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Exotic and Dangerous Animals

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to control further the sale of exotic and dangerous animals in pet shops; and if he will make a statement. [140828]

Mr. Mullin: The Government have no immediate plans to extend their controls on the sale of these animals but will look at this issue again when their review of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 is completed next April.

United Airlines Boeing 767-300

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority concerning the risk of fire on United Airlines Boeing 767-300 flying into Heathrow on 9 January 1998; and if he will make a statement. [140918]

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Mr. Mullin: This incident was investigated by the Department's Air Accidents Investigation Branch and copies of their report, which was published on 2 November, have been placed in the Library. As the aircraft involved in this incident was on the US aircraft register and operated by a US airline, it is regulated by the US Federal Aviation Administration and not the Civil Aviation Authority. The majority of the recommendations contained in the report were addressed to the aircraft manufacturer and the FAA. However, the CAA has accepted recommendations 99-50 and 99-51 and has initiated appropriate action.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what the average Standard Assessment Procedure rating is for energy efficiency in homes in England; [141022]

(2) how many homes in England have a Standard Assessment Procedure rate of below 20 for energy efficiency in the home. [141023]

Mr. Meacher: The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating is designed to reflect the energy efficiency of a dwelling. It runs from 1 (highly inefficient) to 100 (highly efficient).

Data from the English House Condition Survey show that in 1996 the average SAP rating of the housing stock was just under 44 SAP points; and that 1.5 million households had a SAP rating of below 20.

Excise Duty

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that new vehicle excise duty forms for applications for lower excise duty are available to road hauliers throughout the United Kingdom; and if restrospective applications for lower excise duty will be accepted in cases where vehicle excise duty forms are not available. [141013]

Mr. Hill: In Great Britain, V85/1 and V11 licence renewal reminders that have or will be sent to hauliers in respect of licences expiring at the end of November and December 2000 have already been produced and quote the full rate of Vehicle Excise Duty. However, when hauliers apply for a new licence using these forms at one of DVLA's local offices, the lower rate will be applied. Reminder issues from January 2001 will quote the lower rate. Similar arrangements will apply in Northern Ireland.

Railtrack

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if bulging in railway line products supplied to Railtrack from Italy has implications for Railtrack's renewal programme; [141227]

(2) if he will secure from Railtrack an assurance that all strings of railway lines imported and used on the national rail network comply with Railtrack specifications; [141228]

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(3) if he will secure from Railtrack an assurance that all Railtrack products used on the national railway network are as individual pieces of equipment traceable as to (a) country of manufacture and (b) name of manufacturer; [141229]

(4) what proportion of Railtrack's (a) current and (b) future renewal programme involves the use of heat- treated rails; [141230]

(5) what assessment he has made of the safety and usage implications for the life of railway lines arising out of the use of (a) heat-treated and (b) non-heat-treated railway lines on the national rail network; [141231]

(6) on how many occasions Railtrack has been served with enforcement orders relating to its operations since 1994; [141232]

(7) if he will list all train derailments since 1994; [141233]

(8) what assessment he has made of Railtrack's compliance with condition No. 7 of its operations licence in relation to the number of broken rails in each year since 1994; [141234]

(9) if he will place a copy of the Balfour Beatty maintenance audit report on railway stewardship of August in the Library; [141235]

(10) if ultrasonic testing of railway lines at the site of the Hitchin crash included angle probe ultrasonic testing in the period prior to the crash; [141236]

(11) if ultrasonic testing of railway lines on site throughout the UK rail network included angle probe ultrasonic testing as a matter of routine; [141237]

(12) what assessment he has made of the implications for safety in the national rail network arising from not using angle probe techniques in the ultrasonic testing of railway lines; [141238]

(13) if levels of asymmetry tolerance in relation to railway lines imported from Italy in 2000 have implications for the safety of the national rail network; [141239]

(14) if levels of asymmetry tolerance in relation to railway lines imported from Corus operations in France have implications for the safety of the national rail network; [141240]

(15) if the return of railway lines imported from Italy in 2000 was related to the need to maintain safety standards on the national rail network; [141241]

(16) if problems with the welding of railway lines imported from Italy in 2000 have implications for renewal of the national rail network; [141242]

(17) if he will request Railtrack to provide details as to the nature of the contractual arrangements for the import of railway lines from Italy; [141243]

(18) if he will discuss with Railtrack the implementation of arrangements whereby future maintenance contracts for maintenance contractors will exclude the right of Railtrack to override recommendations for maintenance and renewal made by maintenance and repair contractors and include the right of maintenance contractors to vary repair and maintenance contracts with the approval of regulatory bodies. [141244]

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Mr. Hill: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

M4 (Dauntsey)

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when resurfacing work is due to take place on the stretch of the M4 motorway near Dauntsey. [141247]

Mr. Hill: I will write to the hon. Member and place copies of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

GM Trials

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedure the Government have established to protect the health and safety of workers on GM farm trial sites. [141255]

Mr. Meacher: I will write to the hon. Member and place copies of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Otterburn

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when the (a) first public inquiry and (b) second public inquiry were (i) opened and (ii) concluded into the proposals for changes to the Otterburn training area in Northumberland National Park; [141249]

(2) when the Otterburn training area public inquiry inspector presented his report to Ministers; and when he will announce his decision; [141250]

(3) if he will remove Otterburn training area from the Northumberland National Park and add Kielder Forest to the National Park. [141253]

Mr. Mullin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Construction

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement on the role of the construction industry in providing (a) placements and (b) subsequent jobs under the New Deal; [141262]

(2) if he will make a statement on the role of (a) schools and (b) further education establishments in providing career options in the construction industry. [141263]

Ms Beverley Hughes: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Road Building Schemes

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the assessment of the economic implications of major new road building schemes following the publication of the 'Transport and the Economy' report by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment; and what steps he is taking to ensure the implementation of its recommendations. [141264]

Mr. Hill: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

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