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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Data on emissions of selected gases into the atmosphere are published annually in the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics", the latest issue of which (No. 10) contains figures for 1976-86.
The table summarises the data given for 1986.
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United Kingdom estimated emissions of selected gases into the atmosphere, by source, 1986
thousand tonnes
Source |<1>SO2 |NOx |CO |HCs |<2>CO2 (million tonnes)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Domestic |200 |57 |483 |78 |91
Commercial/Public Service |130 |45 |11 |1 |35
Power Stations |2,600 |783 |48 |13 |227
Refineries |170 |38 |4 |1 |22
Agriculture (fuel use) |10 |3 |1 |- |3
Other industry |570 |179 |75 |3 |122
Transport |50 |821 |4,762 |583 |96
Other sources |- |<3>12 |<3>220 |<4>1,387 |25
|----- |----- |----- |----- |-----
Total |3,740 |1,937 |5,602 |2,065 |621
<1> from fuel combustion only.
<2> to be published for the first time in Digest No. 11.
<3> incineration and agricultural burning.
<4> mostly industrial processes and solvent evaporation.
Pollution (Trees)
85. Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement of his Department's policies towards protecting trees from the effects of pollution.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The surveys carried out by the Forestry Commission are giving us information about the state of health of trees, but do not tell us whether any effects observed are the result of pollution. The Department is supporting research into possible mechanisms by which air pollution might damage trees. The most recent authoritative advice, from the Department's terrestrial effects review group, is that some trees are exposed to pollution levels which may be expected to cause stress. Research will continue in order to establish whether there is any threat to the long-term health of trees. The Department also funds the arboricultural advisory and information service located at the Forestry Commission's research station at Alice Holt, which gives a wide range of advice to local authorities and others on tree matters.
Irish Sea (Pollution)
86. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of riverborne pollution in the Irish sea comes from British rivers.
Mr. Moynihan : The recent status report prepared for the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea by scientists from the UK and Ireland summarises available information on inputs from rivers to the Irish sea. The information supplied for river discharges from English and Welsh coasts, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland indicates that for the majority of anthropogenic inputs, the proportion coming from English and Welsh rivers ranges between 50 and 80 per cent. and is typically about two thirds. As the report indicates, the data available is of variable quality.
Water Supplies (Nitrate Levels)
87. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further estimate he has made of the cost to water authorities of reducing nitrate levels in public water supplies ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Moynihan : The capital costs to water authorities of reducing nitrate levels in public supplies will be between £25 million and £35 million ; the cost to statutory water companies will be around £5 million.
Water Bill
88. Mr. Livsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from organisations representing consumers concerning the Water Bill.
Mr. Moynihan : During the preparation of the Water Bill and following its publication, representations have been received from The National Consumer Council
The Consumer Association
The National Federation of Consumer Groups
The Welsh Consumer Council
The Birmingham Consumer Group
The Tyneside Consumer Group
The Portsmouth and District Consumer Group
The National Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux
These have been concerned mainly with the organisation of river basin management, the question of a national body to represent consumers, the responsibilities and powers of the National Rivers Authority and of the Director General of Water Services, and price control. More recently the National Consumer Council has also made representations on the guaranteed standards scheme and on disconnections practice.
In addition, the consumer consultative committees of all ten water authority regions in England and Wales have made representations on the scope, membership and responsibilities of the proposed new customer service committees.
Local Government Manpower
89. Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were employed in local government in 1968 and in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Gummer : The number of people employed by local authorities in England in June 1968 was 1,948,000 ; this figure excludes law and order staff (except police--all ranks) and agency staff, as these were not included in surveys before 1975. The corresponding figure for June 1988 was 2,440,000.
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Water Quality
92. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last discussed the implementation of the EEC directives on bathing water and tap water quality with the Commission of the European Communities.
Mr. Moynihan : My officials are in regular contact with Commission officials about the implementation of these directives.
London Docklands (Infrastructure Schemes)
93. Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to respond to the request by the London Docklands development corporation for an extra £400 million Government subsidy to fund infrastructure schemes ; and whether he intends to put a limit on the amount of subsidy payable.
Mr. Trippier : The LDDC's splendid achievements in regenerating London's docklands are funded by Government grant and by receipts from land sales. No request for £400 million additional grant is under consideration. Grant is paid within annual limits as voted expenditure approved by Parliament.
