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Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many cases are currently being dealt with by unemployment benefit adjudication officers in the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent, North ; (2) how many unemployment benefit adjudication officers are available to serve the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent, North.
Mr. Nicholls : Figures are not available by constituency of the number of cases considered by adjudication officers, or the number of adjudication officers who serve that area.
However on 2 December 1988, the total number of cases currently in the process of adjudication arising on claims for unemployment benefit in the adjudication office area of Staffordshire, which includes the Stoke-on- Trent, North constituency, was 3,204. The number of adjudication officers in post on 2 December 1988 in the Staffordshire adjudication office was nine.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
Pensions
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the basic state pension and the state earnings-related pension have fallen as a percentage of annual earnings since May 1979.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply.
The full basic state pension, as a percentage of average earnings for male manual workers, was 22.5 per cent. in November 1979 and in April 1988 the percentage was 20.5.
It is not possible to calculate corresponding precentages for the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme because it is not a fixed rate pension.
The information given is for the date of uprating.
ENVIRONMENT
Football Clubs (Membership Scheme)
18. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposed national membership scheme for Football League clubs.
55. Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received seeking greater flexibilty for his proposals for a national football card membership scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
71. Mr. John Carlisle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on his proposals to promote a full membership scheme for Football League clubs.
Mr. Moynihan : I have received nearly 650 letters about the national membership scheme from right hon. and hon. Members, members of the public and from various organisations since the meeting between the Prime Minister and the football authorities on 6 July. In addition, I have received a large number of proposals to implement the scheme from computer companies and others.
91. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will meet the directors of Barnsley football club to discuss proposed membership schemes.
Mr. Moynihan : My diary is already very full for the coming months but I am happy to meet directors of Barnsley football club if mutually convenient arrangements can be made.
25. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent talks he has had with the football authorities about the Government scheme for membership cards for football spectators.
46. Mr. Waller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has held with the football authorities concerning the introduction of a compulsory membership scheme.
Mr. Moynihan : I had lengthy discussions about the proposed national membership scheme for football
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supporters with the football authorities at meetings of the working party which I chaired, between July and October this year.32. Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will meet the new president of the Football League to discuss identity cards for football supporters.
Mr. Moynihan : I hope to meet the new president of the Football League shortly.
Houses in Multiple Occupation
20. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of houses in multiple occupation following his Department's consultation document issued in July on houses in multiple occupation.
Mr. Trippier : We are considering what changes to existing legislation might be appropriate in the light of the 200 responses received to consultation.
Water Authorities (Land and Building Assets)
21. Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the land and building assets owned by the English and Welsh water authorities.
Mr. Howard : This information is not available centrally.
Rate Support Grant Settlement
22. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the proposed rate support grant settlement for 1989-90.
Mr. Gummer : I have received representations from about 110 local authorities and comments from the local authority associations.
Estate Action Programme
23. Mr. Patnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of expenditure on the estate action programme in 1987-88 ; and what is planned for 1988-89.
Mr. Trippier : We increased the resources made available under the estate action programme from £75 million in 1987-88 to £140 million in 1988-89. A further 36 per cent. increase to £190 million is planned for next financial year.
Planning Inquiries (Public Representation)
24. Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will increase the opportunities for public representation at planning inquiries ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The rules of procedure at planning inquiries, in addition to conferring rights of appearance on certain parties, give inspectors wide discretion to allow members of the public to make representations. I believe that inspectors exercise that discretion reasonably ; but in fairness to everyone involved, they do on occasions have a responsibility to control representations which are clearly irrelevant or repetitious.
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Hazardous Waste
26. Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce further controls on handling of hazardous waste.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Following extensive consultation we announced our conclusions and intention to legislate on 29 June. A further consultation paper was issued on 23 November. A review of the special waste regulations is well advanced and we expect to consult on this early next year.
District Council Rates (Essex)
27. Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the average rate increase for district councils in Essex for 1989-90.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We estimate that if district authorities in Essex spend in line with the proposed 1989-90 rate support grant settlement, and make the same use of balances as this year, then average rate increase would be around 3 per cent.
Stonehenge
28. Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with regard to the creation of a new visitors' centre at Stonehenge.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Progress on this scheme is a matter for English Heritage.
