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Foreign Affairs Council
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 and 19 December.
Mr. Hurd : I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council and at a working dinner with the Soviet Foreign Minister in Brussels on 18 December. My
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hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, represented the United Kingdom at a joint EC/EFTA Ministerial meeting on 19 December.The Council began with a discussion of follow-up to decisions taken at the Strasbourg European Council, in particular on the European bank for reconstruction and development, and on economic and monetary issues.
The Council took note of the Commission's report on meetings with the US Administration on 14 and 15 December and confirmed the importance it attaches to close EC/US relations. I and other Ministers warmly welcomed Secretary of State Baker's wish, expressed in his recent speech in Berlin, to see a further strengthening of the United State's relationship with the Community.
On specific EC/US issues, Ministers discussed the implications of the findings of the GATT panel on the US complaint against the EC's oilseeds regime, and expressed concern at lack of progress in the dispute over import of meat treated with hormones.
The Council then discussed the Community's relations with Japan. It also agreed to the submission in Geneva on 20 December of a paper on long-term agricultural reform in the Uruguay round.
The Council called for early consideration of a mandate for the negotiation of a trade and commercial and economic co-operation agreement with the GDR. It also took note of a Commission report, completed on 18 December, on Turkey's application for EC membership and agreed that it should be examined in depth.
The Council also approved the Commission's negotiating mandate for a trade and commercial and economic co-operation agreement with Argentina and agreed a mandate for the negotiation of a second stage trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council. The Commission informed the Council that negotiations with Andorra on a customs union had been successfully completed. The Council also reached a satisfactory agreement on the Poseidon programme of support for the French overseas departments.
On 18 December, the Commission and presidency, on behalf of the Community, signed a trade and commercial and economic co-operation agreement with the Soviet Union, and a second agreement on textiles. The co-operation agreement is an important landmark in the EC's relations with the Soviet Union, symbolic of the new relationships emerging between the Community and eastern and central European countries as political reforms and economic restructuring take hold. The agreement lays the foundations for a stronger EC relationship with the Soviet Union, which we welcome. Its significance, and the importance of developments in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, was noted at the subsequent dinner with Mr. Shevardnadze. On 19 December EC and EFTA Ministers agreed to open substantive negotiations on a new, more structured relationship in the first half of next year. Our joint aim is to extend as far as possible the single market to include EFTA. The United Kingdom fully supports this important decision, and will continue to play a full and constructive role in the negotiating process : a successful outcome would open the way to a new stage in EC-EFTA relations, benefitting all parties, and reflecting the Community's commitment to a liberal single market, open to all.
The text of the joint conclusions agreed by EC and EFTA Ministers on 19 December will be placed in the Library of the House.
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Central American Presidents
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received on the outcome of the meeting of Central American Presidents in San Isidro de Coronado, Costa Rica, on 10 to 12 December ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : We have been encouraged by the positive outcome of the meeting, which condemned armed action and terrorism by rebel forces in the region and expressed solid support for the democratically elected Government of President Cristiani. I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the five Presidents' statement of 12 December.
SCOTLAND
Health Service
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each year since 1970 the number of patients on hospital in-patient waiting lists in Scotland at 30 March and 30 September of each year.
Mr. Rifkind : The information available is set out in the table.
Number of persons on waiting lists for NHS hospitals at 31 March and 30 September, Scotland Year |31 March |30 September ---------------------------------------------------- 1970 |57,305 |51,482 1971 |51,675 |48,066 1972 |n/a |52,468 1973 |n/a |61,079 1974 |n/a |56,182 1975 |n/a |53,770 1976 |54,442 |52,765 1977 |53,974 |54,715 1978 |56,987 |61,481 1979 |76,968 |71,247 1980 |70,195 |67,387 1981 |67,908 |65,228 1982 |66,880 |86,365 1983 |96,933 |86,338 1984 |85,543 |83,077 1985 |79,262 |77,677 1986 |81,249 |80,732 1987 |81,324 |77,772 1988 |67,226 |63,569 1989 |61,011 |-
The statistical system on which these figures are collected including the revision which took place in 1988 is explained in ISD Statistical Bulletin 1/88, a copy of which is in the Library.
