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Mr. Howard : Public water supplies in the United Kingdom are at present of a very high standard and most supplies already comply with the European Community drinking water directive. We are fully committed to compliance with the European Community directive as soon as practicable. Those supplies which regularly fail to meet a standard are being improved and should comply in the next year or so. Water undertakers are currently submitting to the Department further improvement programmes concerning supplies where there is occasional non-compliance with the directive.
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all water supplies in Yorkshire in breach of the European Economic Community directive on water quality in respect of safety limits on lead in drinking water ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 23 March 1989 at columns 775-76.
Local Authorities (Businesses)
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Waveney of 19 April, Official Report column 229, he will now make it his policy to hold centrally a list of all local authorities which operate businesses in competition with the private sector and the nature of each business concerned.
Mr. Gummer : No. No useful purpose would be served by such a list. It is for each local authority to decide how to use their statutory powers.
National Rivers Authority
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, in respect of each shadow National Rivers Authority region, the sites which contain water sampling and laboratory analysis facilities of a standard necessary to enable the National Rivers Authority to carry out its pollution control functions.
Mr. Howard : When the NRA is established it will own or have access to whatever sampling and analysis facilities are necessary to carry out its full range of pollution control functions. The exact details of its facilities and their location as at the transfer date are not yet finalised, but I refer my hon. Friend to the NRA summary schemes of organisations which were placed in the Library on 2 December for a brief outline of the laboratory arrangements proposed in each region.
Nuclear Waste
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Banbury, (Mr. Baldry) Official Report , 21 March column 506 , how many reserve sites to Sellafield and Dounreay were listed by Nirex for potential low and intermediate-level nuclear waste disposal.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Nirex's report to Government on the deep repository project, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, indicates that, following a detailed site selection procedure, twelve sites were chosen for further appraisal. Nirex decided that, as a first step, further investigations should be limited to two of these locations-- Dounreay and Sellafield.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects publication of the report commissioned by his Department from the National Nuclear Corporation concerning the likely environmental impact of the disposal of spent irradiated fuel underground in thick copper cannisters ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department has commissioned the National Nuclear Corporation to undertake a study into the packaging, storage and direct disposal of spent oxide fuel. The contract is due to end on 30 November 1989. The Department intends to publish the results of the study as soon as practicable thereafter.
Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what initiatives are being taken by his Department to ensure effective reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions to improve the acidity of surface waters in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have agreed with our European Community partners a phased programme to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide from existing large combustion plants (principally power stations) by 60 per cent. from 1980 levels by 2003, and of nitrogen oxides by 30 per cent. from 1980 levels by 1998. This will add substantially to the programme for reducing acid emissions from power stations which was already in place, estimated to cost over £1 billion.
Pollution Control
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions under the Control of Pollution Act 1978 there have been in West Yorkshire in each of the last five years ; and how many have resulted in convictions in the same period.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I understand from the Yorkshire water authority that the number of prosecutions brought in West Yorkshire for offences under part II of the Act is as follows :
Year |Prosecutions<1> ------------------------------------------------ 1985 |4 1986 |8 1987 |11 1988 |5 <2>1989 |2 <1> All these resulted in convictions. <2> To date.
Prior to 1985, prosecutions for water pollution offences were brought under the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Acts 1951 to 1961.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects all companies to be subject to the terms of the Control of Pollution Act ;
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(2) if he will commission a study into the effects of the river Mersey of the cumulative effects of exempting companies from the Control of Pollution Act ;(3) how many companies in Britain were granted exemptions under the Control of Pollution Act to discharge excess pollutants into Britain's rivers ; and if he will list the companies ;
(4) how many companies exempted under the Control of Pollution Act discharge effluent into the river Mersey ;
(5) what are his reasons for granting exemptions under the Control of Pollution Act to companies ;
(6) if he will list the criteria he used to grant exemptions to companies to allow them to discharge excess pollutants into rivers under the Control of Pollution Act ;
(7) if he will list the types of effluents and chemicals permitted to be discharged into rivers by companies exempted from the Control of Pollution Act ;
(8) if he will list the maximum concentrations of pollutants that can be discharged under exemptions from the Control of Pollution Act ; and what is the level for non-exempt companies ;
(9) if he will now cease to exempt companies from the terms of the Control of Pollution Act.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 20 April 1989] : The provisions of part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 apply to all companies. Under the phased introduction of part II of the Act, certain categories of discharge which did not require consent under earlier legislation, were exempted from control under the Act. The categories of discharges exempted are set out in The Control of Pollution (Exemption of Certain Discharges from Control) Order 1983 (Statutory Instrument 1983, No. 1182). The order also lists those cases where such exemptions do not apply on account of the requirements of particular EEC directives.
