---

Millennium Dome

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times he has met Robert Bourne of Legacy plc (a) this year and (b) in previous years. [140717]

Mr. Prescott: I have met Robert Bourne on a number of occasions this year as part of the competition process for selling the Millennium Dome. I have not met him on any other occasion.

30 Nov 2000 : Column: 780W

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if the fee agreement with Lazard for the sale of the Millennium Dome is contingent on success; [140716]

(2) what fees will be due to Lazards in the event of a successful sale of the Millennium Dome. [140715]

Mr. Prescott: The involvement of Lazard in the process for selling the Millennium Dome has concluded with the award of preferred bidder status to Legacy plc. The fees payable to Lazard were not dependent on either Legacy plc reaching preferred bidder status or an eventual successful sale of the Dome.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of negotiating and finalising the sale of the Millennium Dome, broken down by fees paid to (a) merchant banks, (b) lawyers, (c) accountants and (d) other advisers. [140720]

Mr. Prescott: The breakdown of costs requested is commercially confidential, in order not to compromise future Government negotiations with professional firms about the provision of advice. The costs arising in all the categories listed will be met from within the budget for the Dome legacy competition. This is held by English Partnerships, and currently stands at £6.9 million.

Road Fatalities

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions after what length of time a death from injuries following a road traffic accident ceases to be recorded as a fatal accident; and if he will make a statement. [140603]

Mr. Hill: A road accident is recorded as fatal if any casualty in that accident dies within 30 days of the accident. This is in accordance with the definition which is widely used internationally.

Rail Safety

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Rail Regulators' Review of Access Charges; what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Rail Regulators have complied with his obligation to promote the safety of the railway; and if he will place copies of documents relating to such an assessment in the Library. [140731]

Mr. Hill [holding answer 28 November 2000]: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Marine Nature Conservation

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the geographic extent of the review of Marine Nature Conservation with regards to (a) distance offshore and (b) marine nature conservation in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. [140935]

Mr. Mullin: The original Terms of Reference for the Review of Marine Nature Conservation were to consider issues to the limit of UK Territorial Waters. However,

30 Nov 2000 : Column: 781W

since then the Review's Terms of Reference have been extended to allow consideration to issues up to the limit of UK jurisdiction, that is the UK Continental Shelf and superjacent waters to a limit of 200 nautical miles from baselines.

The devolved Administrations have responsibility for marine nature conservation up to the limit of Territorial Waters, subject to the requirements to meet international and European obligations.

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the timetable is for his Department's review of marine nature conservation. [140936]

Mr. Mullin: The Working Group of the Review of Marine Nature Conservation was originally due to report its findings to Ministers by the end of this year. However, since that timetable was agreed the Review's Terms of Reference have been extended to include consideration of issues beyond UK Territorial Waters to the limit of UK jurisdiction. In view of this, the timetable for reporting on the outcome of the Review has been extended and the Working Group is now expected to report on its consideration of issues to the extent of UK Territorial Waters during the first quarter of next year. The Working Group's final report, taking into account issues to the limit of UK jurisdiction, will be presented to Ministers by the end of summer next year.

Road Fund Licence

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what point will the road fund licence rebates to the registered keeper in respect of cars under 1500 cc be backdated; and if he will make a statement. [140938]

Mr. Hill: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget report his intention that the increase to 1500cc in the threshold for the lower rate of vehicle excise duty for cars will be backdated to November 2000. Detailed arrangements will be subject to consultation with the motoring organisations.

Rents

Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for (a) England and (b) London the average rent in (i) 1989-90, (ii) 1992-93, (iii) 1995-96, (iv) 1998-99 and (v) 1999-2000 (A) in pounds per week and (B) as a percentage of the relevant bottom quartile and bottom decile male earnings for (1) the average council dwelling, (2) the average housing association dwelling and (3) the average three room dwelling rented by a private tenant claiming Housing Benefit referred to the rent officer. [140997]

Mr. Mullin: The available figures are given in the table. The earnings figures used in the answer are of full-time manual male employees. In many cases tenants will have much or all of the rent met by Housing Benefit.

30 Nov 2000 : Column: 782W

Local authority rents

	Average rent	Rent expressed as percentage of:
Year	£ per week	lower decile earnings	lower quartile earnings
England
1989-90	20.86	14.8	11.7
1992-93	30.84	19.1	15.2
1995-96	38.41	22.0	17.5
1998-99	42.33	21.7	17.3
1999-2000	43.92	n/a	n/a
London
1989-90	24.65	16.0	12.2
1992-93	41.777	23.5	18.3
1995-96	50.76	27.4	21.0
1998-99	55.44	27.1	20.6
1999-2000	58.00	n/a	n/a

Note:

The local authority average weekly unrebated rent per financial year

Housing Association/RSL rents

	Average rent	Rent expressed as percentage of:
Year	£ per week	lower decile earnings	lower quartile earnings
England
1989-90	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992-93	34.44	21.3	17.0
1995-96	44.00	25.2	20.0
1998-99	51.68	26.5	21.1
1999-2000	52.95	n/a	n/a
London
1989-90	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992-93	40.25	22.5	17.7
1995-96	50.28	27.1	20.8
1998-99	59.28	29.0	22.0
1999-2000	61.36	n/a	n/a

Notes:

The above figures are net weekly rents, excluding service charges

The 1992-93 figures for London is indicative only

The 1999-2000 figures are provisional and unpublished

Source:

Housing Corporation, HAR/10 and RSR

Average rent paid by private tenants claiming housing benefit and referred to a rent officer

	Average rent	Rent expressed as percentage of:
Year	£ per week	lower decile earnings	lower quartile earnings
England
1989-90	40.23	28.5	22.6
1992-93	59.88	37.1	29.6
1995-96	69.73	39.9	31.7
1998-99	72.84	37.4	29.7
1999-2000	n/a	n/a	n/a
London
1989-90	57.62	37.3	28.5
1992-93	82.62	46.3	36.3
1995-96	97.23	52.5	40.3
1998-99	108.89	53.2	40.4
1999-2000	n/a	n/a	n/a

Note:

The above figures are the average rents determined for benefit purposes and cover all private lettings and all sizes of dwelling referred to rent officers

Source:

Rent Officer Statistics, published by DETR

30 Nov 2000 : Column: 783W

---