Empty Council Houses (London)
94. Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of council properties in Greater London which have been empty for longer than six months.
Mr. Trippier : London boroughs reported in their housing investment programme returns that there were 12,400 council houses which had been vacant for more than six months at 1 April 1988.
Redundant Agricultural Buildings
95. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take further measures to encourage planning authorities to consider positively applications for the change of use of redundant agricultural buildings.
Mr. Chope : Since 1980 we have consistently encouraged planning authorities to take a positive approach to proposals for the reuse of redundant farm buildings. This policy is clearly stated in our planning policy guidance notes on green belts and rural enterprise and development. We shall continue to advocate this policy as opportunities arise, and to have regard to it when determining planning appeals.
Council House Tenants (Opting-out)
96. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all council house tenants are fully appraised of the choice to opt out of local authority control.
Mr. Trippier : Tenants' choice will be implemented fully in the spring. Comprehensive information material from my Department about tenants' choice is being prepared and will be published shortly. The Housing Corporation is already providing advice, information and assistance to tenants and prospective new landlords about the scheme. Any tenant or body wishing to know more should contact the corporation.
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Canary Wharf
98. Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to put a limit on the subsidy to the developers of the Canary wharf.
Mr. Trippier : The Isle of Dogs enterprise zone provisions lapse on 26 April 1992. Within the statutory provisions, variations are not possible between particular developers or sites.
HIP Allocations, London
101. Mr. Cohen (Leyton) : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much housing investment programme allocations for London have been reduced for 1989-90 from 1988-89, in real terms ; and why.
Mr. Trippier : The total for basic HIP allocations in London for 1989-90 is £289.891 million. In real terms this amounts to 74.4 per cent. of that for 1988-89. London received 33.2 per cent. of the national total, the same proportion as for 1988-89. Although the net total for HIP allocations has reduced, capital receipts from sales of council housing have increased substantially, and gross provision nationally for local authority housing capital expenditure in 1989-90 is £3,303 million, an increase of 15 per cent. on previous plans.
Planning Inquiries (Appeals)
102. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing changes in the planning inquiry appeals procedures, including the inspectors' adjudication, which would help to equalise the rights of existing local residents and property development companies.
Mr. Chope : The rules of procedure at public inquiries are designed to meet the criteria of openness, fairness and impartiality which were laid down by the Franks committee in 1957. The present rules were comprehensively revised only last year ; I see no need for further changes at this stage. Within the framework provided by the rules, inspectors are expected to use their discretion to ensure that all relevant submissions, from whatever source and however presented, are given due consideration.
Council House Sales
103. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in England since May 1979.
Mr. Trippier : From April 1979 to September 1988 about 963,000 tenants bought their homes from English local authorities and new towns.
Water Companies (Ownership)
104. Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to preserve diversity of ownership of the statutory private water companies.
Mr. Moynihan : I refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11 January.
London (Air Pollution)
107. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times carbon
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monoxide levels in London's air have exceeded World Health Organisation deadlines in the last 12 months ; and how many times nitrogen dioxide levels in London's air have exceeded the air quality standard contained in the European directive 85/201 over the last 12 months.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The World Health Organisation has set guidelines for carbon monoxide concentrations using average periods of eight hours and one hour. These are targets for improved air quality and not limit values. In 1988 one exceedance of the eight hour guideline was measured at the Department of the Environment's monitoring station in central London. No exceedances of the one hour guideline were measured.
Provisional results from the United Kingdom nitrogen dioxide monitoring network indicate that the EC directive limit value, which is based on the 98th percentile of measurements throughout the year, was not exceeded in London in 1988.
People With Special Needs (Hostels)
109. Mr. Boateng : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the future of hostel placements for people with special needs.
Mr. Trippier : No. Placements are a matter for the individual local authorities, housing associations and voluntary bodies concerned.
Child Care Provision
109. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he will be giving local authorities on improving child care provision for their employees.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : None. Conditions of employment in local government are a matter for the local authorities.
