| Previous Section | Home Page |
Poland
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation he has made to the Government of Poland regarding recent progress in that country towards democracy and individual freedom ; and if he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Poland.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs recently had the opportunity to discuss developments in Poland, including the elections, with both General Jaruzelski and Professor Geremek of Solidarity. I, too, had the pleasure of meeting Professor Geremek. May I refer my hon. Friend to my recent statements of 6 April and 14 June, on our relations with Poland.
Hungary
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Hungary regarding recent progress in that country towards democracy and individual freedom ; and if he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Hungary.
Mr. Waldegrave : We welcome Hungary's moves towards a multi-party system and a state based on the rule of law. My right hon. and learned Friend discussed these matters with the Hungarian State Minister, Imre Pozsgay, on 25 April. I am visiting Hungary next week, and will meet a wide range of party, Government and opposition figures.
Column 177
Our bilateral relations with Hungary are excellent, with regular contact at all levels, as befits a country in the vanguard of political reform in Eastern Europe.Council of Europe
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the member countries of the Council of Europe that have now ratified and put in effect (i) the European social charter, (ii) the European convention on social security, (iii) the European code on social security and (iv) the European convention on human rights.
Mrs. Chalker : The following is a list of member states of the Council of Europe which have ratified and put into effect : (
(i) The European Social Charter :
Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom ;
(ii) The European Convention on Social Security :
Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Turkey ;
(iii) The European Code of Social Security :
Belgium, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom ; and
(iv) Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights) :
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Farah Syed
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mrs. Farah Syed, who was born in 1971 and whose reference is IMM/96415, first applied to the post of Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom ; and when a decision is going to be taken on her application.
Mr. Eggar : In accordance with the recent guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the question to the correspondence unit of migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit in due course.
Antarctica (French Airstrip)
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the purpose of the airstrip being constructed by the French in Antarctica ; and what effect this project is having on wildlife in the region.
Mr. Eggar : The airstrip is needed to facilitate glaciological research in a key area of the Antarctic interior. The results of this research will be made available to Antarctic treaty parties. There have been differing reports from environmentalists and the French authorities on the extent of the effect
Column 178
on wildlife in the region. The French Government have promised to produce a paper on the construction of the airstrip which will give further details.EEC Budget
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will set out in tabular form the total net payments or total net receipts of each of the member states for the EEC budget since 1979.
Mr. Brooke : I have been asked to reply. The information requested concerning the United Kingdom is set out in the table. Comparable figures for other member states are not available.
Net contribution to European Community budget Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1979 |947 1980 |706 1981 |397 1982 |606 1983 |647 1984 |656 1985 |1,808 1986 |572 1987 |1,713 1988 |1,362
ENVIRONMENT
Equity Share Schemes
Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in England and Wales have plans to build houses under equity share schemes.
Mr. Trippier : The information for English local authorities is not available centrally. For information about Wales, I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Valuation and Community Charge Tribunals
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what reviews his Department is carrying out in respect of the valuation and community charge tribunals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Independent consultants will shortly undertake a review of valuation and community charge tribunals and make recommendations on the pay, conditions of service and grading of their staff.
Water Privatisation
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will delay the water privatisation flotation until 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : No. We plan to offer the industry for sale to the public in November 1989.
Redundant Land
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown both by individual local authorities and the latest available year of
Column 179
the 54,000 acres of council-owned derelict and redundant land referred to in the 1987-88 report on the inner cities programme.Mr. Trippier : The amount of unused and underused land owned by local authorities and entered on the land register at 30 June 1989 was 49,931 acres. I have arranged for a breakdown of this by individual local authorities to be placed in the Library today.
Sewage Outfalls (North-West)
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the intended frequency of routine storm water discharges from the three short sea outfalls along the Fylde coast is within the guidelines for disposal of sewage to the sea agreed in 1988 between Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the water industry.
Mr. Howard : The North West water authority has applied for discharge consents in respect of a proposed long sea outfall and three associated storm water overflows to bring bathing waters along the Fylde coast up to EC standards, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will consider, as part of their assessment, the authority's proposals for dealing with storm water in the light of its published "Guidance on Long Sea Outfalls"--a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contacts his Department has had with the North West water authority over proposals to construct a long sea outfall at Rossall point on the Fylde coast.