In September 1986, the Government announced their intention to withdraw most of these exemptions. This was effected through The Control of Pollution (Exemption of Certain Discharges from Control) (Variation) Order 1986 (Statutory Instrument 1986, No. 1623). This order lists the remaining categories of exempted discharges and sets out transitional provisions for previously exempted discharges. Water authorities have been advised that they should aim to replace all deemed consents issued under the transitional provisions with individually determined consents by October 1992.
The question whether an industrial discharge is still eligible for an exemption in accordance with the order, is currently a matter for the relevant water authority. However, all discharges of trade and sewage effluent into coastal and estuarial waters--such as the Mersey--have now been brought within the scope of controls. The few remaining minor categories of discharges to which exemptions still apply are, by their nature, not considered to pose any significant pollution threat to the environment. However, under the terms of the Water Bill, discharges within these categories will be subject to a relevant prohibition procedure, which will allow the National Rivers Authority to give notice at any time that a discharge within these categories may be made only subject to their consent, and the conditions they will impose.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain and place in the Library a detailed hydrological analysis of the water in the river
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Mersey, detailing the levels of (a) hydrocarbon effluents, (b) biological effluents, (c) inorganic chemical pollutants and (d) heavy metals.Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 20 April 1989] : The monitoring of water quality in the Mersey and of discharges of effluent into the river is the responsibility of the North West water authority. Data from the authority's monitoring operations are available for inspection on the public register maintained by the authority. Further monitoring of these and other substances in the Mersey and other United Kingdom waters will be carried out as a consequence of actions agreed at the second North sea conference designed to achieve by 1995 substantial reductions of inputs of the most dangerous substances via rivers and estuaries. In the United Kingdom action is focused in particular on red list substances, details of which were announced by my noble Friend, the Minister for the Environment on 10 April, Official Report, House of Lords, column 121.
Implementation of the North sea conference declaration will be applied to all United Kingdom waters, not just those flowing into the North sea.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the maximum discharges of (a) benzene and (b) toluene permitted into rivers under the Control of Pollution Act.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 20 April 1989] : Under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, any person wishing to discharge these substances to water must first obtain consent to do so from the appropriate water authority. There are no general limits set for these particular substances. Individual discharge consents are normally subject to conditions which specify the type and quantities of substances which may be discharged. These conditions are set by the consenting authority with regard to achieving the quality objectives set for the receiving waters, including current and potential uses of those waters. Maximum discharges therefore depend upon the circumstances of the particular case.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has at any time granted deemed consent to the Granox factory in Widnes to discharge excess pollution into the Mersey.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 20 April 1989] : I understand that the company has deemed consent from the North West water authority to discharge trade effluent into the Mersey. Details about the discharge are entered on the public register maintained by the water authority.
I understand that the water authority is shortly to replace the deemed consent with a positively determined consent. Details of this consent, including the conditions to which it is subject, will also be entered on the public register.
Crown Suppliers
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the text of the petition sent to him by non-industrial staff of the Crown Suppliers and the letter from the Property Services Agency trade union side to which the petition refers.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 24 April 1989] : No, but my right hon. Friend yesterday met the unions representing the staff of the Crown Supplier.
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Clay Cross Treatment Works
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East of 17 April, Official Report, column 34, if he will give details of the application for a time limited consent variation for the Clay Cross treatment works.
Mr. Howard [holding answer 26 April 1989] : Details of applications made under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, including those for time limited variations, are held on the individual water authorities' registers. These may be inspected, free of charge, by anyone at all reasonable hours. It is not practicable to provide centrally the details of individual applications.
