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Affordable Housing
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what (a) number and (b) proportion of affordable housing units (i) have been built since March 2001 and (ii) will be built by March 2002. [18788]
Ms Keeble: The number of dwellings built by registered social landlords and local authorities in England in the six months from April 2001 to September 2001 is 7,300. This figure is 11 per cent. of all dwellings built in the period. Figures on the number of dwellings built by tenure are published monthly in the Housebuilding Statistical Release. The next release, giving figures for October 2001, will be published on 6 December. Information on how many dwellings will be built by March 2002 is not available.
Small Business (Rate Relief)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps she has taken to introduce legislation to provide rate relief for small businesses on former agricultural sites. [18784]
Dr. Whitehead: Provisions for a five year 50 per cent. mandatory rate relief scheme for new small businesses on what had previously been agricultural premises are contained in the Rating (Former Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Act 2001. The Act covers England and
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Wales. The Act was commenced in England on 15 August. It has not yet been commenced in Wales, which is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Green Belt Planning Applications
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for each of the last 10 years the number of planning applications approved in the green belt for (a) residential and (b) commercial properties for each region of England. [16631]
Ms Keeble: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department, and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
Council Tax Benefit
Mr. Daisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will abolish the council tax benefit subsidy limitation scheme before the 2002–03 settlement. [18922]
Dr. Whitehead: An announcement on whether the council tax benefit subsidy limitation scheme will be operated in 2002–03 will be made as part of the statement on the provisional local government finance settlement, which will be made on Tuesday 4 December, subject to the progress of Parliamentary business.
Car Safety
Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to improve the safety of cars with regard to pedestrians. [16491]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wigan (Mr. Turner) on 23 November 2001, Official Report, column 505W.
Planning Applications
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many planning applications were awaiting a decision by him on (a) the most recent date, (b) 31 December 2000, (c) 31 December 1999, (d) 31 December 1998 and (e) 31 December 1997. [19201]
Ms Keeble: Information available is in the following form.
| Date | Numbers of called-in planning applications not decided(5) |
|---|---|
| 31 March 1998 | 57 |
| 31 March 1999 | 19 |
| 31 March 2000 | 60 |
| 31 March 2001 | 28 |
(5) These figures are the difference between the number of applications called-in in the year ending 31 March and the number cases decided in that year.
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Regional Assemblies
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his timetable is for elected regional assemblies in England. [19311]
Dr. Whitehead: As the Deputy Prime Minister stated in the summer, the Government intend to publish a White Paper on regional governance. This will set out our plans for taking forward the manifesto commitment on elected regional government in England and indicate a timetable for setting up the first elected assemblies.
A27
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish his (a) proposals and (b) timetable for road safety improvements for pedestrians at the Boundstone College crossing on the A27 at Sompting in West Sussex. [19301]
Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Tim Waltham to Tim Loughton, dated 29 November 2001:
- The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the proposal and timetable for road safety improvements at the Boundstone College crossing on the A27 at Sompting.
- A Public Consultation on four options for a grade separated pedestrian facility took place at Boundstone Community College in June 1999. The results were published in July 2000, indicating that the preferred option was a footbridge for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists.
- The bridge is being designed in detail and we expect to publish details of the proposals next Summer. Progress thereafter will depend on the reaction to those proposals. Subject to that, construction could commence in 2003/04.
- If you would like further details the Project Manager, Ing Fischer, at our Dorking office would be pleased to help you. His telephone number is 01306 878362.
Registered Vehicle Keepers (Buckinghamshire)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many registered vehicle keepers there are in the Buckingham constituency. [16912]
Mr. Jamieson [pursuant to his reply, 23 November 2001, c. 499W]: The number of currently licensed vehicles registered to keepers in the Buckingham constituency at December 2000 was 53,316.
Traffic Congestion
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his projections are for (a) traffic congestion, (b) the number of vehicles on the roads in the UK and (c) the number of car passenger and bus passenger miles travelled by (i) 2005, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2020. [19302]
Mr. Jamieson: (a) "Transport 2010—The 10 Year Plan" forecasts that, as a result of the Plan, congestion in England will be some 6 per cent. lower in 2010 than in 2000. No forecasts have yet been made for 2005 or 2020.
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(b) The Table shows the latest forecasts of the number of cars and light vans available to households for private use in Great Britain:
| Year | Cars in GB |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 25,127,000 |
| 2005 | 27,249,000 |
| 2010 | 29,480,000 |
| 2020 | 33,365,000 |
Source:
TEMPRO (Tripend Model Program) Version 4.1
DTLR does not make forecasts of the total number of heavy goods vehicles or buses.
(c) DTLR has not made forecasts of car or bus passenger miles.
English Partnerships
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will review the role of English Partnerships in relation to the former new towns; [18792]
- (2) if he will return the assets in new towns held by English Partnerships to local authorities; [18794]
(3) if he will ensure that regeneration of former new towns is assisted by reinvestment of assets realised by English Partnerships locally and without clawback. [18793]
Ms Keeble: A review of all English Partnerships' activities is now under way. It is, of course, considering a wide range of issues, including EP's role in the former new towns and the future ownership of land there.
I expect the first part of the review to be completed by about Christmas, with a second part, looking in more detail at the implementation of the recommendations, ready by Easter 2002.
River Thames
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made on the recommendations made by Lord Justice Clarke to increase safety on the River Thames. [19912]
Mr. Jamieson: I have today placed in the Libraries of the House an updated summary of the action taken on each of Lord Justice Clarke's 74 recommendations.
Park Homes Working Party
Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress he has made on his consideration of the report of the Park Homes Working Party. [20017]
Ms Keeble: I am pleased to announce today the publication of the Government's response to the report of the Park Homes Working Party, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The response
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gives a detailed response to each of the Working Party's recommendations and indicates how we intend to take them forward. It also includes a summary of the responses received to our consultation on the Working Party's report last year. The response indicates our commitment to taking forward the agenda for reform in this area, with the aim of ensuring a fair balance of interests between the rights and responsibilities of residents and site owners of park homes.
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