| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Departmental Policies (North-East Derbyshire)
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the North-East Derbyshire constituency, the effect on North-East Derbyshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150884]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The constituency of North-East Derbyshire has benefited from a range of Government initiatives since May 1997, including:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997-98(7) | 0.805 |
| 1998-99 | 1.55 |
| 1999-2000 | 2.262 |
| 2000-01 | 3.439 |
| 2001-02 | 5.762 |
(7) Last year of funding determined by previous administration
Under the Government's first Comprehensive Spending Review, all local authorities received significantly more resources for housing. The increase in resources for North-East Derbyshire is illustrated in the table.
North-East Derbyshire has a large number of non- traditional properties requiring significant investment. North-East Derbyshire was successful in 1998 in attracting Private Finance Initiative (PFI) resources for a non-Housing Revenue Account (HRA) scheme on the Holmewood Estate, the first social housing PFI scheme to be approved by the Government. (Note: This scheme was worked out under the old Administration, but approved under the current one.) The council is taking forward a HRA PFI scheme to repair and refurbish defective stock centred on three housing estates comprising the former coalfield villages of North Wingfield, Danesmoor and Pilsley. This PFI bid has been put forward for appraisal.
26 Feb 2001 : Column: 333W
| Total grant (£) | Number of projects supported | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective 2 1997 to 1999 (ERDF) | 5,702,602 | 21 |
| Rechar II (ERDF) | 4,438,927 | 14 |
| Objective 3 2000-06 (ESF) | 151,114 | 2 |
These grants have been allocated to a range of regeneration, social inclusion, environmental and transport improvement projects. Under the new Objective 2 programme 2000-06, parts of North-East Derbyshire will continue to have direct access to regeneration funding from the ERDF and also transitional funding under the new Objective 2 programme. Single Regeneration Budget
SRB 5 An Alliance for Action: DETR contribution is £24 million
Based on the vision that the Coalfield area is a strong, prosperous and forward-looking sub-region, projects will be aimed at improving competitiveness, job creation, building community capacity and promoting a culture of lifelong learning.
SRB 6 Positioned for Prosperity: DETR contribution is £15 million 1 .
Two main themes are Housing and Skills and Learning.
- 1 These schemes include a number of districts, one of which is North East Derbyshire. It is not possible to provide a separate figure for the area.
SRB 1 and 4: DETR contribution is £11.5 million
Four programmes targeted on sites in Chesterfield/ North-East Derbyshire and a fifth area-wide programme involving job creation, business support, education and training, community empowerment, and crime reduction measures. Approximately 50 per cent. of the funding for this scheme is allocated to North-East Derbyshire.
Coalfields Programme and Partnership Investment Programme
Avenue Coking Works, Wingerworth--£6,969,000 spent up to 31 December 2000.
Coney Green Business Park, Clay Cross--£2,289,300 spent up to 31 December 2000.
Coney Green Business Centre, Clay Cross--£339,778 spent up to 31 December 2000.
Plot 19, Clay Cross--£102,000 spent to date.
£947,922 (from May 1997 to date).
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | (8)3.0 |
| 1998-99 | (8)3.0 |
| 1999-2000 | (8)4.6 |
| 2000-01 | (9)5.6 |
| 2001-02 | (10)18.4 |
(8) Derbyshire county council's Transport Policies and Programmes allocation.
(9) From Derbyshire county council's provisional Local Transport Plan settlement.
(10) From Derbyshire county council's full Local Transport Plan settlement.
26 Feb 2001 : Column: 334W
The increase in settlement for the year 2001-02 represents the first instalment of the massive investment programme, promised in the 10-Year Plan (Transport 2010). It is money to be spent on local transport priorities. It is not possible to determine exactly how much of these amounts have been spent on the North-East Derbyshire constituency. However, the constituency has benefited from Derbyshire county council's integrated transport policies.
| North-East Derbyshire district council | Derbyshire county council | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 4.868 | 307.918 |
| 1998-99 | 4.802 | 321.511 |
| 1999-2000 | 4.909 | 341.383 |
| 2000-01 | 5.064 | 360.961 |
| 2001-02 | 5.262 | 375.573 |
This information is for general grant (Revenue Support Grant, National Non Domestic Rates and damping grants). It is not possible to determine the exact amount allocated by the county council to North-East Derbyshire.
