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Objective 2 Funding

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will (a) list the areas which have made representations that they should be in receipt of Objective 2 funding and (b) set out where included in those representations their per capita GDP as a proportion of the UK average and the year to which these figures relate. [43827]

Ms Keeble [holding answer 15 March 2002]: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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Modular Housing

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if modular housing has the status of mobile homes; and if he will make a statement. [43902]

Ms Keeble: Mobile homes legislation defines mobile homes as any structure designed or adapted for human habitation which is capable of being moved from one place to another (whether by being towed, or by being transported on a motor vehicle or trailer) and any motor vehicle so designed or adapted. This may include a structure separately constructed and designed to be assembled on a site provided that, when assembled, it is physically capable of being moved.

Subject to the views of the courts, a flat-pack home may fall within this definition. However, what is installed on a site licensed under the mobile homes legislation is a matter for the owner of the site, subject to local planning considerations.

Planning Appeals

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many appeals have been referred to his Department under section 21 of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990; what were the results of these appeals; how long it took his Department to make a decision from receipt of the inspector's report in each year since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [44561]

Ms Keeble: All appeals under section 21 of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 are referred to the Secretary of State for decision. Since 1992 ten appeals have been made five of which were subsequently withdrawn by the appellant. Of the others, two were allowed, one was refused and two have yet to be determined.

Only one appeal has been determined since 1997. The decision, issued on 17 February 2000 was taken within 19 weeks of receipt of the Inspector's report.

Stolen Equipment

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, columns 182–84W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement. [41500]

Dr. Whitehead: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is the policy of the department that thefts of equipment should be reported to the police. It is for them in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a prosecution to take place.

Hedges

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what

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regulations there are to control the size of garden hedges, with specific reference to permitting sufficient light for neighbours. [43043]

Ms Keeble: There are no regulations to control the size of garden hedges. Guidelines, which provide an objective method for assessing whether high hedges block out too much light to adjoining properties, were published on my Department's website in December 2001. We want to encourage people to apply the guidelines and use the results to settle disputes with their neighbours amicably. We are preparing a leaflet specially designed for this purpose, which we expect to launch in the spring. But the guidelines have no statutory force.

We recognise that, in some cases, guidance and voluntary action is no substitute for a legal remedy to the problems caused by high hedges. We remain committed, therefore, to bringing forward legislation to set up a statutory complaints system for dealing with high hedge problems as soon as there is space in the Parliamentary timetable.

National Air Traffic Services

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) whether the employee shareholders of NATS were invited to contribute to the recent re-financing; [44238]

(2) what form the Government's recent financial assistance to NATS takes. [44237]

Mr. Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 807W.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Cotswold on 12 February refs 37055 and 37057 on NATS, when he will receive an answer. [39760]

Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on Monday 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 806W, and Tuesday 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 176W.

West Coast Mainline

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will make an announcement on the next phase of the west coast main line upgrade. [44234]

Mr. Spellar: The SRA are currently working with Railtrack and other stakeholders on a review of the outputs from the west coast main line upgrade, and will make an announcement in due course.

Coast Protection

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent to which the proposed pontoon for the new Brixham lifeboat will affect the activities of the Brixham Sea Rangers, in deciding whether to grant a harbour revision order under the Coast Protection Act 1949; and when he plans to make a decision. [43837]

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Mr. Jamieson: I can confirm that the Department has received an application from the RNLI under section 34 of the Coast Protection Act 1949 for consent for the construction of an alongside berth.

I am also aware that a particular consideration of this case is the Brixham Sea Rangers' concern that the proposed site of the new berth encroaches on a section of water granted for their own use.

This issue is currently being addressed by the applicant and we understand that a mutually agreeable compromise may be achievable.

Drivers' Hours

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the status is for the purpose of drivers' hours regulations of time spent by a driver out of his vehicle during a journey by car ferry. [44280]

Mr. Jamieson: Time spent on a ferryboat can be treated as a break or as part of the driver's daily rest period if it exceeds one hour in duration. But a driver is only allowed to interrupt his daily rest period once to enable him to embark or disembark a ferryboat, and in doing so, must add two hours to the total rest time.

Coalfields Regeneration Trust

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, with particular reference to (a) St. Helens, South, (b) St. Helens metropolitan borough and (c) Merseyside. [42411]

Ms Keeble: The total grant made by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust within Merseyside, up to March 2001, was £1,538,133. Of that, £215,322 went to projects in St. Helens, North and £733,498 to St. Helens, South. A further £589,313 was allocated to projects which spanned the St. Helens metropolitan borough.

Playgrounds

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations govern the materials which can be used to provide safety surfaces in children's playgrounds. [38698]

Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply

There are no statutory regulations governing the materials which can be used to provide safety surfaces in children's playgrounds.

DCMS funds research into children's play issues in England, including play safety. This work is currently carried out for us by the Children's Play Council, which has set up the Play Safety Forum to identify the key issues affecting play safety. DCMS officials attend this forum, which is working on a statement on play safety.

Research

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer

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of 4 March, Official Report, column 91W, on research documentation, for what reason the Department does not hold this information centrally. [42305]

Mr. Jamieson: The information is not currently available centrally without disproportionate cost because responsibility for DTLR research is devolved to individual policy areas and programmes are not managed centrally. However, the Department is developing a central research database facility which is currently being populated with data. This should enable more information on research to be made available from a central source in future.

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