrete surfaces.

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I have asked the Highways Agency to draw up a programme for all such trunk roads for agreement. Junctions five to seven of the M3 will be included in this programme.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many bypasses will be constructed during the course of the Transport 2010 10 year plan within (a) the strategic road network and (b) other routes; and if he will make a statement; [132507]

(2) what public funding will be available for the construction of bypasses outside the strategic road network in the next 10 years. [132508]

Mr. Hill: The Secretary of State announced last Thursday our 10 year plan, Transport 2010, setting out the resources to be made available to fund our integrated transport policies. Included in the plan is funding which will allow 30 bypasses on the core network, at a cost of around £600 million, and over 70 bypasses on the local road network to be built over the 10-year period. Specific schemes will need to be brought forward through the regional planning system in the case of trunk roads or the local transport plan system in the case of local roads. Schemes will also have to be appraised using the New Approach to Appraisal.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct the Highways Agency to resurface the A46 at Harvington, Worcestershire, with a low-noise road surface. [131835]

Mr. Hill: Our ten year strategy for transport, "Transport 2010--The 10 Year Plan", has been published and sets out proposals for dealing with road noise, including the provision of quieter surfaces on over 60 per cent. of the network, including all concrete surfaces.

I have asked the Highways Agency to draw up a programme for all such trunk roads for agreement. The A46 at Harvington will be included in this programme.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct the Highways Agency to resurface the M5 at Whittington, Worcestershire, with a low-noise road surface. [131834]

Mr. Hill [holding answer 25 July 2000]: Our ten year strategy for transport, "Transport 2010--The 10 Year Plan", has been published and sets out proposals for dealing with road noise, including the provision of quieter surfaces on over 60 per cent. of the network, including all concrete surfaces.

I have asked the Highways Agency to draw up a programme for all such trunk roads for agreement. The M5 at Whittington will be included in this programme.

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the nature was of the test carried out on the A30 before the decision was taken to resurface it on account of noise nuisance; and how much the resurfacing work will cost. [132650]

Mr. Hill [holding answer 25 July 2000]: The tests comprised a period of continuous noise monitoring at six

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locations agreed with the "Resurface the A30" Campaign Group, in order to compare the actual noise levels with those predicted at the Public Inquiry into the scheme.

Our 10-year strategy for transport, "Transport 2010--The 10 Year Plan", has been published and sets out proposals for dealing with road noise, including the provision of quieter surfaces on over 60 per cent. of the network, including all concrete surfaces.

I have asked the Highways Agency to draw up a programme for all such trunk roads for agreement. The A30 Honiton to Exeter Improvement will be included in this programme.

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will carry out noise tests on the A50 at Doveridge, Derbyshire; what estimate he has made of the cost of resurfacing that section of the road; and if he will instruct the Highways Agency to carry out this work. [132651]

Mr. Hill [holding answer 25 July 2000]: As part of the 10-year Plan for Transport announced last week, we will resurface all concrete-surfaced trunk roads with quieter materials.

I have asked the Highways Agency to draw up a programme for all such trunk roads for agreement. The A50 at Doveridge will be included in this programme. No detailed estimate of the cost of resurfacing the A50 at Doveridge exists.

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