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Road Schemes
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the road schemes costing more than £5 million initiated in England and Wales since 1997 which are complete. [19755]
Mr. Jamieson: The following information covers England only. The provision of road schemes within Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
The following road schemes in England costing more than £5 million have been completed as a result of decisions made since 1997 to begin construction on them:
- Trunk Roads
- A1 Tempsford Junction Improvements
- A50 Derby Southern Bypass (Contract B)
- M60 Denton-Middleton Contract 3
- Local Roads
- A6002/A6007 Coventry Lane Imp.
- Seaham Town Centre Link
- Bridgwater Northern Distributor Road.
Further trunk and local roads are currently under construction and will be opening over the course of the next two years and many more will follow as schemes accepted as part of local transport settlements or which have been added to the Government's targeted programme of improvements complete their statutory procedures.
A41
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the Highways Agency's plans to cut back vegetation obscuring vision at the A41 roundabout at High Street and Stocklake, Aylesbury; [19706]
- (2) when he expects the Highways Agency to replace missing signposts at the (a) A41 Henley roundabout at the left turn into Haydon Road and Weedon Road, Aylesbury, and (b) A41 High Street, Aylesbury, by Vale Park. [19705]
Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member about these operational issues affecting the A41 trunk road.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. David Lidington, dated 3 December 2001:
- The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A41 in Aylesbury.
- The signs situated at the left turn into Haydon Road and Weedon Road at the Henley Roundabout, Aylesbury and the High Street, Aylesbury, by Vale Park were subject to vandalism and in one case
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- accidental collision. I am pleased to inform you that replacement signs are currently being manufactured and will be erected by mid December.
- Work to cut back vegetation on roundabouts is undertaken as a matter of routine during the winter pruning maintenance period between now and March. Where there is a particular safety concern immediate action is taken. The roundabout on the A41 at High Street and Stocklake, Aylesbury was not considered to be a cause for concern in terms of safety. However, the roundabout has been inspected again and there is now ivy growing over a directional sign, which will be removed as a matter of urgency.
- I hope this reply is helpful.
Fire Authorities (Radio Systems)
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what advice his Department issues to fire authorities on the need to ensure interoperability of radio systems with other emergency services. [19704]
Dr. Whitehead: There is existing Home Office guidance on inter-agency communications at the scene of operational incidents.
The fire service in England and Wales is currently procuring replacement wide area radio systems. The agreed operational requirement is that replacement systems must support effective inter-working between neighbouring fire brigades and must also provide an effective and continuing interface with the police and with the emergency ambulance service.
Roads (SSAs)
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the changes made to the (a) measurements and (b) methodology used for determining the length of roads as used for the purposes of standard spending assessments for local authorities since 1997. [19547]
Dr. Whitehead: In calculating Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) for 1996–97 to 2001–02 the lengths of roads used have been estimated from local authority returns, to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR). Over this period DTLR (or its predecessor Departments) has made no change to the method of determining the lengths of minor roads. The Department does not hold central information on whether individual authorities have changed the basis they use for recording these lengths. Starting with the calculation of 2001–02 SSAs DTLR's Transport Statistics Roads Division (TSR) have used Geographical Information System (GIS) data to make comparisons between data from local authorities and their own major road network data, ironing out differences between the two, such as the elimination of the double-counting of dual carriageways by some authorities. This exercise has now been completed in time for the 2002–03 SSAs and the major road length estimates for this settlement are based on these data. No announcement has yet been made regarding the basis for minor road lengths to be used in 2002–03 SSAs. This will form part of the forthcoming consultation announcement on the provisional local government finance settlement.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the total mileage of roads for each local authority
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used for the purposes of calculating standard spending assessments for each year since 1997 including the figures for 2001–02. [19548]
Dr. Whitehead: The total length of roads, in kilometres, comprising of principal and minor roads, used to calculate SSAs for each local authority for the years 1996–97 to 2002–02 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Road Safety (Horses)
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on road safety and horses; and whether he plans regulating changes on this subject. [20109]
Mr. Jamieson: We have no plans for regulations affecting the safety of horseriders. We are, however, concerned that road users should understand their vulnerability and give them due consideration on the road. We are considering publicity to increase public awareness of the need to be careful around horses.
