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Channel Tunnel: Rail Freight Facilities
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assurances were given by the promoters during the Select Committee hearings on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Bill that they would
- provide suitable alternative site(s) for rail freight facilities currently located at Temple Mills, Stratford, and on which compulsory purchase orders were served recently.[HL1917]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: In response to concerns raised at the House of Lords Select Committee, an assurance was given about the provision of a locomotive fuelling point at Stratford. The terms of the occupation and use of land by the then Mainline Freight were to be the subject of further detailed negotiations on lease terms and other issues between the company and London & Continental Railways.
London Underground
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What estimate has been made of the extent to which London Underground has failed to operate its planned services in recent months; and to what cause any reduction in services has been attributed.[HL1955]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: This is an operational matter for London Underground, which informs me that in the period 1 April to 10 November 2001 it operated some 92.2 per cent of scheduled train kilometres. London Underground's analysis of peak train cancellations in the period 1 April to 14 October this year shows that the most significant causes of cancellations were problems with assets (such as signalling systems and rolling stock) and a lack of available train operators. London Underground has been addressing the shortage of train operators through recruitment and through other measures designed to improve the reliability of its operations. Under the Tube modernisation plans, the infrastructure companies will significantly improve the quality of the Underground's assets, reducing delays caused by asset failures.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What investment was made in the London Underground system during the year 2000; and how this compares with the amount needed to provide a modern metro.[HL1956]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: London Underground invested £363 million in the core Tube network in 2000–01 which enabled the continued renewal and replacement of essential assets in order to maintain them in a steady state condition pending completion of negotiations with the preferred bidders for the Tube Modernisation contracts.
The Tube Modernisation plans will deliver the stable, long-term investment required to make London Underground a modern metro of which Londoners can be proud.
Infrastructure Projects
Lord Woolmer of Leeds asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they propose to consult on proposed parliamentary procedures for speeding up the processing of major infrastructure projects in the planning system.[HL2043]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: In July we announced a package of measures to streamline the handling in the planning system of major infrastructure projects such as new airports, runways, rail links and roads. The objective was to speed up the decision-making process so as to cut the delay, cost and uncertainty of the present process, while making sure that people continue to be properly involved and have the opportunity to make their views known.
The package comprised: up-to-date comments of government policy before major infrastructure projects are considered in the planning system to help reduce inquiry time spent on debating the policy; an improved regional framework which will assist consideration of individual projects (eg through the revised arrangements for regional planning guidance); new procedures to give Parliament the opportunity to approve projects in principle before consideration of the details at inquiry; improved inquiry procedures for major infrastructure projects; and improved arrangements for compulsory purchase and compensation.
We are today publishing a consultation paper setting out our detailed proposals for new parliamentary procedures. Copies are being laid before both Houses. The deadline for comment is 22 March 2002.
It is right that Parliament should have the opportunity to consider infrastructure projects of major importance to the country and to the economy. Parliament's involvement will add weight and accountability to the process without reducing the opportunities for people to have their say. Parliament's endorsement of the principle of, need for and location of a project will speed up the decision-making process by removing the necessity for the subsequent planning inquiry to look at these issues. We propose to underpin this with new powers for planning inspectors to focus discussion at the inquiry, which will just look at the details of implementing the project on the ground. The final decision on a project will rest with the Secretary of State.
Our proposals give people a clear opportunity to make their views known before Parliament debates the issues. They provide a mechanism for people to make objections or other representations about a proposed project. Parliament would have copies of all of them and a summary. In addition, the parliamentary stage would be preceded by development of a statement of government policy, on the content of which there would normally be prior public consultation, and people can express their views at a subsequent inquiry on the detailed aspects of the scheme.
These opportunities for people to be involved at three key stages of the process would be over and above the consultations between developers and local people on proposed projects before an application for planning consent is submitted. We want local people to be involved as early as possible in shaping proposals affecting them and the areas in which they live.
Introducing the new procedures would require primary legislation. This will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.
National Tree Week
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How they intend to support the aims and objectives of National Tree Week which is being promoted by the National Tree Council.[HL1512]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The aim of National Tree Week is to encourage good management and care of our trees and woods, and particularly this year to increase the involvement of young people in tree planting and related activities. That is why my honourable friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Commons), (Mr Elliot Morley) launched Tree Week on 21 November in Regent's Park with children from Fitz John's Primary School. The work of the Tree Council, including National Tree Week, is supported by the Environment Action Fund administered by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Foot and Mouth: Slaughter Policy
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the instances where the courts did not uphold the decisions of Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials to slaughter animals during the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease any of the animals concerned subsequently developed the disease.[HL1577]
Lord Whitty: Of the two cases in which the department was denied an injunction to proceed with the slaughter of livestock, one case subsequently tested positive for the FMD virus.
Foot and Mouth Restrictions
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In which counties or parts of counties foot and mouth disease access restrictions still apply to footpaths and open countryside; and when they intend, or anticipate being able to lift them.[HL1633]
Lord Whitty: Currently 96 per cent of all footpaths in England are open to the public. Access restrictions still apply to those footpaths crossing farms that are subject to specific veterinary restrictions (mostly farms where livestock were diagnosed as having foot and mouth disease). The counties worst hit by the disease, including Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland, are most affected by this as they have the largest numbers of such farms.
With the improving disease situation, the veterinary risk assessment on the use of public footpaths has been revised, and concludes that it is now safe to re-open footpaths crossing restricted premises, apart from those passing through farmyards or buildings, once final cleansing and disinfection are complete, or, if final cleansing and disinfection are not being undertaken, then three months after completion of preliminary cleansing and disinfection.
The revised veterinary risk assessment was issued on 7 December, along with revised government guidance to local authorities on re-opening footpaths that encouraged them to work closely with local divisional veterinary managers to establish exactly which footpaths can be re-opened in the light of this development. Where footpaths pass through farmyards or buildings, local authorities should try to arrange temporary permissive diversions with the farmers concerned, especially where particularly popular local footpaths or national trails are concerned. However, if this does not prove possible, then those footpaths must remain closed until the veterinary restrictions are lifted.
It is likely that almost all footpaths in England will be re-opened in the early part of next year.
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