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Departmental Expenditure Limits
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list his Department's expenditure limits, including any revisions following the Budget, for the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 on a consistent basis in the format of table 8.1 of the report, Modern Public Services for Britain (Cm 4011), in (a) cash terms and (b) current prices. [117500]
Mr. Hill [holding answer 3 April 2000]: The table sets out the position on my Department's Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit for the years 1997-98 to 2001-02, including the revisions announced in the Budget and £40 million provided subsequently for London Underground, in (a) cash terms and (b) current (2000-01) prices.
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(4) Outturn
(5) Estimated outturn
(6) Planned
(7) Includes sSRA
(8) Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Note:
Figures may not sum due to rounding
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Public Transport (North-east)
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to make public transport in the North East more affordable and accessible to those on low incomes. [117943]
Mr. Hill: For the three years 1998-99 to 2000-01 we are providing £1.3 million a year for additional rural bus services in the North East. In 1998-99 that money provided for 105 new or enhanced services. Further, we have provided £2.3 million for seven projects in the North East as part of the Rural Bus Challenge competitions, which aim to stimulate innovation in rural bus services.
The Transport Bill at present before Parliament contains provisions to guarantee that all elderly people will be entitled to at least half-price travel on local buses; we have recently announced that any associated bus pass will be free of charge. These measures will bring benefit to all regions but will be particularly welcome in areas where at present the local authority offer a less generous concessionary fare scheme, or none at all.
In addition, we have commissioned research to identify transport measures that could help to reduce social exclusion. The research, which is due to be completed shortly, looks specifically at the needs of people on low incomes.
Second Homes
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral answer of 4 April 2000, Official Report, column 809, on second homes, what is the estimated timescale for making a decision on granting discretionary powers to local authorities to apply full council tax on second homes in certain circumstances. [118189]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Applying full council tax to second homes was one of the proposals made by respondents to our consultation last year on rural issues. We expect to publish our proposals for tackling rural problems in a Rural White Paper in the summer.
Telecommunications Masts
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will declare
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a moratorium on the siting of telecommunications masts in residential areas until the health and safety implications have been fully explored. [118290]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, set up at the instigation of the Government and chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, is currently considering the possible health effects of the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing research. The Group is expected to finalise its report shortly. The Government will consider the Group's recommendations and issue a response.
Rail Services
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he can take to increase the number of trains stopping at the Shotton and Hawarden railway stations; and if he will make a statement. [118191]
Mr. Hill: The Passenger Service Requirements in franchise agreements specify the minimum number of services which must call at particular stations. Train operators may provide additional services where they perceive a demand. Where additional calls at particular stations require additional subsidy this may be provided by local authorities, or through our Rail Passenger Partnership scheme.
Trains (Bicycle Carriage)
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with rail operators concerning ways of further facilitating the use of trains by cyclists with particular reference to (a) the removal or reduction of carriage charges for bicycles and (b) improvements in storage; and if he will make a statement. [118100]
Mr. Hill: The Secretary of State has had no such discussions. The current franchise agreements permit train operators to make a reasonable charge for carrying bicycles although this is a matter for the operators' commercial discretion and a number do not levy any charges. In the current franchise replacement negotiations, we have asked the Franchising Director to promote the
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use of bicycles by seeking the reasonable provision by train operators of facilities for the carriage of cycles on trains and the storage of cycles at stations.
Local Deprivation Index
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what extra work is being carried out on the Index of Local Deprivation concerning (a) factor analysis, (b) shrinkage and (c) exponential distribution; and if he will make a statement. [118552]
Ms Beverley Hughes: All of the points raised during the consultation on the methodology have been considered and where necessary investigated through further data testing. A detailed response to the consultation, including the points raised on factor analysis, shrinkage and the exponential distribution will be released at the same time as we publish the new Index.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the 1999 rankings of local authority wards by level of deprivation will be released. [118551]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Index of Local Deprivation will be published within the next few months. At the same time all of the 1999 rankings of wards will be released.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultation his Department is planning to hold with (a) the Local Government Association, (b) special interest groups of metropolitan authorities and (c) the Association of London Government before the publication of the new index of local deprivation. [118555]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The review of the Index of Local Deprivation has been subject to four rounds of consultation lasting 167 days in all. In addition the review has been overseen by a large inter departmental steering committee which included a representative from the Local Government Association. No further rounds of consultation are planned.
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will release the new information on the index of local deprivation gathered as a consequence of the recent consultation exercise; and when the summary index on the new proposals will be published. [118553]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The new Index of Local Deprivation will be published within the next few months. A detailed document outlining our response to the consultation will be released at the same time.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to publish the study indexing poverty and prosperity by local authorities, compiled for his Department by Oxford university. [118498]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Index of Local Deprivation which covers all local authority districts and wards in England will be published within the next few months.
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