| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Homelessness
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer, 15 November 2001, Official Report, column 832W, on homelessness, if he will list by (a) bed and breakfast accommodation and (b) temporary local authority accommodation where in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2000 members of households identified as vulnerable due to old age resided. [17575]
Ms Keeble: The information requested is not held centrally.
Automatic Train Protection
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the automatic train protection equipment built in to Pendolino trains will be fully operable following the cancellation of phase II of the west coast mainline upgrade. [17373]
Mr. Spellar: Discussions on the options for taking forward the west coast main line upgrade are still under way between the Government and stakeholders. At this stage we cannot predict the outcome of those discussions. The protection system for the Pendolino trains will be subject to an acceptance procedure under the aegis of Railway Safety, which will ensure that it meets the requirements of HSE.
The HSE is considering with the Government and industry the implementation of the recommendation of the Joint Inquiry into Train Protection Systems that the European Train Control System (ETCS) should be installed on principal routes of the network.
Departmental Intervention
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made with regard to possible interventions by (a) his Department, (b) Department of Health and (c) the Department of Education and Skills into the running of
27 Nov 2001 : Column: 750W
services by (i) Walsall MBC, (ii) Hillingdon LBC, (iii) Derby City Council, (iv) Malvern Hills DC and (v) Waltham Forest LBC. [17733]
Mr. Byers: My policy is to take intervention action based on clear evidence of a local authority's failure to comply with the best value requirements in Part I of the Local Government Act 1999. Such evidence would usually be identified in a best value inspection conducted by the Audit Commission and I would expect the Commission to make recommendations to me about the use of intervention powers. I have received no recommendations from the Audit Commission regarding any of these authorities.
Underground Environment
Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the formulas (a) stated for the calculation of the state of the Underground environment as follows: what each of the letters stand for; where it is a value, how that value is calculated; and what methods were used in the formulas' production. [17123]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 22 November 2001]: (a) The formula the hon. Member refers to is a weighted average of scores for different aspects of the passenger environment. The PPP contracts refer to this environment, which is an important part of the infrastructure companies' performance, as Ambience.
The letters in the formula represent:
- A—is the total ambience score, which is calculated each quarter and used to adjust the payments London Underground makes to the infrastructure companies. Total Ambience covers both trains and stations on all lines for which an infrastructure company is responsible.
27 Nov 2001 : Column: 751W
QASASjs—is the quarterly average survey score for a particular aspect of Ambience, such as the level of litter or graffiti, at a particular station.
QATASjL—is the quarterly survey score for similar aspects of Ambience on trains on a particular line.
QATASkL—is the quarterly score for specific aspects of Ambience on trains that are measured according to engineering techniques rather than surveys, for example smoothness of ride and on-train noise.
Wsjs,WtjL,WtkL—are the weights applied by London Underground to these various scores in order to calculate the weighted average.
(b) The formula referred to is a weighted average of the Ambience scores for trains only. Under the PPP contracts, the infrastructure companies are measured according to the level of Ambience on trains and stations separately, as well as according to the total level of Ambience on the lines for which they are responsible.
The letters in the formula represent:
- TMS—is the train Ambience score, which is calculated each quarter.
QATASj—is the quarterly average survey score for a particular aspect of Ambience, such as the level of litter or graffiti, on trains.
QATASk—is the quarterly score for specific aspects of Ambience on trains that are measured according to engineering techniques rather than surveys, for example smoothness of ride and on-train noise.
Wtj,WTk—are the weights applied by London Underground to these various scores in order to calculate the weighted average.
Housing (London Boroughs)
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) private rented units, (b) social rented units and (c) owner-occupied units there were in each London borough in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995 and (iii) 2000. [17687]
Ms Keeble: A breakdown of owner-occupied units on a borough by borough basis is not currently available for the years in question. However, the Survey of English
27 Nov 2001 : Column: 752W
Housing (SEH) gives a breakdown of social rented, private rented and owner-occupied units at a regional level as follows:
- As at 31 March 2000, London had:
- 1,806,000—owner-occupied dwellings
- 472,000—private rented dwellings
- 779,000—social rented dwellings
- 3,057,000—total dwellings
Source:
- Housing Statistics 2000 publication
Local Bodies
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those local bodies which were set up under legislation which is the responsibility of his Department and its predecessors since May 1997. [17611]
Dr. Whitehead: The Greater London Authority Act 1999 created the Greater London Authority and its five functional bodies: the London Development Agency, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, the Metropolitan Police Authority, Transport for London and the London Transport Users' Committee. As far as I am aware, there are no other bodies at local level, created under primary legislation which has been introduced since 1997 and is the responsibility of my Department.
Public Bodies
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will list those public bodies which are the responsibility of his Department and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000; [17610]
- (2) if he will list those public bodies to which his Department appoints members and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000. [17609]
Dr. Whitehead: 'Public Bodies 2000' sets out information on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), certain public corporations (including nationalised industries) and NHS bodies. There are four types of NDPB: executive NDPBs; advisory NDPBs; tribunal NDPBs; and boards of visitors to penal establishments. The next edition will be published around the end of the year. Information about task forces, annual reviews and ad hoc advisory groups is set out in an annual report, published by Cabinet Office. Copies of Public Bodies 2000 are in the Library of the House and this publication may be accessed via Cabinet Office's website: http://www.official-documents.co.uk/ document/caboff/pb00/pb00.htm.
Copies of the annual report on task forces and similar bodies have also been placed in the Library of the House and the annual report is being made available on Cabinet Office's website.
Since publication of Public Bodies 2000 the Department has created two further executive NDPBs, the Standards Board for England and the Strategic Rail Authority.
27 Nov 2001 : Column: 753W
In addition Ministers make appointments to the following bodies for which the Department is also responsible:
- Arson Control Forum
Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council
Fire Service Examinations Board
Fire Service Research and Training Trust
Inner Cities Religious Council
Mersey Conservancy (Acting Conservator for the River Mersey)
National Cycling Strategy Board for England.
The Secretary of State make appointments to the following Trust Ports:
- Poole (Chair only)
Dover
Harwich
London
Milford Haven
Shoreham
Tyne.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |