| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Fair Trade
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 913W, on fair trade goods, if he will review and increase the amount of fairly traded goods purchased by her Department during Fair Trade Fortnight. [35921]
13 Feb 2002 : Column 396W
Dr. Whitehead: The Department's procurement policy is about the achievement of value for money. The Department does not have a specific policy requiring the purchase of Fair Trade goods. Purchasing Officers are expected to consider each case on its merits with particular regard to the need for any products purchased to represent value for money.
The Department supports the sale of Fair Trade products including tea and coffee and confectionery including chocolate and cereal bars, which have been introduced in the staff restaurants. Declarations have been obtained from the contractor that the products sold are Fair Trade.
Opencast Mining
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to increase protection for communities adversely affected by opencast mining. [35637]
Ms Keeble: Planning policies for Wales are the responsibility of the National Assembly.
Revised and strengthened policy for coal mining in England, including opencast working, was published in March 1999 in Minerals Planning Guidance Note 3. This sets out a policy presumption against the development of coal extraction sites. However, such development can be permitted if the proposal is environmentally acceptable or can be made so through the use of planning conditions or obligations, or, where this is not the case, where there are local or community benefits which clearly outweigh the adverse impacts. This is the means by which any possible adverse effects on communities from opencast mining proposals should be tested, and suitable mitigation measures applied in those cases where, with such action, the development could be made acceptable. In accordance with general planning policies, such measures, in the form of planning conditions or obligations, should be necessary, precise, relevant to planning, enforceable, directly relevant both to the development proposed and the avoidance of the adverse effects they are intended to prevent or reduce, and reasonable in all other respects. The Government consider that, within the normal operation of the planning system, these are matters best assessed by the local communities and local authorities who know the area best, and are most directly affected.
We have no plans to change this policy framework.
Secondments
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating (a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and civil service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment. [35829]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 12 February 2002]: The table sets out details of secondments from the private sector into DTLR since its inception in June 2001. I am unable to provide the names of staff seconded to this Department without their written consent.
13 Feb 2002 : Column 397W
Metropolitan and East London Lines
Mr. Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which (a) Metropolitan line and (b) East London line stations will be refurbished (i) between 2002 and 2005 and (ii) between 2006 and 2007 and (iii) from 2008; and when it is estimated that the final one will be completed. [35828]
Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 12 February 2002]: London Transport's plans for modernisation of the tube are designed to deliver a comprehensive upgrade of the whole network as quickly and efficiently as possible. London Transport is currently consulting the Mayor and Transport for London on the plans following its announcement on 7 February that it is minded to proceed. I expect London Transport to publish detailed information on the station refurbishment programme following that consultation.
Structure Plan (Lincolnshire)
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether there is a structure plan for Lincolnshire; and what the status is of the draft Lincolnshire structure plan. [34974]
Dr. Whitehead: The Lincolnshire structure plan was approved in 1981. Policies on population, housing, settlement, employment and shopping have been amended and the plan period extended to 2000 through Structure Plan Alterations Nos. 1 and 2 in 1991 and 1994.
Lincolnshire county council published a revised Deposit structure plan in January 1998 and progressed through to the adoption phase in December 2000. However, the Secretary of State directed the county council not to adopt the structure plan until he had decided how to proceed following the council's refusal to comply with his direction to modify Policy 4 on Accessibility to include reference to reducing the need to travel in particular by private car to bring the policy into line with national planning policy in PPG13 Transport.
The Secretary of State is currently considering whether to withdraw the direction to modify and allow the council to adopt the structure plan. In the interim the uncontested policies and proposals in the emerging structure plan have considerable weight in the consideration of planning matters in the county.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when
13 Feb 2002 : Column 398W
he intends to provide an answer to the question from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight of 15 October 2001, Ref 7191; [35521]
- (2) when he intends to provide an answer to the question from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight of 15 October 2001, Ref 7190. [35522]
Dr. Whitehead: The questions were not answered because they were withdrawn by the hon. Member on 4 October.
