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ERDF

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the EU Regional Development Fund goes towards the city of Coventry; and what is the annual amount. [1182]

Alan Johnson: Up to £68 million (based on current exchange rates) has been awarded to projects in the Coventry and Warwickshire area from the Structural Fund Programmes operating during the period 1997–99. These programmes are now closed.

This resource has had a direct impact on Coventry in two ways: first, offers of grant have been made to support projects operating in Coventry itself; and secondly, grant has been awarded to reclaim sites and support projects in areas adjacent to the Coventry border thus generating a major beneficial economic effect on the citizens of Coventry.

The 2000–06 Objective 2 and 3 programmes are still in their infancy but to date £12 million grant has been awarded to Coventry from the Objective 3 ESF programme. The West Midlands Objective 3 Regional budget for 2000 and 2001 is £80 million, at current exchange rates, and commitments so far total £45 million across the region. So far no offers have yet been made anywhere in the region under the Objective 2 programme, launched by Ministers in April this year. However, a number of proposals are under consideration from the Coventry Partnership, and it is expected that Coventry will be major beneficiaries of this programme.

Foot and Mouth (Devon)

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of foot and mouth disease on the foreign language school industry in Devon; and if she will make a statement. [4]

Mr. Michael: I have been asked to reply.

Various assessments have been made by organisations in the south-west of the impact of the foot and mouth outbreak on businesses, including in Devon, although it might not be possible from these to identify specifically the impact on the foreign language school industry.

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Government recognise that foot and mouth has had an impact on a wide range of businesses and have put in place a package of measures to help recovery. Advice on the assistance is available through Business Link on telephone number 0845 600 9006. The Government have also allocated to the British Tourist Authority (BTA) an extra £14.2 million to help promote Britain abroad as an attractive tourist destination. The BTA's recovery plan includes targeted activity to encourage overseas students to continue to learn English here.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

City Status

Mr. Burns: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will make a statement on what the criteria are for determining the award of city status to towns; [1338]

(2) if he will make the criteria for determining the award of city status more transparent; and if he will make a statement. [1339]

Mr. Wills: City status is not a right that can be claimed by the meeting of specific criteria, but an honour granted by the Queen, on ministerial advice, under the Royal Prerogative. A competition for grants of city status to mark Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee will be launched shortly. It is expected that guidance will be provided to local authorities, at that stage, as to the main factors which will be taken into account by Ministers before my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor submits his recommendations to the Queen.

The Lord Chancellor himself will take responsibility for this matter. Although I, together with my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton), will be responsible for answering questions in this House on city status, we shall not be involved in the consideration process because of our constituencies potential interests in the outcome.

Open Government

Helen Jackson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how he will monitor the Government's commitment to openness in Government Departments. [615]

Mr. Wills: The Government report to Parliament annually on the operation of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which is the current regime governing access to information held by Government Departments and many non-departmental public bodies.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor expects to publish the Monitoring Report on the Code of Practice for the year 2000 shortly. This report includes information about the number of Code requests received, the speed with which they are dealt and the number of refusals made.

The Government have demonstrated their strong commitment to openness in the public sector through the passing of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The

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Lord Chancellor is required under the provisions of the Act to report to Parliament on the progress made towards implementation of the Act, before 30 November 2001.

The Freedom of Information Act applies to a very wide range of bodies, over 50,000 across the public sector, going well beyond the scope of the Code of Practice. The Government are discussing with the Information Commissioner what is the best way of ensuring that the rigorous monitoring of the Code of Practice is retained when the provisions of the Act replace the Code and extending the monitoring to all of the bodies covered by the Act.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Ministerial Meetings

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department next intend to meet the French Environment Minister. [819]

Mr. Meacher: I understand that the current French Environment Minister, Dominique Voynet, plans to stand down shortly. I intend to meet her successor at the next available opportunity. This may be at the COP 6 bis meeting in Bonn, between 16–27 July. I will also have similar opportunities to meet the French Environment Minister, particularly at the Environment Council in October, if not before.

Trade Effluent

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what enforcement actions were taken by the Environment Agency against those sites with significant consents to discharge trade effluent to watercourses in England and Wales which breached those consent levels in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000; [945]

(2) what the level of compliance was with significant consents to discharge trade effluent to watercourses held by industry in England and Wales in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000; [944]

(3) what percentage of significant consents to discharge trade effluent to watercourses held by industry in England and Wales were monitored by the Environment Agency in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000; [942]

(4) what percentage of the significant consents to discharge trade effluent to watercourses in England and Wales were reviewed by the Environment Agency in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000; [946]

(5) what percentage of significant consents to discharge trade effluent to watercourses held by industry in England and Wales included permission to discharge red list substances in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000; [943]

(6) how many significant consents to discharge trade effluent to watercourses were held by industry in England and Wales in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000. [941]

Mr. Meacher: The information that my hon. Friend has requested is not held centrally. I will therefore let him have this information as soon as it is available.

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Abandoned Cars

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government intend to introduce legislation on abandoned cars. [814]

Mr. Meacher: Legislation to tackle abandoned cars is already contained in the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986.

We will be consulting later this summer on possible changes to the 1986 regulations, following a review carried out into the current legislation covering abandoned vehicles.

Nuclear Waste

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to publish a paper on nuclear waste; and if she will make a statement. [809]

Mr. Meacher: The Department and the devolved Administrations aim to publish the consultation paper very soon.

Municipal Incinerators

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to introduce tougher controls on emissions from existing municipal incinerators; and if she will make a statement. [816]

Mr. Meacher: The recently adopted Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC sets minimum standards for a variety of plants that burn waste, including municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs). The UK Government are committed to transposing the EU Waste Incineration Directive, and the provisions therein, into UK law by 28 December 2002. This will apply to all new incinerators by this date, and to existing plant by 28 December 2005. This directive tightens dioxin limits to 0.1ng/m ³ . These standards will be a minimum requirement for MSWIs. The Environment Agency intends to review the performance of existing plant before the Directive applies.

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to introduce a moratorium on new municipal incinerators; and if she will make a statement. [815]

Mr. Meacher: The Government have no plans to introduce a moratorium on new municipal incinerators. The choice of waste facilities in an area is for local authorities to make in consultation with their local communities, taking into account the waste hierarchy, which places recycling and composting above incineration with energy recovery, and the need to achieve the best practicable environmental option.

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