Air Traffic
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the downturn in transatlantic air traffic in the period between September 2001 and September 2002. [17668]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 30 November 2001]: UK and US airlines have reduced capacity on some transatlantic routes since 11 September. Scheduled UK and US carriers have filed proposals with my Department which indicate plans to operate 0.7 per cent. fewer frequencies in summer 2002 compared with 2001.
Radioactive Material
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many crashes occurred involving (a) road vehicles, (b) aircraft and (c) trains carrying radioactive material in the UK in each year from 1997 to date. [20169]
Mr. Jamieson: Information on accidents and incidents involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK is published annually. The reports covering events in each year have been placed in the House Library.
Rural White Paper
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on the rural White Paper, if the £239 million allocated for rural bus service improvements includes the £15 million in the parish transport fund. [20139]
Ms Keeble: The £239 million allocated for rural transport over the next three years includes the Countryside Agency's £15 million parish transport fund.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on
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the rural White Paper, which changes ensure the revised PPG13 will develop the role of market towns as hubs for jobs and services. [20144]
Ms Keeble: Our new planning policy guidance for transport (PPG13) sets out how local authorities in rural areas should plan for new development to be primarily sited at the most accessible locations in the local area. In remote locations, well away from large urban areas most development, including for jobs and services, should be located at local service centres. These centres will include market towns and are expected to be the focal points for services in the countryside. Local service centres should be designated in the development plans prepared by local authorities. These plans form the framework within which decisions on proposals for development are taken.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on the rural White Paper, if he will list (a) the organisations which received funds and (b) the amount that they received to fund improvements for rural bus services in 2001–02; and what proportion of the fund has been allocated to improve rural bus services in 2002–03. [20027]
Ms Keeble: Local authorities have received the following amounts in rural bus grant to date in 2001–02 through the rural bus subsidy grant and rural bus challenge schemes.
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A total of £68 million will be available for rural bus grants in 2002–03. Allocations of rural bus subsidy grant to local authorities for 2002–03 and the decisions on the 2001 rural bus challenge competition will be announced shortly.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on the rural White Paper, what the criteria are for mandatory 50 per cent. rate relief for non-agricultural enterprises on farms; and if he will make a statement. [20142]
Dr. Whitehead: Under the Rating (Former Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Act 2001, 50 per cent. mandatory rate relief is available to any rateable non- domestic property with a rateable value of no more than £6,000. This is provided that it consists wholly or mainly of land or buildings which were subject to the agricultural exemption from rates for at least 183 days during the one year period immediately preceding the date on which the rate relief scheme came into effect. The scheme came into effect in England on 15 August 2001. It has yet to be commenced in Wales, which is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. The scheme will run for five years from commencement, when it will be reviewed and can be extended by Order. If the scheme is extended, each property will be eligible for relief up to five years from when it first received the relief.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W,
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on the rural White Paper, what changes have been made to ensure the revised PPG7 will develop farm diversification. [20148]
Ms Keeble: We revised our planning policies for the countryside (PPG7) to reflect the importance this Government attach to effective planning for sustainable farm diversification projects. Local planning authorities are expected to be supportive of well-conceived farm diversification schemes for business purposes that are consistent in their scale with their rural location.
PPG7 should be taken into account by local authorities in preparing their development plans which form the framework within which decisions on proposals for development are taken. The guidance may also be material to decisions on individual planning applications and appeals.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), of 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 859–60W, on the rural White Paper, how many new affordable homes in rural settlements were occupied in 2001–02. [20033]
Ms Keeble: Information is not available in the form requested.
New affordable homes in rural settlements in England with a population of 3,000 or less are funded by the Housing Corporation and local authorities or through the planning system without public subsidy.
From 1 April to 31 October 2001, 379 affordable homes in rural settlements were approved, and 270 were completed, under the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme. Local authorities approved 142 units and completed 82 units in the same period.
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