Rates
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the five highest rate rises for district councils in England and Wales were in the period 1981-82 to 1988-89 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 26 April 1989] : The information requested is as follows :
District Councils in
England and Wales with
highest local rate
poundage increases in
the period 1981-82 to
1988-89
|(p)
-----------------------
Calderdale |173
Bradford |159
North Tyneside |157
Knowsley |153
Kirklees |152
Bradford (Development)
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received any application by Bradford council to vary the south Bradford plan ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 27 April 1989] : Bradford city council has recently published statutory notice of its intention to adopt the South-East Bradford local plan. The council is not required to apply to the Secretary of State to vary the local plan. It is however required to inform the Secretary of State of its disposition to adopt the plan and has done so.
Water Authorities (EC Funding)
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the conditions under which European regional development funding is currently awarded for water authority schemes.
Mr. Howard [holding answer 28 April 1989] : The conditions under which European regional development funds are awarded to water authority schemes are laid down in Council Regulations (EEC) 2052/88, 4253/88 and 4254/88. These appear in Official Journals L1859, L374 Vol. 31 and L374/15 respectively. Copies are available from the Library.
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Hythe Marina
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 10 April to the hon. Member for Copeland, Official Report, column 402, when he proposes writing to the parties about the Hythe, Kent, marina.
Mr. Ridley [holding answer 28 April 1989] : Shortly.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what departmental representation is planned, and what papers will be presented by departmental officials, at the conference on radioactive waste management to be held by the British Nuclear Energy Society in Britain on 2 May.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 28 April 1989] : I have been invited officially to open the British Nuclear Energy Society's conference on 3 May. On the same day, Dr. F. S. Feates, chief inspector Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, will be delivering a paper on the United Kingdom's policy and strategy on radioactive waste management.
Tributyl-tin
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what national and international action is being taken by his Department to dissuade the owners of ships at present exempt from the ban on the use of tributyl-tin from using paints which contain this substance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The United Kingdom has reported the measures taken to date by the Government to the Commission of the European Communities, and a range of international organisations, the most relevant of which include the International Maritime Organisation and the Paris Commission. The CEC has reacted by proposing a directive which is closely modelled on the United Kingdom regulations. The House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities has recently published its opinion (HL Paper 23, February 1988) on the antifouling paint provisions in the draft directive (the 8th amendment to the marketing and use directive (76/769/EEC)). The Government are considering their response to the Committee's report.
WALES
Pupil-Teacher Ratios
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the current pupil-teacher ratios for each of the education authorities in Wales.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The overall pupil-teacher ratios in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools as at January 1988 are as follows :
|Ratio
----------------------------
Clwyd |18.2
Dyfed |16.7
Gwent |17.4
Gwynedd |16.0
Mid Glamorgan |17.0
Powys |15.1
South Glamorgan |17.9
West Glamorgan |16.6
Bathing Water
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the estimated cost for each of (a) Jackson's bay, Barry, (b) Whitmore bay, Barry and (c) Cold Knapp, Barry of (i) a long sea outfall and (ii) full sewage treatment works to enable them to comply with EEC bathing water directive 76/160/EEC.
Mr. Grist : The authority is currently reviewing its programme of remedial works which aims to achieve compliance of all listed waters. The full cost of the programme has yet to be evaluated.
Drinking Water
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library the information his Department holds concerning time-limited derogations and delays which have been granted on the non- compliance of potable waters in Wales with the European directive relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption (80/77/EEC).
Mr. Grist : The information held by the Department is as follows. I will arrange to place a copy in the Library of the House.
17=Aluminium 1=Colour;
6=pH unit; 33=Iron;
34=Manganese
Source |Derogated Parameter|Delayed Parameter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pontsticill |- |17
Nantyowch |34 |17,33
Garw Levels |33 |33
Preseli |- |33
Strata Florida |34 |17
Ystradfelltre |34 |-
Lovesgrove Borehole |34 |-
Nantymoel |34 |-
Ffynnon Rhys |- |33
Wern Ddu |6 |-
Llandeilo Graban |- |17
Afon Cwm-y-Llan |17 |-
Penygoyallt |6 |-
Llanfynydd |6, 34 |33
Georgetown |6, 34 |17, 33
Alwen |1, 34 |17, 33
Cynwyd |34 |17, 33
Cwmsymlog |17 |-
Bettws-y-Coed |34 |17
Garreglwyd |33, 34 |-
Bryn Goch |33 |-
Maenllwyd |- |33
Nantmor |17, 34 |-
Rhyd-Ddu |34 |-
Talwaenydd |- |33
Carno |34 |17, 33
Talybont |- |33
Portis |34 |17, 33
Penyfan |33 |-
Upper Wenallt Springs |33 |-
Cwm Cegr Springs |33 |-
Llanbedr Springs |33 |-
Llanwrtyd Wells |- |17, 33
Barmouth Junction |- |33
Capel Dewi |- |17
Bolton Hill |- |33
Caerau |34 |-
Llan Penmachno |17, 34 |-
Crai Reservoir |34 |-
Croesor |34 |-
Rhyd |17, 33, 34 |-
Rhydyronnen |33 |-
Tir-Cawen |33 |-
Meifod |- |17
In addition, a general delay exists in respect of lead in drinking water to December 1989.
The temporary relaxation of the standards of the drinking water directive does not pose any threat to public health.
Consultants
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by each health district the number of consultants in each specialty who have merit awards ; and what this figure represents as a percentage of the total number of consultant posts.
Mr. Grist : The following information is given on an all-Wales basis rather than by health districts in order to preserve the confidential nature of the awards.
Wales Specialty |Number ---------------------------------------------------- Anaesthetics |34 Cardiology |3 Cardio-Thoracic surgery |2 Community medicine |13 Dermatology |4 Diseases of the chest |2 Ear, nose and throat |10 General medicine |38 General surgery |28 Genito urinary medicine |1 Geriatric medicine |6 Mental illness/Mental handicap |30 Neurology |5 Neurosurgery |5 Obstetrics and gynaecology |17 Ophthalmology |6 Orthopaedic surgery |15 Paediatrics |14 Paediatric surgery |2 Chemical pathology |2 Haematology/Blood transfusion |8 Histopathology |11 Medical microbiology |4 Plastic surgery |4 Radiology |16 Radiotherapy |4 Rheumatology and rehabilitation |3 Oral surgery |5 Orthodontics |3 Restorative dentistry |4
The number of award holders represents some 35 per cent. of the total number of consultants in Wales.
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DEFENCE
Ex-Civil Servants (Defence Sector)
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants have joined the private defence sector following retirement from his Department over the past 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : This information is not available.
Arms Control
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those areas of policy implementation by his Department in regard to arms control that have failed since May 1979 ; and what steps he intends to take to rectify the failures.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No areas of the Government's policy on arms control have failed since May 1979.
War Dead (Visits)
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance and travel information is given to the immediate relatives of the war dead in arranging and meeting the costs of visits to countries in Europe ; and if he will list the information he has on the comparable policies of the French, West German and Italian Governments.
Mr. Neubert : Where the funeral of a service man or woman who dies overseas is held locally at public expense, two visitors, normally the next of kin, from the United Kingdom or Eire are entitled to attend the funeral with both travel and accommodation costs being met by my Department. If local conditions prevent such a visit from being made, a visit to the grave may be permitted up to two years after the funeral.
The widows of war dead who died prior to 1967 may make visits to graves overseas, whether in Europe or elsewhere, under the Government war widows grant-in-aid scheme, which allows widows to join pilgrimages arranged by the Royal British Legion at one-eighth of the cost for their first visit. Thereafter, the charge represents the cost to the legion.
Information is not currently available on any comparable policies of the French, West German and Italian Governments.
