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20 Oct 2009 : Column 1328W—continued
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of the National Lottery Commission has been in (a) actual and (b) real terms in each year since its establishment. [294649]
Mr. Simon: The information requested is as follows:
| £ million | ||
| FY ending March 31 | Actual cost | Cost in real terms( 1) |
| (1) Costs in 2008-9 prices. Calculated using GDP deflators | ||
Playing Fields: Planning Permission
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times Sport
England has been consulted on planning applications on playing fields below 0.4 hectares in size since April 2009; and how many of those planning applications have been rejected. [293881]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In December 2009 Sport England will publish the latest annual playing field statistics available for the year 2007-08. However, information on the number of applications referred to Sport England as a consequence of the change in definition of a playing pitch from 0.4 to 0.2 hectares will not be available until December 2010.
Sports: Facilities
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of sports facilities in each region are listed on the Active Places website; and how many unique users the website has had in each year since it was set up. [293880]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Active Places only lists certain types of sports facilities. It is therefore not possible to say what proportion of sports facilities in each region are listed on the Active Places website as there are no figures available for this.
The number of unique users the website has had in each year since it was set up is as follows:
| Number | |
| Source: Sport England | |
House of Commons Commission
Parliament Square: Construction
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will take steps to ensure that contractors digging up and closing Parliament square and Victoria street do so as far as possible at times when the House is not sitting. [294141]
Nick Harvey: Works in the streets around the Parliamentary Estate are controlled by Westminster city council and Transport for London. These organisations are aware of the requirement that Members' access is not to be impeded. The Parliamentary Director of Estates will make representations to both organisations on the need to minimise disruption to the House during sitting times.
Transport
Bus Services: Concessions
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the merits of the introduction of mandatory free companion passes for those who accompany blind or partially-sighted people on bus journeys. [292781]
Mr. Khan: The Government recently improved the statutory minimum concession to provide free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England for eligible disabled people and those aged 60 or over.
There are no plans at present to extend the statutory minimum to include companion passes. Under the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, local authorities have the flexibility to offer locally funded benefits over and above the statutory minimum, including companion passes. I believe that local authorities are best placed to know about the needs and circumstances of their residents and to decide on the most appropriate concessions to offer in their particular area based on their overall financial priorities.
The inclusion of companions to the entitlement is not just a question of cost, but also of ensuring robust and fair definitions of eligibility, mitigating against fraud and managing bus services' ability to respond.
The Department for Transport recently commissioned some research on the cost and impact of options for extending the current statutory minimum concessionary travel scheme. Based on this research, the Department estimates that it would cost around an extra £104 million per annum to extend the statutory minimum concession to enable free companion passes to those older and disabled people who require them.
Cycling: Helmets
Annette Brooke: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on the wearing of cycle helmets; and if he will make a statement. [294371]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport frequently receives representations both for and against making the wearing of cycle helmets compulsory.
On Thursday 13 August, the Government responded to a petition submitted by Luke Griggs of Headway-the brain injury association-to introduce a new law to make it compulsory for children under 16 to wear helmets while cycling. The response sets out the Government's position on cycle helmet wearing and can be found on the Number10.gov.uk website at:
Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what studies his Department has undertaken on the effect of the 50 per cent. toll rise on the number of vehicles using the Dartford crossing; and if he will make a statement. [293865]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has not commissioned any specific studies to consider the effect of the recent changes to charges at the Dartford crossing. However, the Highways Agency regularly monitors the performance and use of the crossing. An impact assessment was undertaken on the proposed changes when they were consulted upon.
In a six-month period before the changes to the charges (1 April to 30 September 2008) 27,356,979 vehicles used the Dartford crossing. In a comparable
period (1 April to 30 September 2009) 27,054,297 vehicles used the Dartford crossing after the changes to the charges.
