House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 26 Feb 2001 (pt 1)

26 Feb 2001 : Column: 313W

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 26 February 2001

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Transport Expenditure

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the outturn prices were of (a) public investment expenditure, (b) public resource expenditure and (c) private investment in transport in (i) strategic roads, (ii) rail, (iii) local transport, (iv) London and (v) other transport areas using the same criteria for these figures as was used in constructing Table A3 in Transport 2010: The 10 Year Plan in each year from 1987 to 1992. [144093]

Mr. Hill: It is not possible to provide this information for the years 1987 to 1992 using exactly the same criteria as was used to construct Table A3 in Transport 2010: The 10 Year Plan. However the table presents the information using similar criteria.

Public expenditure and private investment in transport(1987-88 to 1991-92) ⁽¹⁾£ billion, rounded, outturn prices

1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92

Public investment expenditure 2.3 2.5 3.1 3.8 4.3

of which:

Strategic roads 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.4 1.4

Rail 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.3

Local transport 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.8

London⁽²⁾ 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.8 0.8

Other transport areas 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0

Public resource expenditure 2.0 1.9 2.0 3.3 3.6

of which:

Strategic roads 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2

Rail 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.7

Local transport 1.8 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.1

London⁽³⁾ 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 0.4 0.5

Other transport areas 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1

Total public expenditure 4.3 4.4 5.1 7.1 7.9

of which:

Strategic roads 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.6

Rail 0.7 0.8 1.0 1.5 2.0

Local transport 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.9

London 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.2 1.3

Other transport areas 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1

Private expenditure 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2

of which:

Strategic roads 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

Rail⁽⁴⁾ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Local transport 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

London 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

	1987-88	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92
Public investment expenditure	2.3	2.5	3.1	3.8	4.3
of which:
Strategic roads	0.9	0.9	1.2	1.4	1.4
Rail	0.6	0.7	0.9	1.0	1.3
Local transport	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.8
London⁽²⁾	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.8	0.8
Other transport areas	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0

Public resource expenditure	2.0	1.9	2.0	3.3	3.6
of which:
Strategic roads	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2
Rail	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.5	0.7
Local transport	1.8	1.8	1.9	2.1	2.1
London⁽³⁾	0.0	-0.1	-0.1	0.4	0.5
Other transport areas	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1

Total public expenditure	4.3	4.4	5.1	7.1	7.9
of which:
Strategic roads	1.0	1.0	1.3	1.5	1.6
Rail	0.7	0.8	1.0	1.5	2.0
Local transport	2.4	2.5	2.6	2.7	2.9
London	0.2	0.2	0.2	1.2	1.3
Other transport areas	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1

Private expenditure	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2
of which:
Strategic roads	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0
Rail⁽⁴⁾	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Local transport	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
London	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

⁽¹⁾ Figures may not total due to rounding.

⁽²⁾ For 1987-88 to 1989-90, public expenditure in London consists of expenditure on London Underground only. Other public expenditure in London is included in strategic roads and local transport.

⁽³⁾ The negative public resource numbers in 1988-89 and 1989-90 for London reflect the contribution in public capital investment provided by London Transport's farebox revenue.

⁽⁴⁾ Excludes private investment of £110/331/453 million by Eurotunnel plc for the period 1987-88 to 1989-90.

26 Feb 2001 : Column: 314W

Waste

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is with regard to importing radioactive waste from overseas countries; and if he will make a statement. [146045]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 18 January 2001]: The Government's policy is that radioactive waste should not be imported or exported from the UK. Subject to approval by the Environment Agency, some exceptions can, however, be made. These are for the recovery of reusable materials provided that this is the genuine prime purpose; for treatment that will make subsequent storage and disposal of the waste more manageable; for treatment and disposal of spent sources which were manufactured in the UK; or waste from small users (such as hospitals). Such imports should only be considered until the earliest time that the exporting countries can feasibly be expected to put in place their own treatment facilities.

Since 1976, all contracts to reprocess foreign spent fuel have included an option for the return of the resulting waste to the country of origin. As far as high level waste is concerned, this should be as soon as practicable after vitrification.

Ms Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many waste management licences have been revoked because of breaches of the Environment Protection Act 1990 in the last six years. [148723]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: Since the establishment of the Environment Agency in April 1996, six waste management licences have been fully revoked under section 38(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Agency's powers of revocation may be used in the circumstances set out in section 38(1) of the 1990 Act. Data on licence revocations before April 1996 are not held centrally.

Climate Change Levy

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the draft climate change levy negotiated agreements for public scrutiny before they are signed. [148911]

Mr. Meacher: The draft climate change agreement templates are available on the DETR website at www.environment.detr.gov.uk/ccl/index.htm. In addition, the sector-level agreements will be published as soon as they are agreed and approved.

Fylde Bathing Waters (EU Legal Action)

Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he is making to the EU Environment Commissioner to dissuade her from taking legal action against the UK over the state of the bathing waters off the Fylde coast; and if he will make a statement. [148759]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 6 February 2001]: The European Commission has announced its decision to initiate proceedings before the European Court of Justice. In the 2000 bathing season, seven out of the nine bathing waters on the Fylde coast passed the mandatory bacteria coliform standards of the Bathing Water Directive, compared with only three passing in 1999. This rate of

26 Feb 2001 : Column: 315W

improvement gives us optimism that there will be full compliance shortly and every effort is being directed towards achieving this. I have informed the Commissioner of this.

Rail Network (Merseyside)

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on planned investment in the rail network on Merseyside. [149759]

Mr. Hill: Our Ten Year Transport Plan earmarked £60 billion of funding for the railways. The current franchise replacement process will also secure additional capacity, a step-change in customer service and a sustained improvement in performance through higher levels of investment. A new 'Northern' franchise, including First North Western services, is currently being negotiated. The Merseyrail franchise will be replaced in due course. The Strategic Rail Authority has recently negotiated a two-year extension to the Merseyrail franchise, securing an additional three coaches for morning peak services in the autumn and a further three coaches in the summer of 2002.

School Transport

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to issue guidance to local education authorities on the use of vehicles specifically designed to carry standing passengers for the transportation of school children. [149808]

Mr. Hill: I have no plans to issue guidance to local education authorities about the use of vehicles specifically designed to carry standing passengers for the transportation of school children. All buses have to comply with specified safety standards, which include the requirement to have seat belts fitted in minibuses and coaches when groups of children are carried on organised trips. But buses that fall outside these definitions (mostly those that can also carry standing passengers) are not required by regulations to have seat belts. Ultimately it is for the schools and local education authorities to ensure the vehicles they will be using are appropriate for the type of journeys planned, including if they should be fitted with seat belts, regardless of whether or not the regulations require belts.

Ministerial Visits

Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the official engagements of his Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Oldham West and Royton (Mr. Meacher), for Monday 5 February indicating, for each event, the time it commenced and the constituency in which it took place. [149812]

Mr. Meacher [holding answer 9 February 2001]: In my capacity as Minister for the Environment I visited the following in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Mrs. Brinton).

14:00 Welbourne Junior School

14:45 Jack Hunt Secondary School

15:45 The Boardwalks Nature Reserve.

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Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the Ministers in his Department who visited any of the constituencies which are in the Peterborough Unitary Authority area between 1 January 2000 and 14 February 2001, indicating in each case (a) the date of the visit, (b) the constituencies included in the visit and (c) if the local hon. Member met the Minister. [151024]

Ms Beverley Hughes: There was one such visit. On 5 February 2001, my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment met the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mrs. Brinton) when he visited her constituency.

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