Scottish Information Office
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of recent changes in office accommodation in the Scottish information office corridor of New St. Andrew's house.
Mr. Rifkind : There have been no recent changes.
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BBC Scotland
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the occasions on which each Scottish Office Minister, in each of the past 12 months, has required the Scottish information office to make representations about alleged programme bias to BBC Scotland ;
(2) if he will make a statement on recent correspondence between BBC Scotland and the Scottish Office concerning alleged editorial bias ;
(3) what representations he has made to BBC Scotland concerning the integrity of coverage accorded to his Department by it ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : The Scottish Office has had need to make various representations to the BBC on these matters. So far as alleged programme bias is concerned, it is essential that the BBC charter is applied throughout the United Kingdom in a consistent manner.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what distribution was given to recent correspondence between Mr. Jack Regan of BBC Scotland, and Mr. Donald Stewart, of the Scottish information office.
Mr. Rifkind : As with all correspondence, it was distributed to those within the Scottish Office who appeared to have an interest.
Correspondence
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to ensure that correspondence addressed to the Scottish Office is dealt with only from within the Scottish Office and that none is referred for answer to any party organisation.
Mr. Rifkind : It is Scottish Office policy to reply to all correspondence correctly addressed to it. Correspondence not falling properly within the responsibilities of the Scottish Office will normally be forwarded to whatever other body appears to be the correct recipient.
Trials
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer of 12 December, Official Report, column 558 , he will list each of the sheriff courts in which the number of summary criminal trials adjourned in the period 1 January to 30 September 1989 due to lack of court time exceeded 5 per cent. of the total number of trials set down in the period ; and if, in each case, he will give the actual number of trials so adjourned and the percentage of the total number of trials set down.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The list of courts is as follows.
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1 January 1989 to31 March 1989Haddington
Alloa
Stirling
1 April 1989 to 30 June 1989
Falkirk
Stirling
Haddington
1 July 1989 to 30 September 1989
Stirling
Dunfermline
Falkirk
Dumfries
Indicates that target not met for only part of 3 month period. Information on the actual number of trials adjourned and the percentage of the total number of trials set down is not held centrally.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Alan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on non-domestic rates in 1990-91.
Mr. Rifkind : In my statement to the House on 26 July about the revenue support grant settlement for 1990-91, I announced that I intended to reduce the rate bill for Scottish business next year by £80 million below what it would otherwise have been. I have now decided to apply this sum to reduce the rate poundage for all local authorities by 6.25 per cent. This will mean that all non-domestic ratepayers throughout Scotland will benefit from this further move to reduce their burden. The table shows the rate poundage which I intend to prescribe for each local authority in an order which I shall lay before Parliament early in the new year. The table also indicates the extent of the reduction in poundage at an individual ratepayer level as a result of our policy.
It is implicit in our policy that, over a period, the 40 per cent. derating which at present applies to manufacturing and freight industry in Scotland should be eliminated. But my intention is that the phasing out of industrial derating should be co-ordinated with the phasing in of a unified business rate north and south of the border. This will give manufacturing and freight industry the assurance that the effect of reducing the level of derating will in any particular year be neutral. For all other business sectors, the reduction will be entirely beneficial. Having regard to my decision to reduce rate poundages by 6.25 per cent., I intend to set the level of industrial derating next year to 35 per cent., a decrease of 5 per cent. on the present level. The position will be reassessed each year until a unified business rate has been achieved and industrial derating has been eliminated entirely.
