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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 15 May 1991
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
War Crimes Investigations
Mr. Amos : To ask the Attorney-General what has been the cost to the Director of Public Prosecutions office of inquiries into alleged Nazi war criminals living in the United Kingdom so far ; what is the estimated cost of further investigations during the next 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : The investigation of alleged criminal offences, including those made justiciable by the War Crimes Act 1991, is a police function. The role of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be to provide advice and guidance on legal issues arising in the investigation. No expenditure has yet been incurred in this respect. The DPP has, however, incurred expenditure of £600 in obtaining consultancy advice in the planning of arrangements for handling war crimes cases. The additional running costs of the Crown prosecution service attributable to war crimes cases during the current financial year is estimated to be in the range of £300,000 to £500,000.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Maternity Services, Belfast
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many maternity beds were provided at the Royal Victoria hospital, the Mater hospital and the Belfast city hospital during 1988, 1989 and 1990 ; and what is the current level of provision at each of these hospitals.
Mr. Hanley : The average number of available maternity beds was as follows :
|1988|1989|1990
------------------------------------
RVH (Maternity) |94.5|91.1|86.5
Mater |24 |24 |24
Belfast City |66.4|64 |64
Figures for the current level of provision are not available.
Factory (Castlewellan)
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what efforts the Industrial Development Board have made to try and secure a new owner for the factory located at Moss lane, Castlewellan, County Down, currently occupied by Castlewellan Yarns ; and if he will make a statement about employment levels in the textile industry in South Down.
Mr. Needham : Castlewellan Yarns is a division of Linfield Group Ltd. which is the owner of the factory
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premises at Moss lane, Castlewellan. The group is not expected to vacate the premises for some months, but it has expressed its willingness to co-operate with the Industrial Development Board if an early purchaser is found. The IDB is making the factory's forthcoming availability known to potential investors and will be actively encouraging them to consider Castlewellan as a manufacturing location.The IDB has eight client companies in the textiles sector in South Down. These companies operate at 10 locations and employ over 800 people. The IDB is maintaining close contact with the companies in order to encourage growth and increased competitiveness.
Chiropody
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures will be taken to reduce the waiting lists in respect of the chiropody services in the Down section of the Down and Lisburn unit of management.
Mr. Hanley : The management and delivery of services at local level are the responsibility of each health and social services board. I understand that the Eastern health and social services board is currently taking steps to reduce the waiting lists for chiropody services in the Down section of the Down and Lisburn unit of management by providing additional assessment and treatment sessions.
Agricultural Development Operations Programme
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many farmers have made application to the agricultural development operations scheme ; and how many of these have been successful
Mr. Hanley : Up to Friday 3 May 1991, a total of 1,280 applications had been received under capital grant elements of the agricultural development operations programme. Of that number, there were 144 under the North Antrim flood damage recovery scheme, 1,122 under the capital grant scheme and 14 under the farm innovation scheme. The majority of these applications are currently under consideration and it is not possible, therefore, to provide details of the numbers that will be successful.
Environmental Policies
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what level of financial and other resources will be available to the Department of the Environment in order to implement its environmental policies in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : The provision, including programme expenditure and staff costs, for the implementation of environmental policies by the environment service of the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland is £14.372 million in 1991-92. The activities of other services within the Department, for example, the water service, and of other Northern Ireland Departments, for example, the Department of Agriculture and Department of Economic Development, also contribute towards the achievement of a better environment.
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Health and Social Services Councils
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 25 April, Official Report, column 528, when he will be able to list the names of the members of the four new health and social services councils, excepting those nominated by district councils.
Mr. Hanley : I hope to be able to announce the names of the members of the councils in the next few weeks.
Housing Executive
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total value of (a) domestic rates and (b) commercial rates, which were collected from Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants remitted to the Department of Environment (NI) in each of the last three years.
Mr. Needham : Rates remitted to the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in 1988-89 amounted to £31,812,820.89 ; in 1989-90, £35,140,698.20 ; and in 1990-91, £36,759,847.23.
Information on the breakdown of domestic and non-domestic rates payable by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is not readily available and could be obtain only at disproportionate cost.
Northern Ireland Electricity Service
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the board of the Northern Ireland Electricity Service following its decision not to renew the contract of its chief executive.
Mr. Needham : I last met the chairman on 9 April. The board is required to carry out a triennial review of the chief executive's contract. I understand that the board is currently considering this and that the chairman will make a statement shortly.
Domestic Rates
Mr Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the reduction in domestic rate bills in Northern Ireland as a result of the Budget.
