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Millennium Compliance
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department has current dealings with (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) suppliers which are not millennium compliant; and on what date her Department will cease to deal with (i) non-governmental organisations and (ii) suppliers which are not millennium compliant. [20520]
Mr. Foulkes: When relevant, the Department will remind non-governmental organisations and suppliers it deals with that they must have systems in place which enable them fully to meet the terms of those agreements and contracts which continue into the new millennium.
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND
THE REGIONS
Civil Servants (Integration)
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in integrating civil servants from the formerly separate departments of Transport and the Environment; and if he will make a statement on the policy of integrating formerly separated departmental specialists. [19668]
Mr. Prescott: Good progress has been made.
Single integrated teams covering Personnel, Finance, Communications and Private Office support have been established. Action is being taken to establish single integrated Personnel, Finance and IT systems. The Land-use Planning Directorate has been brought together with the Roads and Local Transport Group, to build on the many linkages between these policy areas. Policies have been put in place to encourage staff to move to areas of work formerly covered by the other Department and two staff at Director General level, one from each former Department, have already exchanged posts.
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Single Heads of Profession have been identified and specialists working in central groups, such as lawyers and scientists, have been integrated.
To encourage integrating further and give strategic focus to the new Department, I have agreed the following new aim and objectives:
These objectives may be subject to further review in the light of the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when Her Majesty's Government introduced the European Union eco-labelling scheme; how it is financed; and what is the total cost of the scheme to date; [19740]
(3) if he will make a statement on the publicity given in promoting the Eco-labelling Scheme detailing (a) the form in which publicity has been provided and (b) its cost; [19910]
(4) how many people are employed by the Eco-labelling Board. [19907]
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Angela Eagle:
The United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board was established in November 1992 to administer the European Union eco-labelling scheme within the United Kingdom. It is financed partly by grant-in-aid from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department of Trade and Industry, and partly by income from application and licence fees. The Board has received a total of £3.5 million in grant-in-aid to date.
Since the launch of the scheme, a total of 12 products in four categories (washing machines, toilet paper, kitchen towels and household paints and varnishes) have been awarded the ecolabel within the United Kingdom.
The Board promotes the scheme through leaflets, newsletters, exhibitions, conferences and press advertising, and has spent a total of £500,000 on promotion to date. The scheme also featured in a number of broader-based advertising campaigns run by the then Department of the Environment in 1996 and early 1997.
The United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board comprises a Chairman and 14 members, all of whom serve part time. They are supported by an executive of seven full-time officers and one part-time officer.
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions pursuant to his Answer of 26 November, Official Report, column 553, on motor cycles and deaf riders, if he will state his Department's definition of hearing impaired. [19764]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are consulting with the Royal National Institute for Deaf Persons and the British Deaf Association about how best to implement the concession we have announced, but it is our broad intention that "hearing impaired" will refer to any person whose hearing capacity is not sufficient to allow them to receive instructions by radio whilst undergoing training on a motor cycle. The application of the concession will be dependent on the needs of individual learner riders.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the names of all those people whom he has appointed to public bodies since 1 May, indicating the positions to which they have been appointed, and whether they receive remuneration. [19969]
Angela Eagle:
The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to arrange for an environmental audit to be conducted of each six-monthly EU presidency. [20002]
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Angela Eagle:
The environment is an important theme in the Government's objectives for the UK Presidency of the European Union. The Government are currently considering ways of taking this forward and will make an announcement in due course.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the integrated transport white paper will be published. [20006]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are proposing to publish the White Paper on integrated transport policy in spring 1998.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representations he received from local residents regarding the Bellman Quarry application by Castle Cement at Clitheroe. [20133]
Mr. Raynsford:
Prior to officially notifying the Local Planning Authority on 22 October that he did not wish to call in this planning application, the Secretary of State received 14 representations from 5 local residents and from the Bellman Quarry Action Group.
He subsequently received some 60 representations from Clitheroe residents and some 40 representations from people outside the town.
Mr. Levitt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess the advantages of introducing legislation further to control the off-road use of four-wheel drive vehicles in publicly accessible countryside for leisure purposes. [20138]
Angela Eagle:
We have been considering the responses to last year's consultation exercise on managing vehicles on rights of way. We intend to make an announcement shortly. Local highway authorities already have powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to prevent or restrict traffic on rights of way where they cause damage.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of using genetically engineered oilseed rape to produce plastic polymers in leaves and seeds; and if he will make a statement. [20254]
Angela Eagle:
Under the current legislation no releases of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be carried out without the prior consent of the Secretary of State. To date, no applications for consent to release oilseed rape genetically modified for the production of plastics into the environment have been made. The possibility that development work may continue to field trials in the future has been anticipated by the Department. The release of these genetically modified plants may pose unique risks to human health and the environment which could include toxicity and allergenicity to humans, gene transfer to other oilseed rape crops and effects on other species.
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The aim of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is to improve the quality of life by promoting sustainable development at home and abroad, fostering economic prosperity and supporting local democracy.
Its main objectives are:
1. To protect and improve the environment, and to integrate the environment with other policies across government and international fora.
2. To offer everyone the opportunity of a decent home and so promote social cohesion, well-being and self-dependence.
3. To promote efficient and integrated transport services across different modes and reduce road traffic growth, in order better to meet the mobility needs of the travelling public and industry.
4. To deliver regulatory and other transport services to the public and industry and to collect taxes efficiently and fairly.
5. To enhance opportunity in rural areas, improve enjoyment of the countryside and conserve and manage wildlife resources.
6. To create a fair and efficient land use planning system that respects regional differences and promotes development which is of high quality and sustainable.
7. To promote a system of elected government in England which responds to the needs of local communities.
8. To enhance economic development and social cohesion throughout England through effective regional action and integrated local regeneration programmes.
9. To secure an efficient market in the construction industry, with innovative and successful UK firms that meet the needs of clients and society and are competitive at home and abroad.
10. To improve health and safety by reducing risks from work activity, travel and the environment.
(2) how many (a) product categories and (b) products have been awarded the Eco-label since March 1992; [19908]
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