---

Central Line

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what feasibility study has been carried out into the construction of a new Central line station at Bishopsgate; and what conclusion that study reached. [32942]

Mr. Spellar: This is a matter for London Underground, who advise that no business case could be made for this option. The cost was then estimated at around £50 million. The benefits of a station for users in the Bishopsgate area were largely outweighed by the time penalty which would have resulted for users travelling through.

Satellite Television Dishes

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2001, Official Report, column 20W, on satellite television dishes, if he will make a statement on the process by which he will review planning regulations relating to satellite terminals to determine how current rules could be relaxed to facilitate broadband deployment; and when he plans to announce the result of the review. [33387]

4 Feb 2002 : Column 730W

Ms Keeble: As indicated in our Broadband Strategy, published on 3 December 2001, we shall review planning regulations relating to satellite terminals to determine how current rules could be relaxed to facilitate broadband deployment, while continuing to minimise the environmental and visual impact of residential satellite terminals.

We are currently considering the process by which the review will be taken forward.

Golden Jubilee

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what events (a) he is and (b) other Ministers in his Department are planning to attend as part of the golden jubilee celebrations; and what events his Department is planning to arrange to celebrate the golden jubilee. [33250]

Dr. Whitehead: The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and other Ministers in his Department will fully support the golden jubilee celebrations, attending official events as invited. The Department has played a full role in supporting the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in making suitable preparations for the golden jubilee programme.

Government Expenditure (London)

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total Government expenditure in each London borough (a) was in each of the past five years and (b) is planned for 2002–03, broken down into (i) Revenue Support Order Standard spending assessment, (ii) education special projects, (iii) education capital spending, (iv) housing capital spending, (v) Single Regeneration Budget and (vi) crime prevention. [28084]

Dr. Whitehead: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rail Delays

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost to business of rail delays in each of the past five years. [28531]

Mr. Spellar: The Department has made no such estimate.

Housing (Birmingham)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the change in annual revenue available for financing investment in Birmingham's council housing if stock transfer goes ahead; and what assumptions he has made in calculating this figure. [30363]

Ms Keeble: This is a matter for Birmingham city council to determine as part of its assessment of investment options. Its 2001 Housing Revenue Account Business Plan suggests that there is a funding shortfall over the 30 year life of the plan of £351 million. The current housing transfer proposal meets the investment needs in full.

4 Feb 2002 : Column 731W

Rail Speed Restrictions

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the (a) location and (b) line where temporary speed restrictions are in force on the railway. [31027]

Mr. Spellar: This is an operational matter for Railtrack.

Social Housing

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what entitlement there is to social housing for British citizens leaving Zimbabwe because of the internal situation in that country. [31192]

Ms Keeble: British citizens returning to the UK from overseas have the same entitlement to local authority housing as citizens already resident provided they are habitually resident in the Common Travel Area (CTA), that is, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Unless resuming a previous period of habitual residence within the CTA, they would need to demonstrate, among other things, that their future centre of interest lay in the UK in order to establish habitual residence. Some local housing authorities currently set additional qualifying criteria.

British citizens returning to the UK from overseas are entitled to apply for social housing held by other registered social landlords (housing associations). They are also eligible to seek assistance from social services authorities under the National Assistance Act 1948 or the Children Act 1989, if necessary.

Concessionary Coach Travel

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which coach companies have agreed to participate in the national concessionary coach travel scheme for pensioners. [31713]

Ms Keeble: As my hon. Friend will know from my written answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 725W, my Department is currently discussing with representatives of the coach industry implementation of the proposal that concessionary fares for older and disabled passengers should be offered on scheduled long distance coach services in return for those services becoming eligible for fuel duty rebate.

We aim to complete these discussions as soon as possible with the intention, as previously announced, of bringing forward regulations during 2002–03 to implement this proposal. Until details are finalised, I would not expect any company to confirm participation in these new arrangements. However, my expectation is that the scheme will involve the majority of, if not all, relevant services.

Train Protection Systems

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will estimate the (a) lives that would be saved and (b) track worker lives lost over 10 years by the alternative train protection systems under consideration; and if he will give the (i) capital and (ii) running costs of each system. [32074]

4 Feb 2002 : Column 732W

Mr. Jamieson: A steering group chaired by the Strategic Rail Authority and Railway Safety is presently evaluating options for the extension of automatic train protection systems and their costs.

Local Authority Housing (London)

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was (a) the actual and (b) percentage change in the number of council and RSL homes available to let between 1997–98 and 2000–01 in each local authority in London. [31851]

Ms Keeble: The number of properties owned by local authorities and registered social landlords which were reported as being vacant and available for letting in each London borough at the start of each year was as follows.

Local authority and registered social landlord "management vacant"⁽²³⁾ dwellings

	As at end of year		Change	Change
	1997–98	2000–01	Number	Percentage
Barking and Dagenham	510	382	-128	-25
Barnet	217	172	-45	-21
Bexley	187	73	-114	-61
Brent	270	188	-82	-30
Bromley	207	274	67	32
Camden	364	192	-172	-47
City of London	14	11	-3	-21
Croydon	256	201	-55	-21
Ealing	181	134	-47	-26
Enfield	243	178	-65	-27
Greenwich	437	204	-233	-53
Hackney	546	490	-56	-10
Hammersmith and Fulham	287	210	-77	-27
Haringey	369	184	-185	-50
Harrow	70	80	10	14
Havering	200	247	47	24
Hillingdon	122	119	-3	-2
Hounslow	160	129	-31	-19
Islington	770	290	-480	-62
Kensington and Chelsea	216	154	-62	-29
Kingston upon Thames	80	93	13	16
Lambeth	572	403	-169	-30
Lewisham	367	248	-119	-32
Merton	83	71	-12	-14
Newham	473	299	-174	-37
Redbridge	98	192	94	96
Richmond upon Thames	149	87	-62	-42
Southwark	601	408	-193	-32
Sutton	107	52	-55	-51
Tower Hamlets	479	399	-80	-17
Waltham Forest	283	206	-77	-27
Wandsworth	296	245	-51	-17
Westminster	354	196	-158	-45
London total	9,568	6,811	-2,757	-29

⁽²³⁾ Management vacants are those available for letting immediately, or after completion of only minor repairs.

Source:

DTLR annual Housing Investment Programme and Housing Corporation RS returns

There will always be a certain level of empty properties for operational reasons, including those vacant for very short periods between tenants.

---