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to change the Departmental Expenditure Limit and administration costs limit for 2001–02. [36526]
Mr. Byers: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions' Departmental Expenditure Limits for 2001–02 will change as follows.
(a) the DTLR Main Programmes DEL will be increased by £103,081,000 from £12,121,782,000 to £12,224,863,000 and the DTLR administration costs limit will be increased by £3,037,000 from £715,335,000 to £718,372,000 and the DTLR HSE administration costs limit will be increased by £1,000,000 from £196,232,000 to £197,232,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Resources | |
| Change | 168,983 |
| New DEL | 4,913,833 |
| Capital | |
| Change | -65,902 |
| New DEL | 7,311,030 |
The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from:
(i) The changes for Request for Resources 1 are as follows:
Take up of End Year Flexibility of £44,812,000 comprising £30,751,000 for Regional Development Agencies and £14,061,000 for the London Development Agency. An increase of £2,479,000 from Request for Resources 4 comprising £1,385,000 for Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency administration costs (partly offset by receipts shortfall of £705,000); £244,000
13 Feb 2002 : Column 399W
for the Rent Service administration costs; and £850,000 for fire prevention publicity. A net decrease of £81,111,000 resulting from the following inter- departmental transfers: £30,000 from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for seabed vehicle; £189,000 for Ordnance Survey from Invest to Save budget; £13,000 from the Scottish Executive to Neighbourhood Renewal Unit; net transfer of £79,000,000 to Department of Health consisting of a transfer for bedblocking (£80,000,000) partially offset by transfer for rough sleepers (£1,000,000); £1,781,000 to Department for Work and Pensions for benefit agency staff (£1,631,000) and for work carried out on "section 30" grant (£150,000); net transfer of £372,000 to Lord Chancellor's Department; £95,000 to Home Office for joint funded special grants programme project; and £95,000 to Department for Education and Skills for resident consultancy project. A transfer of £17,704,000 to the capital element of the DTLR DEL.
(ii) The changes for Request for Resources 2 are as follows:
Take up of End Year Flexibility of £49,400,000 comprising £19,400,000 for National Air Traffic Services PPP consultancy costs; £15,000,000 for financial assistance to airlines for losses arising from the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA; and £15,000,000 for payments to administrators of Railtrack plc (in administration). Transfer of £9,994,000 from Request for Resources 4 comprising £1,567,000 to Maritime and Coastguard Agency for administration costs (£127,000), additional pension costs (£440,000) and emergency towing vessels (£1,000,000); £2,653,000 to Highways Agency for administration costs; and £5,774,000 to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for administration costs. A net increase of £12,455,000 resulting from the following inter-departmental transfers: a transfer of £16,800,000 from the Scottish Executive to reflect part of the effect on ScotRail of the Rail Regulator's Review of Access Charges (£12,800,000), and to reflect the operation of the ScotRail performance regime (£4,000,000); £333,000 for Civil Service Reform; £25,000 from Northern Ireland Office (Department of the Environment) to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; £3,435,000 to Ministry of Defence to refund Royal Flight contribution; £800,000 to Department for Education and Skills for training costs; and a net transfer of £468,000 to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs consisting of research (£413,000), the site specific advice programme (£147,000) partially offset by transfers for fishing vessels (£92,000). A net transfer of £10,910,000 from non-voted provision for financial assistance to airlines for losses arising from the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA (£10,000,000); Maritime and Coastguard Agency emergency towing vessels (£1,000,000), partially offset by transfer of £90,000 receipts to non-voted provision. A transfer of £17,441,000 from the capital element of the DTLR DEL.
(iii) The changes for Request for Resources 4 are as follows:
Take up of End Year Flexibility of £1,000,000 for Health and Safety Executive administration costs. Transfer of £2,479,000 to Request for Resources 1 in respect of Rent Service Executive Agency administration costs (£244,000); Planning Inspectorate Agency administration costs (£1,385,000); and Fire Services (£850,000). Transfer
13 Feb 2002 : Column 400W
of £9,994,000 to Request for Resources 2 in respect of Maritime and Coastguard Agency administration costs (£567,000); Highways Agency administration costs (£2,653,000); Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency administration costs (£5,774,000); and to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for towing vessels (£1,000,000). A decrease of £7,189,000 resulting from the following inter-departmental transfers: Machinery of Government transfers to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (£6,294,000); to Office for National Statistics for neighbourhood statistics (£585,000); and to Cabinet Office for Government Office for London (£300,000) and recruitment of fast streamers (£10,000). Transfer of £5,900,000 from non-voted provision for Health and Safety Executive.
