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National Air Traffic Services
Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what transport projects he proposes to fund with the receipts from the proposed public/private partnership for National Air Traffic Services. [100189]
Mr. Mullin: The expected proceeds from the proposed partial sale of National Air Traffic Services have been reflected in the Department's Comprehensive Spending Review Settlement, resulting in a 25 per cent. increase in underlying transport spending. This will allow a start to be made on integrated transport policies.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 1 September regarding a constituent. [100076]
Ms Beverley Hughes: We have no record of receiving my hon. Friend's letter dated 1 September. If he would like to forward us a further copy it will be dealt with promptly.
Climate Change Levy
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will extend the period in which heads of agreement must be signed by smaller trade associations in respect of discount from climate change levy rates. [100462]
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Mr. Mullin:
My right hon. Friend does not propose to do so. These sectors have been asked to sign heads of agreement before the Budget in March 2000. They have been able to start preparations since the levy was announced in March 1999 and there has been a series of meetings with officials since then. The sectors may also take advantage of assistance from the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme in preparing their proposals.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedure will determine whether energy saving measures are cost effective for the purpose of qualifying for 80 per cent. discount from climate change levy rates. [100461]
Mr. Mullin:
Negotiations with sectors are proceeding on the basis that sectors will be expected to commit to installing all cost-effective energy efficiency measures over the period of the agreements. Cost-effectiveness will be measured using industry's own criteria.
Lorna Fitzsimons:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to respond to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Local Government (Organisation and Standards) Bill; and if he will make a statement. [100565]
Ms Armstrong:
We intend shortly to put before the House a full response to the Committee's Report.
The Government welcome the Committee's scrutiny of the draft Bill, and have considered very carefully all their conclusions and recommendations.
Yesterday we introduced in another place the Local Government Bill which contains with certain amendments the provisions of the draft bill. As stated in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill, the objectives of those provisions are to achieve greater efficiency, transparency and accountability of local authorities.
In their Report the Committee welcomed those objectives. The Committee concluded that the extent to which any eventual legislation would fulfil those objectives would largely depend on how far the Government were prepared to accept their findings.
Our response will demonstrate that we are committed to adopt an approach which will ensure that those objectives are fulfilled to the greatest possible extent. We will bring forward as early as possible in the passage of the Bill such amendments as are necessary to give full effect to our response.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish the Government Response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee's report on GMOs and the Environment; Co-ordination of Government Policy. [100569]
Mr. Meacher:
I have today written to the Chairman of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee enclosing a copy of the Government's Response to the
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Committee's report on GMOs and the Environment: Coordination of Government policy, which was published today. A copy of the Response has been laid before the House.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with which initiatives and at what cost Her Majesty's Government are helping Russia in relation to tuberculosis. [100082]
Clare Short:
Since 1994 the Department for International Development (DFID) has been providing advice to the TB service in Tomsk oblast, comparing treatment methods recommended by the World Health Organisation with traditional Russian methods. As a result the Federal Ministry of Health has agreed to use Tomsk as a pilot site for TB treatment reform. We are discussing expanding this work to two further oblasts, Kemerovo and Samara, with the relevant regional authorities. In addition we are considering providing support for two further TB projects to be carried out under the auspices of the World bank and the World Health Organisation respectively.
The total cost of these interventions is likely to be around £2.5 million.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will state the current estimated value of fixed and moveable assets held by (a) her Department and (b) the Commonwealth Development Corporation in (i) Scotland, (ii) the United Kingdom, (iii) overseas and (iv) in total. [99662]
Clare Short:
The current estimated value of fixed and moveable assets is as follows:
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | (b) | |
| DFID | CDC | |
| (i) Scotland | 6,570,000 | 0 |
| (ii) UK | 10,015,000 | 23,800,000 |
| (iii) Overseas | 3,507,000 | 4,900,000 |
| (iv) Total | 20,092,000 | 28,700,000 |
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Corporate Assets
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the current value of land and property (a) in Scotland, (b) in England and (c) in total owned or under the responsibility of (i) the Royal Fine Art Commission, (ii) the Royal Commission on Historic Manuscripts, (iii) the Historic Royal Palaces Agency and (iv) the Royal Parks Agency (including property held in right of the Crown under the Crown Lands Act 1851). [99828]
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Mr. Alan Howarth:
Information on the value of the assets of these four bodies can be found in their latest annual reports, all of which are placed in the Libraries of the House. The offices of the former Royal Fine Art Commission and of the Royal Commission on Historic Manuscripts are leased in the name of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and my Department has no interest in their freehold value. The land and property managed by Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Parks Agency are held in right of the Crown. They are therefore inalienable, and a valuation of them has not been undertaken. None of these bodies owns or has responsibility for any property in Scotland.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the areas of Scotland which may face difficulties receiving digital television transmissions (a) before 2006 and (b) before 2010. [99655]
Janet Anderson:
The digital terrestrial transmission plan for the UK presently comprises 81 transmitter sites. Transmissions from the fourteen digital terrestrial transmitter sites located in Scotland, together with transmissions from Caldbeck in the north of England, will deliver digital terrestrial television services to about 90-95 per cent. of the Scottish population. Maps showing the predicted coverage from each of these transmitter sites have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses on CD-ROM.
The BBC and ITC, together with the transmission providers Crown Castle and NTL, are now considering the further development of digital television coverage, in consultation with the digital broadcasters and Government. The aim is to ensure that at least 99.4 per cent. of the UK population can receive digital television signals, through a variety of delivery mechanisms. Analogue switch-over will not take place until this and other tests are met, for which the Government has set a target timetable of 2006-10. The ITC and BBC's transmission plans are not yet sufficiently advanced to determine if there will be any areas in Scotland where the reception of digital television might remain difficult at 2006 or 2010.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to require the extension of coverage of Channel 5 in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. [99656]
Janet Anderson:
Responsibility for the transmission of Channel 5 services rests with Channel 5 under the terms of its licence, regulated by the Independent Television Commission and subject to constraints on the available spectrum. Channel 5 has enhanced its coverage across the UK by offering analogue services free-to-air on satellite and also on cable where it is available. Channel 5 services are also carried free-to-air on all digital platforms.
The provision of digital terrestrial television now has higher priority than the potential extension of analogue terrestrial Channel 5 coverage. The Government have no plans to require Channel 5 to extend analogue terrestrial services to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland or other areas of the UK. However in due course digital television
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coverage will be universally available across the UK, at least matching the existing analogue coverage of 99.4 per cent. of the UK population.
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