Roads: Speed Limits
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance he has issued to the Highways Agency on the imposition of temporary speed limits on main roads at times when road works are not taking place. [294142]
Chris Mole: National guidance to all highway authorities, including the Highways Agency about applying temporary speed limits during the suspension of road works, is given in Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8 paragraphs D3.7.10 and D3.7.11. The guidance seeks to prompt designers and operatives to remove speed limits when cones etc. have been removed and there are no other risks which justify retaining the lower limit.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons a 50 miles per hour limit on the A1 in the vicinity of the junction with the B1048 was in force in September 2009; and if he will make a statement. [294143]
Chris Mole: The 50 miles per hour speed limit was in place in September 2009 on the A1 in the vicinity of the junction with the B1048 for safety reasons, as the safety fence was incomplete and there were excavations along the verges for drainage repairs, as part of the A1 Eaton Socon Bypass resurfacing scheme. The works and speed limit started on 4 September and will be in place until completion of works in late December 2009.
This scheme involves drainage repairs, resurfacing of both concrete carriageways with low noise surfacing and the renewal of the existing safety fence. The works are carried out using overnight lane closures during the week, and weekend full carriageway closures.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Domestic Waste: Fees and Charges
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has issued any recent guidance to waste collection authorities on charging charity shops for the disposal of donated but unsold non-reusable household waste. [294558]
Dan Norris: On 12 October 2007, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued guidance to all local authorities on the classification and reporting of waste. This letter included DEFRA's interpretation of the Controlled Waste Regulations (1992) with respect to waste from charities and charity shops.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities have expressed a preliminary interest in levying charges for the collection of household waste. [294559]
Dan Norris: No authorities have yet come forward to formally express an interest in participating in a pilot waste incentive scheme.
The hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) wrote to local authorities on 20 June 2008 inviting them to come forward, noting that DEFRA would only release the name of any authority which came forward, at the point of an explicit expression of interest.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the summary of responses to his Department's June 2008 consultation on draft guidance on incentives for recycling by households. [294617]
Dan Norris: A summary of responses to the formal consultation on "Waste Incentive Schemes: draft recycling service guidance" was published on 27 March 2009 and can be found on DEFRA's website.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many organisations responded to his Department's consultation on the guidance on the operation of waste incentive charges for the collection of household waste. [294629]
Dan Norris: The Department received 29 responses in total to its informal June 2008 consultation on incentives for recycling by households, which also included the recycling service guidance.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the transposition of the revised Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) on the municipal collection of household waste. [294454]
Dan Norris: On 16 July 2009 my Department published a consultation paper on the transposition of key provisions of the revised Waste Framework Directive. The provisions addressed in that consultation paper include those in Article 11(1) on the collection of waste. The consultation paper contains an initial impact assessment.
The consultation paper referred to is available on the DEFRA website at:
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 8-9W, on waste disposal, if he will place in the Library a copy of the WasteDataFlow returns of each local authority for (a) quarter 3 and (b) quarter 4. [294456]
Dan Norris: The WasteDataFlow data for quarter 4 of 2008-09, and the final data at local authority level for all of 2008-09, will be published on DEFRA's website on 5 November 2009. In line with the National Statistics Code of Practice, these data cannot be released before this date.
Provisional data for quarter 3 of 2008-09 is published at regional level on DEFRA's website at:
Provisional local authority level data for quarter 3 can be viewed by registering to use WasteDataFlow at
and downloading summary reports. These reports, including the background datasheets, are publicly available and contain detailed data for each local authority. To print out and put in the Library every data entry by each local authority in England could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he proposes to amend (a) enforcement powers and (b) penalties levied in respect of household waste offences consequent upon the coming into force of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008. [294548]
Dan Norris: I do not propose to amend either the enforcement powers or the penalties.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons no (a) impact assessment and (b) equalities impact assessment was conducted in relation to clauses in the Climate Change Act 2008 in respect of the statutory duties of waste collection authorities for the collection of household waste. [294554]
Dan Norris: The amendment to section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, made through the Climate Change Act 2008, provides a single point of reference in legislation for local authorities. As it was a clarification of published policy and not a new measure, consultation and development of an impact assessment were not deemed necessary.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research has been commissioned by his Department into the (a) waste collection and (b) waste disposal implications of the shift to mercury-based compact fluorescent light bulbs for domestic use. [294557]
Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Jane Kennedy) on 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 8W.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the adoption of (a) no side waste policies and (b) no closed lid policies. [294560]
Dan Norris: DEFRA has issued no such guidance.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if his Department will accept bids from joint waste authorities to participate in waste collection charge pilot schemes. [294608]
Dan Norris: Powers provided in the Climate Change Act allow up to five local authorities to pilot incentives to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
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