(iv) Provision within the non-Voted resource element of the DTLR Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased by £133,774,000. This reflects a technical reclassification of the Commission for New Towns and Urban Regeneration Agency as non-departmental public bodies (£162,711,000 and £81,600,000); partially offset by transfers to Department of Work and Pensions from Large Scale Voluntary Transfers (£57,796,000); and machinery of government changes transfers to Department for Trade and Industry (£40,200,000) and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (£5,641,000). £6,900,000 non-voted provision will be transferred to Request for Resources 2 (£1,000,000) and Request for Resources 4 (£5,900,000)
(v) As a result of the changes to Requests for Resources 1, 2 and 4 the DTLR administration provision has been increased by £4,782,000 from £957,147,000 to £961,929,000.
The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from:
(vi) The changes for Request for Resources 1 are as follows:
Take up of End Year Flexibility of £54,112,000 comprising Regional Development Agencies (£23,176,000) and London Development Agency (£30,936,000). A transfer of £30,000,000 to Request for Resources 2 for a loan to the Highways Agency; a transfer of £519,000 from Request for Resources 4 for the Rent Service Executive Agency (£362,000) and the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency (£157,000). A net increase of £4,813,000 resulting from the following inter-departmental transfers: £2,500,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for choice based lettings; from Department of Trade and Industry to Regional Development Agencies for land and property (£1,506,000); from Capital Modernisation Fund to Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency (£702,000); from Invest to Save Budget for Ordnance Survey (£15,000); and from Department for Work and Pensions to the Rent Service Executive Agency (£90,000). A transfer from resource provision of £17,704,000.
(vii) The changes for Request for Resources 2 are as follows:
Take up of End Year Flexibility of £1,000,000 for Transport Direct. A transfer of £30,000,000 from Request for Resources 1 for a loan to the Highways Agency. A transfer of £4,181,000 from Request for Resources 4 to Driver and Vehicle and Licensing Agency for electronic
13 Feb 2002 : Column 401W
service delivery. An increase of £12,821,000 resulting from the following inter-departmental transfers: from Capital Modernisation Fund to Driving Standards Agency for hand held computers (£2,800,000); from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (£345,000); and from Scottish Executive a net transfer of £9,676,000 for Rosyth/Zeebrugge water freight grant (£10,969,000) partly offset by transfer for freight facilities grant (£1,293,000). Transfer from non-voted provision of £44,000,000 in respect of loan to Highways Agency (£39,000,000) and the Doncaster North bridge project (£5,000,000). Transfer to resource provision of £17,441,000.
(viii) The changes for Request for Resources 4 are as follows:
A machinery of government transfer of £487,000 to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A transfer of £519,000 to Request for Resources 1 for the Rent Service Executive Agency (£362,000) and the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency (£157,000). A transfer of £4,181,000 to Request for Resources 2 for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. An additional receipt of £1,000,000 for sale of land at Mandela Road.
(ix) Provision within the non-Voted capital element of the DTLR Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit will be decreased by £181,424,000. This reflects a technical reclassification of the Commission for New Towns and Urban regeneration Agency as non-departmental public bodies (£93,757,000 and £17,557,000); machinery of government change transfer to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (£16,200,000); net transfers to Request for Resources 2 of £53,910,000 including £9,910,000 transferred to resource.
(b) the DTLR Local Government DEL will be increased by £1,100,000 from £37,040,189,000 to £37,041,289,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Resources | |
| Change | +1,100 |
| New DEL | 36,951,370 |
| Capital | |
| Change | — |
| New DEL | 89,919 |
The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from a machinery of government change transfer of £1,100,000 from the Home Office.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |