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Westminster Underground Station
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Westminster Underground Station on the Jubilee Line will open. [101081]
Mr. Hill: London Transport aim to open the Jubilee Line station at Westminster shortly before Christmas. It is, however, a deep and complex station, being constructed on a constricted site. LT cannot therefore guarantee the opening date at present.
Essex County Council Press Officer
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the oral statement of the Under-Secretary, the hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston (Ms Hughes) of 24 November 1999, Official Report, column 731, on what evidence the Minister based her statement that an Essex County Council press officer contacted newspapers and other media outlets in Essex, indicating the media outlets contacted and the dates and means of contact. [100844]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The statement was based on information received from the County Council and the Programme Officer. The media outlets contacted were as follows:
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Evening Gazette
Evening Echo
East Anglian Daily Times
Essex Courier
Epping Gazette
Herts and Essex Observer
Yellow Advertiser
BBC Essex
Essex FM
Anglia TV
BBC TV East
All the above mentioned outlets were contacted on 3 November, by fax. Additionally, the Essex Chronicle was dealt with in the manner I alluded to in my oral statement.
Housing Stock
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has in place to help local authorities in relation to large-scale voluntary transfer of housing stock. [101084]
Mr. Mullin: My Department has published comprehensive guidance on the stock transfer process, which is designed to assist local authorities who are transferring all or part of their housing stock to a Registered Social Landlord. Other measures in place include (a) the ability to use capital resources (i.e. provision for credit liabilities) rather than revenue to meet the cost of premium payments which arise when outstanding loans with the Public Works Loan Board are repaid early; (b) allowing authorities to capitalise for up to three years after transfer which additional rent allowance expenditure would otherwise fall on the general fund; (c) allowing authorities to value their stock using a discount rate of 7 per cent. rather than 8 per cent. as previously, thereby increasing the size of their capital receipt; and (d) guidance about warranties.
M6
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for widening the M6 motorway between Preston and Birmingham. [101348]
Mr. Hill: I have no plans to widen the M6 between Preston and Birmingham.
My noble Friend the Minister with responsibility for roads and road safety announced on 23 March the programme of multi-modal and roads-based studies proposed in the Roads Review. The West Midlands to North West Conurbation Study, including the M6 between
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junctions 11 and 20, is in Tranche 1 of this programme. I have pleasure in announcing that this study has recently been awarded to consultants and will be completed by the summer of 2001.
The consultants will be asked to indicate a comprehensive range of strategies across all modes that could be used to tackle the traffic problems in the area, and encourage modal shift especially for freight.
As regards the M6 between junction 20 and the Scottish Border, the Highways Agency are seeking to develop a route management strategy study starting in the spring of 2000.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what matters concerning air traffic control will be decided at the 9 to 10 December Transport Council. [101624]
Mr. Mullin:
Although there will be an exchange of views on air traffic management at the Transport Council on 9 and 10 December, no decisions on any matters concerning air traffic control will be taken.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place a copy of the Commission Communication on air traffic delays which will be discussed at the Transport Council on 9 to 10 December in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [101610]
Mr. Mullin:
A copy of the final version of the Commission's Communication on "the creation of a single European sky" will be placed in both Libraries of the House as soon as it is received.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the final decision will be made on the EU membership of Eurocontrol; and if he will make a statement. [101623]
Mr. Mullin:
Negotiations between Eurocontrol and the European Community on the terms and conditions for Community accession to Eurocontrol are still in progress. It is hoped to conclude them early next year.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the Government are doing to encourage competition in the main domestic airline routes in the United Kingdom. [101299]
Mr. Mullin:
The Government believe that the interests of UK consumers are best served by ensuring that a framework exists within which airlines can compete freely to provide services. The UK strongly supported the creation of the European Single Aviation Market for scheduled, chartered and air cargo services, which came into force on 1 January 1993.
Within the Single Market, Community carriers may offer the services they wish and set fares according to their commercial judgment. It is therefore open for any
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Community air carrier to offer domestic air services on routes within the UK, if it considers that such services are commercially viable. It will often be the case however, in the UK as elsewhere, that demand on domestic air routes is insufficient to support competitive provision of services.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to make an announcement about the distribution to local authorities of housing capital resources for 2000-01. [101644]
Mr. Raynsford:
Details of housing capital allocations for local authorities for 2000-01 will be announced tomorrow. I am arranging for tables giving individual Housing Investment Programme allocations to be placed in the Library of the House. These tables will also show the performance band in which each authority has been placed.
Mr. Wyatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered nurses have been struck off the national register held by the UK Central Council for Nurses and Midwives and subsequently reinstated, and in what time period this reinstatement occurred, since the creation of the UK Central Council for Nurses and Midwives for (a) all disciplinary issues and (b) cases involving care of the elderly. [98469]
Mr. Denham:
In the period since 1 July 1983, when the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting was first established, to 31 March 1999, 1,098 practitioners have been removed from, and 256 restored to the register. Further information on this and on cases involving care of the elderly is available from the UKCC.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse vacancies exist in West Surrey Health Authority. [99911]
Mr. Denham:
The number of nurse vacancies in West Surrey Health Authority area as at 31 March 1999 is given in the table.
| Total vacancies | 3 month vacancies | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified nurses | 310 | 260 |
| Unqualified nurses | 50 | 40 |
Notes:
Total vacancies are those posts trusts were actively trying to fill.
Hard to fill vacancies are those posts that were vacant for three months or more at 31 March 1999.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 as hard to fill
Source:
Department of Health Recruitment, Retention and Vacancies Survey March 1999
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Tooth Whiteners
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the removal of tooth whiteners from sale following its change of status from a medical device to a cosmetic. [100661]
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