§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will challenge the European Commission ruling that member state grants to clear contaminated brownfield land violate EU regulations. [128399]
§ Ms Beverley HughesWe have accepted the European Commission's ruling of 22 December 1999 that the Partnership Investment Programme breached the state aid rules, and closed the programme from that date. We are discussing with the Commission possible ways forward on joint public/private partnership working in regeneration.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of brownfield sites in(a) England, (b) the South West and (c) Devon are classified by his Department as suffering from contamination preventing redevelopment. [128562]
§ Ms Beverley HughesSites are not classified in the manner suggested. The potential impact of contamination on any development will depend significantly on the nature and design of the specific development. For example, a site which is "suitable" for development for commercial and retail uses may not be "suitable" for residential use without prior remediation.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many contaminated brownfield sites identified for development(a) qualify for Government grants to aid decontamination and (b) will be affected by the European Commission's ruling on state aid for decontamination. [128563]
§ Ms Beverley HughesUnder the former Partnership Investment Programme, it was the specific development proposal for any given site which may have been eligible for support, not the site itself. Data are not available in the form requested, as sites were not classified as eligible for funding support.