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West Midlands JC(Birmingham MDC
Coventry MDC
Dudley MDC
Sandwell MDC
Solihull MDC
Walsall MDC
Wolverhampton MDC)
Total Plans : 27
Total Authorities : 43
Abbreviations--
LB London Borough
RB Royal Borough (London Borough)
MDC Metropolitan District Councils
WA Waste Authority
WDJC Waste Disposal Joint Committee
Submitted to the Department for determination under section 2(5) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
In these metropolitan areas the joint committee is required to produce a plan covering its constituent authorities (these are shown in parentheses).
Disclosure of Information
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidance he issues on the circumstances in which information used for the maintenance of the community charge registers may be disclosed to (a) other Departments of Government, (b) the police and (c) public utilities ;
(2) what guidance he issues on the use of the personal data collected by the community charge officer for community charge purposes as a general information resource for the charging authority to use for other purposes ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : We have made no provision for personal data to be disclosed for the purposes or to the organisations mentioned by the hon. Member. Guidance has been issued to registration officers on the disclosure of information in practice notes entitled "The Community Charges Register" and "Data Protection and the Community Charge". Copies of both practice notes are available in the Library.
Housing Defects
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department is able to offer to tenants of precast reinforced concrete houses designated under the Housing Defects Act 1984 whose local authorities are unable to afford to repair, or who are unable to secure a mortgage to cover buying or selling ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : Tenants of properties designated under the housing defects legislation have the right to buy their homes. They will be eligible for discount in the normal way and have a right to a mortgage from their local authority. If the property is unrepaired we advise tenants to get a survey, to establish the structural condition of the property including how soon works might be needed ; and to satisfy themselves that the valuation properly reflects this. If tenants are unhappy with the authority's valuation they can seek an independent one from the district valuer.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to exempt from the 1988
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Budget changes on tax relief for home improvement those living in precast reinforced concrete houses designated under the Housing Defects Act 1984.Mr. Trippier : Changes to the tax system are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of houses seriously defective, or defective, as defined by statute, in each local housing authority and standard region.
Mr. Trippier : Information on the numbers and distribution, by local authority and region, of properties designated under the housing defects legislation is available in the House Library. This is based on survey material obtained in 1983 and updated in 1986 and again in 1988.
Housing Repossessions
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 25 January to the hon. Member for Leeds, West, he will give the number of properties repossessed by mortgagors for each six month period from January 1982 to June 1988.
Mr. Trippier : This information is published in table 17 of the BSA bulletin Nos. 49 and 56 copies of which are in the Library.
Improvement Grants
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to make a statement on any changes to the home improvement grant entitlement regime.
Mr. Trippier : The Local Government and Housing Bill, published today, contains provisions introducing a new system of home improvement grants to replace those in part XV of the Housing Act 1985. Entitlement for grant will depend on an applicant's financial resources.
Improvement Grants
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the number of home improvement grants made in each year from 1983 to 1988 ; and what is his estimate for 1988-89 (a) nationally, (b) for each local housing authority and (c) by standard region ;
(2) what was the expenditure in current and standard prices on home improvement grants in each year since 1983 and estimated for 1988-89 (a) nationally, (b) for each local housing authority and (c) by standard region.
Mr. Trippier : The information requested has been laid in the House of Commons Library. The figures, including the advance estimates for 1988- 89, are those provided by local authorities on their HIP2 returns.
Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will hold a public inquiry on section 7(1) submissions from Warrington and Runcorn development corporation affecting Appleton Cross and Graffenhall Hays.
Mr. Trippier : I have yet to receive these submissions. Local inquiries into submissions under section 7(1) of the New Towns Act 1987 are exceptional, but are held when necessary.
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Land (Hounslow)
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Housing Corporation will purchase the freehold of the land in Hounslow on which the Beaver estate is situated and of which the United Kingdom Housing Trust is the leaseholder.
Mr. Trippier : This is a matter for the Housing Corporation, but I understand that it is not its intention to purchase the freehold.
Housing Associations
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the policy of his Department concerning the ability of established housing associations to manage property for temporary letting to homeless people ; and whether the Government will facilitate the transfer of council housing to such associations ; (2) if he will explain the policy of his Department concerning cheaper alternatives to bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless households in housing association property.
Mr. Trippier : Housing associations can help provide temporary accommodation for homeless people through lettings both of their own stock and of short life property leased from local authorities. These leasing arrangements work well and I am not aware that any special action is required to facilitate associations' access to council housing.
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the reasons for the delay of 347 days before his Department replied to the request of 27 November 1987 by the London borough of Ealing to enter into agreements with Shepherd's Bush housing association and others to manage properties for temporary letting to homeless people, under section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986 ; and if he will give a date for a reply to this request.
Mr. Trippier : My Department has written to, or telephoned, officers of the London borough of Ealing on eight occasions since the council's application was received in November 1987. We hope that, when they have replied to the latest letter of 29 December 1988, it will be possible to make a final decision.
