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Playing Fields

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to safeguard playing fields ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : Local authorities are generally best placed to make judgments on land use and are primarily responsible for making such decisions in their own area. In exceptional circumstances the Secretary of State for the Environment may choose to intervene but only where issues of more than local importance are involved. Nevertheless, the Government have urged local authorities to take into account the needs of the wider community and to consult local sport and recreation interests before allowing recreational land to be developed.

Community Charge

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the notional community charge for the London borough of Ealing ; what was the notional community charge for each of the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer : Illustrative community charges have been published for 1985-86 to 1988-89. The figures for Ealing (disregarding the transitional safety net) are

        |£      

----------------

1985-86 |172    

1986-87 |164    

1987-88 |278    

1988-89 |234    

The figure for 1988-89 is, of course, affected by rate capping.

UN Environment Convention

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken to implement in his Department the United Nations environment programme global convention.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley) on 10 May at columns 433-4.

Air Pollution

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the resources requirement of local authorities for the new controls over air pollution.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The consultation paper issued in December 1986 estimated that the new local authority system would add £0.5 million to current expenditure. This recognised that the system would involve a reallocation of resources within environmental health departments. These departments are already responsible for control of air pollution from most of the processes involved, but have to use the less satisfactory combination of clear air and statutory nuisance controls. In April this year the Department issued a consultation paper on cost revovery charging for integrated polluton control (IPC). This paper proposed introducing a charging system for local authority control of air pollution compatible with the charges to be made by HMIP for exercising IPC. The volume of local authority resouces needed will be reviewed further in the light of responses received.

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what preparations are in hand to ensure effective implementation of the new controls over air pollution.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The national air pollution inspectorates are already well equipped to implement their part of the proposed new system. As for the local authority part, a committee representing local authority associations and national pollution inspectorates (IPLA) has been set up to provide guidance to local authorities on the proposed new air pollution controls and to ensure consistency of enforcement both among local authorities and between them and the national inspectorates. It will also advise on related matters, such as training. A local authority unit has been set up within HMIP to service IPLA and to prepare authoritative guidance on the control of particular processes.

Pollution Inspectorate

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the resource needs of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution for integrated pollution control.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Preliminary assessment of the resources necessary for integrated pollution control suggested that the net increase solely attributable to integration would be in the order of three additional

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Column 381

inspectors and two support staff. We expect there to be a temporary increase in the workload on the inspectorate whilst the new system is introduced. We will continue to keep under review the objectives of the inspectorate and the level of resources required to fulfil its functions.

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an up to date list of the present offices of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, together with the addresses and telephone numbers of the new regional offices and outstations.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The present offices of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution are as follows :

Addresses of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution Offices Headquarters

Romney House

43 Marsham Street

LONDON SW1P 3PY

276 3000

Radioactive Substances Regional Offices

Mitre House

Church Street

LANCASTER LA1 1BG

0524 382100

Berkeley House

Croydon Street

BRISTOL BS5 ODA

0271 350412/3

New Crown Buildings

Cathays Park

CARDIFF CF1 3NQ

0222 825111 Ext 3175

Air District Offices

Vincent House

1st Floor

2 Woodland Road

Darlington

0325 380635

(Includes sampling laboratory)

Woodside House

261 Low Lane

Horsforth

Leeds LS18 5TW

O532 581099

Sovereign House

40 Silver Street

Sheffield S1 2ES

0742 700459

1st Floor

Viking House

98 Newland Road

Lincoln LN1 1YY

0522 512566

Ansaphone (0522 20968)

14 Cardiff Road

Luton

Bedfordshire LU1 1PP

0582 424240

39 Baddow Road

Chelmsford CM2 0HL

O245 490473

Victoria House

Ormskirk Road

Preston PR1 1HH

0772 202322

Gateway House

86 Northgate Street

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Column 382

Chester

0244 40939

McLaren Buildings

2 Masshouse Circus

Queensway

Birmingham

021 236 7674

3 East Grinstead House

London Road

East Grinstead

West Sussex RH19 1RR

Brunel House

2 Fitzalen Road

Cardiff CF2 ITT

0222 497702

Inter City House

Mitchell Lane

Victoria Street

Bristol BS1 6AN

0272 277732

Sampling Laboratories

Sampling and analysis of emissions to air

Luton

14 Cardiff Road

Luton

Beds LU1 1PP

0582 34121

Cardiff

Spur L'

Government Buildings

Ty Glas

Llanishen

Cardiff CF4 5XW

0222 766996 Ext 2208

Newcastle-under-Lyme

The Marches House

Midway

Newcastle-under-Lyne

Staffs ST5 1DT

O782 711113

We are currently reorganising the fieldforce of HMIP on an integrated basis to produce a much more effective deployment of resources. A three region structure is being developed covering the north, south west and south east, in each of which there will be a regional headquarters' office. The existing air district offices will initially be retained as outstations of the regional offices.

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an update of the current staffing list of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution including administrative support.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : On 31 March 1989, 194 staff were in post in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. Their grades are as follows :

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