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London Underground (Fire Safety)

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2005, Official Report, column 842W, on London Underground (Fire Regulations), if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to revise legislation dealing with general fire safety on the London Underground. [33212]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have, with the support of all sides of the House, brought forward a reform of general fire safety legislation in the form of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (SI 2005 No. 1541). The Select Committees that considered the draft order (the Regulatory Reform Committee and the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in another place) considered that continuance of the necessary protections afforded by the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations Regulations 1989 (as amended) by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 could be demonstrated by guidance. The Government are firmly of the view that all necessary protections are either continued or enhanced by the new regime. However, in the light of the consideration given by the hon. and noble Members of the Committees, the Government decided to withdraw revocation of the 1989 regulations until such time as guidance was in place which shows how the protections are continued.

Although the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is convinced that the case is made, we always listen to concerns about fire safety. We therefore propose to run the new regime in tandem with the old so that ample evidence of the efficiency and broad ranging nature of the new regime can be shown. Once that evidence has been gathered we expect to proceed to remove the 1989 regulations. However, the evidence shows there to be a gap, or a problem we have not foreseen, then we will work to make sure any such gap or risk is fully addressed before the 1989 regulations are removed.

We believe the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, addressing as it does all general fire safety risks and placing prevention of fire and mitigation of the effects of fire as of equal standing to safe evacuation is the right way forward. However, the safety of the public using and staff working on the underground railway systems is of vital importance and it is not something we will compromise.

Lyons Inquiry

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Lyons inquiry remit includes (a) reviewing the financial case for two-tier local government and (b) the merits of unitary local authorities. [33496]

Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 813W.
 
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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the decision to broaden the Lyons inquiry's remit to include local government pay and salaries. [33503]

Mr. Woolas: The extended remit of Sir Michael Lyons' independent inquiry was announced on 20 September, and a copy of the extended terms of reference was made available in the Library of the House. The remit includes consideration of the mechanisms in place to manage pressures such as pay. There has been no decision to broaden this remit.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air. [27677]

Jim Fitzpatrick: All Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the 'Ministerial Code and Travel' by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

(a) My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to departments in 2004–05. Copies of his letter will be made available in the Library of the House.

For information for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.

(b) and (c) During the financial year 2004–05, expenditure on rail travel by Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was £17,772. Information on the class of tickets obtained is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Detailed information in respect of rail travel taken by ministers since the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002 until 2003–04 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

(d) , (e) and (f) In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information for the financial years 1995–96 to 2004–05. Information for 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.

During the financial year 2004–05, expenditure on domestic flights by ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was £4,378. Information on the class of tickets obtained is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
 
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Detailed information in respect of domestic air travel taken by Ministers since the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed on 29 May 2002 until 2003–04 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mike Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by Ministers within his Department for UK and overseas visits; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets were obtained; and if he will indicate who accompanied the Ministers on each trip. [27809]

Jim Fitzpatrick: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the 'Ministerial Code and Travel' by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used-and shows how many officials accompanied ministers in those circumstances. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for 2005–06 will be published after the end of the financial year.

During the financial year 2004–05, Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have taken 19 domestic flights. Detailed information in respect of flights taken by Ministers since the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002 until 2003–04 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Revaluation

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to allow local councils to revalue properties which have been extended for the purpose of calculating council tax; and if he will make a statement. [35091]

Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to allow local councils to revalue properties which have been extended. This is the statutory responsibility of listing officers employed by the Valuation Office Agency. Properties will be placed in a higher band for council tax purposes only after a sale and only where the increase in value merits this.

Sustainable Communities Plan

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department provides to (a) regional planning bodies and (b) regional assemblies on (i) the allocation of funds for capital programmes and (ii) co-ordination with local authorities covered by the sustainable communities plan. [33474]

Mr. Woolas: Regional assemblies, who are also the regional planning bodies, comprise members from local authorities in their region and other regional stakeholders. They have no responsibilities for allocating funds to bodies in their regions.
 
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In July 2005 the Government invited the regional bodies, the Government Offices, regional development agencies and the regional assemblies, to between them provide advice on regional funding allocations. Guidance on preparing advice issued at the time is available on the HM Treasury's website at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Consultations_and_Leg islation/devolvingdecision_making/regional_funding_alloc ations.cfm

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