Ports (Pollution)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those ports in the south-west of England and south Wales which make a charge for the disposal of refuse from ships using those ports ; what charges are levied ; and if he will make a statement on the environmental consequences of dumping such refuse in United Kingdom coastal waters.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Regulations made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, which came into effect on 31 December 1988, permit harbour authorities providing reception facilities for ships' garbage to make reasonable charges for their use. Although some information on these facilities is available, details of what charges they make are not definite or comprehensive. This Department is concerned with arrangements for the disposal of landed ships' waste. Regulations made under the Control of Pollution Act classify ships' waste, including refuse, as industrial waste. Most industrial waste is collected by the private sector but where local authorities undertake this function they are required to levy a reasonable charge for collection and disposal.
Dumping ships' waste in coastal waters can have very damaging environmental consequences. The dumping of certain materials such as plastics is now an offence under the Merchant Shipping Acts.
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67 Tufton Street, London
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what annual rental charges have been paid by the Property Services Agency to the owner of the freehold of 67 Tufton street, Westminster, London, for each of the years since 1980.
Mr. Chope : The rental charges agreed by the Property Services Agency of leasehold buildings are determined on a strictly commercial, and therefore confidential, basis.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes occurred in the terms and conditions of the leasehold agreement between the Property Services Agency and their landlord at 67, Tufton street, Westminster, London at or around the time when Westminster city council disposed of the freehold to Bourne Association Ltd.
Mr. Chope : One minor change to provide an optional access to the top floor.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes occurred in the terms and conditions of the leasehold agreement between the Property Services Agency and their landlord at 67, Tufton street, Westminster, London at or around the time when Bourne Association Ltd. disposed of the freehold to the present owners.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who is the present landlord of the Property Services Agency at 67, Tufton street, Westminster, London.
Mr. Chope : This information, like all aspects of the landlord- tenant relationship, is a matter of confidentiality.
Greenhouse Effect
Mr. Bidwell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research is undertaken by his Department to ascertain the contributions to the greenhouse effect of vehicle exhaust gas emissions.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I have today given to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) which includes information about emissions of CO , the principal greenhouse gas.
London Docklands
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place a copy in the Library of the report on employment in London docklands commissioned by the London Docklands development corporation from Research Bureau Ltd.
Mr. Trippier : I will do so, as soon as the report has been considered, and can be published.
East Thameside Study
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra resources he is planning to commit to the provision of housing for those on low and medium incomes on the sites included in the east Thameside study.
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Mr. Trippier : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Leadbitter).
Construction Work (VAT)
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had about the impact of value added tax on non-domestic construction work on schemes planned and appraised but not legally binding or backed by a building contract on 21 June 1988.
Mr. Trippier The Government have had discussions with some interested parties who made representations on their proposals for transitional relief on VAT for non-domestic construction projects.
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the chairman of each urban development corporation on the likely effect of the imposition of value added tax on non-domestic construction work on the contribution private sector investment will make to urban regeneration ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier None, but I am of course aware of the representations being made by developers.
Water Industry (Spending)
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the capital spending by the water industry for 1988 -89 and for each of the next three years at current prices and at constant 1987-88 prices.
Mr. Moynihan : Estimates of capital expenditure in 1988-89 and in 1989-90 will be published on 30 January by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the public expenditure White Paper. The remaining information requested by the hon. Member is not available.
Housing Subsidies
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the housing subsidy paid to each partnership and programme authority in each of the years from 1978-79 to 1989-90 (plans) expressed in cash and constant 1987-88 prices. Mr. Trippier I will write to the hon. Member.
Viraj Mendis
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will request a report from Manchester City Council as to the reasons why Mr. Viraj Mendis who has illegally overstayed in the United Kingdom since 1975 was provided with council properties by that council ; what the total subsidies were on these properties ; and whether Mr. Mendis's rates and rent were in arrears.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 24 January 1989] : Yes. I have requested a report from the city council and will write to my hon. Friend in the light of its reply.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has of any rent and rate rebates and housing benefit payments made to Mr. Viraj Mendis since 1973.
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Mr. Trippier [holding answer 24 January 1989] : I have no information, but I have taken the matter up with the city council and will write to my hon. Friend in the light of that reply.
DEFENCE
Plutonium, Uranium, Tritium (Exports)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any unsafeguarded plutonium, uranium or tritium has been exported to the United States of America since May 1979.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 25 April 1984 by the then Minister of State for Defence Procurement at column 506.
