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Harlow Council
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to use his powers under the Local government Acts to intervene in Harlow Council; and if he will make a statement. [149469]
Ms Armstrong: A best value inspection of Harlow District Council has recently taken place, and I understand that the Audit Commission and the authority are currently in discussion about the content of the final report, and the recommendations for action by the Council arising from it. The Commission have powers under the Local Government Act 1999 to recommend that the Secretary of State intervenes. No such recommendations have been received.
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce changes to controls on the granting of planning permissions for telecommunication masts; and if he will make a statement. [149748]
12 Feb 2001 : Column: 11W
Ms Beverley Hughes: The consultation exercise seeking views on possible changes to the planning laws relating to mobile phone masts and associated guidance ended on 31 October 2000. The Department is currently analysing the responses. We shall announce our conclusions as soon as possible.
Sellafield MOX Plant
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce a decision on the authorisation of the Sellafield MOX plant. [149630]
Mr. Meacher: A decision regarding the authorisation of the plant will be announced only when the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Secretary of State for Health have considered all the relevant information. Consultants are being appointed to assist the Departments in their consideration of the BNFL revised economic case received by my Department on 5 January.
River Wye
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the outcome of the public inquiry on the River Wye will be published; and if he will make a statement. [149523]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 8 February 2001]: The application made by the Environment Agency for an Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 to confer on it powers to regulate navigation on the River Wye has raised complicated issues which require very careful consideration. Following the public inquiry into the application we received detailed representations from parties to the inquiry, including the Agency. Last year, in the interests of proper administration, we made these representations available to others appearing at the inquiry so that they could comment on them. We are now considering their comments along with the Inspector's Report.
We will make a decision on the application as soon as possible. Before doing so, we will consult the National Assembly for Wales since the proposed Order would, if made, affect Wales as well as England.
Community Transport
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 2 February 2001, Official Report, column 318W, on community transport, if he will list those successful bids to the 1999 competition which included further funding for schemes successful in the 1998 competition; if he will estimate the amount granted within those bids for continuation funding; and what total amount was granted in the 1999 competition as a whole. [149594]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 8 February 2001]: Four successful bids totalling £710,124 from Somerset, Wiltshire, West Sussex county councils and West Yorkshire PTA were for further funding for schemes funded by the 1998 competition. All this total was for continuation funding apart from some provision in the
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Somerset bid for expansion of the service to operate on additional days of the week. The total awarded in the 1999 competition was £16.8 million.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors were taken into consideration in deciding the level of central grant allocation for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service for 2001-2; and if he will make a statement. [149627]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service do not receive revenue support grant. A grant is allocated to Gloucestershire county council which provides necessary funding for the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
The Government allocate grant through Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs). The following indicators are used to determine the fire block of the SSA:
- Resident population;
- Fire calls;
- Population density;
- 'A' Risk areas;
- Coastline;
- Fire safety enforcement;
- Fire safety education; and
- Fire pensions.
An area cost adjustment is applied, where appropriate, to reflect differences in the cost of providing fire services in London, the rest of the South East and the remainder of the country.
Emergency Vehicle Drivers
Mr. Burnett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will introduce mandatory training for all drivers of emergency vehicles; what the minimum training requirements will be; and if he will make a statement. [149691]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 9 February 2001]: Core competencies for driving emergency vehicles have recently been agreed by technical experts from the Driving Standards Agency, police, fire, ambulance and armed services. The services are now consulting their constituent members about adoption, which I hope will be by the autumn. Each service will tailor the supporting training to their drivers and vehicles, though experience and best practice will be shared. The public services concerned will be able to ensure that these new standards will apply to directly employed drivers, and those providing contracted services.
A66
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the outline proposals for the safety study of the A66 were presented to the regional planning authorities; when each planning body gave its approval; and when the study commenced. [149816]
12 Feb 2001 : Column: 13W
Mr. Hill [holding answer 9 February 2001]: The three regional planning authorities were consulted in December 1998/January 1999 on the proposed programme of studies identified in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England". Further consultants have been undertaken throughout the development stages of the A66 Safety Study with regards the terms of reference and study brief.
The regional planning authorities in the North-east, North-west and Yorkshire and the Humber continue to be individually represented on the A66 Safety Study Steering Group.
The consultants were appointed to undertake the study in March 2000 and the final report is expected in spring 2001. The final report will be presented to regional planning authorities for their consideration.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will have complete road accident figures for all highways for the year 2000. [149813]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 9 February 2001]: Summary figures for the year 2000 are scheduled to be published in June as a Transport Statistics bulletin "Road Casualties in Great Britain: Main Results: 2000". A copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how long he expects the regional planning bodies to take in considering the safety study of the A66. [149815]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 9 February 2001]: This is a matter for the three individual regional planning bodies representing the North-east, North-west and Yorkshire and the Humber regions.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which regional planning conference needs to give its endorsement to the Temple Sowerby bypass before it can proceed. [149814]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 9 February 2001]: The North West Regional Assembly, in its capacity as regional planning body, must endorse the Temple Sowerby bypass before it can proceed.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he announced that there would be a safety study into the A66. [149817]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 9 February 2001]: The A66 Safety Study was included in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" which was published in July 1998.
Road Traffic Accidents
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2000, Official Report, column 534W, concerning road traffic accidents, when the information will be available; and if he will supply the information when it becomes available. [150082]
Mr. Hill: Full details of all road accident casualty figures for the period 17 October to 31 December 2000 will be published for analysis in early June 2001.
12 Feb 2001 : Column: 14W
Between 17 October and 13 December 1999 there were 857 fatalities and 8,461 serious injuries arising from road accidents.
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