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11 Dec 2003 : Column 545Wcontinued
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the ability of the planning process to enable sufficient infrastructure to be built by 2020 to manage waste in compliance with the EU's Landfill Directive. [143288]
Keith Hill: National planning policy on waste management is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 Planning and Waste Management (PPG10). PPG10 underlines that the planning system should enable adequate provision of waste management facilities in appropriate locations, without undue adverse environmental effects or nuisance. As part of the Government's wider planning reform programme, PPG10 will be reviewed in 2004 and updated as a planning policy statement (PPS). The new PPS will properly reflect and state the need for new, or upgraded, waste management facilities of all types. This will include the infrastructure required to support the prime objectives of reduction and recycling but, also, sites and plants for final treatment and disposal.
Mr. Mackay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the performance standards of barriers used on motorways and trunk roads in England and Wales are the same as those used in other EU countries; and if he will make a statement. [142780]
Dr. Howells: The Highways Agency has carried out targeted investigations into performance standards of barriers at the approaches to bridges on motorways and trunk roads in England, and of the comparative performance standards in other EU countries. This found that some other EU countries require higher performance standards than England at these locations.
The Highways Agency is also aware that some other EU countries require higher performance standards than England for motorway and trunk road central reserve barriers. The Highways Agency is currently carrying out research into the potential safety-benefits and cost-effectiveness of increasing the current performance standard for central reserve barriers.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what privileges accrue from having a vehicle fitted with an emergency blue light and siren; and what regulations govern which vehicles may be fitted with such equipment. [143241]
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Dr. Howells: The fitting and use of blue lights on emergency vehicles are controlled by Regulations 16 and 27 of The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, and sirens by Regulations 37 and 99 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
The authority to fit and use blue lights and sirens does not of itself provide any special privileges for drivers.
Privileges often associated with their use, such as exemption from speed limits are contained in Section 87 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, and exemption from certain signals and traffic signs are contained in The Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1997 and The Traffic Signs Regulations 2002.
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of disabled people prevented from working because they are unable to use public transport. [143556]
Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment in that area.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the Hull-Manchester Airport link was not part of FirstGroup's Public Service Requirement when it acquired the TransPennine Express franchise. [143244]
Dr. Howells: The Passenger Service Requirement (PSR) for the Hull-Leeds-Manchester route, as part of the Arriva Trains Northern franchise, does not include an absolute requirement to operate services to Manchester Airport. The TransPennine Express franchise will inherit substantially the same PSR.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much investment there was in transport in the Yorkshire and Humber region in each of the past five years. [143307]
Dr. Howells: I refer the right hon. Member to Public Sector Statistical Analyses 2003 Tables 8.10a to 8.13b where figures covering both transport investment and resource expenditure for the years 199899 to 200102 may be found. Data for 200203 are not yet available.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 165W, on digital television, what estimate has been made of the number of households expected to purchase the new viewing card announced last month which replaces the Solus viewing card. [143497]
Estelle Morris: The latest ITC estimates for Q2 2003 are that 738,900 homes receive Free to Air (FTA) digital satellite services and could therefore wish to buy a viewing card. These figures comprise an estimate of the
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number of Sky viewers who have only ever been FTA viewers plus an estimate of the number of ex-Sky subscribers who continue to use their set-top boxes for viewing FTA channels.
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which projects have been (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by her Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was. [141272]
Mr. Caborn: My Department has wholly or partly funded a wide range of projects in St. Helens since 1997, covering the arts, sport, heritage, museums and libraries. I am particularly pleased that five schools in St. Helens are taking part in the DCMS/Arts Council England 'Creative Partnerships' initiative. Additional information on this initiative and other projects that have been wholly or partly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in St. Helens since 1997 has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to use the proposed Gambling Bill to improve the statutory protection for the welfare of racing greyhounds. [143371]
Mr. Caborn: The Gambling Bill is intended to reform the regulation of gambling rather than make provision for animal welfare: this is a matter for separate legislation now under consideration by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, we envisage that the premises licences for greyhound tracks which local authorities will issue under the proposed Bill will include conditions safeguarding the integrity of betting events which will entail compliance with minimum welfare standards.
The prime responsibility for the welfare of a greyhound must reside with the owner. I am, however, presently exploring with both the bookmaking and greyhound industries if more funds could be provided for welfare through the existing voluntary funding arrangements.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether it is the policy of his Department that the European Constitution should specify poverty eradication as the primary objective of EU development programmes and expenditure in every developing country. [140870]
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Mr. Gareth Thomas: The draft new Treaty suggests that the principal aim of the Union's development policy is to reduce, and in the long term, eradicate poverty. We very much welcome this statement and have lobbied hard for this during the Convention debate.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to improve health delivery mechanisms in developing countries to ensure the dispersal of World Health Organisation-approved generic anti-retroviral drugs; and if he will make a statement. [142621]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is committed to working with others, including our donor partners, the pharmaceutical industry, investors, developing country governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve access to medicines in developing countries, including for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
With the World Health Organisation, DFID believes that affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems, and the rational selection and use of existing drugs are all essential to improve access to medicines.
In line with this, DFID has committed over £1.5 billion since May 1997 to support the strengthening of health and supply systems in developing countries, which will help to build capacity to deliver medicines to the poor and to make effective choices about the selection of drugs. The UK has also pledged $280 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). This will help pay for increased coverage of proven interventions for the three diseases and some associated health systems strengthening. According to UNAIDS, the UK is the second largest bilateral donor for HIV/AIDS programmes.
DFID supports a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, which includes prevention, treatment and care and alleviation of the impact of AIDS. We welcome recent reductions in the price of both patent and generic anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV. These reductions have created new opportunities to allow poor people to benefit from the same life-saving treatment that has been available in affluent countries. We will continue to work with the WHO, the patent based and generic pharmaceutical industries and others to further reduce prices. DFID supports the target set by the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS for three million people receiving treatment by the end of 2005. A new policy on treatment and care, to be launched early next year, will set out how DFID will coordinate work with partners to promote anti-retroviral treatment for poor people and for women.
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his discussions regarding HIV and retro-viral drugs for developing countries. [141931]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID supports a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, which includes prevention, treatment and care and alleviation of the impact of AIDS. Recent reductions in the price of anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV has created
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new opportunities to allow poor people to benefit from the same life-saving treatment that has been available in affluent countries. This is why we support the target set by the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS for three million people receiving treatment by the end of 2005.
DFID, the World Health Organisation and others believe that affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems, and the rational selection and use of existing drugs are all essential to improve access to medicines. DFID is committed to continuing our discussions with others, including our G8 partners, the pharmaceutical industry, investors, developing country governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve access to medicines in developing countries, including for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. A new policy on treatment and care, to be launched early next year, will set out how DFID will coordinate work with partners to promote anti-retroviral treatment for poor people and for women.
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