| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 Jul 2004 : Column 1258W—continued
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Aerial Appliances (Fire Safety)
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what full review the West Yorkshire Fire Service has undertaken since 1994 and prior to the present review of aerial appliance provision in accordance with guidance issued in DCOL 1/1994; what the outcomes were; what empirical evidence was used in previous reviews and how it differed from the present review; what over-provision in (a) the number and type of appliances and (b) crewing patterns were identified by the chief fire officer in past reviews; and whether these options for reduction were brought to the attention of the fire authority. [184343]
Mr. Raynsford: Following receipt of DCOL 1/94 guidance, aerial appliance provision was reviewed in West Yorkshire in 1994 and 2002. Any further information on the outcomes of the reviews should be directed to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the West Yorkshire Fire Service has identified appropriate response standards with regard to attendance times for aerial appliances following the removal of national standards; what the attendance times for aerial appliances within the Halifax area will be; what the attendance times for aerial back up to Halifax will be if the appliance is unavailable owing to the dual crewing proposal; and which dual pump/aerial appliances have been identified as presenting a suitable alternative to the present arrangements. [184344]
Mr. Raynsford: The Integrated Risk Management Plan proposes that, with the withdrawal of DCOL 1/94 guidance, aerial attendance times can now be based on the same premise as other special appliances, i.e. as fast an attendance as possible based on strategic location. Information about attendance times for appliances in Halifax would best be directed to West Yorkshire Fire Service.
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what risk assessments have been undertaken prior to the removal of the attendance of aerial appliances from automatic fire alarm actuations; what effect he estimates these will have on (a) commercial and (b) residential properties and occupiers' fire safety plans; and what effect he expects the reduction in aerial appliances to have on (i) standard operating procedures when attending incidents in high rise premises and (ii) the time taken before intervention by firefighters. [184345]
Mr. Raynsford:
A comprehensive review of all operational activity over the past five years has been undertaken by West Yorkshire Fire Authority. A formal consultation exercise is currently ongoing in relation to the findings of this review. It concludes on 13 September and includes representative bodies, local authorities and neighbouring brigades. Standard operating procedures relevant to high rise, commercial and residential properties are not based upon the use of an aerial appliance, however, if one is needed it can be called upon. Occupiers' fire safety plans have no dependence on the attendance of an aerial appliance.
15 Jul 2004 : Column 1259W
Brownfield Sites
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the time taken by the Environment Agency to give consent to plans for the cleaning up of brownfield sites; and if he will make a statement. [183473]
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister works closely with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and with the Environment Agency on issues relating to the treatment and disposal of contaminated soils in order to achieve the timely and effective remediation of brownfield land.
Children (Temporary Accommodation)
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many children were living in temporary accommodation in Hampshire in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [183662]
Phil Hope: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly, although the-number of children living in temporary accommodation is not available.
Information on the number of households that contain dependent children and/or expectant mothers in various types of temporary accommodation has been collected since March 2002. The following table shows the number of households in temporary accommodation in Hampshire since March 2002 and how many of these households contained dependent children and/or an expectant mother.
| As at 31 March | All households | Households with dependant 1 children |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2,200 | 1,300 |
| 2003 | 2,500 | 1,600 |
| 2004 | 2,500 | 2,000 |
l Includes households with an expectant mother.
Note:
Rounded totals include estimates for any non-response.
Source:
ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly).
Departmental Publications
Dr. Cable: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many departmental publications are in storage; and where they are located. [183875]
Phil Hope: There are currently some 1,470 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's publication titles held at the Office's distribution contractor's premises near Wetherby, West Yorkshire. This comprises free and priced material, and includes posters, alternative language versions, and other media such as video and audiocassette, and some where there is no physical stock but copies are available on demand.
There are also some 100 non-parliamentary Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's publication titles published and distributed by the commercial publisher, TSO, on behalf of Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. These are held in South West London, although decisions on
15 Jul 2004 : Column 1260W
retention and storage are a matter for the publisher who may also rely on the use of on-demand printing facilities to meet the demand for copies.
Fire Service
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Local Government Minister next plans to meet firefighters' representatives to discuss the industrial dispute. [184030]
Mr. Raynsford: The firefighters' industrial dispute is primarily a matter between the Fire and Rescue Services Employers and the Fire Brigades Union. I have no plans to discuss the dispute with firefighters' representatives.
Green Belt
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has regarding Green Belt provision in the Thames Gateway development area. [183477]
Phil Hope: Policy on Green Belt provision in the Thames Gateway is no different from any other area of England. The Government remain committed to maintaining or increasing the amount of Green Belt in every region. Any proposals for changes to Green Belt boundaries should be considered through the development plan process and exceptional circumstances will need to be demonstrated before such changes are approved. In addition, Green Belt policies set out in Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) note 2 will continue to apply to any planning applications for the development of Green Belt land in the Thames Gateway.
One of the key features of the Thames Gateway as a suitable location for sustainable development is the presence of a substantial reservoir of previously developed and brownfield land. The Gateway is estimated to contain some 2 per cent. of the land area of the South East but 17 per cent. of its current supply of previously developed land. In all, it contains 3,000 hectares of brownfield sites—the largest such resource of previously developed land close to a capital city in Europe.
The national target for development on previously developed land is 60 per cent. In the period 1997–2000, an estimated 80 per cent. of new dwellings in the Gateway were built on previously developed land. The targeted investment now being mobilised through funding from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Transport and Regional Development Agencies aims to maintain this trend by increasing the viability and potential development density on key sites in the Gateway.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport regarding the provision of transport infrastructure for the Thames Gateway development area; and if he will make a statement. [183478]
Phil Hope:
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Department for Transport have regular discussions regarding transport infrastructure in the Thames Gateway, both at official and ministerial level.
15 Jul 2004 : Column 1261W
Government have already committed £600 million to transport schemes in the Thames Gateway. Committed schemes include the Docklands Light Railway extension to City airport; dual carriageway development of A228 in Grain; the first phase of West Thurrock ring road; and the A249 (Iwade to Queensborough) second Swale Crossing in Kent.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his assessment is of the impact of the provision of transport infrastructure in the Thames Gateway development area on the green belt. [183479]
Phil Hope: Policy on Green Belt in the Thames Gateway is no different from any other area of England. The Government remain committed to maintaining or increasing the amount of Green Belt in every region. Any proposals for changes to Green Belt boundaries should be considered through the development plan process and exceptional circumstances will need to be demonstrated before such changes are approved. In addition, Green Belt policies set out in Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) note 2 will continue to apply to any planning applications for the development of Green Belt land in the Thames Gateway.
Planning Policy Guidance note (PPG) 13 on Transport also applies in the Thames Gateway as elsewhere. It states that care must be taken to avoid or minimise the environmental impact of any new transport infrastructure projects, and that wherever possible appropriate measures should be implemented to mitigate their impacts. For transport proposals such as roads and rail lines, which are likely to have significant environmental effects, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required before development consent is granted.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |