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Mr. Sainsbury : None ; the company's contractual commitments would be unaffected by any change in ownership.
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Imber
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the exclusion of members of the public by his Department from the village of Imber and surrounding lands.
Mr. Neubert : The village of Imber and surrounding lands lie within the danger area of Salisbury plain training area, west. This area has been permanently closed to the public since a public inquiry in 1961 on the ground of public safety because of the danger from unexploded ordnance, metal fragments, wire entanglements and open trenches. However, public access is granted by the roads crossing the area on a maximum of 50 days in each year and special church services are held in Imber village once each year in September.
Mr. Cohen : To as the Secretaruy of State for Defence, what representations he has received since 1979 regarding the continued use of the village of Imber and surrounding lands by the armed forces.
Mr Neubert : Retrieving and searching through all the relevant records dating back to 1979 could be done only at disproportionate cost. However, those records which are readily available indicate that recently there have been no representations to the Department regarding the continued use of Imber village and the surrounding land.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what powers he holds the village of Imber and surrounding lands.
Mr. Neubert : The Secretary of State for Defence holds land for defence purposes under the Defence Act 1842 and subsequent relevant legislation.
Military Lands
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for increasing the land used for his Department on or near Salisbury plain.
Mr Neubert : No additional land is at present being purchased for the Salisbury plain training area although it remains our policy to acquire suitable land which becomes available. We also seek to make better training use of our existing freehold land by changes in present agricultural tenancy arrangements, and one such proposal in the Erlestoke area is at present under consideration.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all of the byelaws made by his Department under the Military Lands Act 1892 that are presently in force and place a copy of each set of byelaws in the Library.
Mr. Neubert : I refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my hon. Friend, the Member for Kettering Mr. Freeman), on 18 May 1988 at column 509 and on 29 July 1988 at column 577-8 . The following byelaws have been made subsequently and remain in force :
The Lydd Camp and Lydd Ranges Byelaws, 1988
Royal Air Force Edzell Byelaws, 1988
Royal Air Force Welford Byelaws, 1988
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton and Merryfield Airfield Byelaws, 1988
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list any byelaws made by his Department under the
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Military Lands Act 1892 that are proposed but are not yet in force and place a copy of each of these proposed byelaws in the Library, together with relevant maps.Mr. Neubert : Currently, no byelaws have been made which are not yet in force.
Spearfish
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he proposes to ensure that the Spearfish torpedo procurement is subjected to competitive tendering.
Mr. Sainsbury : A number of companies have expressed interest in participating in the forthcoming Spearfish torpedo main production order. We plan to issue invitations to tender to all interested companies later this year with a view to awarding the prime contract in 1990. We will announce the issue of the ITT in the MOD contracts bulletin to stimulate the maximum possible competition at sub-contractor level.
Service Quarters (Woolwich)
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the 67 married quarters and civilian houses in the Woolwich area which he expects to offer for sale in the open market during the next 15 months.
Mr. Neubert : I shall write to the hon. Member.
Woolwich Arsenal
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out (a) the establishment levels, and (b) the actual strength in each case of the main grades employed by the directorate general of defence quality assurance at Woolwich arsenal.
Mr. Sainsbury : At the end of February 1989 the directorate general of defence quality assurance employed 1,135 staff at the Royal arsenal, Woolwich, against a ceiling level of 1,250. The breakdown of the main grades was as follows :
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O
|Staff strength|Staff ceiling
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades 3-6 |14 |14
Professional and technical grades |275 |327
Scientific grades |145 |152
Executive grades |59 |61
Administrative grades |214 |228
Support grades |45 |45
Other non-industrial grades |85 |91
Industrial grades |298 |332
Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seout (a) the establishment levels, and (b) the actual strengths in each of the main grades employed at the atomic weapons research establishment, Aldermaston.
Mr. Sainsbury : It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal details of the staff employed at the atomic weapons establishment for reasons of national security.
ENVIRONMENT
Household Incomes
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside, (Mr. Blunkett), Official Report , 2 February, columns 359-60 , how many female-headed households, and what proportion of all female heads of households, fall into each band of equivalent income.
Mr. Gummer : Based on data contained in the Family expenditure survey, the distribution of female-headed households into bands of equivalent and actual net income is given below. A total of 26 per cent. of households in the sample are headed by females.
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|Under 75|75-100 |100-150 |150-200 |200-250 |250-300 |300-350 |350-400 |400-500 |500+
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net Income Range (£ per week)
Female headed households in each band, as a
percentage of all female headed households<1> |43 |15 |17 |11 |6 |3 |1 |1 |1 |0
Number of female headed households (000's) |2,810 |780 |885 |555 |310 |160 |75 |55 |45 |15
Equivalent Net Income Range (£ per week)
Female headed households in each band, as a
percentage of all female headed households<1> |10 |29 |34 |12 |7 |4 |2 |1 |1 |1
Number of female headed households<1> |500 |1,460 |1,710 |585 |350 |205 |100 |60 |45 |30
<1>Percentages do not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Rating Reform
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for each metropolitan county (a) the average rate per person and (b) the average community charge.
Mr. Gummer : Rates are a tax on property. The relevant measure of an average rate bill is the payment per property. An average per person, including children, would have little meaning. I have therefore provided in the table the average rate bill per household and the average illustrative community charge in each of the areas referred
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to. These figures are based on 1988-89 budgeted expenditure levels and are consistent with those published on 23 June 1988.
d
|c|Illustrative average community charge and rate bill in 1988-89|c|
|Average Rate Bill per |Average Community Charge
|property
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greater Manchester |466 |254
Merseyside |512 |268
South Yorkshire |405 |286
Tyne and Wear |408 |272
West Midlands |549 |232
West Yorkshire |380 |263
Owner-occupiers (Grants)
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision has been made for owner-occupiers in need of repairs or maintenance to receive grants for such work from local authorities ; and whether the system will operate on (a) a means-tested grant, (b) aid and (c) a loan basis.
Mr. Trippier : Part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Bill provides for a system of grants towards the cost of the repair and improvement of owner-occupied property, subject to a test of an applicant's resources. Details of the proposed test are given in the consultation paper "Renovation Grants : Proposed Test of Resources" published by my Department on 9 January 1989, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision has been made for extra funding for local authorities in order that they may fulfil their obligation to owner-occupiers as outlined in the Housing Act 1988.
Mr. Trippier : Provision for local authority housing capital expenditure is decided annually in the light of the Government's overall expenditure priorities. Discussion son the 1990-91 public expenditure plans are at an early stage, and will take account of the provisions in the Housing Act 1988 and in the Local Government and Housing Bill, which reforms the home improvement grant system.
Ozone Layer (Conference)
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the agenda for the forthcoming London conference on depletion of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere.
Mr. Ridley : The information requested is as follows :
Sunday 5 March--
10.00-10.30 Opening Ceremony with Keynote Address by His Excellency President Moi of Kenya.
11.00-12.10 Session 1 : Setting the Scene'
The history of CFCs and halons.
Ozone layer science : the history ; the current state of knowledge ; the dangers to human and other life.
Speakers will include :
Dr. Maurice Verhille, Atochem, France.
Dr. F. S. Rowland, University of California.
Mr. Joseph Farman, British Antarctic Survey.
Dr. Robert Watson, NASA.
Dr. Mohammad Ilyas, University of Science of Malaysia. 12.10-12.45 Ministerial Discussion I
An opportunity for delegations to comment on the issues addressed during the Conference or to make brief statements.
14.15-15.15 Ministerial Discussion II
15.15-16.30 Session 2 : The Response of World Industry' Existing alternatives ; new alternatives ; conservation and recycling ; the retailer's point of view ; developing country aspects.
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Speakers will include :Dr. Peter Wallenberg, President, International Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Archie Dunham, Group Vice President, Du Pont.
Mr. Denys Henderson, Chairman, ICI.
Dr. Kenji Sekido, Chief Engineer, Semiconductor Group, NEC Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover, Chairman, J. Sainsbury plc. Sr. Alvaro Umana, Minister of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Costa Rica.
16.30-18.00 Ministerial Discussion III
18.30-20.00 Reception for all Delegates
Monday 6 March--
10.00-11.15 Session 3 : Shared Awareness'
The implications of the Montreal Protocol process for signatories and non- signatories ; the particular needs of developing countries and how to tackle them.
Speakers will include :
Mr. Kaj Barlund, Environment Minister, Finland.
Dr. Liu Ming Pu, Environment Commissioner, China.
Lic Patricio Chirinos, Minister of Ecology, Mexico.
Dr. R. Baxter, Chairman, Electrolux UK.
The Hon. W. Winegard, Minister for Science and Technology, Canada.
11.15-13.00 Ministerial Discussion IV
14.30-17.00 Ministerial Discussion V
17.00-18.00 Session 4 : Our Common Purpose'
Synthesis of previous sessions and discussions ; the way ahead. Speakers will include :
The Rt. Hon. G. Palmer, Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister, New Zealand.
Dr. Istvan Lang, Secretary General, Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
His Excellency Mr. Shridath Ramphal, Secretary General to the Commonwealth.
Dr. Martin Holdgate, Director General IUCN : Conference Rapporteur.
19.30 Dinner for Heads of Delegations.
Tuesday 7 March--
10.00-11.00 Summing up by Chairman, the Rt. Hon. Nicholas Ridley, MP.
Adoption of Final Message
Closing Ceremony
End of Conference
11.30-12.30 United Kingdom Press Conference.
Throughout Sunday 5 March and Monday 6 March there will be : "Surgeries' : an opportunity for delegates to meet and raise detailed questions with scientists and industrial experts. Ozone layer protection exhibition.
Programme of video films
Conservation (Cumbria)
Mr. Franks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what financial assistance his Department has given to Cumbria county council for conservation measures since 1985 ; and for what specific purpose ;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report, the grants his Department gave to Cumbria county council for conservation measures between 1974 and 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : A total of £5,883,990 in national parks supplementary grant has been allocated to Cumbria county council during the period 1985-86 to 1988-89. The corresponding figure for the period 1974-75 and 1978-79 is £2,556,699. In addition, conservation matters are reflected in the needs assessment of local
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authorities' rate support grant allocation. Authorities are free to determine their own priorities within the total sums available.Mr. Franks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants his Department has given to organisations in Cumbria for conservation measures, other than to Cumbria county council, since 1985.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No direct grants have been paid.
Land Reclamation (Cumbria)
Mr. Franks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report, the grants for land reclamation made to Cumbria county council between 1974 and 1979.
Mr. Trippier : Between 1974 and 1979 derelict land grant was paid to Cumbria county council as follows :
Year |Grant paid --------------------------------- 1973-74 |n/a 1974-75 |277,532 1975-76 |172,966 1976-77 |289,032 1977-78 |22,937 1978-79 |205,824
Mr. Franks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants have been made to Cumbria county council for land reclamation schemes since 1985.
Mr. Trippier : Since 1985 derelict land grant has been paid to Cumbria county council as follows :
Year |Grant paid --------------------------------------- 1984-85 |3,463,669 1985-86 |4,664,620 1986-87 |1,435,692 1987-88 |4,181,261 1988-89 |<1>2,800,000 <1> Estimate.
Housing Associations
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now institute a code of conduct for the running of housing associations with standards which reflect equal opportunities, social justice, and a high level of service.
Mr. Trippier : The Housing Act 1988 gave the Housing Corporation the power to issue guidance to registered housing associations on the management of their housing. The corporation has powers to enforce such guidance, which it recently issued under the title "The Tenants' Guarantee". The document has received the statutory approval of my right hon. Friend and came into effect on 15 January. The 1988 Act also gave the Commission for Racial Equality the power to issue a code of practice on race relations in the field of rented housing. I understand that the Commission expects to consult on proposals shortly.
Satellite Dishes
Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether satellite dishes require planning permission in (a) conservation areas and (b) any other areas.
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