| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Indian Government Representatives
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he had to meet Indian Government representatives in early January. [28622]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 18 January 2002]: No meetings were fixed. The visit was entirely private and all the costs borne by my right hon. Friend.
Rail Safety
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the (a) dates and locations and (b) materials involved in railway safety-related incidents in the last six months in the north-west of England. [28612]
21 Jan 2002 : Column 574W
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 18 January 2002]: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise that in the period from 1 July 2001 to 17 January 2002 there have been 174 incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) in Railtrack's north-west zone, which covers the north-west of England. However, these figures do not necessarily include all safety-related incidents or details of the materials involved in an incident. A more detailed breakdown of these figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Environmental Appraisals
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what procedures his Department has to ensure environmental appraisals are undertaken prior to (a) administrative and (b) policy decisions being made; [28986]
- (2) how many officials from his Department have attended the environmental appraisal and integration into policy training course run by the Civil Service College; [28988]
(3) when the last occasion was on which he requested an environmental appraisal before making a policy decision; [28985]
(4) how many environmental appraisals have been published by his Department since 1 January 2001; and if he will list the last four; [28984]
(5) what plans his Department has to appraise the environmental implications of its Spending Review submission to the Treasury. [28987]
Dr. Whitehead: My right hon. Friend receives environmental advice on all policy decisions for which environmental issues are relevant.
In 1998, the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions published "Policy Appraisal and the Environment: Policy Guidance" which gave advice to Departments on when and how to carry out an environmental appraisal.
The guidance made clear that environmental appraisal is part of the overall policy appraisal process. Accordingly, my Department does not now generally publish free-standing environmental appraisal documents. Environmental implications of the Department's policies and programmes are, where appropriate, set out in the various consultation documents and regulatory impact assessments that form part of our overall consideration of policy.
In terms of administrative actions, our activities are governed by the Department's greening operations policy statement, published on the DTLR website in December 2001. Proposals for specific projects are assessed in respect of operational need, compliance with policy, environmental benefit, and value for money.
Since the publication of the 1998 policy guidance, my Department, with others, has been developing an integrated policy appraisal methodology which will be used to assess the likely effect of proposed policies on a range of economic, environmental and social issues. My Department is using a summary version of the methodology to consider the sustainable development
21 Jan 2002 : Column 575W
implications of our Spending Review submission to the Treasury. Beyond the Spending Review process, and in the light of further development of the methodology, we hope to use the methodology to ensure that full account is taken of all relevant economic, environmental and social factors before policy decisions are made.
No officials from my Department have so far attended the environmental appraisal and integration into policy training course run by the Civil Service College.
Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will reply to the letter of 4 September from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford with reference to Ms Dearns of Chelmsford. [28810]
Ms Keeble: I replied to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford on Tuesday 25 September 2001, in which I undertook to look into the issues raised. I sent a second, substantive, reply on Friday 18 January 2002. I have forwarded a further copy of this to the hon. Member.
Area Cost Adjustment
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much money Coventry city council will receive from the changes to the area cost adjustment; and if he will make a statement on the shortfall announced in July 2001 due to changes in the area cost adjustment. [28885]
Dr. Whitehead: The following table compares the provisional standard spending assessment (SSA) for Coventry city council, as announced for consultation on 4 December, with what it would have been if based on the area cost adjustment (ACA) for 2001–02. This shows the effect of updating the data underpinning the area cost adjustment between 2001–02 and 2002–03. The impact of changes to the area cost adjustment is relatively small, at 0.1 per cent. of SSA.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 provisional SSA(5) | 283.272 |
| 2002–03 provisional SSA using 2001–02 ACA(5) | 283.520 |
| Absolute difference(5) | -0.248 |
| Percentage difference | -0.1 |
(5) £ million
The ACA data for 2002–03 that were announced in July 2001 was provisional. The Office for National Statistics subsequently revised the New Earnings Survey (NES) data for 2000 on which these provisional figures were based, in order to include a large number of additional records that had yet to be processed earlier in the year. The final ACA figures for 2002–03 are based on the revised NES data, as it is important that we use the most robust data that are available to us at the time the settlement is made.
Road Safety
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what
21 Jan 2002 : Column 576W
arrangements there are to grant aid to non-governmental bodies, other than local authorities, to promote road safety. [29275]
Mr. Jamieson: I have today announced that the Government have decided to allocate around £200,000 per annum to a road safety grant challenge fund to assist with the cost of projects promoting road safety proposed by organisations other than local authorities. Grant funding is expected to support the Government's road safety strategy and casualty reduction targets for 2010. Individual grants are expected to be for sums up to £20,000.
Speed Cameras
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed cameras were located in Yeovil constituency in each year from 1995 to 2002; how much fine revenue has been collected from these cameras in each year; what the net costs of operating the cameras in each year has been; and if he will make a statement. [27053]
Mr. Spellar: This information is not held centrally.
Home Sellers' Packs
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he plans to introduce home sellers' packs. [28877]
Ms Keeble: Legislation will be introduced when parliamentary time allows. In the meantime we are pressing ahead, in consultation with consumer representatives and the professional bodies, with developing the detailed contents of the sellers' pack.
Millennium Dome
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of the Millennium Dome. [26180]
Ms Keeble: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Ian Stewart) on 18 December 2001, Official Report, columns 220–221W.
Railtrack
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what legal requirements are placed on the administrators of Railtrack under the Strategic Plan published by the Strategic Rail Authority on 14 January. [29122]
Mr. Byers: The administrator has been appointed by the court for the purposes set out in the Railways Administration Order made under the provisions of the Railways Act 1993. Those purposes remain unchanged by the Strategic Plan.
Train Operating Companies
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the European Council's Broad Guidelines of the Economic Policies of the Member States
21 Jan 2002 : Column 577W
and the Community on the future structure of the rail industry, with particular reference to the number of train operating companies. [29120]
Mr. Byers: The Government's policies for the railway industry, including those on rail passenger service competition and franchising, are consistent with the recommendations in these broad guidelines.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |