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Channel Tunnel

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of the security situation at Frethun on railfreight traffic through the channel tunnel; and what steps he is taking to (a) reduce interruption to traffic and (b) mitigate the financial impact on British rail terminal operations. [23115]

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Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 17 December 2001]: Rail freight through the channel tunnel is currently being disrupted due to repeated intrusions by would-be illegal immigrants to this country. This is a matter of considerable concern to the Government. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised the issue with the French Prime Minister. My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Minister for Transport have both made representations to the French Transport Minister emphasising the need for a speedy resolution so that normal levels of service can resume, free of intrusion from illegal immigrants. The UK Immigration Service held a meeting with the head of security for the French railways on 3 December to investigate the scope for speeding up the implementation of additional security measures at the Frethun freight yard, and to offer assistance and advice on those security measures.

The question of compensation is one for the French railways, as it is their decision to reduce services that has resulted in the financial impact to British operators.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has made to his French counterparts on security measures on rail freight using the channel tunnel. [23316]

Mr. Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised the issue with the French Transport Minister; and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport have both made representations to him emphasising the need for a speedy resolution so that normal levels of service can resume, free of intrusion from illegal immigrants. The UK Immigration Service held a meeting with the head of security for the French railways on 3 December to investigate the scope for speeding up the implementation of additional security measures at the Frethun freight yard, and to offer assistance and advice on those security measures.

Rail Industry

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the documentation related to the railway safety cases for mark 1 passenger carriages submitted to the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the assessment of these safety cases by the Health and Safety Executive since December 2000. [23526]

Mr. Jamieson: Every railway operator is required to have a railway safety case setting out the arrangements for its management of health and safety across the board. These are lengthy and detailed documents covering a wide range of health and safety issues including those relating to passenger rolling stock. They are available for public inspection at the relevant operators' premises.

Social Housing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of social housing built in 2000–01 was funded entirely by the public sector. [23406]

Ms Keeble: 1.29 per cent. of social housing new build units approved for building in 2000–01 was funded entirely by the public sector.

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Housing Targets (South-East)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the basis on which applications for new housing resulting from Government housing targets for the south-east will be permitted on green belt land. [23416]

Ms Keeble: Our policy in PPG3 on Housing and in Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) is clear that applications for housing should follow a search sequence, starting with the use of previously developed land and buildings within urban areas identified by the use of housing capacity, the urban extensions, and finally new development around nodes in good public transport corridors. It is for local authorities, in their development plans, to identify sites to be allocated for housing in accordance with the guidance in PPG3 and RPG9.

Our policy in PPG2 on green belts continues to place a presumption against inappropriate development such as housing in the green belt. We consider that green belts in the south-east are important in preventing urban sprawl, in preventing the coalescence of settlements and in protecting the countryside. Indeed RPG9 recognises that there is no regional case for reviewing the boundaries of green belts.

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has responsibility for civil contingency facilities underneath the QE2 Conference Centre. [23368]

Dr. Whitehead: No.

Council Tax

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what is the anticipated average percentage increase in Band D council tax across England for 2002–03, based on this year's local government finance settlement. [23365]

Dr. Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 30W.

Planning Applications (East Devon)

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many outstanding planning applications there are in the East Devon constituency. [23754]

Ms Keeble: The latest information available to the Department is that there were 683 planning applications outstanding at the end of September 2001 by East Devon district planning authority.

Departmental Publications

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list each new publication issued by his Department since 1997; and what the total cost to the Department is of each publication. [23755]

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Dr. Whitehead: DTLR has a very wide range of policy responsibilities and therefore publishes a large number of publications. The cost of tracing and listing the total costs of each individual publication would thus be disproportionate. A list of the titles of the main publications produced through DTLR's Directorate of Communication between June 2001, when the Department was created, and November 2001 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Major Road Schemes

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the major existing road schemes in the Local Transport Settlement that are due to be carried out in 2002–03; which additional schemes have been (a) postponed because work is still progress and (b) rejected; and which authorities will receive the additional funding provided for road maintenance in 2002–03. [23987]

Ms Keeble: Work is planned to start during the financial year 2002–03 on the following local major road schemes accepted for funding in previous year's Local Transport Settlements. The exact timing of the work is the responsibility of the relevant local authority and may depend on the satisfactory completion of any remaining statutory procedures. Construction work on a further 32 schemes is already in progress.


Of the 45 bids for new local major schemes for which bids were received this year, 15 have been provisionally accepted subject to the satisfactory completion of all remaining statutory procedures; the following 25 require further work before a decision can be reached:


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The following four were rejected:


No decision has yet been announced on the following scheme which is being considered as part of the South East Manchester Multi Modal Study:


The following local authorities will receive the additional £10 million provided for road maintenance in 2002–03:


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