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National Homelessness Strategy
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) (a) on what date he issued the consultation documents on the national homelessness strategy and (b) on what date those organisations that he has specifically invited to comment on the consultation were first alerted to the fact that the consultation was to take place; [7825]
- (2) if he will list the organisations that he has specifically invited to comment on the consultation document, national homelessness strategy. [7824]
Ms Keeble: My Department placed a consultation document inviting views on a national homelessness strategy on its internet site on 21 September 2001. The Department has established a Stakeholder Group to assist
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in the development of the national homelessness strategy. The organisations represented on the Group are as follows:
- The Association for London Government
The British Property Federation
The Chartered Institute of Housing
The Council of Mortgage Lenders
The Greater London Authority
Havant borough council
The Housing Corporation
The Housing Inspectorate
The Local Government Association
Manchester city council
The National Homeless Alliance
The National Housing Federation
Portsmouth city council
Shelter
The Small Landlords Association.
New Roads and Street Works Act
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many local authorities have fined utility companies using powers under section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. [7508]
Ms Keeble: 110 local authorities have now informed the Government that they are or will be making use of the powers to levy a daily charge on utilities where the latter's works overrun an agreed deadline. While we do not yet have comprehensive details as to exactly how many authorities have already imposed charges, the Department's consultants, Halcrow, will be gathering such information for the Government as part of the study they are conducting into the effect of the section 74 powers.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the operation of the powers given through section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991; and if he will make a statement. [7509]
Ms Keeble: Halcrow have been appointed by the Government to carry out an assessment of the effect of the section 74 powers. They will be providing me with an interim report by the end of this year. A further report, covering the first 12 months of operation of the new powers will follow in spring 2002.
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Road Works (Local Authority Charges)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment has been made of the experiment of allowing local authorities to charge utility companies a daily amount for digging up the road; and if he will make a statement. [7510]
Ms Keeble: On 14 August, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport launched a consultation on the details of two pilot schemes to be launched in the London borough of Camden and in Middlesbrough. As part of the pilots, the two councils will be able to levy a daily charge (or "lane rental" as it is often called) on utilities carrying out works on the highway. The pilots are expected to begin in January 2002, and we will be monitoring closely the effect they have on the disruption caused to road users by utilities' works in the two areas.
"Lane Rental" Schemes
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to pilot projects in local authorities to test the effectiveness of allowing them to levy a lane rental charge on companies undertaking street works. [8517]
Ms Keeble: My Department has recently concluded a period of consultation on draft regulations to permit pilot "lane rental" schemes in Middlesbrough and the London borough of Camden under section 74A of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. We intend laying revised regulations before the House later this autumn and envisage that the pilots will begin operation early in 2002.
Road Noise
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made on surfacing concrete roads with quieter material. [8127]
Mr. Jamieson: Having consulted with English local highway authorities and other interested bodies, we have established criteria for prioritising the surfacing of concrete trunk roads with quieter materials. These criteria are:
- 1. that wherever possible the application of quieter surfaces will fit in with normal maintenance needs;
- 2. that priority will be given to those sites where treatment would benefit the greatest number of people.
- 3. that the works will be carried out in such a way as to minimise disruption to general public and users of network;
- 4. that priority will be given to roads, opened since June 1988, where actual noise levels have turned out to be significantly higher than predicted at the time of the Public Inquiry.
I am pleased to be able to announce a list of schemes that satisfy the first criterion and are planned for the following three years (2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05). They are listed together with those that are planned for 2001–02.
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The Highways Agency is currently identifying additional schemes that satisfy the second and third criteria and could be added to this list. The agency has also identified 17 roads with concrete surfaces that have been opened since June 1988 and has instigated a programme of noise surveys to identify those that satify the fourth criterion. These roads are:
- M18 Junctions 5–6
M20 Junctions 9–8
M23 Junctions 10–9 Northbound Lane 1
A1-M1 Link
A11 Besthorpe-Wymondham Bypass
A13 A1306 to M25 Junction 30
A27 Chichester-Havant
- A30 Exeter-Honiton
A34 Peartree-Weston
A35 Tolpuddle/Puddletown
A50 Doveridge Bypass
A50 Derby Southern Bypass
A50 Foston-Hatton-Hilton Bypass
A52 Bottesford Bypass
A249 (M2 to Iwade)
A417/419 Cirencester and Latton Bypass
A483 (B5445 to Welsh Boundary).
Transport Grant (GLA)
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much transport grant he has allocated for the Greater London Authority for 2001–02. [8128]
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Mr. Jamieson: GLA transport grant is determined annually after consultation with the Mayor of London under section 101 of the GLA Act 1999. The Secretary of State has today redetermined the level of grant for 2001–02 at £714,388,000. This reflects additional monies paid to the Mayor in respect of his share of the costs relating to preparation for an east-west rail link across London, and other minor adjustments.
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