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Rail Fares
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if it is the policy of the Government to maintain the existing formula for capping regulated fares on the railway for the purpose of new or revised rail franchises; [152375]
- (2) if it is the policy of the Government to extend coverage of regulated fares on the railway; [152374]
(3) what arrangements have been agreed for new franchise agreements for the capping of regulated fares in respect of (i) the Chiltern franchise and (ii) the South Central franchise. [152376]
Mr. Hill: The regulation of fares is a matter for the Strategic Rail Authority. The Authority has no current plans to extend or change the existing formula for capping regulated fares on the railways, but it is reviewing the relationship between performance and fare caps. The current arrangements will apply to new or revised franchises including Chiltern and South Central, unless or until revised arrangements are subsequently agreed.
Railway Records
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what the policy of his Department and the Strategic Rail Authority is in respect of historic railway documents previously kept in the British Railways Board Records Centre; [152366]
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- (2) if it is the policy of his Department and the Strategic Rail Authority to sell the British Railways Board Records Centre, London W2; [152365]
(3) what consultation takes place with Railtrack before railway records relating to the railway infrastructure are disposed of; [152368]
(4) if it is the policy of his Department and the Strategic Rail Authority permanently to transfer records from the British Railways Board Records Centre to Railtrack and to the Public Record Office. [152367]
Mr. Hill: The great majority of the British Railways Board's (BRB's) responsibilities have been assumed by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) as a consequence of the Transport Act 2000. The management of the BRB records is, therefore, a matter for the SRA. With the ending of the BRB's operational responsibilities, a decision was made in 1997 to rationalise the archive and to retain only those documents necessary to meet the on-going requirements of the Board to deal with its continuing legal liabilities. Under an appraisal process agreed by the Public Record Office (PRO) and the Railway Heritage Committee, records of historical importance are being deposited with the PRO or County Record Offices. Railtrack (and where appropriate any other successor body) are being advised of those records in which they may have an interest for the on-going running of the railway. The building in which the former BRB Records Centre is housed is now much larger than that appropriate for the number of records held and will be sold in due course.
Rough Sleepers (London)
Mr. Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress his Department has made in reducing the number of people sleeping rough in London. [152410]
Ms Armstrong: Using information from street counts carried out in 12 London boroughs on 11 December 2000, it was estimated that there were around 438 people sleeping rough on any one night in London. This is a reduction of 29.5 per cent. from the baseline of 621 in June 1998. A borough by borough breakdown is available in the Library of the House. Using information from street counts carried out in central London on 1 March 2001, it is currently estimated that there are 380 people sleeping rough in London.
Waste Management
Mr. Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he is giving local authorities in planning their municipal waste management strategies; and if he will make a statement. [152427]
Mr. Meacher: Best value guidance which was published last December already sets out clear standards for local authorities to adhere to in delivering waste management services.
Today I am publishing guidance for English local authorities in preparing their Municipal Waste Management Strategies. It sets out the new statutory targets for authorities on household waste recycling and composting, which we promised in "Waste Strategy 2000".
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Overall these statutory targets will double recycling of such waste by 2003-04 and triple it by 2005-06. The guidance encourages Collection and Disposal Authorities to work closely together to deliver these targets. It also includes guidance on the Waste Minimisation Act 1998. Copies of the guidance have been deposited in the House of Commons Library and are being sent to all relevant English local authorities.
Concessionary Fares (Students)
Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extend concessionary travel fares to students. [152121]
Mr. Hill: Travel concessions are primarily a matter for local authorities. They already have powers to provide discounted fares for young people under 19 years of age who are in full-time education.
Environmentally Sustainable Fuels
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the relative environmental sustainability of (a) the liquid biofuels, biodiesel and bioethanol and (b) the road fuel gases CNG and LPG. [152066]
Mr. Hill: The Government have undertaken an environmental assessment of a range of alternative fuels, including biofuels and road fuel gases, as part of the Government's Green Fuel Challenge. The Government will make a further announcement about the Green Fuel Challenge in the Budget.
Building Regulations
Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the outcome of the review of Part L of the Building Regulations will be announced; and what technical changes he plans to introduce as a result of consultation. [152449]
Mr. Raynsford: The review of Part L of the Building Regulations is now almost complete. The Government wish to implement the changes at the earliest opportunity to maximise the reduction in Co 2 emissions that will result. In order to allow the construction industry the maximum time possible to gear up to the changes in the Building Regulations with regard to energy efficiency, we are working towards publishing the proposed draft Approved Document in the near future, in advance of its formal publication, with a view to making amendment regulations in August of this year.
The draft cannot be finalised and formally published until after we have received the responses to the current consultation on Part E of the Building Regulations, which deals with sound insulation. We recognise the interaction between these two parts of the regulations, and specifically sought any further comments on Part L in the consultation on Part E. This consultation closes on 20 April 2001.
A key issue in the consultation on Part L was the target U-values. We have listened to the views expressed in response to the consultation, and have decided to implement the changes in one stage rather than two, to reduce the disruption to the industry. We have also accepted that the U-value of 0.30W/m 2 K for walls would
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put an undue burden on builders and their materials and component suppliers in circumstances where European standards for declaring thermal insulation performance have yet to settle, and have relaxed it to 0.35 W/m 2 K. This is still an important improvement on the current standard and we will work towards a further reduction at a future date by early signalling of the prospective higher target.
Lead Pipes (Lancashire)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that lead pipes carrying water into domestic properties in Lancashire are replaced; and if he will make a statement. [152276]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: Under Regulations laid before Parliament in December 2000, North West Water and other water companies are embarking on major programmes of new and improved treatment to minimise the capacity of water to dissolve lead from pipes. These programmes should enable the Drinking Water Directive's interim standard of 25 microgrammes of lead per litre of water (25 gPb/l) to be substantially met by December 2003, and will go a long way towards meeting the final standard of 10 gPb/l which has to be complied with by December 2013. Where the standards are not met, water companies will need to replace (or line) their own lead pipes and advise consumers as to any action that it is desirable that they take in the interests of their health. We shall know the full extent to which these additional measures will be needed when the treatment programmes have been completed. Property owners remain responsible for the pipes within their own properties.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Pension Credit
12. Ms Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the responses received during the consultation period on pension credit. [150493]
Mr. Rooker: We have received over 400 responses to the pension credit consultation paper so far and are now carefully considering the points raised in them.
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