Mr. Howard : North West Water applied to my Department on 20 December 1988 for consent to discharge sewage effluent into the Lune Deep off Morecambe Bay from a proposed new long sea outfall at Rossall point. The applications are still being considered by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has on the differences between the top and bottom currents at and around the likely areas of impact in the Lune Deep of the proposed long sea outfall discharge at Rossall point on the Fylde coast.
Mr. Howard : The North West water authority has supplied information to my Department both on top and bottom currents which were measured at locations related to the proposed Lune Deep outfall site. The water authority has pointed out that the measurements are consistent with the hydrodynamic model of the scheme and with observed sediment transport patterns.
Air Conditioning
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what standards are laid down for installation of air conditioning in office buildings ;
(2) what standards are laid down for the operation of air conditioning in office buildings.
Mr. Trippier : There are no requirements in the Building Regulations 1985 which relate directly to the installation and operation of air conditioning equipment. The code of practice in widespread use is BS 5750 : 1979, which covers the design installation and maintenance of such systems.
Column 180
River Pollution (North-West)
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call for a report on all river pollution incidents in the north-west in the last 12 months ; if he will publish (a) details of such incidents and (b) action taken as a result of such incidents ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : Responsibility for the control of river pollution in the north-west rests with the North West water authority. The authority reports incidents in its annual reports, and it is for them to take decisions on the action needed in individual cases. The only exceptions to this would be incidents caused by the authority itself. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution investigates incidents of this kind which are brought to its attention and takes appropriate action. In addition it is, of course, open to anyone to take independent action in any particular case.
Water Authorities (Debt Write-offs)
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the proposed debt write-offs for each water authority prior to privatisation.
Mr. Howard : These will be determined nearer to flotation. I refer to the fuller answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mr. Mills) on 18 May.
Vacant Council Property
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report, the 30 local authorities in England with the largest number of council-owned properties vacant, at the most recent date, with the number in each case.
Mr. Trippier : Based on local authorities' housing investment programme returns for April 1988, the list is as follows :
|Number vacant
-----------------------------------------------------
(1) Liverpool |5,416
(2) Manchester |5,166
(3) Sandwell |3,062
(4) Sheffield |2,856
(5) Hackney |2,692
(6) Tower Hamlets |2,526
(7) Birmingham |2,339
(8) Sunderland |2,106
(9) Salford |1,993
(10) Newham |1,961
(11) Southwark |1,910
(12) Wolverhampton |1,737
(13) Newcastle upon Tyne |1,651
(14) Leeds |1,486
(15) Islington |1,403
(16) Kirklees |1,402
(17) Bradford |1,262
(18) Leicester |1,220
(19) Lambeth |1,156
(20) Oldham |1,129
(21) Rochdale |1,062
(22) Kingston upon Hull |1,019
(23) Nottingham |1,016
(24) Wandsworth |994
(25) North Tyneside |991
(26) Walsall |986
(27) Gateshead |949
(28) Lewisham |943
(29) Dudley |928
(30) Greenwich |911
Column 181
Council Property (Squatters)
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the 30 local authorities in England with the largest number of council-owned properties occupied by squatters, with the number in each case.
Mr. Trippier : Based on local authorities' housing investment programme returns for April 1988, the list is as follows :
|Dwellings in unlicensed
|occupation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) |Southwark |1,672
(2) |Lambeth |1,170
(3) |Hackney |953
(4) |Islington |449
(5) |Tower Hamlets |426
(6) |Camden |340
(7) |Brent |229
(8) |Haringey |165
(9) |Lewisham |163
(10) |Hammersmith and Fulham |143
(11) |Westminster |98
(12) |Ealing |79
(13) |Manchester |69
(14) |Liverpool |67
(15) |Wandsworth |65
(16) |Newham |52
(17) |Waltham Forest |48
(18) |Greenwich |27
(19) |Enfield |22
(20) |Hounslow |18
(21) |Merton |18
(22) |Forest Heath |15
(23) |Birmingham |14
(24) |Kingston upon Thames |8
(25) |Bromley |7
(26) |Redbridge |7
(27) |Kensington and Chelsea |6
(28) |Barking and Dagenham |6
(29) |Bristol |6
(30) |Richmond upon Thames |5
Water Authorities' Accounts
Miss Widdecombe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the water authorities' unaudited accounts for 1988-89 will be made available.
Mr. Howard : The water authorities unaudited accounts for 1988-89 are to be placed on public deposit in accordance with statutory provisions tomorrow morning. I shall arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The annual reports and audited accounts will be published later in the summer and laid before Parliament at that time.
