---

Unitary Development Plan

Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in respect of the unitary development plan process (a) what review he has undertaken of the process since 1989, (b) what potential improvements he has identified and (c) how these will be incorporated in guidance to local authorities. [12527]

Ms Keeble: I shall be issuing a Green Paper shortly setting out proposals for comprehensive reform of the planning system.

Local Government Finance

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which local authorities have applied to be considered for trial schemes for (a) congestion taxes and (b) work parking taxes. [12576]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 5 November 2001]: Two schemes have been published for public consultation, one in central London and one in the City of Durham.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what additional central Government funding each local authority will receive for taking part in trial schemes for (a) congestion taxes and (b) work parking taxes. [12577]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 5 November 2001]: The local transport capital settlement for 2001–02 announced in December 2000 did make specific funding available to local authorities in England for capital costs directly related to the implementation of a road user charging or workplace parking levy scheme as follows:

Authority	£000
Nottingham City Council (workplace parking levy)	1,500
Derbyshire County Council (road user charging)	400
Durham County Council (road user charging)	240

Railway Stations (Disabled Access)

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what responsibility (a) Railtrack and (b) Virgin Rail have for the provision of disabled access at Lockerbie railway station. [12923]

Mr. Jamieson: Lockerbie station is owned by Railtrack and leased to ScotRrail who are the "Stations Facilities Owner" with responsibility for managing the station on a day to day basis. ScotRail would be responsible for overseeing the provision of enhanced facilities at the station.

West Coast Main Line

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects the completion of Phase II of the upgrade of the

6 Nov 2001 : Column: 140W

west coast main line; and when he expects trains will be able to operate at more than 140 mph on the line south of Crewe. [12922]

Mr. Jamieson: It is clear from our discussion with the Strategic Rail Authority, the Railway Administrator and Virgin that parts of the project are subject to uncertainties over cost increases and timetables. We are in discussion with the parties on the issues involved and the options. At this stage we cannot predict the outcome of those discussions, but we are working hard to reach agreement on a project which is value for money and can be delivered to a clear timetable, subject to the need to obtain any planning consents.

Correspondence

Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will reply to the letters of 10 July and 21 August from the hon. Member for Doncaster, North regarding Manchester Airport and Finningley Airport. [13137]

Ms Keeble: I replied to my hon. Friend's letters on 1 August 2001 and 6 November 2001 respectively.

Education Funding (Worcestershire)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will meet (a) hon. Members for Worcestershire, (b) representatives of the Worcestershire Education Authority and (c) head teachers and governors from the county, to discuss education funding in Worcestershire; and if he will make a statement. [12675]

Dr. Whitehead: I and my ministerial colleagues are certainly prepared to meet hon. Members to discuss the distribution of formula grant to local authorities, which the Government are currently reviewing.

Council Tax

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will revise the regulations governing the council tax benefits limitation scheme. [12609]

Dr. Whitehead: We review the regulations governing the council tax benefit subsidy limitation in advance of each year's local government finance settlement.

Parking Restrictions

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he gives local authorities on the use of parking restrictions relating to (a) HGVs and (b) lighter commercial vans in residential areas. [12685]

Ms Keeble: Traffic management and parking restrictions are best addressed by local traffic authorities, who are able to take account of particular local circumstances. We have not issued guidance to authorities on the exercise of their road traffic regulation powers in respect of parking of heavy goods vehicles and lighter commercial vans in residential areas.

Two publications that do include advice on parking provision for lorries are "Transport in the Urban Environment" published in 1997 by the Institution of

6 Nov 2001 : Column: 141W

Highways and Transportation with support from the Department of Transport and "Lorries in the Community" a report based on a study sponsored by the Civic Trust, the County Surveyors Society and the Department of Transport and published in 1990.

Concessionary Fares

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if his Department's discussions with coach operators over concessionary pensioners' fares are intended to cover inter-authority journeys. [13036]

Ms Keeble: We have agreed in principle to a proposal from the Commission for Integrated Transport under which coach operators would offer half-price fares to older and disabled passengers on long distance scheduled coaches in England. In return for these fare concessions, operators would—for the first time—receive Fuel Duty Rebate. We shall be consulting the industry and others shortly on the details. Under the proposal concessionary fares on the services eligible, which of course cross local authority boundaries, would not be part of the local authority concessionary fares schemes.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will extend eligibility for concessionary pensioners fares to inter-authority journeys. [13034]

Ms Keeble: I refer the hon. Member to my replies of 10 July 2001, Official Report, column 439W and 30 October 2001, Official Report, column 578W.

Passenger Information

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those means of public transport for which he does not collect passenger information. [13037]

Mr. Jamieson: My Department collects and publishes data from operators on the total number of passengers carried by all means of public transport, including buses, coaches, rail, light rail and ferries.

In addition, my Department collects data on the personal characteristics of passengers (including age) using the National Travel Survey. The number of people in the sample who record trips by less common means, including ferry, is too small to produce reliable estimates, and these trips are recorded in published NTS figures aggregated in the 'other public transport' category.

Public Transport Subsidies

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what (a) fuel tax rebates and (b) other subsidies are available to operators of buses, trains, taxis, passenger hovercraft, passenger ferries, coaches and other means of public transport on UK internal routes. [13039]

Mr. Jamieson: Operators of local bus services in England receive fuel duty rebate from my Department. For the fuel predominantly used in bus operation, ultra low sulphur diesel, this is equivalent to 80 per cent. of the duty paid. Following consultation in the spring, we will be introducing regulations later this financial year to

6 Nov 2001 : Column: 142W

extend this rebate to a wide range of community transport services. We have also announced approval in principle of a recommendation from the Commission for Integrated Transport under which operators of long-distance scheduled coach services would receive the rebate in return for offering half-price fares to older and disabled passengers. Operators of Licensed Hackney Carriages, who hold a Bus Operators Licence, can also receive Fuel Duty Rebate when operating Taxi-Bus services along registered routes.

Local authorities outside London have powers under the Transport Act 1985 to subsidise bus services where transport needs are not being met by an existing commercial service. My Department also provides grants to local authorities to support bus services by means of the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, Rural Bus Challenge and Urban Bus Challenge grant schemes.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provides grants, administered by the Countryside Agency, for a range of community-based transport initiatives in rural areas.

Bus, coach and taxi operators can apply for grants towards the cost of converting to cleaner fuels or fitting emission reduction technologies through my Department's PowerShift and CleanUp programmes.

Train operating companies (TOCs) receive support for passenger rail services (SPRS) from the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) to enable them to provide services which produce social, environmental and economic benefits that cannot be paid for through fares and charges. Similarly Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) pay grants to those TOCs which provide rail services in their areas. Freight Operating Companies (FOCs) receive freight grants from the SRA to encourage the movement of freight by rail in order to maximise environmental benefits by removing lorries from roads.

Since 1 April 2001, Railtrack has received network grants from the SRA. Various organisations also receive funding from the SRA under the Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) scheme.

My Department supports the work of Transport for London through the Greater London Authority Transport Grant which is paid under the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Transport for London's responsibilities include support for buses, light rail and the Woolwich ferry.

Grant is provided to London Regional Transport using powers under the London Regional Transport Act 1984 to support London Underground.

Under the Local Transport Plan system, my Department only provides capital support for light rail projects.

Apart from its indirect support for the Woolwich ferry, my Department does not provide subsidies for operators of passenger hovercraft and passenger ferries. These are matters for local authorities.

---