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when, under normal circumstances, a nuclear submarine discharges radioactive materials into the sea, how the Royal Navy takes the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection regarding dose into account when determining what levels are acceptable ; and if the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations are used to determine acceptable levels of radiation for the safety of crew.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 20 March 1989, at column 477, under normal circumstances Royal Navy nuclear- powered submarines do not discharge radioactivity directly to the sea. When such discharges are made, however, the radioactivity level
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of the coolant water is measured and the water is discharged through a treatment plant which further reduces its radioactivity. Levels of radioactive discharges at sea are lower than agreed discharge limits for land-based installations, and it is inconceivable that they could result in a radiation dose to any individual approaching the limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations concerning radiation doses to workers are embodied within the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985, and are applied on board Her Majesty's submarines.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if nuclear submarine personnel receiving radiation doses in the higher ranges above 15 mSv p. a. are generally those classified as radiation workers ; and if those same radiation workers receive doses in those high ranges in consecutive years ;
(2) whether the numbers of nuclear submarine personnel receiving radiation doses in various ranges provided on 20 March, Official Report, columns 477- 78, include all nuclear submarine personnel ; and how the doses for those personnel not designated as radiation workers, and so not subject to dosimetric assessment, are determined.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The figures to which the hon. Member refers include only those submarine personnel
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classified as radiation workers. As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 20 March, at column 476, Royal Navy nuclear submarine personnel are shielded from much natural radiation and the radiation doses they receive are for the most part lower than those received by members of the public. The majority of nuclear submarine personnel are not categorised as radiation workers, and there is no requirement to maintain radiation dose records for them. However, regular radiation surveys are carried out on board nuclear-powered submarines to ensure that these personnel do not receive any significant radiation doses.During the last 10 years, 64 nuclear submarine personnel have received doses of 15 mSv or over in two or more consecutive years. No individual has received more than four separate annual doses of 15 mSv or over during this period.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report a breakdown of numbers of nuclear submarine personnel by radiation dose received, cumulative doses and average individual doses, for the years from commencement of the nuclear submarine programme to 1983 inclusive ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Figures for before 1979 are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The figures for 1979 to 1983 are as follows :
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Number of personnel in
dose ranges
Year |Cumulative dose (man |0-15 mSv |15-20 mSv |20-30 mSv |30-40 mSv |40-50 mSv |Over 50 mSv |Average individual dose
|Sieverts) |(mSv)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983 |2.9 |814 |27 |15 |3 |0 |0 |3.35
1982 |2.1 |994 |11 |8 |1 |0 |0 |2.08
1981 |3.1 |1,226 |13 |5 |2 |0 |0 |2.31
1980 |6.6 |2,473 |31 |8 |2 |0 |1 |2.63
1979 |7.7 |2,362 |33 |23 |10 |1 |0 |3.23
Note: mSv=millisievert.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent medical surveys his Department has undertaken amongst past and present submarine service personnel or their offspring to determine whether there has been any abnormal statistical evidence of medical disorders arising from exposure of Royal Navy nuclear submarine personnel to radiation ; and if he will publish the dates and the population census for such surveys.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : An epidemiological research programme into morbidity and mortality among submariners is currently being carried out by Medical Research Council. The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence and arranged through the Royal Naval Personnel Research Committee, through which the Royal Navy has regular contact with civil medical experts. The data for the survey were produced from service records.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the deterrent value of (a) a short-range nuclear weapon and (b) a strategic nuclear weapon.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : To support its strategy of deterrence, NATO requires diversified, survivable and operationally-flexible nuclear forces across the entire spectrum of ranges.
Mr. Samuel Quinn
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what capacity Samuel Quinn, at present in police custody in Paris, is a serving member of the Territorial Army ; which territorial army unit he belongs to ; what is his rank and his years of membership ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our general policy, for reasons of personal security, to confirm whether a person is serving in Northern Ireland either with the security forces or in the Territorial Army. However, details of Samuel Quinn's service have been widely reported and are as follows :
Samuel Quinn is a warrant officer class 2 and is a troop sergeant major employed on general administrative and training duties in 102 Air Defence Regiment (Volunteer). He has served in the Territorial Army since 1974.
The circumstances of his arrest are being investigated by the police and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Departmental Staff
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.
Mr. Ian Stewart : In the Northern Ireland Civil Service at 13 April 1989 the representation of females was as follows :
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