Dr. Mawhinney : The reduction announced in the Budget is a good outcome for the Province's domestic ratepayers. As a result, they will contribute, on average, 36 per cent. less towards the cost of local authority-type services. This is in line with the switch to central funding of 36 per cent. of the amount charge payers contribute to local authority expenditure in Great Britain. Although it should be noted that there is no precise analogy between the community charge which is a per capita charge and the Province's domestic rates which are property based, given that the associated Budget increase in VAT applies fully in Northern Ireland, it is entirely appropriate that ratepayers in Northern Ireland should receive this benefit. Northern Ireland receives its share of all United Kingdom taxation including VAT which, as an unhypothecated tax, is applied towards balancing the Northern Ireland Exchequer rather than being applied to
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particular purposes. Furthermore, the reduction, when seen in the light of the higher level of exchequer support for the rates in Northern Ireland, represents a very good settlement for domestic ratepayers in the Province.Political Talks
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement about progress in the talks with political parties.
Mr. Brooke [pursuant to the reply, 2 May 1991, c. 426] : On 26 March I informed the House that a basis for formal political talks concerning political development had been established. It was accepted by all the potential participants--the British and Irish Governments and the four main constitutional political parties in Northern Ireland--that the talks would take place in three strands corresponding to the three principal relationships : those within Northern Ireland ; those among the people of Ireland ; and those between the British and Irish Governments.
Since the political talks began on 30 April there have been a number of bilateral exchanges between me and the political parties involved about a range of practical and procedural issues raised by the participants, concerning strands two and three. In addressing these issues I have maintained close contact with the Government of the Republic of Ireland which is, of course, a participant in both those strands.
Yesterday afternoon, I circulated to the parties a paper which indicated how these practical and procedural issues would be handled, and invited the parties to let me have their responses by 10 o'clock this morning. The text of that paper follows this reply.
The Alliance party of Northern Ireland and the Social and Democratic Labour party informed me that they were content without qualification that we should now proceed to plenary sessions on the basis that the relevant practical and procedural matters would be dealt with as indicated in this paper. The Irish Government were also content that matters should proceed on this basis.
I had a number of exchanges with the leaders of the two Unionist parties both before and after 10 o'clock this morning. They sought a meeting with the Prime Minister on the basis that this might provide sufficient clarification and reassurance to enable them to proceed with talks on the basis suggested.
There was a full discussion of the issues and in the light of the Unionist parties' agreement in principle to work the procedure on the basis of my paper, subject to clarification of detailed points with them as well as the other participants, I plan to consult the other participants to see if they are able to proceed on this basis. Following is the text of the paper :
POLITICAL TALKS
Practical Issues Concerning Strands Two and Three
1. There has been extensive discussion of the venue for strand two, and other related practical questions, over the last two weeks. 2. In the light of that, with the benefit of the views expressed, and after close consultation with the Irish Government, I have decided to indicate the basis on which these talks would be held. Strand Two
3. All meetings of strand two will have an independent chairman whose identity will be announced by the two governments after consultation with other participating parties.
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4. Opening plenary meeting of strand two to be held in London. 5. Bulk of substantive exchanges in strand two to be held in Northern Ireland in a location to be determined. (It will of course also be open to the Chairman and the participants to hold non-plenary meetings wherever suits their mutual convenience.)6. A plenary meeting of the strand two discussions to be held in Dublin towards the end of June.
Strand Three
7. While participating parties remain free to discuss strand three issues with the governments, strand three discussions will be concerned with the relationship between the two governments, and will take place between the two governments :
--other participating parties will be kept in touch with progress during strand three by regular liaison
--the two governments will meet other participating parties at their request for further discussion of strand three issues while strand three is taking place
--the outcome of strand three will be considered by all the participants alongside the outcome of the other two strands and nothing will be finally agreed in any strand until everything is agreed in the talks as a whole.
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8. The strand one formation or the strand two formation, as appropriate, may consider issues further in the light of progress in strand three.ENVIRONMENT
House Prices
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information he has on the average price of (a) a terraced house, (b) a privately owned council house re-sold on the market and (c) other council houses in (i) Grimsby, (ii) Yorkshire and Humberside and (iii) the south-east and London in (x) 1989 and (y) 1990 ; and what is the percentage of each type in each area ;
(2) what is his estimate of the average price of (a) terraced houses and (b) council houses in Grimsby.
Mr. Key : The available information on average prices is set out in the table :
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£ thousands
Great GrimYorkshire South East and
HumbersideLondon
|1989|1990|1989|1990|1989|1990
-----------------------------------------------------
Terraced house<1> |n/a |n/a |32.7|37.1|77.4|72.6
Council houses<2> |21.3|27.3|20.8|26.8|59.5|60.2
<1> Average price (excluding sales to sitting
tenants) from the Department's 5 per cent. sample
survey of Building Society mortgage completions.