Superannuation Fund (Norfolk)
Mr. John Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to grant the Norfolk local authorities' superannuation fund a sanction under section 19(1) of the Local Government Act 1982 in the even that the legality of the adjustment of contributions, as proposed at the superannuation committee of 26 July 1988, were challenged.
Water Industry
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make it his policy that the Director General of Water Services designate will play a role in fixing the cost of water to the consumer ;
(2) whom he will be meeting to discuss the value of K, prior to flotation of the water industry.
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Mr. Howard : The setting of the initial charges limit applying to water undertakings on their appointment is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. In order to promote consistency of procedures on matters such as consultation with those that the director general is likely to follow in subsequent reviews of the charges limit, he will hold discussions with the director general designate when his/her appointment has been made.
Water Authorities (Sewage Treatment Works)
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list for the Southern water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(2) if he will list for Wessex water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ; (3) if he will list for the Severn-Trent water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(4) if he will list for the Northumbria water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(5) if he will list for the Anglian water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(6) if he will list for the South West water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(7) if he will list for the North West water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(8) if he will list for the Thames water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied ;
(9) if he will list for the Yorkshire water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied.
Mr. Howard : The information is not held centrally. No applications from water authorities for variations in the consent conditions for small works serving populations of less than 1,000 have yet been received by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
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Yorkshire Water Authority
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the locations of the 63 sewage treatment works in the Yorkshire water authority area which exceeded their discharge consents in 1987.
Mr. Howard : Seventy-four sewage treatment works in the Yorkshire water authority area exceeded their discharge consents in 1987. Copies of the returns submitted by Yorkshire water authority were placed in the Libraries of both Houses in June last year. The works are identified by name.
Rating Reform
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further developments have taken place since his announcement in December 1988 of the proposed maximum rate limits for rate capped authorities in 1989-90.
Mr. Ridley : Of the seven rate-capped authorities, Tower Hamlets has accepted the proposed rate limit within the statutory period. The remaining six authorities have not accepted the proposed limits. I have carefully considered all the representations made by these authorities, including their proposals to agree a different limit with me, and all other relevant information and
representations.
In the case of Camden, I am now seeking from the council further information in relation to certain factual matters it has raised during its representations.
For the remaining five authorities I am now proposing : (
(a) in the case of three of these authorities--Greenwich, Lewisham and Thamesdown--no increase in the proposed rate limit ;
(b) in the case of Hackney and Southwark a higher limit, on which I am seeking agreement as follows :
Hackney 113p (10.83p above the proposed limit)
Southwark 97p (3.55p above the proposed limit)
Where I am unable to reach agreement with an authority on a different limit from the one I proposed in December, I am required under the Rates Act to prescribe the maximum by order.
Local Authority Business (Conduct)
Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have reviewed the proposals on the conduct of local authority business set out in the White Paper Cm 433.
Mr. Gummer : The Government have considered very carefully the many views that have been expressed since the publication of Cm 433. On a number of points they are convinced that the legislation should be adapted to take account of these points. The Local Government and Housing Bill, presented yesterday, is accordingly drafted to give effect to these changes.
The points where the Bill differs from the proposals in the White Paper are as follows :
a. The White Paper proposed that restrictions on public political activity should apply to chief executives of local authorities, chief officers and their deputies, and to the holders of posts which each local authority would be under a duty to designate on the basis of statutory criteria.
The Government have decided that the restrictions on public political activity should also apply, in the first instance, to all local authority staff to whom the Widdicombe committee recommended that they should apply, that is, staff in the grade of principal officer and above.
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Such staff would, however, be able to apply to an independent adjudicator for exemption from the restrictions, which would be given if their posts were, in the adjudicator's opinion, ones which could properly be so exempted. The adjudicator would be appointed by the Secretary of State after consultations with representatives of local government.b. The White Paper proposed that local authorities should be required to designate an officer with duties to advise on the management of the authority's service, and an officer to advise on questions of legality and propriety--the "monitoring officer". It was to be left to the authority whether the chief executive, if there was one, should hold either or both of these posts, except that the chief finance officer could not also be the monitoring officer. The Government are now persuaded that each local authority should be required to designate one officer as head of their paid service, and that that officer should have the duties to advise on management questions. It would still be left to each authority whether those duties should be combined with those of the monitoring officer or the chief finance officer ; the combination of the two latter offices would still not be permitted.
c. The White Paper proposed that there should be a ban on the appointment of advisers to political groups on councils. The Government have decided, in the light of the representations that they have received, that local authorities should be permitted to appoint a very limited number of assitants to political groups, to help councillors in those groups with their duties as councillors. A council will not be required to make such appointments, but where they decide to do so, each of the three largest political groups will be able to make one such appointment, provided that the group contains at least one tenth of the membership of the council. The terms of such appointment will broadly parallel the terms of appointment of special advisers in central Government : they will not be able to discharge functions on behalf of the council ; they will not be permitted to manage other council staff : they will not be permitted to be paid at a rate of more than £13,500 a year ; and they will be subject to the main restrictions on public political activity. Political groups will decide on their own choices, and will be expressly permitted to take the political views of candidates into account.
d. As an additional safeguard on the appointment of senior local authority officers, the Government have decided that the monitoring officer should be required to report to the authority, in every case in which an appointment is made by the full council, a committee or a subcommittee, either that, in his opinion, the appointment can be made consistently with enactments and standing orders and without taking into account any matter which could not properly be taken into account, or the reasons why he cannot so certify.
