House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 3 Mar 1999 (pt 2)

Hushkitted Aircraft

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning the threat of retaliatory measures against Concorde flights from Britain to the US following the imposition of environmental measures to ban hush-kit aircraft from the 1 April 2002 in Europe. [73971]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We have received representation from British Airways. The European Union draft Regulation on Hushkitted aircraft, which has passed its second reading in the European parliament, has not yet been adopted by the Council of Ministers.

Warcop to Appleby Railway Line

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the section of railway line from Warcop to Appleby in Cumbria was sold; to whom; and for what price. [73951]

Dr. Reid: The railway line from Warcop to Appleby was transferred to Sustrans for a nominal sum in May 1998 for use as a cycle path as part of the National Cycle Network. The transfer is subject to arrangements for shared use of the line with the Eden Valley Railway who are acquiring part of the trackbed from Sustrans.

Paved Areas (Chewing Gum Removal)

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the estimated annual cost to local authorities for the removal of chewing gum from paved areas; and if he will make a statement. [73895]

Mr. Meale: Information on the cost to local authorities for the removal of chewing gum from paved areas is not collected centrally. The total cost of street cleansing for the local authorities in England 1997-98 was £342 million.

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 733

Council Tax

Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each notifiable authority in England the band D council tax for 1999-2000 and the change over that for 1998-99 in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms. [73928]

Ms Armstrong: The information requested is not yet available. The tax setting legislation gives major precepting authorities until 1 March to set a budget and issue a precept on their billing authorities for the year ahead and other authorities until 11 March to set their budgets and council tax rates. In both instances, the authorities are required to inform the Secretary of State of their decisions within 7 days of taking them. As a result, my department intends to publish a Statistical Bulletin in the week beginning 22 March giving the council tax rates that have been set at each band for 1999-2000.

Gas

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry over the potential for carbon emission reductions which could be achieved by extending until 2002 the powers of the Director General of Gas Supply to set standards of performance with regard to the promotion of the efficient use of gas. [74284]

Mr. Meale: Ministers in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department of Trade and Industry regularly discuss matters in which both Departments have an interest, including energy efficiency. These discussions are informal and private.

Energy Efficiency

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what total level of investment in domestic energy efficiency he estimates will be required between now and 2010 in order to meet (a) the Kyoto 12.5 per cent. carbon dioxide reduction target and (b) a 20 per cent. target. [74288]

Mr. Meale: Our UK Climate Change Programme Consultation Paper discussed and invited comment on how the UK could meet its climate change objectives, including possible contributions from domestic energy efficiency. The Government are now considering responses and will develop and consult further on a new climate change programme for the UK in the light of this process.

Social Housing

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recognition will be given within planning projections for new housing over the next two decades to requirements for socially rented housing; and if he will make a statement. [74189]

Mr. Raynsford: The latest household projections published in 1995 identify the number of households expected to form over the period 1991-2016 but not the tenure of the housing they might occupy.

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 734

Welsh Highland Railway

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date he received the report of the inspector into the application by the Ffestiniog Railway company to re-open the Welsh Highland Railway between Dinas and Porthmadog; and what was the average time taken by ministers to make a decision of such reports in the past three years. [74298]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The Inspector's report following the public inquiry into the Welsh Highland Railway was received on 22 April 1998. In those five Transport and Works Act cases where decisions have been taken by the Secretary of State in the last three years following a public inquiry, the average time has been between 12 and 13 months from receipt of the Inspector's report. Four reports are currently before the Secretary of State for determination in addition to that for the Welsh Highland Railway. These reports were received on 6 October 1997, 2 February 1998 (interim decision letter issued on 8 September 1998), 6 February 1998 and 23 February 1999.

Housing Stock (Local Authorities)

Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those local authorities which have successfully completed a large-scale voluntary transfer of their housing stock to date. [74156]

Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 2 March 1999]: Seventy-seven local authorities have successfully completed eighty-four large scale voluntary transfers of all or part of their housing stock to date. A list of those authorities is set out in chronological order.

Chiltern DC

Sevenoaks DC

Newbury DC

Swale BC

Broadland DC

Bedford BC

Medina DC (now part of Isle of Wight Unitary Authority)

Rochester upon Medway CC

South Wight (now part of Isle of Wight Unitary Authority)

Mid Sussex DC

East Dorset DC

Tonbridge & Malling BC

Ryedale DC

South Bucks DC

Christchurch BC

Suffolk Coastal DC

Tunbridge Wells BC

London Borough of Bromley

Surrey Heath BC

Breckland DC

Rushmoor BC

North Wiltshire DC

Spelthorne BC

East Hampshire DC

Hastings BC

Eastleigh BC

Wyre BC

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 735

South Staffordshire DC

Lichfield DC

South Oxfordshire DC

Eden DC

London Borough of Lambeth ¹

London Borough of Bexley

East Cambridgeshire DC

Vale of White Horse DC

Cherwell DC

Basingstoke & Deane BC

Malvern Hills DC

Maldon DC

Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead

Kennet DC

Congleton BC

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council ¹

Liverpool City Council ¹

Kerrier DC

London Borough of Merton ¹

London Borough of Tower Hamlets ¹

West Somerset DC

London Borough of Hackney ¹

London Borough of Brent ¹

Basildon DC ¹

Stoke-on-Trent City Council ¹

Tewkesbury BC

Rother DC

Wirral BC ¹

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 736

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council ¹

South Somerset DC

West Devon BC

¹ denotes partial transfer.

French Transport Strikes

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the amount of compensation awarded to British transport companies affected as a result of French transport strikes; what proportion of overall claims have been settled; and what representations to the French Government he has made. [74437]

Dr. Reid: Some 1,200 British claims were made in respect of the 1996 French lorry drivers' strike. We understand that some 25 per cent. have so far received a favourable response. Precise figures are not available because claims were not dealt with centrally in France but were dealt with by Prefectures in the Departments in which blockades occurred. For the same reason, information about the amount of compensation paid is not available. We continue to work with the French authorities to secure the timely and fair consideration of claims.

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