Hansard - United Kingdom Parliament

15W
Written Answers
20 JUNE 2011
Written Answers
16W
Richard Benyon: I have not received any representations
regarding noise nuisance relating to motocross sites.
Any complaints regarding potential noise nuisance should
be made to the relevant local authority. Under the
Environment Protection Act 1990, local authorities have
a duty to take such steps as are reasonably practicable
to investigate any complaint of a statutory nuisance
made by a person living within their areas. Where a
local authority is satisfied of the existence, or of the
likely occurrence or recurrence of a statutory nuisance,
it must generally serve an abatement notice.
Recycling: Greater London
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take
steps to introduce greater co-ordination between waste
authorities in London with regard to the recycling
policies of their member authorities. [59687]
Richard Benyon: The Government have made clear
that it is for individual local authorities to decide on the
collection and recycling policies which are most suitable
for their customers and fitting for their local circumstances.
However, DEFRA supports the London Waste and
Recycling Board (LWARB), including its work with the
London Community Resource Network, its recently
established subsidiary London Reuse Limited, and London
boroughs to look at developing shared collection, storage
and distribution facilities that can be accessed by reuse
projects across London. LWARB is also assessing the
feasibility of developing a London-wide web portal
that provides access to reuse and recycling options for
both consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs).
Rivers
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions
she has had with water companies on (a) their statutory
duties to the environment and (b) preserving river and
stream flows during the summer months. [60131]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 16 June 2011]: DEFRA
has a programme of work to restore sustainable abstraction
where abstraction licences granted historically do not
adequately protect the environment. Water companies
are undertaking investigations as part of their environmental
responsibilities where their abstractions may be involved.
The Environment Agency sets conditions on abstraction
licences to protect summer river and stream flows.
The Natural Environment White Paper, which was
published on 7 June, announced that we intend to
develop measures to address unsustainable abstraction
more efficiently, and therefore increase protection of
river and stream flows in the summer months. We are
currently developing these measures to be included in
the Water White Paper, which is due to be published by
December. As part of this, officials are in discussion
with a number of stakeholders, including the water
companies.
INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY
STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE
Speaker’s Committee for the Independent
Parliamentary Standards Authority
Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne,
representing the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent
Parliamentary Standards Authority, what evidence the
Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary
Standards Authority (IPSA) has received from IPSA to
support the statement by the Authority that it saved the
public purse £18 million in its first 10 months of operation.
[60177]
Mr Charles Walker: Paragraph 9 and Annex A of the
Explanatory Note on the Independent Parliamentary
Standards Authority’s 2011-12 draft Estimate, submitted
to the Committee by IPSA, state that IPSA have forecast
an under-spend of around £30 million against their
Estimate, which is about £18 million less than the final
year of the previous House of Commons scheme.
The Explanatory Note and other documents relating
to the draft Estimate are available on the Committee’s
website at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/
cmselect/spcomipsa/writev/contents.htm
TRANSPORT
A1: East of England
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for
Transport if he will take steps to ensure the installation
of separated junctions at the main intersections and
roundabouts on the A1 between Alconbury and the
A1(M) north of Baldock. [60388]
Mike Penning: The Secretary of State announced on
26 October 2010 the Department’s plans for funding
road improvements on the strategic road network for
the spending review period, to the end of 2014-15.
Proposals for junction improvements on the A1 between
Alconbury and the A1(M) north of Baldock have not
been included among the schemes identified, and there
are therefore no plans to develop such a proposal at this
time.
Bicycles
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for
Transport what responses his Department received to
its consultation on electrically-assisted pedal cycles;
and whether he plans to issue any regulations as a
result of the consultation. [60817]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport received
79 responses to the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle
(EAPC) consultation and the results have been analysed.
Regulations pertaining to EAPC are also subject to the
current ‘Red Tape Challenge’, and comments submitted
as part of this initiative will also be considered before
the Department publishes a statement on next steps.