Development Projects
Mr Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those development projects which have been written off by his Department in the last two years in each of the services ; what will be the savings for each project cancelled ; and how much development expenditure had been involved in each project until the date the projects were cancelled.
Mr. Sainsbury : In the financial years 1986-87 and 1987-88 the following major projects which had entered full development were cancelled :
Title |Service |Date of cancellation|Expenditure at
|cancellation
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CACS 4 |Royal Navy |1987-88 |<1>28
SP 70 |Army |1986-87 |88
Nimrod AEW |Royal Air Force |1986-87 |660
<1> Expenditure on hardware only. Other expenditure is commercially confidential.
Projects funded for full development are the preferred solution to approved defence requirements. Although a project may subsequently be cancelled, the underlying requirement will almost certainly remain and will need to be met by other means. This is the case in respect of all three projects listed. The question of savings in respect of these cancellations does not arise.
Payroll Deduction Scheme
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is (a) the name of the agency charity which has been awarded the contract for his Department's payroll deduction scheme, (b) the length of time that the agency has been in existence, (c) the number of civilian and military personnel that will be covered by the agency, (d) the number of staff employed by the agency, (e) the agency's experience in dealing with computerised records systems, (f) the number of other payroll deduction schemes with which it is involved and the number of employees covered by such schemes, and (g) the length of time that will have elapsed between Mr. Chancellor's announcement of tax concessions for payroll deduction schemes and the operative date of his Department's scheme.
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Mr. Sainsbury : The agency charity which has been awarded the Ministry of Defence contract for the payroll deduction scheme is South West Charitable Giving. This agency was awarded Inland Revenue approved status in March 1987. Potentially there are 161,950 civilians and 312,000 military personnel who could subscribe to the payroll deduction scheme. Details relating to the agency such as personnel are of course a matter for the company. I can however say that it is registered for payroll giving under the Data Protection Act 1986. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced tax concessions for payroll deduction schemes in the 1986 Budget. For civilians the charities payroll giving scheme came into effect on 1 November 1988, and the armed forces expect to join the scheme on 1 April 1989.
Ministerial Staff
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of staff, by grade, in receipt of local pay additions outside London and the south-east economic planning region ; what are the different amounts paid to staff, by grade ; whether this sum varies due to location ; what qualifying period of scale-related criteria is used ; and whether this varies by location.
Military Aircraft (Accidents)
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the numbers of military aircraft destroyed or severely damaged by accident during each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, indicating the aircraft types involved.
Mr. Neubert : I refer the hon. Member to the annual statements on the defence Estimates (SDE) which since 1980 have published such information about accidents to aircraft of the three services. The relevant information for 1988 is as follows :
Date |Aircraft |Service ----------------------------------------------- 1. 22 January |Hawk |RAF 2. 3 February |Sea King |RN 3. 2 March |Bulldog |RAF 4. 10 March |Lynx |RN 5. 30 March |Tornado |RAF 6. 11 April |Lightning|RAF 7. 20 April |Phantom |RAF 8. 6 May |Chinook |RAF 9. 10 May |Tornado |RAF 10. 13 May |Hawk |RAF 11. 20 May |Harrier |RAF 12. 30 May |Meteor |RAF 13. 14 June |Hunter |RN 14. 23 June |Lynx |Army 15. 24 June |Hawk |RAF 16. 2 August |Phantom |RAF 17. 9 August |TornadoX2|RAF 18. 18 August |Harrier |RAF 19. 6 September |Bulldog |RAF 20. 6 September |Gazelle |Army 21. 7 September |Jaguar |RAF 22. 14 September |Gazelle |Army 23. 23 September |Phantom |RAF 24. 13 October |Sea King |RN 25. 18 October |Phantom |RAF 26. 19 October |Gazelle |Army
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Skyguard Radar
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training in the operation of the Skyguard radar system has been given to RAF police responsible for monitoring low flying.
Mr. Neubert : There is no operational training requirement for the RAF police in the use of Skyguard in a monitoring role because trained operators and engineering support are provided by 2729 squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment, RAF Waddington. However, limited training has been provided during the trials of the equipment to enable RAF police investigators to familiarise themselves with its operation.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the assessment of the results of the trial of the Skyguard radar system for monitoring low-flying aircraft is complete ; and if he will make a statement.
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