House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 May 2002 (pt 11)

Planning

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the balance was between (a) favourable and (b) unfavourable responses to the proposal in the planning Green Paper to regionalise planning responsibilities held at county level. [55772]

Ms Keeble: An analysis of the responses to the planning Green Paper is contained in the report of the consultants Smith and Williamson, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Spoiled Ballot Papers

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library a list of the number of ballots rejected owing to want of an official mark in the local elections held on 2 May broken down by (a) London borough and (b) London borough election ward. [56134]

Dr. Whitehead: This information is not collected centrally.

Marine Environment

Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how the Government intends to combine simplification of the coastal development regulatory system with continuing to protect the marine environment and maintain stakeholder involvement. [56047]

Mr. Jamieson: The current regime for consenting development in coastal waters has developed over many years in a piecemeal way. There is general consensus among stakeholders that it has become too complex. The Government will therefore review the system with the aim

15 May 2002 : Column 674W

of streamlining it and at the same time ensuring that Government's objectives for protection of the marine environment can be met. Stakeholders' views will inform the review and any proposals emerging from it will be fully consulted on. The terms of reference for the review will be announced shortly.

Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what performance targets he has set the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre Executive Agency for 2002–03. [57291]

Dr. Whitehead: The agency's principal financial target for 2002–03 is to achieve a minimum contribution to the Exchequer of £300,000.

An operational target has been set to achieve combined room occupancy of 400 days in the three key conference areas within the centre.

The agency is also being required to achieve a total of at least 25 stand-alone banqueting events. It also has the following quality of service targets:

Overall score for value for money satisfaction of 90 per cent.

The number of complaints received to be less than two per 100 events

An average response time when answering complaints of less than four working days.

Departmental Policies

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what impact his Department's policies have had on the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency since 1997. [54330]

Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 7 May 2002]: The principal kinds of funding which this Department has provided to Tameside metropolitan borough council since 1997 are shown in the table. It is for the borough council to decide where within its boundary, including the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency, these resources are applied.

£ million

Item 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03

Revenue support grant ⁽⁵⁾— 90 95 93 99 98

Income from national non-domestic rates ⁽⁵⁾— 50 55 61 60 65

Central Government capital grant 7 5 9 8 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Credit approvals available⁽⁹⁾ 10 10 8 13 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 0.6 1.0

Single Regeneration Budget 2.5 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.8 3.5

European Funding ⁽⁷⁾— ⁽⁷⁾— ⁽⁷⁾— ⁽⁸⁾— ⁽⁸⁾— ⁽⁸⁾—

Transport Supplementary Grant 0.8 0.5 — — — —

Item	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
Revenue support grant	⁽⁵⁾—	90	95	93	99	98
Income from national non-domestic rates	⁽⁵⁾—	50	55	61	60	65
Central Government capital grant	7	5	9	8	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Credit approvals available⁽⁹⁾	10	10	8	13	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund					0.6	1.0
Single Regeneration Budget	2.5	2.8	3.1	3.2	3.8	3.5
European Funding	⁽⁷⁾—	⁽⁷⁾—	⁽⁷⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—
Transport Supplementary Grant	0.8	0.5	—	—	—	—

Notes:

⁽⁵⁾ No figures available.

⁽⁶⁾ These figures have come from returns made by Tameside MBC to the Department. Figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are not yet available.

⁽⁷⁾ The 1997–99 Objective 2 Programme provided £38 million European funding to the Manchester City Pride Area which includes the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency.

⁽⁸⁾ The 2000–06 Objective 2 Programme is providing £36 million European funding to the Manchester sub region which includes the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency.

⁽⁹⁾ Covers housing, transport, social services, education.

Departmental Report

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he plans to publish his Department's annual report. [56033]

Dr. Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 774W.

15 May 2002 : Column 675W

Nesscliffe Bypass

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the completion of the Nesscliffe bypass on the A5 road. [56185]

Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to reply to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 15 May 2002:

The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about completion of the A5 Nesscliffe Bypass.

Work on Nesscliffe Bypass started in February this year and is on schedule for completion in Spring 2003. Current work includes site clearance, earthworks, drainage and the diversion of water, electricity and telecommunications services. Construction of the Wolfshead roundabout, which will link the new road with the existing A5, has begun and, during the early Summer, there will be traffic management on the A5 to enable the roundabout to be completed. The planting will be done towards the end of the contract.

If you require any further information, Paul Tully, the Project Sponsor for this scheme, would be pleased to help. He can be contacted at the Agency's offices at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1BL or by telephone on 0121 678 8456.

Bus Services

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of public bus services in England have been operated by Arriva in the last three years for which figures are available. [56190]

Ms Keeble: This information is not collected by my Department. However, information in the Bus Industry Monitor 2001 (published by TAS Publications & Events Ltd.) indicates that Arriva services represent around 15 per cent. of the total bus market, measured by turnover.

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much public subsidy has been paid to Arriva to maintain public bus services in England in the last three years for which figures are available. [56191]

Ms Keeble: Arriva, like many other bus companies, receives public support for maintaining bus services in the form of local authority funding of contracted subsidised services and concessionary fares and fuel duty rebate from my Department.

My Department does not collect information on the amounts received by individual bus companies from local authorities.

The amounts paid to individual claimants for fuel duty rebate are regarded as commercially confidential.

We are undertaking a review of bus subsidy mechanisms to ensure that they contribute as effectively as possible to the achievement of our objectives.

Road Bridges (Railways)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he takes to ensure that contractors accessing pylons are not endangering road bridges over railways. [56050]

15 May 2002 : Column 676W

Mr. Jamieson: Contractors working on pylons on behalf of their operators are expected to comply with work practices that satisfy current safety legislation. This includes interaction with any related or third party structures.

Parking

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much has been raised in England and Wales from the issuing of parking tickets in the last financial year for which figures are available. [55753]

Mr. Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Baillieston (Mr. Wray) on 26 March 2002, Official Report, columns 962–63W.

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