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6 May 2003 : Column 610W—continued

Aircraft Noise

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the health risks

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associated with the impact of aircraft noise on people; and how many people he estimates have had their health affected by aircraft noise in the South East of England region. [111138]

Mr. Jamieson: Available evidence suggests that aircraft noise, either at current levels or at the far higher levels experienced in the 1970s around Heathrow, has no detectable direct effect on the physical health of communities near airports. However, health may be interpreted more widely to encompass impacts upon quality of life, including sleep disturbance and serious annoyance otherwise caused. Some indication of the scale of annoyance is available from noise contours, which have substantially contracted at Heathrow and Gatwick over the past two decades or so (but have expanded at Stansted).

Daytime contours for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports in 2001 are available on the DfT website at www.aviation.dft.gov.iik/nec01/index.htm. Further information for these and other airports in the South East is available in the relevant consultation documents on the Future Development of Air Transport and supporting technical material.

The Government are signatory to the WHO Charter on Transport, the Environment and Health, and have regard to the guidelines referred to therein.

Bull Bars

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action she intends to take on bull bars following the consultation exercise carried out during the last Parliament; and if she will bring forward legislation for aggressive bull bars to be made illegal. [111151]

Mr. Jamieson: The most effective way of controlling aggressive bull bars is via technical standards in European legislation.

We have submitted a technical proposal, following UK research, to the Commission setting out how this could be achieved. We expect the Commission to bring forward its proposals on controlling bull bars later this year.

In the meantime we welcome the commitment by the European Motor Industry to stop fitting rigid bull bars to new cars from 2002.

Bus Crime

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Home Office, (b) the Metropolitan Police and (c) Transport for London regarding crime on buses in the London Borough of Havering; and if he will make a statement. [110548]

Mr. Jamieson: The Secretary of State meets with other Ministers and the Mayor of London from time to time to discuss a variety of transport issues, including those relating to safety and security on buses. Issues relating to crime on buses in London are primarily a matter for the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police Authority.

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Goods Vehicle Operators Licences

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the application for a Goods Vehicle Operators licence in the Caerwent area of Monmouthshire; what representations can be submitted by parish or community councils with respect to such applications; and what representations have been received by Caerwent Community Council. [111284]

Mr. Jamieson: The administration of the goods vehicle operator licensing system is the responsibility of statutorily independent Traffic Commissioners. A person may make representations against the grant of the licence application if they own or occupy land or buildings in the vicinity of a proposed operating centre. This can include parish or community councils.

Highways Agency (Illegal Encampments)

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what guidance is given to Highways Agency staff on illegal camping on agency property; [111006]

(2) when the Highways Agency was informed of the illegal occupation of their land at Foston, Derbyshire; and when the agency sought a notice to quit the site. [111007]

Mr. Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Mark Todd, dated 6 May 2003:

The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking what guidance is given to Highways Agency staff on illegal camping on Agency property, when the Agency was made aware of the illegal occupation of its land at Foston, Derbyshire, and when it sought a notice to quit the site.

Highways Agency staff are guided by the advice contained in Department of the Environment Circular 18/94 "Gypsy Sites Policy and Unauthorised Camping". That states that Gypsies should not be moved unnecessarily from unauthorised encampments when they are causing no nuisance.

The Agency was first notified on 24 March that Gypsies had occupied the land adjacent to the A50/A511 in Foston. An assessment of the situation was carried out on 25 March, which concluded the Gypsies were creating a nuisance. Notices requiring them to vacate the site within 48 hours were served on 9 April. Treasury Solicitor was instructed to commence legal proceedings on 15 April and we anticipate the required papers will be lodged with the Court by 9 May.

Market Testing

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated level of saving to the Department is from the use of market testing in 2002–03. [107759]

Mr. Jamieson: My Department did not use market testing in 2002–03.

Motor Insurers Bureau

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms exist (a) for the regulation and (b) for the supervision of the Motor Insurers Bureau. [110897]

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Mr. Jamieson: The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) is a Company Limited by guarantee which was set up and is managed by the Insurance Industry.

There are long standing legally binding agreements between the Department for Transport and the MIB which provide compensation for the victims of accidents in which the other party is either an uninsured driver or an untraced driver (hit and run).

The MIB administers those schemes according to those agreements. Officials in my Department have regular meetings with the management of the MIB to consider any issues arising from the agreements.

The Board of Directors of the MIB supervise the affairs of the company in accordance with all applicable law.

Road Safety

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) recommendations and (b) advice are issued by his Department to local authorities wishing to introduce 20 mph speed restrictions in certain areas. [111080]

Mr. Jamieson: Guidance and advice on the introduction of 20 mph speed limits and 20mph zones is contained in Circular Roads 05/99 and Traffic Advisory Leaflet 9/99. Responsibility for implementation rests solely with each local authority.

Traffic Commissioner for Wales

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to re-locate the Traffic Commissioner for Wales from Birmingham to Wales. [111285]

Mr. Jamieson: There are no plans to re-locate the Traffic Commissioner for Wales from Birmingham to a location in Wales. However the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency business plan for 2003–04 makes it clear that there are plans to provide a Traffic Area presence at Llantrisant and Wrexham HGV test stations.

TREASURY

Employment

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which local authority areas have (a) less than 50 per cent., (b) 50 to 55 per cent., (c) 56 to 60 per cent., (d) 61 to 65 per cent.,(e) 66 to 70 per cent.,(f) 71 to 75 per cent., (g) 76 to 80 per cent., (h) 81 to 85 per cent. and (i) 86 to 90 per cent. employment rates. [110687]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Frank Field dated 6 May 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment rates. (110687)

I am placing in the House of Commons Library tables listing local authorities in the United Kingdom according to the specified ranges of employment rates for persons of working age.

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Illegal Meat Imports

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many sniffer dogs are trained to find illegally imported meat at (a) ports and (b) airports [111268]

John Healey: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made clear in her written ministerial statement of 25 March 2003, Official Report, column 6WS, responsibility for anti-smuggling controls on the import of illegal meat and meat products has been transferred to HM Customs and Excise, with effect from 11 April 2003. This includes responsibility for the two fully trained dogs from the detector dog pilot based at Heathrow. Customs now plan to train four further dogs for this purpose. All of these dogs can be deployed at any port or airport in the UK.

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of containers arriving at British ports are scanned for illegally imported meat. [111186]

John Healey: The information requested is not available.

Customs use a risk-based intelligence approach in selecting freight traffic for anti-smuggling checks. Because many of the risk factors are not commodity-specific, it is not practical to record these checks on a commodity basis.

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