Business Rate (Suffolk and Norfolk)
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he makes of the unified business rate in Suffolk and Norfolk.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer, 3 July 1989] : We estimate that if the uniform business rate had taken effect this year it would have been about 35 pence in the pound in England.
Column 182
Rating Reform
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to seek to place a duty on local authorities to compensate community charge and business rate payers for service which falls below an agreed minimum standard.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer, 3 July 1989] : No. Simple, clear community charge bills will enable chargepayers to judge the efficiency and value for money with which local authorities provide services. Chargepayers will be able to express in the political and electoral processes any concern that they may feel about standards of service. In future, the business rate poundage will be set nationally, but authorities will have a duty to consult representatives of business in their area about their expenditure proposals and in that way business ratepayers will be able to make their views known.
Community Charge (Rebate)
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to announce details of the rebate of up to 80 per cent. of the community charge to be made available to persons on low incomes ; and when information on how to apply for such rebates will be sent to local authorities.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The detailed arrangements for rebating the community charge are set out in the draft Community Charge Benefits (General) Regulations 1989 which were circulated to all authorities at the end of May. Application procedures, within the terms of these regulations, are a matter for local authorities themselves.
WALES
Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of all discussions that have taken place between either Mr. Waterstone and Mr. Gwyn Jones of the Welsh Development Agency's office in Cardiff and representatives of merchant banks and large accounting firms concerning management buyouts and other possible ways of privatising the Welsh Development Agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The chairman and chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency have had no discussions at any stage with merchant banks or large accounting firms about a management buyout of the agency either in whole or in part. The Welsh Development Agency Act 1975 obliges the agency to seek to increase private sector involvement in its operations. To this end, possible means of stimulating such involvement are kept continuously under review and professional advisers of all sorts have been involved in discussions with the agency over a period of several years.
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the amount of advance factory building that has taken place by the west Wales region of the Welsh Development Agency for each year from 1983-84 to the present time ; what are the future plans ; and what percentage each year the figures represent of the total factory building programme throughout Wales by the Welsh Development Agency.
Column 183
Mr. Peter Walker : The information is as follows :
Year |Area completed in West|Percentage of total
|Wales<1> |Agency build
|000' sq ft
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983-84 |155 |19.9
1984-85 |70 |22.0
1985-86 |- |-
1986-87 |5 |0.1
1987-88 |- |-
1988-89 |28 |2.8
<1> The year on year figures are not comparable due to change in the agency's regional
office structure in July 1988 which removed responsibility for urban areas, including
Llanelli, from the west Wales region.
As regards future plans the agency intends to start work on 62,000 sq ft of factory space
in the current financial year.
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if there are any proposals in any of the other regional offices of the Welsh Development Agency similar to the management buy-out proposals revealed in west Wales on 29 June ; and whether he will provide details.
Mr. Peter Walker : Neither I nor the board of the Welsh Development Agency are aware of any such proposals.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will instruct (a) the chairman and (b) the chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency to issue public statements concerning the proposed management buy out proposals of senior executives of the west Wales Welsh Development Agency sector ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The Welsh Development Agency has already issued a statement, which I fully endorse.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the number of meetings and the dates (a) the senior executives of the Welsh Development Agency, west Wales sector, (b) the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency and (c) the chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency had with interested parties concerning management buyout proposals ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will publish the documents concerning the proposed west Wales Welsh Development Agency management buyout proposals ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will make a statement on the suspension of two of the Welsh Development Agency's west Wales senior officials.
