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Fishing Vessels (Safety)
Mr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 18 November, Official Report, column 127, (1) if he will list the organisations and other interested parties which were consulted over the proposed Code of Safe Working Practices for Fishing Vessels' and if he will make a statement; [17553]
- (2) when the new code of safe working practices for fishing vessel will be published. [17552]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Marine Safety Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Norman Godman, dated 24 November 1997:
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The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your Questions relating to the new Code of Safe Working Practice for Fishermen.
The first draft of the Code has recently been prepared for the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) by the Sea Fish Industry Authority. The MSA is convening an early meeting of the Fishing Industry Safety Group's Technical Sub Group to discuss the draft Code and to consider its further development.
Publication of the Code, which will provide guidance on the regulations which implement the Framework Directive on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work and associated daughter directives, is dependent on progress on its development and on consultation with the fishing industry. We aim to introduce the regulations to implement the Directive early in 1998 and, subject to completion of the Code, to bring them into force by 31 March 1998.
CITES
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons the Government (a) abstained from the vote to downlist three populations of African elephants at the CITES conference and (b) agreed to an exemption to the ban on ivory sales by Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. [17578]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Mr. Ennis) on 8 July, Official Report, column 449, which reports the main decisions taken by the Conference.
Schools (Safe Routes)
Mr. Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures his Department is taking to encourage more children to walk to school. [17432]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson) on 18 November, Official Report, columns 137-38.
EU Structural Funds
Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the level of Objective 5b funding in the less-favoured areas of the North of England in (i) 1993, (ii) 1994, (iii) 1995 and (iv) 1996. [17310]
Angela Eagle: European Funds under Objective 5b became available for the Northern Uplands from 1 January 1994. However they must be supplemented by other funds from the public and private sectors. The full amount of the funding available is as follows:
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| European structural funds | Public/private sectors | Total | |
| 1993 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1994 | 8.8 | 12.4 | 21.2 |
| 1995 | 11.5 | 16.4 | 27.9 |
| 1996 | 13.1 | 18.8 | 31.9 |
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South Downs
Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about a timetable for public consultation on the long-term structure for the management of the South Downs; and if he will indicate the form that consultation will take. [16723]
Angela Eagle: At our request, the Countryside Commission is carrying out the consultation on the long-term arrangements for the South Downs. A conference will take place in Brighton on 26 November to launch the consultation document and mark the beginning of the further debate on the future of the Downs. Copies of the consultation document will be available from the Commission's London office from that date. Copies will also be freely available at libraries within the South Downs and surrounding towns from the following week. Written views are requested by 12 January 1998 when the Commission will start its analysis, but any significant points made later in January can still be taken into account. The Commission will analyse the responses and bring the results and advice to Ministers next spring.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many examples of the horizontal transmission of genetic material from genetically modified organisms approved for (a) field testing and (b) marketing his Department has evaluated. [17339]
Angela Eagle: The risks of all types of gene transfer, including horizontal gene transfer, are evaluated when considering all applications for consent to release or market genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the UK. To date 134 applications for the experimental release of GMOs in Great Britain and 24 notifications for marketing GMOs in the European Community have been considered since the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 came into force on 1 February 1993.
Driving and Diabetes
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the members of the Honorary Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes, with their relevant expertise and date of appointment. [16901]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The members of the Honorary Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes, and their date of appointment to the Panel, are as follows:
All are consultant physicians who specialise in diabetes.
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EU Committee of the Regions
Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to make British members of the EU Committee of the Regions directly elected by the regions they represent; [17197]
- (2) what plans he has to review the method of appointment of British members of the EU Committee of the Regions; and if he will make a statement. [17340]
Angela Eagle: My right hon. Friend has no such plans. Members of the Committee of the Regions are appointed by the Council of Ministers of the European Union following nominations by member states. Under the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993 United Kingdom members of the Committee must be elected members of a local authority at the time of their nomination. Any change to the method of appointment, including the direct election of members, would require a Treaty amendment agreed by all European Union member states acting unanimously.
London Government
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many responses to the Green Paper "New Leadership for London" (a) expressed satisfaction with the proposals, (b) expressed concerns over (i) the length of time between the publication of the White Paper and the Referendum, (ii) the number of questions in the Referendum and (iii) the proposal for a directly elected mayor and (c) expressed opinions on the election of mayor; what percentage (a) to (c) constituted of the total number of responses; and if he will make a statement. [17586]
Mr. Raynsford: An analysis of the responses to the Green Paper "New Leadership for London" will be included in the White Paper.
On 21 November copies of the responses were placed in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions main library, 2 Marsham Street, SW1P. Lists of individuals and organisations who responded, were placed in the House of Commons Library on the same day.
Office Space
Mr. Tom King:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statistics his Department collates on the amount of empty office space in each region of England; and what estimate he has made of the amount of office space that has been empty (a) for more than six months and (b) for more than a year. [17716]
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Mr. Raynsford:
None. Information on vacant office space in the major centres is available from leading commercial agents, but is not collated centrally.
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