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Underground Schemes

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on new urban underground schemes as a practical solution to future transport management. [189921]

Charlotte Atkins: It would be for local transport authorities, including Passenger Transport Authorities and the Mayor for London, to propose new urban underground schemes as part of their plans. Each scheme would need to be considered on the basis of its value for money, including its wider benefits, and affordability. The cost of such schemes means it is unlikely they would be justified except on corridors with the highest level of demand.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Chagos Islanders

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which departmental Ministers have responsibility for discussions with West Sussex county council about the costs of looking after Chagos Islanders arriving at Gatwick. [190153]

Phil Hope: Officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Government Office for the South East, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department of Health, Department for Work and Pensions and the Prime Minister's Office met West Sussex county council on Thursday 30 September to discuss support for Chagos Islanders arriving at Gatwick airport.

Corporation of London (Planning Policy)

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will initiate an inquiry into the planning policies and procedures of the Corporation of London. [190161]

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to initiate an inquiry into the planning policies and procedures of the Corporation of London. As local authorities are elected autonomous bodies, the Government do not routinely comment on or investigate their day-to-day administration of the planning system. Local authorities are accountable to their electorate, their Auditor, and ultimately to the Courts.

Historic Areas (New Buildings)

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet the Royal Institute of British Architects to discuss the standards and quality of new buildings in historic areas, with particular reference to the City of London. [190157]

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to discuss these issues with the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet representatives of the construction industry to discuss their responsibilities for quality building in historic areas, with particular reference to the City of London. [190158]

 
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Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to discuss these issues with the construction industry.

Traveller Sites (Buckinghamshire)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) local authority and (b) private traveller sites there were in the Buckingham constituency in each year since 2002. [191071]

Keith Hill: The Gypsy and Traveller Count collects data by local authority area rather than by constituency. However, the following data collected from Aylesbury Vale district council are available:

	Number of local authority sites	Number of private sites
2002	1	4
2003	2	4
2004	2	6

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many traveller (a) caravans and (b) families were on (i) authorised and (ii) unauthorised sites in the Buckingham constituency in each of the last three years. [191072]

Keith Hill: The Gypsy and Traveller Count collects data by local authority area rather than by constituency. However, the following data collected from Aylesbury Vale district council are available:

	Authorised caravans	Unauthorised caravans
January 2002	19	11
July 2002	19	10
January 2003	32	45
July 2003	26	18
January 2004	21	10

Note:
Information relating to the Count carried out in July 2004 will be published shortly.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Resource Unit

Mr. Salter: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission to what grade of parliamentary pass staff working for the Parliamentary Resource Unit are entitled. [189275]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: The staff working for the Parliamentary Resource Unit have a Members' Research Assistant photo-identity pass, either a 9B (permanent) or a 9D (temporary).

Recycling

Mr. Hancock: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what quantity of (a) glass, (b) paper, (c) cardboard, (d) plastic, (e) metal and (f) other materials have been (i) recovered and (ii) recycled from the waste stream of the parliamentary estate in each of the last
 
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three years; what percentage this represents of total waste in each case; what plans there are to increase the amount recycled; and if he will make a statement. [189755]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: In the last three financial years the quantities of waste recycled were as follows:

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05 (4 months)
Glass (tonnes)	256	173	61
Paper and cardboard (tonnes)	263	379	121
Metal (tonnes)	46	50	(1)—
Oil (tonnes)	7	4	3
In addition, fluorescent tubes and toner cartridges were recycled.
Percentage of total waste recycled	25	26	28
Percentage of waste recovered	100	100	100

⁽¹⁾ Extracted at incinerator. Not separately weighed.

Recycling means that an item is reused. Recovery means that the waste is utilised in some way, for example incineration to generate electricity. Percentages of waste recycled and recovered exceed Government targets, which are to recycle 25 per cent. and recover 40 per cent.

The Waste Recycling Steering Group meets regularly and works closely with its contractors to maximise the amount of waste which is recycled from the parliamentary estate.

Summer Works Programme

Mr. Gale: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate he has made of the cost of the summer works programme in 2004; and what estimate he has made of what the cost would have been had the House not been sitting in September. [190008]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Sir John Butterfill) on 12 October 2004, Official Report, column 203W.

Mr. Gale: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost of the summer works programme in 2003 was; and what estimate he has made of what the cost would have been had the House not sat in September 2003. [190009]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: The estimated cost of the summer works programme for 2003 was some £4.5 million and the estimate of the cost if the House had not sat in September was around £4.4 million.

WALES

Welsh Grand Committee

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings of the Welsh Grand Committee there have been in each year since 1997; where the meetings were held; and what the subject matter of debate for each Committee meeting was. [189916]

Mr. Touhig: There have been 27 meetings of the Welsh Grand Committee, of which, all except five have taken place in Westminster.
 
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The meeting on 30 June 1997 took place in Mold; 5 May 1998 in Carmarthen; 13 July 1998 in Merthyr Tydfil; 22 February 1999 in Aberaeron; and 12 March 2001 took place in Cwmbran.

The following list gives the dates and subject matter:

30 June 1997—The Government's Programme for Wales

18 November 1997—North Wales and The Government's Proposals for a Welsh Assembly

16 December 1997—Government Expenditure in Wales 1998–99

5 May 1998—The Rural Economy in Wales

13 July 1998—New Economic Agenda in Wales

16 December Government Expenditure in Wales 1999–2000 and 2001–02

22 February 1999—Transport Policy in Wales

14 December 1999—Government's Legislative Programme

4 April 2000—Budget Statement

16 May 2000—Welsh Economy

20 June 2000—Social Exclusion in Wales

19 July 2000—Comprehensive Spending Review

11 December 2000—Queens Speech and the Chancellor's Pre-Budget Statement

13 February 2001—Building Safer Communities

12 March 2001—Budget Statement

3 July 2001—Government's Legislative Programme

28 November 2001—Pre-Budget Statement

24 April 2002—Budget Statement

16 July 2002—Draft National Health Service (Wales) Bill

21 November 2002—Government's Legislative Programme

5 December 2002—Pre-Budget Statement

24 June 2003—Economy in Wales

15 July 2003—Draft Public Audit (Wales) Bill

16 December 2003—Government's Legislative Programme and Public Expenditure in Wales

24 March 2004—Budget Statement

6 July 2004—Richard Commission

20 July 2004—Draft Transport (Wales) Bill.

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