<2> Average undiscounted price of dwellings sold to
sitting tenants.
The available information on distribution of stock is as follows :
|Per cent. of
|total stock
--------------------------------------------------------------
Terraced houses (owner occupied)<1>
Great Grimsby |n/a
Yorkshire and Humberside |18
South East and London |19
Council houses<2>
Great Grimsby |21
Yorkshire and Humberside |25
South East and London |19
<1> Data from the 1986 English House Condition Survey.
<2> Data on all council houses at 1 April 1990 from the
Housing
Investment Programme (HIP) return.
HIP (Doncaster)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the amounts allocated to Doncaster Metropolitan borough council's housing investment programme in each year from 1979 to-date, indicating the change as a percentage each year in real terms.
Mr. Yeo : The information requested is listed in the table. Since 1981-82 authorities have been able to augment the borrowing power of their HIP allocations by drawing on a proportion of their capital receipts. For 1990-91 and 1991-92, under the new capital finance system, the HIP allocation does not convey borrowing approval directly.
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Housing Investment Programme Allocations and Expenditure for
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
(£ thousands)
Allocations Gross expenditure outturn
|Cash |Percentage|Cash |Percentage
|change<1> |change<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |14,367 |- |14,089 |-
1979-80 |16,270 |-3 |18,496 |+13
1980-81 |14,260 |-26 |13,796 |-37
1981-82 |11,170 |-29 |8,966 |-41
1982-83 |13,553 |+13 |13,523 |+41
1983-84 |14,405 |+2 |23,789 |+68
1984-85 |10,020 |-34 |12,353 |-51
1985-86 |8,202 |-22 |14,073 |+8
1986-87 |6,599 |-22 |14,774 |+1
1987-88 |6,808 |-2 |22,807 |+47
1988-89 |6,019 |-18 |22,950 |-6
1989-90 |4,767 |-26 |22,442 |-8
New Capital Finance System
1990-91 |8,810 |n/a
1991-92 |<2>7,950 |-16 |n/a
Notes:
<1> Percentage change over previous year in real terms (using GDP
deflator): except 1990-91 because of change to capital finance
system.
<2> The allocation shown here is the initial allocation only.
Additional supplementary credit approvals are expected to be
issued in the course of the year.
n/a not available.
Household Incomes
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for Barrow in Furness, Great Grimsby, Westminster, Wandsworth and Elmbridge, the amount of central Government contribution to income under the relevant headings in terms of cash per household together with the reasons for any difference.
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Mr. Key : The available information for 1991 -92 is as follows :
£ per domestic |Revenue |Special grants |Community
hereditament |support grant |charge grant
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barrow in Furness |293 |211 |251
Great Grimsby |453 |38 |256
Wandsworth |1,263 |234 |229
Westminster |1,347 |52 |219
Elmbridge |198 |0 |268
Information is not yet available about the amounts of community charge benefit subsidy, community charge reduction scheme grant, and other specific grants expected to be paid to these authorities. The reason for the differences in the total amounts of revenue support grant and special grants are set out in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England), the Revenue Support Grant Distribution (Amendment) Report (England) and the Special Grant Report (No. 2). Differences in the amount of community charge grant per domestic hereditament are the result of differences in the numbers of charge payers per domestic hereditament in each area.
Disposable Income
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report the increase in the real disposable income since 1979 of the average council tenant not on income support after payment of income tax, national insurance, council rents and rates/poll tax, school meals, school travel, medical prescription and other medical charges.
Mr. Key : The information requested is not available.
Council Tax
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide the basis for his estimate set out in paragraph 2 of his illustrative tables for
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the council tax of £80,000 for an average property value for England ; whether it includes (i) leasehold and (ii) rented dwellings at their freehold value with vacant possession ; whether it is on the same basis as the survey of property transactions in England and Wales given in chapter 14 of the 1990 "Inland Revenue Statistics" ; and if he will publish in the Official Report tables showing the figures he is using on (i) his basis and (ii) the same basis as in tables 14.1, 14.2, 14.3 and 14.4.Mr. Key : As explained in paragraph 2 of the notes covering the tables of illustrative council tax bills issued on 23 April, the estimates are for all domestic properties and use the same definition of value whatever the tenure of the property. They were produced on a basis different from the survey of property transactions in England and Wales given in chapter 14 of Inland Revenue Statistics 1990. The data underlying the illustrative council tax bills cannot be presented in the form used in Inland Revenue Statistics ; and the data underlying the tables in chapter 14 of "Inland Revenue Statistics" cannot directly provide the information needed to estimate the number of properties in each local authority area falling in each of the seven council tax bands.