Mr. Peter Walker : No. This is a matter for the Welsh Development Agency.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his estimate of the assets of the west Wales sector of the Welsh Development Agency involved in the proposed management buyout ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what is the value of the Welsh Development Agency property portfolio (a) in west Wales, (b) in each of the subregional sectors of the Welsh Development Agency and (c) in Wales as a whole ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The informaton is as follows :
Column 184
Welsh Development Agency property
portfolio valuation
as at 31 March 1989
|£ million
----------------------------------------
West Wales |5.681
South Wales Valleys |75.782
South Wales East |63.305
North East Wales |50.417
North West Wales |6.584
South Wales West |47.946
|-------
Wales Total |249.715
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to sell assets of the Welsh Development Agency in the current financial year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The Welsh Development Agency has set itself a property sales target of £15 million for the current financial year.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans there are to increase factory building by the Welsh Development Agency in the west Wales sector ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The Welsh Development Agency intends to start work on 62,000 sq ft of advance factory and workshop space in west Wales in the current financial year. This is more than double the area completed in 1988-89 and compares with an average area of 24,000 sq ft completed in the three years before 1979-80.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of (a) T. R. Jones Ltd., Ammanford, (b) Dinefwr Enterprise Company, (c) Mainport Group, Pembroke Dock, (d) Pembrokeshire Business Initiative, (e) Morgan Marine, Llandybie, (f) Avon Inflatables, Onfen, (g) Milford Haven Port Authority and (h) Delanair Ltd. have received Welsh Development Agency financial or consultancy assistance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : Four of the organisations listed--Dinefwr Enterprise Company, Mainport Group, Pembrokeshire Business Initiative and Morgan Marine--have received financial or consultancy assistance from the Welsh Development Agency.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings he has had with the (a) chairman of the Welsh Development Agency, (b) chief executive and (c) west Wales Welsh Development Agency executives in (i) 1988 and (ii) 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I frequently meet the chairman and the chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency. I am not aware of having met the agency's west Wales executives.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has received any report of the meeting of west Wales executives and the chairman and chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency in 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I received no such report until earlier this week when the chairman of the WDA informed me that the meeting had taken place.
Column 185
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what disciplinary measures he has instituted within his Department on the matter of proposed management buy-outs in the west Wales Welsh Development Agency following the suspension of two senior officers in west Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : None, as none is needed.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last visited the (a) headquarters and (b) west Wales offices of the Welsh Development Agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I last visited the Welsh Development Agency's headquarters on 2 May. I have never visited the agency's west Wales offices.
Council House Sales
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was (a) the number and (b) the value of mortgages (£000s) on completed disposals for (i) full ownership and (ii) shared ownership by each local authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole during (1) 1980-81, (2) 1981- 82, (3) 1982-83, (4) 1983-84, (5) 1984-85, (6) 1985-86, (7) 1986-87, (8) 1987-88 and (9) 1988-89 ;
(2) what was the area of land made available to private developers under licence for building for sale schemes by each local authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole during (a) 1980-81, (b) 1981-82, (c) 1982-83, (d) 1983 -84, (e) 1984-85, (f) 1985-86, (g) 1986-87, (h) 1987-88 and (i) 1988-89 ;
(3) what was the capital sum received from disposals completed during (a) 1980-81, (b) 1981-82, (c) 1982-83, (d) 1983-84, (e) 1984-85, (f) 1985-86, (g) 1986-87, (h) 1987-88 and (i) 1988-89 by each local authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole, (i) to sitting tenants and (ii) to others for (1) full ownership (2) shared ownership ;
(4) what was the number of admitted shared ownership claims withdrawn from each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole during (a) 1980-81, (b) 1981-82, (c) 1982-83, (d) 1983-84, (e) 1984-85, (f) 1985-86, (g) 1986- 87, (h) 1987-88 and (i) 1988-89 ;
(5) what was the number of claims to right to shared ownership leases received by each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole during (a) 1980-81, (b) 1981-82, (c) 1982-83, (d) 1983-84, (e) 1984-85, (f) 1985- 86, (g) 1986-87, (h) 1987-88 and (i) 1988-89 ;
(6) what was the number of disposals of dwellings built and financed by private developers on local authority owned land for (a) full ownership and (b) shared ownership as a whole during (i) 1980-81, (ii) 1981-82, (iii) 1982-83, (iv) 1983-84, (v) 1984-85, (vi) 1985-86, (vii) 1986-87, (viii) 1987-88 and (ix) 1988-89 ; (7) what was the total number of completed disposals of (a) flats and (b) houses for (i) full ownership and (ii) shared ownership by each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole during (1) 1980-81, (2) 1981-82, (3) 1982-83, (4) 1983-84, (5) 1984-85, (6) 1985-86, (7) 1986-87, (8) 1987-88 and (9) 1988-89.
Mr. Grist : The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Column 186
Mid Wales Development
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has discussed privatisation plans with the board of the Development Board for Rural Wales, Mid Wales Development.
Mr. Peter Walker : No, but I encourage the board to consider any opportunities for increasing the effectiveness of its activities through greater private sector involvement.
| Next Section
| Home Page |