Nirex
29. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of United Kingdom Nirex ; and what matters will be discussed.
69. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of United Kingdom Nirex ; and what matters will be discussed.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of United Kingdom Nirex ; and what matters will be discussed.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing).
Competitive Tendering (Lancashire)
30. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the leader of Lancashire county council to discuss competitive tendering ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to meet the leader of Lancashire county council to discuss competitive tendering. I recently had discussions with the authority on a range of local government issues.
Nurses (Property Taxes)
31. Mr. Fishburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about what a
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typical ward sister would pay in (a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80 : 20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea.93. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in (a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80 : 20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Lambeth.
54. Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in (a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Camden.
67. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in (a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, is she lived in a typical one-bedroomed flat in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
86. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what a typical ward sister would pay in (a) rates, (b) community charge and (c) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroom flat in the London borough of Greenwich.
Mr. Gummer : I refer my hon. Friends to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Sir G. Finsberg).
Rating Reform
37. Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the poll tax which will be levied in Nottingham.
Mr. Gummer : The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. I wrote to the hon. Member on 6 December about the level of the community charge in Nottingham.
The Government have made no estimates of community charges. We published on 23 June illustrative figures showing what the community charge would have been in each area, had the new system been in force in 1988-89. Those illustrative figures assume existing levels of spending and existing local authority responsibilities. On that basis, the personal community charge in Nottingham would have been £251. Under the Government's safety net proposals this figure would have been reduced to £231 in the first year of the new system.
40. Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by local authorities in preparing for the introduction of the community charge in England.
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Mr. Gummer : Many local authorities are clearly making good progress in preparing for the introduction of the community charge. I intend to monitor progress carefully in the months ahead.
51. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on any campaign to refuse to pay the community charge.
Mr. Gummer : I am aware that a number of individuals have said that they do not intend to pay the community charge. Such action would, of course, be both unlawful and futile.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the average national community charge ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Government have made no estimates of community charges. We published on 23 June illustrative figures showing what the community charge would have been in each area, had the new system been in force in 1988-89. Those illustrative figures assume existing levels of spending and existing local authority responsibil-ities. On that basis, the average personal community charge in England would have been £246.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much the standard rate of income tax would need to be raised if the expected amount of revenue generated by the poll tax were to be raised through income tax.
Mr. Gummer : On 23 June the Government published illustrative community charge figures, based on local authority spending in 1988-89 ; copies are in the Library. Those figures also showed the rate of local income tax that would be needed to raise the same revenue. The average increase in income tax rates across England would be 6.4p.
Mr. Couchman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he is making to ensure that the public are informed of the way in which the new community charge system will operate.
Mr. Gummer : The Department of the Environment published yesterday a new booklet giving up-to-date information on the new community charge system which will be introduced in April 1990. It is available free on request. The Department will also be publishing shortly seven supplementary leaflets, giving more detailed information on particular aspects of the system, for example, on exemptions and appeals. These, too, will be available free on request. Copies have been placed in the Library. The total cost of producing the booklet and leaflets is estimated at £80,000.
We shall also send a leaflet to all households in England next May to coincide with canvassing by local authorities to prepare the register of those liable to pay the community charge. The leaflet will help people to understand the purpose of the canvass and what they need to do. We estimate that the cost of producing and distributing it would be of the order of £980,000.
Since May this year we have issued, jointly with local authority associations, a series of practice notes to individual local authorities and interested organisations dealing with the practical and technical details of the new system. Nine practice notes have so far been published at
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a cost of £9,000. Twelve more are in preparation. One of the practice notes contained a model canvass form with associated information notes. We are arranging to have the form and notes translated into five minority languages for use by local authorities where appropriate.Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the draft regulations at present being prepared on enforcement of poll tax payments, he will amend the relevant regulations that currently apply in Scotland.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 12 December 1988] : No. My right hon. Friend's regulation-making powers in respect of enforcement in the Local Government Finance Act 1988 do not extend to the amendment of Scottish legislation on enforcement of the community charge.
Clay Pigeon Shooting
33. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he did not consult the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association on the recent general development order relating to permitted days.