Council House Sales
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish a table showing by range of consideration nationally and regionally the number and average value of transactions in 1989 and 1990 in (i) council dwellings sold to sitting tenants and (ii) other dwellings sold by individuals, together with the numbers as a percentage of the national and regional housing stock.
Mr. Yeo : The available information is in the table :
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Number of trAverage pricNumber sold as pe
housing stock
thousands £ thousandper cent.
|1989 |1990 |1989 |1990 |1989 |1990
-------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Council dwellings sold to sitting tenants<1>
Northern |12.9 |11.0 |20.3 |24.0 |1 |1
Yorkshire and Humberside |19.3 |13.0 |20.8 |26.8 |1 |1
East Midlands |12.9 |5.4 |31.0 |37.5 |1 |-
East Anglia |3.8 |1.7 |48.9 |49.6 |- |-
Greater London |24.3 |20.7 |62.5 |60.3 |1 |1
South East (ex Greater
London) |22.4 |11.4 |56.2 |60.0 |1 |-
South West |11.6 |4.9 |45.2 |46.0 |1 |-
West Midlands |18.9 |11.8 |28.4 |33.9 |1 |1
North West |14.3 |14.9 |21.7 |22.1 |1 |1
England |140.5|94.7 |38.4 |40.0 |1 |-
(ii) Other dwellings sold by individuals<2>
Northern |53.5 |43.7 |40.9 |47.3 |4 |3
Yorkshire and Humberside |92.7 |78.9 |45.3 |50.4 |5 |4
East Midlands |57.6 |60.6 |53.2 |54.4 |4 |4
East Anglia |25.2 |35.2 |68.7 |62.2 |3 |4
Greater London |64.5 |70.0 |90.5 |90.6 |2 |2
South East (ex Greater
London) |153.7|184.9|86.7 |82.5 |4 |4
South West |64.6 |79.7 |71.2 |66.6 |3 |4
West Midlands |71.2 |74.7 |55.5 |58.2 |3 |4
North West |123.6|97.3 |44.6 |52.9 |5 |4
England |706.5|725.0|62.8 |66.1 |4 |4
<1> Average undiscounted price of dwellings sold to sitting
tenants.
<2> Estimates from the Department's 5 per cent. sample survey of
Building Society mortgage completions.
- less than 0.5 per cent.
Property Services Agency
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the future of the Property Services Agency as it relates to Scotland ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the future of the Property Services Agency.
Sir George Young : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) on 24 April, Official Report, column 434.
Rufford Hospital, Lancashire
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made a decision on calling in the development in the green belt of the former Rufford hospital, Lancashire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : My right hon. Friend has not yet made a decision on this case. I will write to my hon. Friend when the decision is made.
Value for Money
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will have discussions with the Audit Commission about ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of relevant activities which fall within the responsibility of his Department with a view to securing better value for money ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : I am confident that the commission continues to fulfil its remit, which extends to England and Wales, in promoting value for money across the range of services.
Dangerous Chemicals, Norfolk
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the washing ashore at Salthouse, Weybourne and Kelling in Norfolk of dangerous chemicals.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 14 May 1991] : On Friday 3 May, the marine pollution control unit of the Department of Transport received a report from the Humber coastguard that the Swedish flag container ship Nordic Pride had lost four tank containers of chemicals overboard during bad weather 20 miles north of Blakeney.
In accordance with contingency plans for such incidents, MPCU immediately mounted a comprehensive air search for the containers. At the same time, MPCU scientific staff assessed the threat posed to the marine environment by the chemical--two tanks contained ethyl acrylate, with the others holding CHC feedstock and triethylenetetramine respectively--in consultation with colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and English Nature. The air search proved negative and since the conclusion of the joint assessment was that the tanks posed minimal threat to the marine environment, recovery was not deemed necessary. Local authorities were advised of the incident, the content of the tanks, and of the possibility of their coming ashore on the north Norfolk
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coast. The two tanks of ethyl acrylate were found washed ashore at Weybourne on the morning of Monday 6 May. The other tanks remain at sea.Coastal local authorities are responsible for dealing with incidents of this sort where chemical containers are washed ashore and North Norfolk district council, in conjunction with the police, carried out these duties in this incident. I understand that the containers washed ashore and their contents were cleared from the area for safe disposal by the afternoon of Wednesday 8 May.
