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Woodfold Hall and Park
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representations he has received concerning the planning application relating to Woodfold Hall and Park, Mellor near Blackburn. [151551]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State has received representations from eight interested parties since he called-in the three applications relating to Woodfold Hall and Park on 15 December 2000.
Departmental Policies (Norwich, North)
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Norwich, North constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [151140]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Norwich, North constituency has benefited from a range of Government initiatives since 2 May 1997 including:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 5.39 |
| 1998-99 | 7.93 |
| 1999-2000 | 7.76 |
| 2000-01 | 9.17 |
| 2001-02 | 12.95 |
By 2001-02 the resources made available to Norwich city council's housing investment programme will have more than doubled since the Government came to power. In 2001-02 £9.68 million of the allocation is in the form of the Major Repairs Allowance (MRA), paid as revenue, reflecting a shift to providing resources specifically for the cost of works to maintain council housing. It is for the local authority to determine where within its boundaries these resources are invested; it is therefore not possible to give precise amounts used within the Norwich, North constituency. Single Regeneration Budget
SRB Round 1--Mile Cross, Norwich
A four-year scheme on a run-down peripheral pre-war council estate aimed to improve the quality of life for tenants through investment in the physical environment and community development, including a renovated community centre and an innovative combined heat and power scheme.
SRB total £2.245 million, £1.579 million since 1997-98.
SRB Round 4--Norwich--A Learning City
This seven year scheme aims to raise the education attainment levels and employability of the people in the five most deprived wards in Norwich, where unemployment is 7.4 per cent. against the Eastern Region average of 4.9 per cent. This includes the Mile Cross and Catton Grove wards in Norwich, North. The emphasis will be on young people with low educational achievement and disadvantaged groups.
SRB total £1.188 million, £616,000 of which will be spent by March 2002.
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SRB Round 6--Catton and Fiddlewood
£250,000 over thee years has been awarded to the Catton and Fiddlewood Partnership to build community capacity and involvement. This will help them to prepare and submit bids for more regeneration in future years.
SRB total £250,000 for period 2000-01 to 2002-03.
East of England Development Agency (EEDA)
A land and property scheme to redevelop an old wartime concrete area in Mile Cross.
EEDA funding £153,000 since 1997-98.
Local Government Finance Settlement
The following figures show the Government grants to Norwich city council and Norfolk county council as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.
The information for general grant (Revenue Support Grant, National Non-Domestic Rates and damping grants) is as follows:
| Year | Norwich city council | Norfolk county council |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 12.467 | 341.529 |
| 1999-2000 | 12.550 | 362.774 |
| 2000-01 | 12.833 | 380.676 |
| 2001-02 | 13.112 | 395.21 |
These figures have not been adjusted to make year on year comparisons possible. There are no readily available figures for 1997-98.
It is not possible to determine the exact amounts allocated by the two councils to the Norwich, North constituency.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | (16)7.713 |
| 1998-99 | (16)5.521 |
| 1999-2000 | (16)7.752 |
| 2000-01 | (17)9.203 |
| 2001-02 | 29.247 |
(16) These figures are for Norfolk county council's Transport Policies and Programmes allocation
(17) This figure is from Norfolk county council's Provisional Local Transport Plan settlement
It is not possible to determine exactly how much of these amounts has been spent on Norwich, North constituency. However, the constituency has benefited from Norfolk county council's integrated transport policies.
HMOs (Licensing System)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce a licensing system for houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement. [151554]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: As we indicated in our Housing Policy Statement, we remain committed to
28 Feb 2001 : Column: 680W
introducing a compulsory licensing system for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.
London Borough of Camden
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what funding allocations his Department has made to the London borough of Camden to support those in temporary housing in each year since May 1997. [150977]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth [holding answer 26 February 2001]: There has been no specific allocation of funding from this Department to support those in temporary housing in the London borough of Camden. It is for local authorities to decide how they should allocate the resources they receive from the Department.
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources have been allocated by his Department to the London borough of Camden through regeneration initiatives since May 1997. [150979]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth [holding answer 26 February 2001]: Since 1997 to date, the London borough of Camden has been allocated £58.599 million for regeneration schemes. These resources have been spread over the following five schemes, two of which have been co-ventures with the neighbouring boroughs of Brent and Islington:
| Scheme | £ million |
|---|---|
| Kings Cross | 37.5 |
| West Euston | 6.5 |
| All Change at Camden Central | 7.0 |
| New Commitment to Kilburn (Brent and Camden) | 6.599 |
| Young People, Drugs and Crime in Gospel Oak (Islington and Camden) | 1.0 |
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources have been invested by his Department in (a) local authority housing and (b) social housing in the London borough of Camden since May 1997. [150978]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth [holding answer 26 February 2001]: Since May 1997, the London borough of Camden has been allocated a total of £124.937 million to resource local authority social housing. This is broken down into the following areas:
28 Feb 2001 : Column: 681W
A259/A3 Bypasses
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is on the decisions of South East of England Regional Assembly relating to the (a) proposed A259 Hastings bypass and (b) proposed A3 Hindhead bypass; and if he will make a statement. [151331]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 26 February 2001]: The South East of England's Regional Assembly (SEERA) considered the Final Report for the access to Hastings Study, and for the A3 Hindhead Study, at its plenary meeting of 14 February. I will consider the Assembly's formal recommendations on these studies carefully.
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidelines are set by him concerning the minimum distance of telecommunications masts from houses. [151498]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Telecommunications operators have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure that so far as is reasonably practicable, their work activities--which would include the installation and operation of their equipment--do not expose people to risks to their health and safety.
Following publication of the Stewart report on mobile phones and health in May 2000, the Government accepted that, as a precautionary measure, the emissions from mobile phone base stations should meet the more restrictive International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines for public exposure (as expressed in the EU Council Recommendation of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300GHz)). Most base stations already meet the ICNIRP guidelines and all new base stations will do so.
The Stewart report recommended the establishment of clearly defined physical exclusion zones around base station antennas, which delineate areas within which exposure guidelines may be exceeded, to prevent the public from exposure to radiofrequency radiation above the ICNIRP guidelines. These exclusion zones relate to an area directly in front of and at the height of the antenna. The report did not recommend the introduction of a minimum distance between masts and existing development and we have no plans to introduce such a requirement.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish revised PPG Note 8 on telecommunications
28 Feb 2001 : Column: 682W
development and the Government's conclusions on proposed changes to part 24 of the General Permitted Development Order. [151293]
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 intend to announce our conclusions as soon as practically possible.
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