HC Deb 16 April 2002 vol 383 cc803-4W
Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment of the Government's energy policies has been made with regards to assessing the environmental impact of(a) the 10-year plan and (b) the SRA plan; [49719]

(2) what assessment has been made as to the environmental costs resulting from (a) noise emissions, (b) vibration impacts and (c) aesthetic impacts caused by (i) road projects as outlined in the 10-year transport plan and (ii) rail projects as given in (1) the SRA plan and (2) the 10-year transport plan; [49450]

(3) what assessment has been made as to the environmental impact of (a) the 10-year plan and (b) the SRA plan. [49718]

Mr. Byers

An overall environmental assessment of the 10-year plan is set out in "Transport 2010: The Background Analysis", Chapter 4 and Annexes D and E. This is in the Libraries of the House. Individual projects, including those in the SRA Strategic Plan, are subject to environmental assessment, where appropriate, on an on-going basis as part of project development.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the environmental benefits of switching road haulage to rail on the West Coast Main Line. [49702]

Mr. Byers

The Strategic Rail Authority assesses the environmental benefit of the transfer of freight from road to rail using a calculation based on the net number of road lorry miles reduced. This has been applied in informing the current review of the allocation of capacity for passenger and freight trains on the West Coast Main Line.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment has been made as to the environmental costs of the increased processing required to produce ultra low sulphur petrol. [49699]

Mr. Byers

Statutory instrument 1999 No. 3107 incorporated the EU Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels into UK law. The regulatory impact assessment that assessed the impacts of the actions required to incorporate the directive included art environmental assessment. Copies of the directive, the statutory instrument and the regulatory impact assessment can be found in the Libraries of the House.

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