Mr. Chope : My Department is issuing a consultation paper this week about whether the order should be amended to revert to 28 days. The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association will be among those consulted.
80. Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to have consultations with the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association about the General Development Order 1988 and the reduction of shooting days from 28 to 14.
Mr. Chope : My Department is issuing a consultation paper this week ; a copy is being sent to the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association.
96. Mr. Marland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to respond to the views of the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, by reverting to the 28 days permitted use set by the General Development Order 1988.
Mr. Chope : My Department is issuing this week a consultation paper about whether the General Development Order 1988 should be amended to revert to a maximum 28 days permitted use rights for clay pigeon shooting. The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association and the Sports Council are among those we are consulting.
Homelessness
34. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures of homeless households in (a) London and (b) England and Wales.
Mr. Trippier : In the quarter ending September 1988 English local authorities accepted 30,220 households under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act : of these 7,550 were accepted by London boroughs.
63. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to seek to amend the homeless persons legislation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin) on 6 December at column 198.
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Homelessness
38. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the causes of the increase in the numbers of families accepted as homeless by local authorities since 1983.
Mr. Trippier : Estimates of the number of households accepted by local authorities in England under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act broken down by the immediate reasons for homelessness are as follows :
thousands
Immediate reason for |1983 |1987
homelessness
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents, relatives or friends no longer
able/willing to accommodate |32.2 |47.3
Breakdown of relationship with partner |15.3 |20.2
Mortgage arrears |4.8 |10.5
Rent arrears-LA dwellings |1.8 |2.0
Rent arrears-other dwelling |1.7 |1.8
Other reasons for loss of non-LA
dwelling |8.3 |10.6
Loss of service tenancy/tied accommodation |4.4 |4.8
Other |9.8 |15.2
|----- |-----
Total |78.2 |112.4
Rate Support Grant (Brent)
35. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the level of rate support grant for the London borough of Brent.
Mrs. Bottomley : On our latest calculations, Brent will receive £74 million of block grant this year.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be laying the 1989-90 rate support grant settlement shortly. Under our consultation proposals Brent would receive £86 million, £19 million more than this year after allowing for the changed treatment of polytechnics. This is an increase of 28 per cent. over 1988-89.
Inspectorates (Staffing)
36. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to review the staffing complement of the inspectorate in his Department dealing into air, water and waste.
89. Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the numbers of hazardous and waste inspectors.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : On 7 December my noble Friend the Minister for Housing Environment and Countryside announced that 13 additional posts will be created to strengthen the professional capacity of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in the spheres of air, water quality and waste. Among other things this will help with implementing the large combustion plant directive, administering the EC directive on the disposal of sewage sludge to land, and developing a programme of inspection of waste disposal authorities and major waste disposal sites. We shall continue to keep the manpower and resource needs of the inspectorate under review in the light of current circumstances and priorities.
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Water Industry (Expenditure)
39. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the change in the level of capital expenditure by the water industry between 1979-80 and 1988-89.
42. Mr. Iain Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the change in the level of capital expenditure by the water industry between (a) 1974-75 and 1979-80, and (b) 1980-81 and to date.
Mr. Moynihan : Capital expenditure on DOE services, in real terms, decreased by 33 per cent. between 1974-75 and 1979-80, and increased by 52 per cent. from 1979-80 to the present.
Ozone Layer (Conference)
41. Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the progress being made on the calling of the London conference on the ozone layer.
87. Mr. Greg Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the international conference to be held on the subject of the ozone layer.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The London conference "Saving the Ozone Layer" will be held in the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre on 5-7 March 1989, Ministers from developed and developing countries are being invited to attend, as well as world industry and international organisations. Initial reactions have been very favourable. The executive director of the United Nations environment programme (UNEP) has offered his warm support for the conference, which is designed to support existing international efforts to protect the ozone layer. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the detailed programme for the conference in consultation with UNEP.
Water Bill
43. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the Water Bill.
Mr. Moynihan : My right hon. Friend continues to receive representations covering various measures proposed in the Water Bill.
Rate Support Grant
44. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest available figure for the amount of rate support grant to local authorities throughout Great Britain ; and what was the figure in 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The latest estimate of rate support grant is £12,702 million for 1988-89. In 1979-80 it was £9,001 million.
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