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Highway Maintenance
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources he proposes to provide to allow local highway authorities to deal with the backlog in local highway maintenance; and if he will make a statement. [138259]
Mr. Hill: As set out in "Transport 2010: The 10 Year Plan" we are committed to providing sufficient funds to tackle the backlog of expenditure on carriageway, footway, bridge, and street lighting maintenance, estimated to be £7 billion in the next 10 years. In the forthcoming Local Transport Plan settlement we will provide £535 million to fund capital maintenance works on local highways in 2001-02 and £555 million in 2002-03. These are increases of 103 per cent. and 110 per cent. respectively compared with 2000-01. We have extended the settlement to cover non-principal roads as well as principal roads and bridges.
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The allocations for local highway authorities in 2001-02 and 2002-03 are shown in the table, with the allocations for the current year for comparison. For the remaining three years of the five years of the Local Transport Plan settlement, authorities will receive at least 75 per cent. of their allocation for maintenance in 2002-03.
In addition, earmarked resources will be provided for new major maintenance schemes for the Central Motorway East in Newcastle and for the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Halton.
These capital resources provided through the Local Transport Plan settlement are in addition to the support for local highway maintenance provided through Revenue Support Grant.
The Local Transport Plan settlement does not cover London. Funding for local highway maintenance in London is a matter for the Mayor and Greater London Authority.
Notes:
1. The allocations for 2000-01 covered only principal roads and bridges. The allocations for 2001-02 and 2002-03 cover principal roads, non-principal roads, and bridges.
2. There is an element within the Standard Spending Assessment used to distribute Revenue Support Grant which covers revenue expenditure on local road maintenance, e.g. clearing snow, cleaning drains, grass cutting, etc.
3. These allocations are part of the overall Local Transport Plan settlement to be announced in December.
4. These figures do not include earmarked resources for ongoing major maintenance schemes in Bedfordshire, Devon, and Portsmouth or for new major maintenance schemes in Newcastle and Halton.
Funding for these schemes will amount to £7 million in 2001-02 and £10 million in 2002-03.
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Global Warming
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the contribution of the aviation industry to global warming. [137748]
Mr. Mullin: We have not produced a UK assessment. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published their report, "Aviation and the Global Atmosphere", in December 1999. UK experts made significant contributions to the report on both science and technology. It considered all potential effects on the atmosphere and climate, up to 2050, from aviation emissions and identified the present and future impacts, on the basis of a range of scenarios, as well as remaining areas of uncertainty. The Government continue to support research to reduce these scientific uncertainties, and to improve technology.
Aircraft Detritus
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with the CAA concerning frozen effluent falling from aeroplanes over residential areas. [137747]
Mr. Mullin: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of Thursday 25 November 1999, Official Report, column 171W.
The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with the CAA over such incidents. However the CAA is continuing to investigate icefall incidents whenever possible.
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I understand the hon. Member met CAA staff on 18 May specifically to discuss icefalls, following which the CAA wrote to her on 26 May 2000 providing comprehensive details of icefall incidents. In the period 1 January 2000 to 1 November 2000, 36 incidents of icefall and 21 incidents of other falling objects were recorded. The average number of incidents recorded over the five-year period 1995-99 was 31.
The CAA places the primary emphasis on prevention, and both the Authority and airlines are putting a great deal of effort into eliminating icefalls by checking water systems for leaks. The CAA has also issued reminders to UK operators, by way of Airworthiness Directives, emphasising the importance of regular checks.
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