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Transport 10-Year Plan

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when the total transport 10-year plan financial envelope was increased from £179.7 billion to £181.9 billion; and when and by what means the increase was first announced; [33767]

(2) pursuant to his oral statement of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 149, on the 10-year plan financial envelope, if he will bring forward a supplementary estimate; and if he will make a statement. [33769]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 5 February 2002]: My Department will seek the resources necessary to deliver the 10-year plan through the normal supply procedures.

The bulk of the additional £2.2 billion was agreed and announced to the House on 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 8. A number of other changes to the 10-year plan expenditure envelope have been made since publication of the plan, resulting in the overall increase to £181.9 billion announced to the House on 29 January 2002.

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Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he secured an additional £2.2 billion of funding from the Treasury for the 10-year transport plan; and if he will make a statement. [33927]

Mr. Spellar: My Department will seek the resources necessary to deliver the 10-year plan through the normal supply procedures.

The bulk of the additional £2.2 billion was agreed and announced to the House on 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 8. A number of other changes to the 10-year plan expenditure envelope have been made since publication of the plan, resulting in the overall increase to £181.9 billion announced to the House on 29 January 2002.

Liquid Petroleum Gas

Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to extend the eligibility for transport action powershift grants for converting cars over five years old to use LPG. [33949]

Mr. Spellar: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 6 February 2002 [33622].

Agricultural Buildings

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to review the rating of agricultural buildings to ensure that those who perform more than 10 per cent. of their activities as contract farmers on other farms are rated on their agricultural building. [33898]

Dr. Whitehead: On 16 February 2001 we published a consultation paper on extending the agricultural exemption from non-domestic rates to cover all land and buildings used for contract farming, share farming and machinery rings, as well as such land and buildings used by farmers in connection with their own farm. In the Local Government White Paper "Strong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services", published 11 December 2001, we said that we would implement those proposals, subject to the necessary primary legislation, which we will introduce when parliamentary time allows.

Urban Green Spaces Taskforce

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if the final report from the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce will be published in April this year as planned; [33977]

(2) what progress has been made since the publication of the interim report from the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce; and if he will make a statement. [33978]

Ms Keeble: Since the publication of its interim report, the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce has made good progress in carrying out its work as programmed in the report. Our current plans are to publish the final report of the task force in April, which will be followed by the Government's policy response in July.

Planning Applications

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the

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average time was to process planning applications by each planning authority in England over the last 12 months. [34412]

Ms Keeble: The information needed to determine the average time for planning applications to be processed is collected centrally only for a small number of applications mainly relating to mineral extraction and waste disposal (known as "county matters"). These applications, which account for less than 1 per cent. of all planning applications, are often complex and take some time to determine.

The speed at which decisions are made for the vast majority of planning applications, ie all except "county matters", is measured in terms of the proportion of decisions determined within eight weeks and within 13 weeks. In the year ending September 2001, 63 per cent. of these applications in England were determined within eight weeks and 83 per cent. within 13 weeks.

More detailed information for each local authority in England on how quickly they process planning applications (using the eight and 13 week criteria) is published by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions in its quarterly Statistics of Planning Applications Bulletin and its annual Development Control Statistics Report. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Debt

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much British Railways' debt was extinguished by the Government in the six months before rail privatisation. [34279]

Mr. Spellar: On 29 March 1996 £1,229 million of debt owed by Railtrack to the National Loans Fund was cancelled and on 30 March 1996 Railtrack's obligations in respect of a further £230 million owed to the Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) were transferred to DoA Ltd., a company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Transport. Also, on 29 March 1996 Railtrack issued debentures acknowledging indebtedness to HM Government of £589 million. With the exception of a £4 million repayment of debt, these debentures were subsequently sold by HM Government in the bond markets.

Open Skies Agreement

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the Government retain the right to negotiate an open skies agreement to the USA following the ruling of the European Court; and if he will make a statement. [34615]

Mr. Spellar: We do not yet have a ruling from the European Court of Justice. That is probably some months away. What we do have is the Opinion issued on 31 January by the Advocate General which comprises his advice to the Court. According to his Opinion it remains open to member states to negotiate and conclude open skies agreements with the United States subject to meeting their obligations under Community law.

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Policy Development Grants

Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to make an order empowering the Electoral Commission to make payments of policy development grants to eligible parties; and if he will make a statement. [34816]

Dr. Whitehead: I have today laid before Parliament an order, making provision for a scheme, which gives effect to recommendations, submitted by the Electoral Commission to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on 4 October 2001, but with modifications agreed with the Commission. The amount of money available for allocation by the Commission in each year for which the scheme has effect is £2 million.

KCC Speed Interactive Signs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when his Department will issue type approval for KCC speed interactive signs; and if he will make a statement. [34155]

Mr. Spellar: We hope to be in a position to resolve the type approval issues and issue guidance on the use of speed activated signs later in the year.

Business Rates (Farms)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how the amount that farmers incur in business rates when undertaking contractual work is calculated. [33930]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 6 February 2002]: I have been asked to reply.

The amount farmers incur in business rates, if they undertake contract farming work, is calculated by reference to the rateable value, as determined by the Valuation Officer, multiplied by the business rate poundage (currently 43.0 pence in the pound).

The Valuation Officer calculates rateable values in accordance with the definition contained within the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Broadly speaking, this is the rental value of the property, vacant and to let, at the valuation of 1 April 1998. The Valuation Officer will base his or her valuation on rental evidence of similar buildings in the local area or by reference to the closes comparison.

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