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Pollution
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the revenue to be derived from implementing the integrated pollution prevention and control regulation. [102582]
Mr. Hill: The phased implementation of integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) regulation extends up to 2007. In 2000-01, its first operational year, the revenue from IPPC regulation is estimated to be approximately £4.0 million.
This information updates the estimate given in the Environment Agency's corporate plan published in September 1999.
Benefits
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the levels of capital and income disregards for the benefits for which his Department is responsible. [102511]
Mr. Mullin:
Benefits are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 191W
Mr. Ottaway:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when work will commence on the Coulsdon Inner Relief Road. [102501]
Mr. Hill:
I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Peter Nutt, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from David York, to Mr. Richard Ottaway, dated 15 December 1999:
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reports have been received by his Department from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in respect of its investigation into the quality control of plutonium MOX fuel manufactured at Sellafield. [102484]
Mr. Meacher:
DETR Ministers have received a number of briefings from HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) on its investigation into the falsification of quality assurance data for fuel manufactured in the MOX demonstration facility at BNFL's Sellafield plant. This investigation has concluded that the automated 100 per cent. check on pellet diameters should provide high confidence that all of the MOX fuel which has been delivered from Sellafield to Japan will be safe in use. A copy of the letter that NII sent to the Japanese Embassy advising them of this conclusion has been placed in the Library of the House.
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 192W
NII is not currently in a position to comment further on its investigations since this could prejudice possible enforcement action.
Sir Michael Spicer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the projected costs of the Civil Aviation Authority for the financial years (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01. [102758]
Mr. Mullin:
The projected operating costs for the Civil Aviation Authority (including National Air Traffic Services Ltd.) are as follows:
These costs will be recovered through charges levied on users in respect of the services provided by the CE.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what undertakings were given at the time of each privatisation of ports, where ports police forces existed, in relation to their future management and independence by the purchasers; and what scrutiny has been conducted as to the fulfilment of these undertakings since privatisation. [102436]
Mr. Hill
[holding answer 14 December 1999]: I am not aware of any undertakings given in such cases.
Mr. Curry:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the money allocated to local authorities from central Government in the form of (a) rate support grant and (b) specific grant in each of the 10 most recent years for which information is available. [102466]
Ms Armstrong:
English local authorities have reported receiving the following central government grants. Data for community charge grant, SSA reduction grant and redistributed non-domestic rates have been included as these also provide unhypothecated funding for local authorities.
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 191W
The Minister for Transport for London, Keith Hill, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the start of works for the A23 Coulsdon Inner Relief Road. I am replying in the absence of the Chief Executive, Peter Nutt.
The scheme was included in the Targeted Programme of Improvements announced by the Secretary of State in July 1998. It will transfer to Transport for London in July 2000.
We have recently appointed Consultant Engineers to prepare tender documents to allow work to start in early 2002.
(a) 1999-2000: £588.2 million
(b) 2000-01: £611.7 million.
| Revenue support grant (1) | Community charge grant | SSA reduction grant | Specific grant inside AEF (7) | Redistributed non-domestic rates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 9,468 | -- | -- | 3,459 | 10,429 |
| 1992-92 | 9,652 | 4,805 | -- | 4,163 | 12,408 |
| 1992-93 | (3)16,605 | -- | -- | 4,363 | 12,306 |
| 1993-94 | 17,033 | -- | -- | 4,664 | 11,559 |
| 1994-95 | 18,479 | -- | 280 | 4,930 | 10,685 |
| 1995-96 | 18,296 | -- | 261 | 4,779 | 11,354 |
| 1996-97 | 18,001 | -- | 220 | 4,781 | 12,736 |
| 1997-98 | 18,650 | -- | 123 | 5,068 | 12,027 |
| 1998-99 | (4)19,480 | -- | 102 | 5,598 | 12,524 |
| 1999-2000 | (5)19,875 | -- | (7)119 | 5,874 | 13,612 |
| 2000-01 | (6)19,403 | -- | (7)51 | 6,877 | 15,400 |
(1) Excluding RSG to Specified Bodies
(2) Specific, Special and Supplementary Grants
(3) Community Charge Grant was incorporated in Revenue Support Grant in 1992-93
(4) Provisional outturn
(5) Budget estimates
(6) Consultation
(7) Includes Central Support Reduction Grant
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GM Crops
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has evaluated on leakage into soil from GM insect-resistant maize of the insecticide made by the plant as a consequence of its genetic modification; if he will instruct his officials to seek to follow up research of this kind; and if he will make a statement. [102722]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 14 December 1999]: The science journal Nature published a report on 2 December 1999 on leakage into the soil from crops genetically modified to express insecticidal peptides from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). I shall be asking the statutory Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) to consider this paper at their next meeting. Their advice, including any recommendations for research, will be published. I will then act to commission further research as appropriate. However, no Bt plants are being grown or trialled in the UK, and we have assurances from industry that they have no plans to introduce such crops in the near future.
Rough Sleepers
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many rough sleepers there were in each of the last 30 months for which figures are available in (a) London, (b) Bristol, (c) Cardiff, (d) Glasgow, (e) Leeds, (f) Liverpool and (g) Birmingham. [101524]
Ms Armstrong: The following table sets out an estimate of the number of people sleeping rough on any one night in London, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham, as at June 1998 and June 1999.
| June 1998 | June 1999 | |
|---|---|---|
| Greater London | 621 | 635 |
| Bristol | 42 | 32 |
| Leeds | 8 | 17 |
| Liverpool | 17 | 30 |
| Birmingham | 56 | 43 |
The figures for 1998 are based on single night street counts and were published as part of my answer of 19 May 1999, Official Report, columns 355-62W, which gave an estimate of the number of people sleeping rough across England. This estimate formed a baseline figure for the Government's target to reduce rough sleeping in England by two thirds by 2002.
The figures for 1999 are being published today as part of the breakdown of the latest national estimate, showing the position as at June 1999. This shows that the number of people sleeping rough in England, on any one night, fell from 1,850 in June 1998 to 1,633 in June 1999. Copies of the full breakdown are available from the Library. Responsibility for the Rough Sleepers Initiative in Scotland is a devolved matter. I understand, however, that no comparable figures are available for Glasgow. A single night street count in central Glasgow in 1997 found 53 people sleeping rough. No counts have been undertaken since.
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 194W
Responsibility for rough sleeping in Wales is also a devolved matter. I understand, however, that an independent report has recently been prepared for the National Assembly for Wales and local authorities in Wales on the incidence of rough sleeping in Wales and its causes, and to advise on effective strategies for assisting rough sleepers. According to this independent report, single night street counts in September 1997 found 12 people sleeping rough in Cardiff city centre, and in September 1998 found 20 people.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce (a) his plans to meet the Prime Minister's target of reducing rough sleeping by at least two thirds by 2002 and (b) the latest figures for the numbers of rough sleepers in England. [103041]
Ms Armstrong:
The Government's strategy on rough sleeping will be published later today and copies placed in the Library. We are also publishing today the latest estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in England on any one night. These figures show that the number of people sleeping rough in England fell from 1,850 in June 1998 to 1,633 in June 1999. Copies of the full breakdown are available in the Library.
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