Derbyshire Energy and Environment Group
The group includes North-East Derbyshire district council and received from DETR administrative help, the expertise of an energy adviser estimated at £7,000 and £3,000 for publicity. Two Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 Action Scheme projects were granted £148,500 by DETR to improve residential energy efficiency.
Spending Assessments (Bury)
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the annual increase in (a) standard spending assessment and (b) education standard spending assessment for Bury Metropolitan Council, for each of the last eight financial years and for 2001-02. [150976]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The information requested is given in the table:
| Year | Education SSA increase(11) | Total SSA increase(11) |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 0.605 | 1.718 |
| 1994-95 | 2.648 | 5.479 |
| 1995-96 | 1.873 | 1.711 |
| 1996-97(12) | 3.789 | 3.400 |
| 1997-98(12) | 2.107 | 0.922 |
| 1998-99 | 4.081 | 6.157 |
| 1999-2000 | 3.652 | 6.497 |
| 2000-01 | 3.875 | 6.471 |
| 2001-02 | 2.932 | 5.237 |
(11) All increases are calculated against the adjusted figures for the previous year to ensure a like-for-like comparison
(12) Figures supplied for 1997-98 and 1998-99 are based on the Local Government Finance Report (England) Amending Reports dated February 1999 and February 2000 respectively
26 Feb 2001 : Column: 335W
Fats & Proteins UK Ltd.
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the report of the public inquiry into the appeal by Fats & Proteins UK Ltd. of Nightingale Hall Farm, Lancaster, against their environmental authorisation will be published. [151240]
Mr. Meacher: The parties to the Fats and Proteins appeal will shortly be issued with a copy of the Inspector's report into the appeal hearing in the light of the revision last year of the Secretary of State's Process Guidance Note PG6/1(00)--Animal By-Product Rendering. They will be invited to comment on how any changes in circumstances since the hearing or any changes in policy, outlined in the revised guidance note, may affect the appeal. Following consideration of their comments, the Secretary of State should be in a position to announce a decision.
National Air Traffic Services
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if each of the bids for the NATS PPP enjoys full confidence on the question of safety of (a) NATS management, (b) the safety regulation group of the Civil Aviation Authority and (c) advisers appointed to assess the quality of safety management of the three bidders. [151325]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The Government received three bids for the NATS PPP on 31 January 2001. The Government are currently evaluating the bids, which include proposals with regard to safety and will take advice or comments from all those mentioned. We will make an announcement on the outcome of that evaluation in due course.
Endangered Species
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on plans to implement fully EC regulation 338/97. [151139]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: Council Regulation (EC) No. 338-97 sets out the requirements on member states to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The United Kingdom fully implements these Regulations, under which all commercial trade in critically endangered species is prohibited and trade in less endangered species is strictly regulated.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures are (a) in place and (b) planned to reduce the international trade in animals caught in the wild. [151138]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The United Kingdom is a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which is implemented within the EU by Council Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 and Commission Regulation (EC) No. 939/97. These Regulations are enforced in the
26 Feb 2001 : Column: 336W
UK by the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 (S. I. No. 1372). The Regulations currently protect over 30,000 species of animals and plants, and trade is permitted only where we are satisfied that this will not be detrimental to the wild populations of the species concerned. Traders are also encouraged to make use of captive bred sources of animals, and artificially propagated sources of plants, where these can be shown to be produced in a sustainable manner.
The United Kingdom plays an active role within CITES. We are currently taking forward several initiatives aimed at reducing illegal trade in endangered species. These include publicity campaigns aimed at tourists and traditional medicine users and practitioners, and advising them of the constraints on buying wildlife souvenirs and on using endangered species in medicines. The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, a coalition of DETR, HM Customs and Excise, police and interested NGOs, has also been set up to address illegal trade in the UK. On the international front we are providing financial and practical support for a number of initiatives, including a CITES working group addressing unsustainable trade in bushmeat (mainly primates but also other endangered species) and a Tiger Enforcement Task Force which aims to provide all CITES Parties with technical advice and intelligence support on illegal trade in tigers and tiger products.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |