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Written Ministerial Statements Tuesday 8 April 2003
TRANSPORT
Airports (Night Noise Restrictions)
The Minister of State, Department of Transport (Mr. John Spellar): On 27 February I announced (Official Report, col 26WS) that we had been considering the timetable for the forthcoming consultation about night restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports and that we had decided to consult shortly on an interim proposal to extend the present night restrictions regime at those airports for a further year, to October 2005. This consultation paper is published today.
The policy background to the night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted is changing. New European Community legislation is coming into effect; the Government is awaiting the outcome of a long running European Court of Human Rights case about an earlier night restrictions regime at Heathrow Airport; and we are continuing with our major consultation "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" which refers to aspects of night noise policy.
In view of these developments, as the consultation paper explains, we propose to continue the current night restrictions regime at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted for a further year, until 30 October 2005. We propose that the movements limits and noise quota for both the winter and summer seasons remain the same as for the respective seasons for each airport in the year from 26 October 2003 to 31 October 2004.
The consultation paper also commences consideration of some of the general principles and policies underlying the night restrictions; in particular, the present policy of having common arrangements at all three airports and the broad issues relating to the possible extension of the night quota period (currently 2330–0600).
It also explains how we intend to take forward the results of two reviews relating to the classification of aircraft for night restrictions purposes and how we intend to take forward the results of a separate review of the departure noise limits and the related noise monitoring arrangements.
The consultation will close on 11 July. Copies of the consultation paper are available in the House Library. All responses will be taken into account. Subject to those responses, we aim to announce our decision on the proposals for 2004–05, by 31 October 2003. Responses on other matters covered in this consultation paper will
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be taken into account in developing proposals for the next night restrictions regime for consultation, in due course. They will also be taken into account as appropriate in the forthcoming Air Transport White Paper.
PRIME MINISTER
Committee on Standards in Public Life
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): I am pleased to announce that the ninth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, entitled "Defining the Boundaries within the Executive: Ministers, Special Advisers and the permanent Civil Service", has been published today by the Committee.
Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Libraries.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Regional Development Agencies
The Minister for Employment Relations, Industry and the Regions (Alan Johnson): I would like to inform members of the House how the Department will report on the performance of the Regional Development Agencies, including the London Development Agency which reports to the Mayor of London.
RDAs are funded through the cross departmental Single Programme funding mechanism known as the Single Pot. Attached to the Single Pot is a set of challenging targets which were agreed with the RDAs, and in the case of London, with the Mayor.
RDAs' achievement against their Tier 3 milestone (output) targets will be reported to the House twice yearly. This will be shortly after the RDAs have submitted their reported achievements against the output targets for the first six months of the financial year and again at the end of the year.
More information about the performance monitoring framework for the RDAs is available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/rda/info/index.htm.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Resource Distribution
The Minister for Social Exclusion and Deputy Minister for Women (Mrs. Barbara Roche): In my written Statement on Friday 4 April, I announced that we would be making available £800 million to local authorities from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) in 2004–05 and 2005–06 as part of our strategy to revitalise England's poorest neighbourhoods and create places where people want to live, not leave.
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I am today announcing the details of individual allocations for each of the 88 local authorities that are eligible for NRF. These are set out in the table below.
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