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Strategic Rail Authority

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many staff were employed by the Strategic Rail Authority at the latest date for which figures are available. [2868]

Mr. Byers: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Transport on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 13W.

DVLA

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what appeal process is available to those who disagree with decisions by the DVLA to refuse driving licences. [2419]

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 328W

Mr. Jamieson: A statutory right of appeal to a magistrates court in England and Wales and to a sheriff court in Scotland is available to those who disagree with DVLA's decision to revoke, restrict or to refuse to grant a driving licence.

Driving Licences (Drugs)

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on which date it was decided that persistent misuse of drugs was a relevant disability in respect of revocation of driving licences under section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1998. [2417]

Mr. Jamieson: Parliament decided that persistent misuse of drugs should be included in section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as a relevant disability when the draft legislation was approved by the House of Lords on 12 July 1996 and the House of Commons on 17 July 1996. The change took effect from 1 January 1997.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what research the DVLA based its decision to revoke driving licences on the grounds of persistent drug misuse in respect of (a) alcohol, (b) heroin, (c) medicinal drugs, (d) cannabis and (e) ecstasy. [2597]

Mr. Jamieson: In relation to alcohol and drug misuse, the medical standards for fitness to drive are based on the minimum health standards laid down in the Second EC Directive on driving licences and the expert advice of the Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Misuse and Driving. The Panel keeps abreast of medical and pharmacological research at a domestic and international level.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many driving licence applications were (a) refused and (b) withdrawn, on the grounds of misuse of drugs in each of the past 10 years broken down by each drug involved. [2418]

Mr. Jamieson: Statistics specifically relating to these circumstances are available only for the last three financial years. Separate figures for refusals and revocations are not available, but total figures are as follows:

	Number
1998–99	285
1999–2000	354
2000–01	464

No separate figures for each drug type are available.

Home Zone Challenge Fund

Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what arrangements have been made for local authorities to apply for funding from the home zone challenge fund. [3072]

Ms Keeble: My right hon. Friend has announced details of the arrangements for the Home Zone Challenge fund. All local traffic authorities in England are invited to apply for funding. Bids should be submitted by 3 October 2001. A copy of the guidance for the Home Zone

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 329W

Challenge has been sent to all eligible local authorities. A copy of the guidance has also been placed in the House Library.

Local Authority Spending Formula

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the spending formula for local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [2589]

Dr. Whitehead: As part of our review of the grant distribution formulae for England, the Department published 'Modernising Local Government Finance: A Green Paper' in September 2000. The Green Paper includes an assessment of the existing formulae against our aims for a good local government finance system. In particular, the Green Paper argues that the formulae:

Have become increasingly difficult to explain and understand;

Rely too much on statistical analysis of spending, and do not recognise the extent to which past spending patterns are limited as indicators of patterns of future need;

Have not always given authorities much certainty from year to year about the level of grant they might expect, hampering forward planning; and

Do not allow for any fine-tuning to take account of the particular circumstances of individual authorities.

The Green Paper consulted on a number of options which could address these concerns. We will publish our conclusions on the way forward in a White Paper later this year.

Local government finance in Scotland and Wales is a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.

Urban Capacity Studies

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will conduct a review of urban capacity studies completed by local authorities to ensure that they comply with the guidelines set out by his Department; and if he will place a freeze on MDA approvals pending the outcome of this review. [2586]

Ms Keeble: Local planning authorities are responsible for undertaking the urban housing capacity studies required by our planning guidance for housing (PPG3). We expect these studies to lead to updated development plans that give priority to reusing brownfields before developing greenfields. All proposals for housing development should be tested against the policies set out in PPG3 and local authorities are directed to consult the Secretary of State before giving planning permission for major housing developments on greenfield land allocated in their plans.

Local Authority Debt

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average level of debt of local authorities in England and Wales is. [2949]

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 330W

Dr. Whitehead: The average total debt (long and short term) for English local authorities, at 31 March 2000, was about £94 million. This figure covers London boroughs, Metropolitan districts, Unitary authorities, Shire counties and Shire districts.

Total debt for each of these authorities, at 31 March 2000, is available at: http://www.local.dtlr.gov.uk/finance/ stats

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if she will list the local authorities in England and Wales which are debt-free. [2948]

Dr. Whitehead: The 103 English local authorities listed have reported that they had debt-free status as at 1 April 2001.

Barking and Dagenham


Basingstoke and Deane


Bath and North East Somerset


Bedford


Bracknell Forest Unitary Authority


Breckland


Broadland


Bromley


Bromsgrove


Broxbourne


Chichester


Chiltern


Christchurch


City of London


Congleton


Corby


Cotswold


Crawley

Dacorum


Dartford


Daventry


Dorset


East Cambridgeshire


East Devon


East Dorset


East Hampshire


Eden


Elmbridge


Epsom and Ewell


Forest Heath


Fylde


Hambleton


Harlow


Hart


Havant


Hertsmere


Horsham


Huntingdonshire


Kennet


Lichfield


Malvern Hills


Mid Bedfordshire


Mid Sussex


Mole Valley


North Devon

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 331W

North Dorset

North Wiltshire


Penwith


Reigate and Banstead


Runnymede


Rushmoor


Ryedale


Salisbury


Sevenoaks


South Bucks


South Cambridgeshire


South Hams


South Northamptonshire


South Oxfordshire


South Ribble


South Shropshire


South Somerset


South Staffordshire


Spelthorne


St. Edmundsbury


Staffordshire Moorlands


Stevenage


Stratford-on-Avon


Suffolk Coastal


Surrey Heath


Swale


Tandridge


Tewkesbury


Three Rivers

Tonbridge and Malling


Tunbridge Wells


Tynedale


Uttlesford


Vale of White Horse


Watford


Waverley


Welwyn Hatfield


West Berkshire UA


Windsor and Maidenhead Unitary Authority

9 Jul 2001 : Column: 332W

Worthing


Wychavon


Wyre


Wyre Forest


Cambridgeshire Police Authority


Dorset Police Authority


Kent Police Authority


Suffolk Police Authority


Sussex Police Authority


Wiltshire Police Authority


Dartmoor National Park Authority


Exmoor National Park Authority


Lake District National Park


North York Moors National Park Authority


Northumberland National Park Authority


Peak National Park


The Broads Authority


Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

North London Waste Authority


Note:

Definition: An authority is 'debt-free' if:

(a) at 31 March 2001, the authority's credit ceiling was nil or a negative amount; and

(b) at 1 April 2001, the authority had no money outstanding by way of external borrowing other than short-term borrowing or hard to redeem debt, as defined in Regulation 154 of the Local Authorities (Capital Finance) Regulations 1997.

Source:

Capital Estimates Return

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