Industrialists (Environment Advisory Committee)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his advisory committee of industrialists on the environment will consider (a) Kuwait oil fires and (b) rain forest problems.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 13 May 1991] : The Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment has not yet held its first meeting. It is therefore premature to say which topics it will address, but it is unlikely that it will consider Kuwait oil fires.
Oil Spills
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 25 March, Official Report, column 341-42, on what date and by what process the tenders were offered for the supply of oil- skimming equipment to Bahrain ; and if any further contracts have recently been awarded to Desmi Ltd.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 7 May 1991] : Two contracts--total cost £282,924--for the supply of six heavy-duty oil pollution skimmers to assist the Government of Bahrain in dealing with the Gulf oil spill were awarded to Desmi Ltd. of Stoke-on-Trent on 28 February and 18 March. The selection of Desmi was made on the basis of an earlier tender exercise for the procurement of heavy-duty oil recovery skimmers for their own stocks carried out by the marine pollution control unit of the Department of Transport in January. This was supplemented by further inquiries made by MPCU in the course of advising my Department on the most appropriate equipment for the needs of Bahrain. No further contracts have been placed by my Department for pollution control equipment.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Innoval Europe Ltd, of Fraserburgh, is on his Department's tender list to supply equipment for dealing with oil spills ; if he has information on the company's capabilities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 7 May 1991] : The hon. Member has written to me to draw attention to the features of oil recovery equipment manufactured by Innovac Europe Ltd. and I have passed on this information to the marine pollution control unit of the Department of Transport, which has the professional and operational responsibility for dealing with pollution incidents at sea. I can confirm that the properties of the Innovac systems will be taken into account in any future consideration of Government requirements for this type of equipment.
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Police Forces (Grants)
50. Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial provision has been made in Government grants for police forces in England and Wales in 1991-92 ; and what was the comparable figure for 1990-91.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I have been asked to reply.
Subject to parliamentary approval, provision of £2,615.7 million has been made for the payment of specific grants and special grants to police authorities in 1991-92. This compares with a provision of £2,269.7 million in supply estimates, and a total provision of £2, 366.9 million after supplementary estimates, for 1990-91. In addition to these grants, expenditure on police forces is supported by central Government through revenue support grant and redistributed business rates, but these are not hypothecated to particular services.
TRANSPORT
Catalytic Converters
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars in the United Kingdom are currently fitted with catalytic converters ; and what proportion of new cars being sold are fitted with catalytic converters.
Mr. Chope : At the end of March 1991 over 180,000 cars registered in the United Kingdom were fitted with catalytic converters. In the first three months of this year, approximately 16 per cent. of all new petrol- engined cars being sold were fitted with these devices. These numbers are expected to increase sharply following planned changes in European Community requirements.
Leicester Eastern Bypass
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received concerning the possibility of an eastern bypass being constructed in Leicester ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The A46/A6 Leicester eastern bypass was added to the national roads programme in the 1989 White Paper "Roads for Prosperity". This would be an outer bypass for through trunk road traffic. Routes have yet to be identified and no representations have been received.
Thirteen representations have been received about the route options currently being considered by Leicestershire county council for its Leicester eastern district distributer road. This road is not, however, a bypass as it is estimated that 90 per cent. of the traffic expected to use it would have origins and/or destinations within the city of Leicester. It is a local road proposal and will be fully examined at the local level as part of the statutory processes required for the construction of new roads.
Channel Tunnel Rail Links
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to give full consideration to all the proposed rail link routes to the channel tunnel, with a view to making a decision which will maximise private sector involvement.
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Mr. Freeman : There are many issues including the prospects for commercial viability which the Government will consider very carefully before reaching decisions on British Rail's recommendations for the rail link.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of vehicle journeys on the A9 between Perth and Drumochter involving the transport of medium and high-level nuclear waste in the last three years ; and if he will list the statutory regulations governing the transport of such waste.
Mr. Chope : My Department does not collect data of the kind requested.
Movements of radioactive materials by road are governed by the Radioactive Substances (Carriage by Road) (Great Britain) Regulations 1974 (SI 1974 No. 1735) and amendment Regulations 1985 (SI 1985 No. 1729).
Thurleigh Airport
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restraints are likely to be placed on development and use of Thurleigh airport, in accordance with Her Majesty's Government business aviation policy ; and what effect further developments at Luton and Stansted will have on such limitation.
Mr. McLoughlin : Bedford (Thurleigh) airfield is not one of the airports round London identified by the Government as suitable to provide alternative facilities for business aircraft no longer able to use Heathrow or Gatwick. So business aviation policy will not govern Thurleigh's future. How much scope there might be for handling other air traffic from Thurleigh in addition to that from Luton and Stansted would depend on the nature, volume and timing of that traffic.
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