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Local Transport Plans

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if local authorities can bid for additional funding to that in their full local transport plan in their first annual progress reports for (a) major road schemes, (b) major public transport schemes and (c) integrated transport packages. [151556]

Mr. Hill: Authorities may bid for additional major road, public transport or integrated transport schemes as part of the process of submitting their first annual progress reports (APRs) on their local transport plans. In certain circumstances, authorities will also be able to bid for additional funding for smaller-scale integrated transport schemes. Details will be provided in the guidance on APRs that we will issue to authorities shortly.

Planning Appeals

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on reform of the planning

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appeals process contained in DETR circular 05/200 relating to rights of third parties to see and comment on the submissions of others made to the Planning Inspectorate. [151607]

Ms Beverley Hughes: Five representations have been received.

Following public consultation streamlined statutory procedures for handling planning appeals--on which guidance is given in DETR Circular 5/2000--were introduced last year. These require third parties to submit their comments or statements of case to the Secretary of State on the same timescale as that for local planning authorities and appellants. Thus third parties have the opportunity at both planning application stage and at planning appeal stage to comment on the proposed development.

The operation of the new procedures is being monitored and we shall review them in the light of experience, taking account of representations received.

Waste Recycling

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of waste was recycled in (a) Great Britain and (b) each local authority in 2000. [151299]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth [holding answer 27 February 2001]: Recycling levels in Scotland are a matter for the Secretary of State for Scotland. The Department collects information on waste management and recycling from local authorities in England and Wales on an annual basis through the Municipal Waste Management Survey. National and regional level information for the financial year 1998-99 was published in the Municipal Waste Management 1998-99 Bulletin in September 2000. We expect to publish provisional results for 1999-2000 in early April 2001 and a more detailed analysis later in the year. We intend to publish figures showing the

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percentage of household waste recycled by individual local authorities in England during the financial year 1998-99 shortly in the "Guidance on Municipal Waste Management Strategies".

Telecommunications Masts

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made following the closure of consultation on the regulation of mobile telecommunications masts; and if he will make a statement. [151612]

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.

Home Energy Efficiency

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many grants have been awarded under the home energy efficiency scheme in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne since 2000-01; and what was (a) the total and (b) the average value of such grants. [151835]

Mr. Meacher: The number of grants and their total value and average value for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne for 2000-01 is as shown.

Period	Number of grants	Average value of grant (£)	Total value of grant (£)
April-May 2000(5)	597	175	104,523
June 2000-February 2001	1,455	(6)439	638,102
March 2001(7)	168	(6)297	44,189
Total for 2000-01	2,220	354	786,814

⁽⁵⁾ The previous HEES scheme (which started in 1991) continued to run for the first two months of 2000-01. Only one 'main' measure was offered up to a grant limit of £315.

⁽⁶⁾ The average value of grant has increased substantially in the current year following the launch of the new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) for England on 1 June 2000. It replaced the more basic scheme that operated since 1991. HEES provides packages of insulation and heating measures, linked to the condition of the property and the type of householder. The grant maximum increased from £315 up to £2,000.

⁽⁷⁾ Projection based on orders placed with installers.

Halewick Lane Waste Transfer Station

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the inspector's report on the public inquiry into the Halewick Lane waste transfer station at Sompting, West Sussex. [151677]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions will publish the inspector's report when he determines the planning application for a waste management centre at Halewick Lane, Sompting, West Sussex. This decision will be issued as soon as possible.

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Bog Sites

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to agree the request for the raised bog sites at (a) Hatfield Moor, (b) Thorne Moor, (c) Bolton Fell Moor, (d) Solway Moor and (e) Wedholme Flow to be designated special areas of conservation under the habitats and species directive. [151382]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: In August 2000, English Nature began public consultations on proposals for new and amended Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Those proposals included new SACs at Bolton Fell Moss, Solway Moss and Hatfield Moor, boundary amendments to the existing candidate SACs at Thorne Moor and South Solway Mosses, plus the addition of a new qualifying interest on the site encompassing Wedholme Flow. English Nature is currently considering the scientific justification for each new or amended site. The Government will consider their recommendations as soon as they are made.

GM Sugarbeet

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the 24 GM sugarbeet trials scheduled for this year involve expenditure by the Government. [151543]

Mr. Meacher: There will be up to 26 fields of beet taking part in the Farm Scale Evaluations of herbicide tolerant GM crops this spring. As was the case last year, the Government will pay only for the ecological studies associated with the evaluations. It is expected that, for the beet sites, this will cost approximately £445,000 this year.

Local Government Finance

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the analysis of responses to the local government finance Green Paper. [152126]

Ms Armstrong: An analysis of the 16,321 responses we received will be posted on the DETR website at www.local.detr.gov.uk/greenpap/analysis/index.htm on Monday 5 March. Copies of the analysis will also be placed in the Library.

We were very pleased with the excellent response to consultation. We are carefully considering the responses and will publish our decisions in a White Paper later this year.

SSSIs

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to ensure payments for management agreements on sites of special scientific interest are directed towards conservation and enhancement of the special features of these sites. [152127]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: Tomorrow, together with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, we shall be issuing new guidance on management agreement payments in England to replace

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that in DOE/MAFF Circular 4/83. English Nature will use the guidance to determine the amount of payment under a management agreement.

The guidance reflects the substantially strengthened powers to protect and manage SSSIs introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. It will emphasise the future priority for agreements to be directed at positive management designed to bring the special features of sites into favourable condition. It will also ensure that agreements are in line with the European Rural Development Regulation.

Copies of the Guidelines will be freely available and will be placed in the House Libraries.

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