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House Sales (Information Pack)
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the pilot scheme to test the components of the seller's information pack to assist the sale of houses will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [133240]
Mr. Mullin: The Bristol Seller's Information Pack Pilot Scheme will be completed over the summer and my Department is due to receive a draft final report in September. We expect to make the results public in November.
A summary of interim findings 1 was published on 27 June. The key findings from this were:
- Six in 10 sellers believe that the pack is easy to understand and contains the right amount of information needed. A similar proportion of buyers also agree that the pack contains the right amount of detail on which to make decisions.
- Two thirds of seller's information packs are completed within the 10-day target for pack assembly. However, recently the assembly of the legal part of the pack has slipped beyond this target.
Note:
- Housing Research Summary No 124: Bristol Seller's Information Pack Pilot Summary of interim findings, DETR, June 2000
Rail Franchise (Greater London)
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out the timetable for awarding the rail franchise for each of the communities services into Greater London; what length of franchise is being envisaged in each case and maximum franchise requirements; and if he will make a statement. [133237]
Mr. Hill: There are no specific target dates for the replacement of franchises, or any specified length for new franchise agreements that are to be negotiated. While the shadow Strategic Rail Authority will be offering longer term franchises, the length will be entirely dependent on the amount of investment that is proposed by the bidder. The Franchising Director is aiming to replace all the current shorter franchises including, Connex South Central, Chiltern, South West Trains, Thameslink, West Anglia Great Northern, Thames and Great Eastern within two years.
Wind Turbines
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has published guidelines regarding the siting of wind turbines. [133625]
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Ms Beverley Hughes: "Planning Policy Guidance note 22: Renewable Energy" sets out guidance regarding the siting of wind farms and other sources of renewable energy.
A316
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason the two lanes on the eastbound carriageway of the A316 west of the junction with the B358 are being narrowed. [133472]
Mr. Hill: This is a matter for the Mayor of London and Transport for London.
Air Quality
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his Department's budget is for 2000 to 2004 for (a) improvements in air quality and (b) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. [133478]
Mr. Hill: This year's budget for climate change research (as shown in DETR's Annual report 2000, Cm 4604) is £11.6 million; for air and environmental quality research the budget is £8.5 million; for specific support to local authorities' air quality expenditure the budget is £2.6 million. Additional relevant DETR expenditure is accounted for under Departmental Running Costs, International Subscriptions, and other spending lines. Figures from Spending Review 2000 have not yet been disaggregated sufficiently to identify comparable sums for subsequent years.
However, the DETR PSA target for achieving the Government's climate change objectives will be met by implementing a range of policies and measures covering many sectors of the economy. Some European measures are included in our draft Climate Change Programme, and action by local authorities will also be crucial. Funds spent in other areas of DETR, for example, programmes to promote better energy efficiency, CHP and integrated transport will also help to deliver reductions in greenhouse gases.
The DETR PSA target for improving air quality will be met largely through a range of European and national policy measures which are being taken to reduce pollution from industry and vehicles. For local pollution hot-spots, local authorities will be drawing up action plans to reduce local pollution levels through the local air quality management arrangements.
Energy Efficiency
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his plans and budget are for improving energy efficiency for vulnerable households between April 2001 and 31 March 2004. [133476]
Mr. Meacher: The principal programme for improving the energy efficiency of vulnerable householders in private sector housing in England is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES). Following the Comprehensive Spending Review, the budgets for HEES have been set as follows.
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| Year | £ millions |
|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 153 |
| 2002-03 | 167 |
| 2003-04 | 171 |
By 2004, the scheme is expected to have helped 800,000 households.
Improvements in the energy efficiency of social sector housing are delivered through local authorities' and registered social landlords' renovation and improvement programmes. The resources made available for housing investment in the 2000 Spending Review will allow half a million social sector houses (over a third of the total in poor condition) to be brought up to a decent standard by 2004.
Recycling and Composting
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his Department's budget is for 2000 to 2004 for recycling and composting. [133477]
Mr. Mullin: The Spending Review 2000 provided £140 million specifically for local authority waste and recycling, and substantial resources towards the Waste and Resources Action Plan, which will tackle barriers to increased recycling and promote new markets for recycled materials. Substantial extra resources--an increase of £1,127 million by 2003-04--will help fund environmental, protective and cultural services, including waste management. Local authorities will set their own priorities for the use of these resources. The Department also supports local authority sustainable waste management projects through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). An announcement on PFI funding for the Spending Review period will be made shortly.
Aldermaston
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 July 2000, Official Report, column 497W, on Aldermaston, if he will list those bodies which were sent a copy of the draft authorisation arising from the public consultation process; and if he will place copies of their responses in the Library. [133725]
Mr. Meacher: Copies of the draft authorisation were sent to the Health and Safety Executive and to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Copies of their responses are being placed in the Library.
Brownfield Land
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many acres of vacant, dormant, derelict, unused or underutilised land there are in England and Wales; and what percentage of this he estimates will have to be built on to achieve the Government's house-building targets by 2011; [133425]
- (2) how many hectares of brownfield land in England and Wales are in (a) public ownership and (b) private ownership. [133426]
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Ms Beverley Hughes: Estimates from the National Land Use Database show that in 1998 there were an estimated 57,710 hectares of previously developed land for England that were unused or potentially available for redevelopment.
There are no Government targets for house-building.
There is a national target that by 2008, 60 per cent. of additional housing should be provided on previously developed land and through the conversions of existing buildings. Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing, published in March 2000, seeks to maximise the re-use of previously developed land and buildings.
It is not possible to estimate what proportion of previously developed land available in 1998 will be used for house-building as further amounts of land will become available for recycling.
Phase 1 of the National Land Use Database collected information on public and private ownership of brownfield land in England, for which no results have yet been published. My Department will undertake this analysis and I will write to the hon. Member when it becomes available.
Reports
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the reports submitted to his Department, by bodies that were created after May 1997 and that include significant and plural membership from outside the Civil Service, stating in each case the body writing the report, the date the report was submitted, how many recommendations were made, the number of those recommendations that have been implemented to date and the number of recommendations that have been rejected; and if he will make a statement. [133560]
Ms Beverley Hughes: I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 27 July 2000, Official Report, columns 799-800W.
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