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Out-of-town Developments
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy in respect of future planning applications for out-of-town developments; and if he will make a statement. [10606]
Mr. Raynsford: The Government's planning policy guidance on this issue remains as set out in PPG6: Town Centres and Retail Developments and PPG13: Transport.
Multilateral Investment Agreement
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the latest draft of the multilateral agreement on investment with the Government's policies on sustainable development. [10655]
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Angela Eagle:
The Government are working hard for a successful conclusion to the negotiations on a multilateral agreement on investment. Our objective is to achieve an agreement with the highest possible standards of investor protection, liberalisation of investment regimes, and effective dispute settlement. But this Government would not agree to an MAI which damages our commitments to sustainable development, environmental protection and core labour standards. We shall therefore continue to work to ensure that these commitments are properly reflected in the agreement.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost of changing waterway speed limits and speed limit signs to metric measurements to (a) public funds, (b) the owners of motor boats and cruisers on the Broads and (c) the Broads Authority. [10336]
Angela Eagle:
No nationwide assessment has been made. The Broads Authority estimates the total costs of changing its speed limits and signs to metric would be some £54,000. Since the cost of operating the Broads Authority's navigations is financed by users, these costs would be recovered from boaters via their licence fees.
Mr. Lepper:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress on the reform of leasehold valuation tribunals. [10241]
Ms Armstrong:
Service charge disputes are renowned for causing distress and misery to many leaseholders who have, in the past, had to go to court to challenge unreasonable charges, risking unknown and potentially high costs.
From 1 September, leaseholders will be able to apply to the 11 leasehold valuation tribunals, which will use their specialist professional expertise towards settling these disputes. Leaseholders' risks of incurring large legal bills will also be limited, because the tribunals do not award costs. Applicants will, however, have to pay a fee of up to £500 for each application, although the tribunals will have a discretion to require the other party to the dispute to reimburse this fee.
As well as challenging service charge bills for costs already incurred by the landlord, leaseholders will now be able to challenge works which are proposed. Landlords too will be able to seek a determination that the costs or scope of the proposed works are reasonable before they start spending money.
Bad management is a continuing problem for tenants of flats, who will now also be able to apply to the tribunal instead of the county court for the appointment of a new manager, if the tribunal is satisfied that the landlord has determined, or is likely to demand excessive service charges, or that he has failed to comply with a relevant provision of one of the three approved codes of management practice available.
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Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have to introduce an annual national sustainable development plan; and if he will make a statement. [8673]
Angela Eagle:
Defining objectives and indicators, and reporting on them, will be an important element of the Government's approach to sustainable development, and we will be considering how to do so in ways which are regular, transparent and accessible.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the members of the board of the Offshore Supplies Office; and which companies they represent. [8989]
Mr. Battle:
I have been asked to reply.
The Offshore Supplies Office was renamed the Oil, Gas and petrochemicals Supplies Office but has retained the acronym "OSO". The OSO is advised by a board drawn from the private sector and appointed by Ministers in line with Nolan procedures. Board members give their advice as individuals and do not formally represent their employers.
The following is a list of board members and their employers:
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number of prosecutions which the Health and Safety Executive has brought against each local authority in England in the last three years; and how many have resulted in convictions. [3252]
Angela Eagle
[pursuant to her reply, 12 June 1997, c. 520-22]: In the three years from 1993-94 to 1995-96 the Health and Safety Executive prosecuted local authorities in England 63 times for 92 alleged breaches of health and safety law and secured 87 convictions. Details from HSE's records are shown in the table. This table
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supersedes that given in the answer to this question on 12 June. Figures for the year April 1996 to March 1997 are not yet available.
Sir Ian Wood CBE, Chairman and Managing Director, John Wood Group Plc.
Sir Alan Cockshaw, Chairman, AMEC Plc.
Paul Barron, Managing Director, Industrial Gas Turbine Group, European Gas
Turbines Ltd.
John Blythe, Chairman and Chief Executive, Foster Wheeler Ltd.
Tom Cardale, Managing Director, Consolidated Supply Management Ltd.
Rodney Chase, Chief Executive Officer, BP Exploration Company Ltd.
Dr. Chris Fay, Chairman and Chief Executive, Shell UK Ltd.
John Hood, Managing Director, Weir Pumps Ltd.
Alasdair Locke, Chairman, Abbot Group
David Moorhouse, Chief Executive, Kvaerner John Brown
David Varney, Chief Executive, BG Plc
| Local authority | Occasions prosecuted | Breaches alleged | Convictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wealden District Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| East Sussex County Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| London Borough of Islington | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| St. Edmundsbury Borough Council | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Norwich City Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Stevenage Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Salford Metropolitan Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lancaster City Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sunderland City Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Avon County Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Somerset County Council | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| London Borough of Southwark | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| City of Birmingham | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bromsgrove District Council | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Harrogate District Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Manchester City Council | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Durham County Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Gateshead Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cleveland County Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lancashire County Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hertfordshire County Council | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Corporation of London | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Elmbridge Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Surrey County Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| London Borough of Harrow | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| London Borough of Tower Hamlets | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Berkshire County Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| London Borough of Greenwich | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| London Borough of Hackney | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tameside Metropolitan District Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Cornwall County Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| London Borough of Haringey | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| London Borough of Barking and Dagenham | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Colchester Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| London Borough of Redbridge | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bedford Borough Council | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Wrekin District Council | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Nottingham City Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Newark and Sherwood District Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Humberside County Council | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Liverpool City Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| London Borough of Enfield | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Uttlesford District Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Sandwell Metropolitan District Council | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| London Borough of Hillingdon | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Grimsby Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wakefield Metropolitan District Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 63 | 92 | 87 |