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Housing Benefit

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many pensioner households (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in London and (c) in Barnet are (i) in receipt of housing benefit and (ii) not now eligible for housing benefit, but will become eligible as a consequence of formula rents (x) in 2002–03 and (y) in 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20843]

Ms Keeble: The number of pensioners in May 2000 in Great Britain who were in receipt of housing benefit was 1,693,000 and in London was 215,000. Reliable information on the numbers of pensioners receiving housing benefit is not available at local authority level. The other information is not available.

Rents

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many tenants in (a) registered social landlords and (b) local authority property in (i) London and (ii) Barnet will see their rents lower in real terms after completion of restructuring in 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20848]

Ms Keeble: The information is not available in the form requested. In particular, the rate of increase of actual registered social landlord and local authority rents over the next 10 years will depend, among other things, on the outcome of future Spending Reviews (for local authority

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rents) and periodic reviews by the Housing Corporation (for registered social landlord rents). Moreover, individual landlords retain responsibility for rent-setting.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to adjust housing benefit thresholds and caps in the light of formula rent increases in (a) London and (b) Barnet; and if he will make a statement. [20841]

Ms Keeble: Rent restructuring will have no impact on more than 60 per cent. of council and registered social landlord tenants who received housing benefit as their housing benefit will be adjusted to reflect the changes in their rents. Furthermore, rent restructuring will have no direct impact on housing benefit rules for private sector tenants.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the effect of formula rents on housing benefit expenditure in (a) the UK, (b) London and (c) Barnet for (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20840]

Ms Keeble: Our initial estimates suggest that the overall impact of the social rent reforms on public expenditure is broadly neutral, taking account of housing benefit expenditure, local authority rental income and the grant requirements for new developments.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to what extent formula rents after restructuring will be (a) inclusive and (b) exclusive of management and maintenance charges; and if he will make a statement. [20844]

Ms Keeble: The "Guide to Social Rent Reforms" published by my Department at the same time as the December 2000 housing policy statement "Quality and Choice: A decent home for all—the way forward for housing" stated that formula rents under restructuring do not include service charges for items such as management and maintenance.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) registered social landlords and (b) local authority tenants (i) in the United Kingdom, (ii) in London and (iii) in Barnet (1) (x) are and (y) are not in receipt of housing benefit, (2) will become eligible for housing benefit as a consequence of the introduction of formula rents in 2002–03 and (3) will become eligible for housing benefit as a consequence of the introduction of formula rent by 2011; and if he will make a statement. [20842]

Ms Keeble: The number of tenants in receipt of housing benefit in May 2001 in the registered social landlord (RSL) sector in Great Britain was 988,000 and the number in local authority housing was 2,131,000. In the London Government Office Region 167,000 RSL tenants were in receipt of housing benefit, as were 313,000 local authority tenants. In the London borough of Barnet 7,889 local authority tenants were in receipt of housing benefit, but the number of RSL tenants in Barnet in receipt of housing benefit is unavailable. The other information is not available.

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Aston Clinton Bypass

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the expected reduction in vehicle movements through Aston Clinton that will result from the construction of the bypass there. [21239]

Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. John Bercow, dated 10 December 2001:

The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the expected reduction in vehicle movements through Aston Clinton that will result from the construction of the bypass.
The bypass will remove approximately 70% of the current through traffic on the A41 through the village. The north-south movement on the local route between Leighton Buzzard and Wendover would continue to use part of the existing A41 in the village.
The contract for the construction of the bypass was let in March 2001 although the start of works on site was delayed until August 2001 due to Foot and Mouth precautions. Construction is due to be completed in the Summer of 2003.
If you would like further details of this scheme the Project Manager in our Dorking office, Andy Finch would be pleased to help you. He can be contacted on 01306–878342.

Bus Safety

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 27W, if he will simplify the criteria for determining the number of persons permitted to stand on scheduled buses. [21017]

Mr. Jamieson: I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to his question on 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 137W. The recent agreement in the EU for a common standard for the construction of buses will lead to a change in the way the numbers of permitted standing passengers is calculated. I do not intend to introduce changes in advance of the introduction of this directive in the UK as it will cause unnecessary disruption to bus manufacturers and operators.

Traffic Links (West Sussex)

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received from the South East Economic Development Agency regarding traffic links in West Sussex; and if he will make a statement. [21115]

Mr. Jamieson: None. The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is however represented on the Steering Group of the South Coast Corridor Multi Modal Study. This study is looking at strategic transport issues along the whole of the south coast including West Sussex, and SEEDA feed in their views via this forum.

Road Schemes

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps are taken to ensure that the views of local economic development

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agencies and other stakeholders are given due weight in the provision of new roads and bypasses; and if he will make a statement. [21116]

Mr. Jamieson: All stakeholders including local and regional economic agencies are able to comment at the various statutory stages in the development of a road scheme. These include preferred route, order publication and, if necessary, public inquiry. All parties are also free to comment at the consultation stages of the series of multi-modal and road based studies being undertaken to consider transport problems associated with the trunk road network. Regional development agencies will normally be represented on study steering groups or in the wider reference groups from whom comments are specifically sought. They may also comment at the public consultation stages of regional planning guidance when the regional transport strategies are being considered.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what his criteria are for areas affected by traffic congestion to be addressed by using fast track procedures for building roads and bypasses; and if he will make a statement; [21113]

(2) if he will make a statement on the process to be followed in order to designate a road scheme under the fast track procedure. [21114]

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Mr. Jamieson: The new Highways Agency procurement strategy, which I announced on 22 November 2001, will speed up delivery of improvement schemes on motorways and other strategic roads in England. This will be achieved through streamlining the pre-construction phase and better procurement techniques and help to deliver the targets from the 10 Year Plan for Transport. This should significantly cut the 12 years it typically takes at present to deliver these schemes.

The package of measures, announced by the Secretary of State in this House on 20 July 2001, to speed up decisions on major infrastructure projects of major national significance, are expected to apply, in respect of highway projects, to the construction of a new route in excess of 30 kilometres in continuous length. This criterion and the process to be followed to designate schemes are subject to consultation before coming into force.

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