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Mobile Homes
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. George) of 16 June 1997, Official Report, column 39, on council tax for mobile homes, if he will make a statement on progress with his discussions on possible changes to the existing structure of valuation bands. [53085]
Mr. Raynsford: The consultation paper 'Improving local financial accountability' invited views on whether there is a case to change the council tax. The deadline for responses was 1 June. Our proposals will be set out in a White Paper shortly.
Noise Insulation
Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the decibel noise levels at which noise protection funding has been made available since 1968. [52896]
Ms Glenda Jackson: The Noise Insulation Regulations 1975 were made retrospective to roads opened to traffic on or after the 17 October 1969. The qualifying noise level as described in my previous answer has remained unchanged since it was originally introduced.
Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions at what decibel level Government funding is available for noise insulation. [52895]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Government funding is available only in cases where the noise level is expected to exceed a specified noise level and to have risen by at least 1 decibel above the prevailing noise level as the result of the creation or alteration of a trunk road. The level of road traffic noise specified in the Noise Insulation Regulations 1975 (as amended in 1988) is 68 decibels measured as an average level exceeded for 10 per cent. of the time between the hours of 6 am and midnight.
A13 Underpass
Mr. Fitzpatrick:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the plans for the A13 underpass development at Prince Regent Lane. [52834]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
Following the decision in 1996 to adopt a slightly more southerly alignment for the A13 Prince Regent Lane Improvement, a full environmental assessment is being carried out and we hope to hold a full public consultation on the new alignment in the Autumn.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the number of trains operated by Virgin Rail classed as short trains. [52768]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Virgin Trains is required by the franchise agreements for West Coast Trains and CrossCountry Trains to use all reasonable endeavours to provide sufficient capacity on each train that it operates. For certain services, notably peak service to and from London Euston and Birmingham New Street, there is a more detailed capacity requirement in the Passenger Service Requirement (PSR). The Office of Passenger Rail Franchising checks twice a year that Virgin plans to deliver sufficient capacity. It also monitors what actually happens on a four weekly basis. Failure to achieve 97.5 per cent. of the planned capacity in a four week period is a breach of the Franchise for the West Coast; the equivalent figure for the CrossCountry is 94 per cent. There was no breach of these limits in 1997-98. In addition, Virgin West Coast must pay a penalty for every train that is short of the planned number of seats. It paid a total of £167,907 to the Franchising Director in 1997-98.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to ensure that the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising uses his powers to the full extent to ensure that rail operators meet the targets set. [52769]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Objectives, Instructions and Guidance which we issued to the Franchising Director in November last year require him to manage franchises in a way which ensures the prompt and effective delivery of the terms of the franchise agreements and he uses his powers to that end. As our White Paper on the Future of Transport makes clear, we intend to set up a Strategic Rail Authority with stronger powers of enforcement and to seek more demanding performance standards for franchise operators.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many decisions after receipt of planning inspector's reports have been delayed for longer than (a) three, (b) six and (c) nine months in the last three years. [52399]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 27 July 1998]: The Department holds information on the number of appeal and call-in cases outstanding at the end of each quarter which have been with the Department, following receipt of an inspector's report, for 8 weeks or more in the case
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of appeals, and 13 weeks or more in the case of call-ins. The latest available figures relate to the quarter ending
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30 September 1997. In the three years up until this date, the returns provide the following information:
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| Outstanding for 13 weeks or more | Outstanding for 26 weeks or more | Outstanding for 39 weeks or more | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 October 1994 - 30 September 1995 | 26 | 10 | 32 |
| 1 October 1995 - 30 September 1996 | 11 | 12 | 16 |
| 1 October 1996 - 30 September 1997 | 40 | 25 | 21 |
| Total | 77 | 47 | 69 |
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Each case is recorded in this table only once (ie cases outstanding for 39 weeks or more are not also recorded as being outstanding for 13 and 26 weeks). Some cases outstanding for less than 26 weeks and decided between quarterly returns will not be included in these figures.
Incinerators
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incinerators in the United Kingdom have emitted levels of dioxins above the statutory level set by his Department in each of the past 10 years. [52827]
Mr. Meacher: There has been a statutory emission limit for dioxins only since January 1998 when a direction was issued by my Department to the Environment Agency in relation to hazardous waste incinerators so as to implement the EU Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive. However, the Environment Agency and its predecessor body (HM Inspectorate of Pollution) have set their own dioxin limits in authorisations for certain incinerators in England and Wales for several years. Information from the Environment Agency is that the statutory emission limit has not been exceeded at any incinerator to which it applies, and that their own/HMIP's limits have been exceeded at two incinerators.
Ecolabelling
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) of 15 June 1998, Official Report, columns 39-40, if he will make a statement on the
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conclusions of the discussion on the European Community's ecolabelling system at the Council of Ministers meeting of 16 and 17 June. [53828]
Mr. Meacher:
The United Kingdom Presidency initiated an orientation debate at the Council of Ministers on 17 June, which was successful in enabling member states to exchange views on the Commission's Proposal for a Council Regulation to revise the Community's existing eco-label award scheme. The debate focused on two aspects of the Proposal which had been of particular concern to member states. These were the proposal for future administration of the scheme of a new "European Ecolabelling Organisation", financed by member states; and the proposal to withdraw national eco-labels within five years in the case of product areas covered by the European eco-label. The Council had a useful discussion of these points, and related policy issues, in the light of which the Commission indicated that it would be revising its Proposal.
I also refer the hon. Gentleman to a reply by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) on 24 June 1998, Official Report, column 542, on the overall outcome of this Council of Ministers.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the compliance cost assessments published by his Department since 1 May 1997. [52936]
Mr. Meale
[holding answer 28 July 1998]: Between 1 May 1997 and 31 May 1998, twenty nine compliance cost assessments have been published by my Department. These are:
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