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Grant Aid (Airports/Ports)
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals for grant aid are being considered for (a) airports and (b) ports; whether clearance for any proposed grant aid (i) has been and (ii) is intended to be sought from the European Commission; how much grant aid is proposed; and for what purposes the grant aid is proposed. [54944]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department for Transport has no proposals to provide grant aid for ports or airports.
High-risk Marine Areas
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria were used by his Department to determine the marine areas for designation as marine environmental high risk areas. [56551]
Dr. Ladyman: In his report Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas" Lord Donaldson charged the Department for Transport and the then Department of the Environment with determining how to identify MEHRAs. The Department for Transport, Department of the Environment and now Defra have worked closely with Devolved Administrations and statutory nature conservation advisors to develop the process for identifying MEHRAs through a robust and objective methodology. This included a parallel assessment of pollution from shipping risk and environmental sensitivity. Other environmental protection measures already in place at each location were also taken into consideration.
The assessment of Coastal Pollution risk involved five distinct processes:
The approach taken to the assessment of the environmental sensitivity of each coastal cell was developed from the considerations outlined in Lord Donaldson's report 'Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas'. The classification of sites was however expanded considerably to include the following categories:
In accordance with this methodology, only those areas which scored highly both in terms of environmental sensitivity and in terms of risk from shipping qualified as MEHRAs. They represent approximately 9 per cent. of the UK coastline, which is consistent with Lord Donaldson's view that not more than 10 per cent. of the UK coastline should qualify as MEHRAs.
Light Rail Schemes
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the guidance for promoters of light rail schemes referred to in the Treasury Minute in response to the Eleventh Report of 2004–05 from the Committee of Public Accounts. [56771]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 7 March 2006]: The Department is working with UKTram, which brings together representatives of the light rail industry, on development of the draft guidance. We aim to publish it later this year.
Local Government Finance
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding each local transport authority received in each year since 1997–98 (a) in total, (b) per mile of road and (c) per head of population. [51653]
Ms Buck: Table 1, which follows, shows the total funding allocated to local authorities in the local transport capital settlements between 1998–99 and 2005–06 (inclusive) in terms of totals, per mile of road and per head of population.
The funding levels per mile and per head vary between local authorities for a number of reasons. The pressures to invest vary—for example the need to maintain roads, the level of casualties and the levels of bus use
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differ between areas in ways that are not directly proportionate to road length or population. Some figures are affected significantly by one-off major projects. The quality of local transport plans and their delivery also affects some capital funding allocations.
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Local transport capital funding allocations made to local authorities each year between 1997–98 and 2005–06 inclusive were placed in the Libraries of the House on 18 January 2006 and are also on the DfT website.
Notes:
1. Figures are the total local transport capital allocations (in £000) made for 1998–99 to 2005–06. 1997–98 is not included as some councils' boundaries were changed, abolished or created between 1997–98 and 1998–99.
2. London authorities and the Isles of Scilly council are not included as they are not included in the local transport plan system. The Greater London Authority makes transport capital allocations to London boroughs.
3. Figures for metropolitan areas are county wide and relate to the sum of allocations made to district councils and passenger transport authorities.
4. A few other councils have been combined as they produce joint transport plans.
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