§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2000,Official Report, column 117W, Ref. 150340, which parliamentary constituencies fall within more than one sub-region of the South-West Region. [150985]
§ Ms Beverley HughesI have nothing further to add to my answer of 13 February 2001,Official Report, column 117W. The sub-areas are broadly defined, overlap and, like the rest of the proposed changes to RPG 10, are open to public consultation. It is not possible to be as specific as the question suggests.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2001,Official Report, column 117W, which sub-regions comprise all or part of (a) Dorset, (b) Wiltshire, (c) Somerset, (d) Devon, (e) Cornwall and (f) Gloucestershire. [150984]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe areas are described in Table 2 (reproduced) of the proposed changes to draft RPG10, which was published on 21 December 2000. The document was sent to all MPs in the region and placed in the House of Commons Library.
There are a number of applications currently before Nottinghamshire County Council concerning the extension of sandstone quarries. These have been submitted under the provisions of both the Town and Country Planning legislation and the Environment Act 1995. The County Council has statutory responsibility to determine these applications and a duty of legal impartiality prevents the Secretary of State from commenting on their planning merits.
§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the demand for(a) red and (b) yellow sandstone over the next 20 years. [150816]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe Secretary of State has made no estimate of the demand for(a) red and (b) yellow sandstone over the next 20 years.
Estimates of demand for aggregate minerals at the national and regional levels were published in Minerals Planning Guidance Note 6 "Guidelines for aggregates provision in England' in 1994. Figures were provided for crushed rock but not for separate types of crushed rock such as sandstone. It was left to Mineral Planning Authorities to consider the implications for specific types of mineral within their administrative areas. MFG6 is 321W being reviewed with a view to publication of revised guidance next year. Current and likely levels of future demand for aggregates as a whole will be considered as part of that process.
§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the reserves of(a) red and (b) yellow sandstone with existing planning permissions. [150817]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe Secretary of State has made no estimate of the reserves of(a) red and (b) yellow sandstone with existing planning permissions.
A survey of aggregate minerals for 1997 in England and Wales, including permitted reserves, was undertaken by Minerals Planning Authorities. Results were collated and published for my Department by the British Geological Survey. These included figures for rock reserves in each region. Permitted reserves of sandstone in England totalled 244 million tonnes, mainly in the North West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber Regions. Specific types of sandstone were not identified in this survey.