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Night Flights

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will ask the Civil Aviation Authority whether there has been an increase in (a) air traffic using and (b) night flights in the corridor four miles either side of Detling Beacon in Kent since 11 September. [20412]

Mr. Jamieson: The Civil Aviation Authority has advised that it is not aware of any increase in either air traffic users or night flights in the corridor four miles either side of the Detling Beacon since 11 September.

Unitary Authorities

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many local councillors there are in each unitary authority with a population of less than 100,000. [20545]

Dr. Whitehead: There are two unitary authorities in England with an estimated population of less than 100,000—Rutland and Hartlepool with 20 and 47 councillors respectively.

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what is the applicable community charge or council tax charged by each unitary authority with a population of less than 100,000 (i) in the year immediately preceding their creation and (ii) in the following year. [20544]

6 Dec 2001 : Column: 448W

Dr. Whitehead: The information is given in the tables.

Hartlepool borough council—unitary status created April 1996

	1995–96	1996–97
	Average band D council tax:
	The year before creation (£)	The following year (£)	Percentage change
Hartlepool(2)	155	791	—
Cleveland county council	558	—	—
Cleveland police authority	45	46	—
Total area council tax(3)	759	837	10.3

Rutland county council—unitary status created April 1997

	1996–97	1997–98
	Average band D council tax:
	The year before creation	The following year	Percentage change
Rutland(2)	103	741	—
Leicestershire county council	483	—	—
Leicestershire police authority	45	52	—
Total area council tax(3)	632	793	25.5

⁽²⁾ Figures are not on a like-for-like basis because each authority did not have responsibility for upper tier functions, such as education or social services, before reorganisation took place

⁽³⁾ Figures rounded to the nearest pound

The other English unitary authorities created during local government reorganisation have a population of over 100,000.

Ministerial Resignations

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will resign. [20953]

Mr. Byers: No.

Millennium Dome

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the condition of the lining of the Millennium Dome; and what the estimated cost is of cleaning the lining. [21364]

Ms Keeble: I understand from English Partnerships, who assumed ownership of the dome from 1 July 2001, that the roof of the dome is in good condition. There are three small holes in the internal lining, which do not need repairing. However, English Partnerships, will of course keep under review all matters relating to management and maintenance of their assets.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what dates (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have visited (i) the Millennium Dome and (ii) the site surrounding the Dome since 1 July. [21363]

Ms Keeble: I visited the Greenwich Peninsula, including the dome, on 10 September 2001, as part of my visit to the Greenwich Millennium Village. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the

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Regions, has also frequently visited the Greenwich Peninsula, but not the dome, since 1 July 2001, as a constituency MP and as a private individual. No other DTLR minister has visited the dome or the Greenwich Peninsula recently.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which of the unsuccessful bidders for the Millennium Dome have had (a) any and (b) all of their costs reimbursed; and if he will publish the names of each such bidder together with the amount of their reimbursement. [21365]

Ms Keeble: None.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Government have to use the Millennium Dome over the Christmas period; and if he will open it as a refuge for the homeless. [20247]

Ms Keeble: While the process of securing a long-term sustainable use is continuing, English Partnerships is following up expressions of interest it has received about possible events at the dome. The first of these will be the Ministry of Sound event on new year's eve. As preparation works will be under way in advance of this event, it will not be possible to accommodate any other uses during this period.

Primary School Location (Road Speed Limits)

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of how many primary schools in England are on roads with speed limits in excess of 30 miles per hour. [17446]

Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not available centrally.

Fire Appliances

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many available fire appliances are (a) less than one, (b) between one and three, (c) between three and five and (d) over five years old; and if he will make a statement; [20615]

(2) how many fire appliances have been in road accidents while on operational duty in (a) 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996, (d) 1997, (e) 1998, (f) 1999 and (g) 2000; and if he will make a statement; [20616]

(3) how many fire appliances are available in each (a) county and (b) London borough; [20612]

(4) how many of the total number of fire appliances are in active service. [20613]

Dr. Whitehead: The number of fire appliances available in fire brigades in England and Wales at 31 March 2001 are shown in the following table. The pumps provide fire cover as required by the Fire Services Act 1947. Special appliances include hydraulic platforms, turntable ladders, foam tenders, emergency tenders, control units, hose laying lorries, chemical incident units and fire boats.

The cost of determining the age of each appliance would be disproportionate but a brigade would expect to replace appliances over 12 to 15 years.

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In 2000 there were 1,534 accidents involving appliances. It is not known how many of these were due to road accidents while on operational duty. Again the cost of determining this for 2000 and for earlier years would be disproportionate.

Number of front-line and reserve fire appliances in fire brigades in England and Wales at 31 March 2001

	Front-line		Reserve
	Pumps	Specials	Pumps	Specials
Avon	37	21	8	0
Bedfordshire and Luton	22	19	4	0
Buckinghamshire	31	12	4	0
Cambridgeshire	38	11	6	0
Cheshire	37	22	5	0
Cleveland	23	7	3	0
Cornwall	43	35	8	0
County Durham and Darlington	27	6	5	0
Cumbria	50	12	6	1
Derbyshire	44	13	6	0
Devon	81	20	9	1
Dorset	41	26	6	1
East Sussex	38	13	5	1
Essex	71	21	16	1
Gloucestershire	33	13	5	0
Greater Manchester	67	30	14	8
Hampshire	76	44	14	0
Hereford and Worcester	42	18	6	0
Hertfordshire	43	9	6	1
Humberside	50	13	9	0
Isle of Wight	16	9	3	0
Isles of Scilly	2	3	0	1
Kent	87	23	13	4
Lancashire	63	17	7	2
Leicestershire	33	17	4	0
Lincolnshire	48	11	4	0
London	170	43	43	15
Merseyside	42	13	10	0
Mid and West Wales	72	36	12	0
Norfolk	52	11	9	0
North Wales	54	31	9	1
North Yorkshire	45	18	5	2
Northamptonshire	28	9	4	0
Northumberland	23	0	3	0
Nottinghamshire	36	9	6	3
Oxfordshire	36	8	6	1
Royal Berkshire	24	10	6	1
Shropshire	33	15	3	1
Somerset	40	17	5	0
South Wales	64	57	12	3
South Yorkshire	32	8	6	1
Staffordshire	48	17	7	0
Suffolk	47	18	4	0
Surrey	36	19	9	0
Tyne and Wear	33	9	7	2
Warwickshire	26	8	4	1
West Midlands	62	13	14	6
West Sussex	46	28	6	0
West Yorkshire	66	14	10	3
Wiltshire	38	18	6	0
Total	2,296	874	382	61

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