Local Authority Capital Finance
Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he received to his consultation paper on local authority capital finance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The consultation paper "Capital Expenditure and Finance" was published on 7 July 1988. Four hundred and fifty two responses were received by my right hon. Friend and a further 17 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. My right hon. Friends are grateful to all those who set out their views. The consultation paper proposed, in light of the accountability that will be brought about by the community charge, a switch from controlling capital expenditure as such to controlling the use of credit to pay for it. That proposal appears to have generally been welcomed and the majority of the responses related to individual features of the new system as outlined in the consultation paper, and in particular the method of equal instalments of principal by which it was proposed that provision should be made from revenue accounts to meet existing and future credit liabilities.
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Part IV of the Local Government and Housing Bill provides for a new local authority capital finance system broadly on the lines set out in the consultation paper. But, in light of the comments made by respondents, the Bill specifies that revenue account provision for credit liabilities should normally be made by the reducing balance method, though it will be possible for other methods to be specified in regulations.Under the Bill, local authorities would be able to finance capital expenditure :
a. by credit up to the level specified in credit approvals to be issued by Government departments ;
b. without restriction from the usable balance of their capital receipts after part has been set aside to reduce their indebtedness ; and
c. without restriction from revenue contributions.
To assist them with their planning, a letter setting out details of part IV is being sent to the local authorities to which it will apply. I am placing a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Local Authorities' Interests in Companies"
Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions he has reached as a result of the consultative paper "Local Authorities' Interests in Companies" issued in June 1988.
Mr. Gummer : My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales have considered the responses received to the consultation paper and have decided to make a number of amendments to the proposals which are set out in the document which I have today placed in the Library of the House. The amendments are :
(i) the addition of mutual companies, combined heat and power companies and waste disposal companies to the categories of companies in which local authorities are permitted to have a minority interest ;
(ii) the exemption of bodies funded by grants under section 56(9)) of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 which are deducted from the aggregate amount available for block grant ; other exemptions will be considered case by case where companies are, in effect, dependent on central Government grant, since their activities can then be monitored in other ways.
(iii) the relaxation of the proposed rule that companies controlled by local authorities at arm's length should not have any local authority members or officers on the board of the company. (iv) the spouses of officers of a local authority will no longer be a category of persons whose involvement in a company would establish a link with a local authority.
Rating Reform
Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what a typical ward sister would pay (a) in rates, (b) in community charge and (c) in 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 Walthamstow.
Mr. Gummer : A ward sister earning £15,000, living in a flat in Walthamstow worth £55,000 with a rateable value of £300, would pay a rates bill of £634, a community charge of £269, disregarding the transitional safety net, and £665 under a system of capital value rates plus local income tax.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer to the hon.
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Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle), Official Report, 12 January 1989, column 742, updating table F5 of the Green Paper, "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714), he will publish a table (a) showing for each band of equivalent net income what percentage of all households fall into that band, and what percentage of adults live in households falling in that band, (b) on the same basis as Table F5 in the Green Paper, but with the bands of equivalent net income adjusted so that 10 percentage of households fall into each band, and showing what proportion of those households whose net community charge is projected to be higher than their net rates, fall into each income band.Mr. Gummer [pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1989] : Table A shows the percentage of households, the percentage of adults, and the percentage of households whose illustrative net community charge for 1988- 89 would have been higher than net rates, in each band of net household income. Table B shows the same information in bands of equivalent net household income. Figures on a decile basis are not available.
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Distribution of household income and community charges in 1988-89
£ per week
|Under 75|75-100 |100-150 |150-200 |200-250 |250-300 |300-350 |350-400 |400-500 |500+
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table A Net Income Range
Pecentage of households
in each range |17 |11 |18 |16 |13 |9 |6 |4 |4 |3
Percentage of adults in
each range |10 |9 |16 |16 |15 |11 |8 |5 |6 |4
Percentage of
households with
higher net
community charge
than net rates falling
into each range |10 |10 |18 |19 |15 |10 |7 |4 |4 |2
Table B Equivalent Net Income Range
Percentage of households in each
range |7 |19 |29 |18 |12 |7 |4 |2 |2 |1
Percentage of adults in
each range |6 |17 |29 |20 |13 |7 |4 |2 |2 |1
Percentage of
households with
higher net
community charge
than net rates falling
into each range |8 |17 |32 |21 |12 |5 |3 |1 |1 |0
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