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Planning Controls (Fast-food Restaurants)

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has received on the question of planning controls on the conversion of public houses to fast food restaurants. [597]

Ms Keeble: In the last 12 months, my Department has received centrally three letters from Members of Parliament and eight letters from members of the public about planning controls on the conversion of public houses to fast food restaurants and takeaways.

Nutts Farm Caravan Site

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will conduct an inquiry into the sale of Nutts Farm caravan site by Swale borough council; and if he will make a statement. [1147]

Ms Keeble: It is for the local authority to decide whether and to whom to dispose of their land. Authorities should normally dispose of property for the best obtainable consideration, which is normally its market value. If a local authority wishes to accept a bid for less than the best consideration, they must obtain the consent of the Secretary of State either through a general consent or a specific consent.

I understand that Swale borough council took the decision to sell the caravan site as the result of a best value review. Under best value the authority is required to consult local people, businesses and voluntary organisations. It is, however, for the local authority to decide exactly whom to consult and how to carry out such consultations. Moreover, it will be the responsibility of elected members to weigh the different points of view revealed by consultation exercises.

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If local people believe that consultations were not carried out properly, they can make representations to the auditor, who audits the best value performance plan, or the Best Value Inspection Service, which carries out inspections of the services provided by the authority.

Community Transport Schemes

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial support his Department has given in the current financial year to community transport schemes. [11]

Ms Keeble: My Department supports the community transport sector through funding the Community Transport Association's Information and Advice Service. That Service, which will receive £100,000 in funding this financial year, provides support and advice to community transport schemes and local authorities across the country.

In direct support for community transport schemes, the local transport capital settlement for 2001-02 provided £559 million (including reserves) of capital funding for local authorities in England, outside London, for use on small scale integrated transport measures. Authorities have discretion in the expenditure of such resources that may be used as capital support for community transport schemes in line with the priorities established within their local transport plans.

We have also made available £10 million in the current financial year for those and other transport projects in rural areas through the Rural Transport Partnership and the Parish Transport Grant schemes administered by the Countryside Agency.

Awards to be made later this year to bids successful in this year's Rural and Urban Bus Challenge schemes will also include significant new financial support for community transport services. This will be in addition to support already being given as a result of earlier rounds of the Rural Bus Challenge. Many of the existing 150 challenge awards involve community transport provision.

My Department has already consulted relevant organisations on plans to extend eligibility for fuel duty rebate to a wider range of community transport services, which will be implemented in this financial year.

Rural Housing

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent initiatives have been taken in order to provide affordable housing in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [27]

Ms Keeble: Our proposals for increasing the supply of affordable housing in rural areas are set out in Chapter 5 of "Our countryside: the future--A fair deal for rural England", a White Paper (Cm 4909) published in November 2000. In summary, they are: doubling funding for the Housing Corporation between 2000 and 2003 to benefit both rural and urban areas; doubling the size of the Housing Corporation's programme in small rural settlements from 800 to 1,600 homes per year; local authorities to be able to charge the full rate of council tax on second homes and retain the extra revenue (subject to consultation); and a package of VAT reforms to encourage additional conversions of properties for residential use.

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We have also reminded local authorities of existing powers to limit the resale of council homes, bought under the Right to Buy scheme, to local people. This can be done in rural areas that meet certain criteria.

Details of all these measures are set out more fully in the Rural White Paper.

Aviation Policy

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the results of his consultation on aviation policy. [1030]

Mr. Spellar: We plan to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation document, "The Future of Aviation", later this summer. We will give careful consideration to the responses and take them into account in deciding policies for the new air transport White Paper, which we hope to publish next year. All responses (except those from respondents who requested confidentiality) can be viewed by the public, in the Department's Library.

Speed Limits

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Government have to introduce a mandatory 20 mph zone in areas close to schools. [1069]

Ms Keeble: The Government have given local authorities the power to introduce 20 mph zones. Our Road Safety Strategy encourages their use in the areas where the most vulnerable are present, like the areas around schools.

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Housing

Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of council housing stock in Stockton, South has been sold since 1979. [1093]

Ms Keeble: In the period 1 April 1979 to 31 December 2000, Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority (and the predecessor borough council) reported 6,875 sales of council housing stock. This represents some 32 per cent. of the council's reported stock in April 1979.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

National Lottery

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the amount of National Lottery money (a) raised for good causes, (b) allocated to good causes and (c) received by good causes in each of the last four years. [70]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The net proceeds of the National Lottery are paid into the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF). After meeting the costs of the National Lottery Commission (the Lottery regulator), the costs incurred in exercising my duties under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (as amended), and the costs incurred by the National Debt Commissioners in investing the balance of the NLDF, all of the money in the NLDF is immediately allocated to good causes. The amount raised for good causes is therefore equal to the amount allocated to good causes. These figures are shown in rows (a) and (b) of the table. The money raised for good causes is distributed by the 15 bodies listed in section 23 of the Act. These bodies draw down money as needed and the amounts drawn down are shown in row (c).

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£ million

	2000-01	1999-2000	1998-99	1997-98
(a) Amount raised for good causes	1,789	1,752	1,939	1,974
(b) Amount allocated to good causes	1,789	1,752	1939	1,974
(c) Amount received by good causes	1,855	1,908	1,831	1,087

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Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to review the process of awarding the contract to operate the National Lottery. [89]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: I remain committed to reviewing the process by which the National Lottery operating licence is awarded to see if there is scope for improving the present system. I will be making a further announcement about the review in due course.

Wembley Stadium

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she will take in the event of the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium not proceeding to recover public funds invested in the project. [106]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Under the terms of the lottery funding agreement, Sport England are able to initiate action to recover the lottery grant

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committed to the Wembley project, should Wembley National Stadium Ltd. be unable to develop a new stadium at Wembley.

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