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|Column 1 |Column 2 |Column 3 |Column 4
|1990-91 |1990-91 |Reduction to |Region +
|Rate Poundage|Rate Poundage|Ratepayer |District
|Pre-UBR |Post-UBR |Reduction
|Reduction |Reduction
|p |p |p |p
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |38.4 |36.0 |-2.4 |-
Central |44.5 |41.7 |-2.8 |-
Dumfries and Galloway |40.9 |38.3 |-2.6 |-
Fife |49.2 |46.1 |-3.1 |-
Grampian |36.5 |34.2 |-2.3 |-
Highland |44.1 |41.3 |-2.8 |-
Lothian |50.6 |47.5 |-3.1 |-
Strathclyde |49.1 |46.0 |-3.1 |-
Tayside |45.9 |43.0 |-2.9 |-
Orkney |41.9 |39.3 |-2.6 |-2.6
Shetland |39.6 |37.1 |-2.5 |-2.5
Western Isles |61.5 |57.6 |-3.9 |-3.9
Berwickshire |8.0 |7.5 |-0.5 |-2.9
Ettrick and Lauderdale |9.1 |8.5 |-0.6 |-3.0
Roxburgh |10.1 |9.4 |-0.7 |-3.1
Tweeddale |7.7 |7.2 |-0.5 |2.9
Clackmannan |15.9 |14.9 |-1.0 |-3.8
Falkirk |13.0 |12.2 |-0.8 |-3.6
Stirling |19.3 |18.1 |-1.2 |-4.0
Annandale and Eskdale |9.7 |9.1 |-0.6 |-3.2
Nithsdale |9.7 |9.1 |-0.6 |-3.2
Stewartry |8.4 |7.9 |-0.5 |-3.1
Wigtown |7.9 |7.4 |-0.5 |-3.1
Dunfermline |10.8 |10.1 |-0.7 |-3.8
Kirkcaldy |13.4 |12.6 |-0.8 |-3.9
North East Fife |12.0 |11.3 |-0.7 |-3.8
Aberdeen City |11.7 |11.0 |-0.7 |-3.0
Banff and Buchan |10.5 |9.8 |-0.7 |-3.0
Gordon |8.4 |7.9 |-0.5 |-2.8
Kincardine and Deeside |6.9 |6.5 |-0.4 |-2.7
Moray |8.8 |8.2 |-0.6 |-2.9
Badenoch and Strathspey |6.7 |6.3 |-0.4 |-3.2
Caithness |10.5 |9.8 |-0.7 |-3.5
Inverness |8.0 |7.5 |-0.5 |-3.3
Lochaber |12.1 |11.4 |-0.7 |-3.5
Nairn |6.7 |6.3 |-0.4 |-3.2
Ross and Cromarty |10.5 |9.8 |-0.7 |-3.5
Skye and Lochalsh |10.1 |9.4 |-0.7 |-3.5
Sutherland |7.5 |7.1 |-0.4 |-3.2
East Lothian |14.3 |13.4 |-0.9 |-4.0
Edinburgh City |14.0 |13.1 |-0.9 |-4.0
Midlothian |14.3 |13.4 |-0.9 |-4.0
West Lothian |12.6 |11.8 |-0.8 |-3.9
Argyll and Bute |15.9 |14.9 |-1.0 |-4.1
Bearsden and Milngavie |10.9 |10.8 |-0.6 |-3.7
Clydebank |16.3 |15.3 |-1.0 |-4.1
Clydesdale |14.1 |13.2 |-0.9 |-4.0
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |13.9 |13.0 |-0.9 |-4.0
Cumnock and Doon Valley |14.3 |13.4 |-0.9 |-4.0
Cunninghame |17.2 |16.1 |-1.1 |-4.2
Dumbarton |15.9 |14.9 |-1.0 |-4.1
East Kilbride |12.0 |11.2 |-0.8 |-3.9
Eastwood |8.4 |7.9 |-0.5 |-3.6
Glasgow City |22.3 |20.9 |-1.4 |-4.5
Hamilton |15.1 |14.2 |-0.9 |-4.0
Inverclyde |13.4 |12.6 |-0.8 |-3.9
Kilmarnock and Loudoun |13.9 |13.0 |-0.9 |-4.0
Kyle and Carrick |14.3 |13.4 |-0.9 |-4.0
Monklands |15.1 |14.2 |-0.9 |-4.0
Motherwell |13.7 |12.9 |-0.8 |-3.9
Renfrew |15.1 |14.2 |-0.9 |-4.0
Strathkelvin |13.4 |12.6 |-0.8 |-3.9
Angus |11.3 |10.6 |-0.7 |-3.6
Dundee City |18.1 |16.9 |-1.2 |-4.1
Perth and Kinross |11.7 |11.0 |-0.7 |-3.6
Notes:
1. Column 1 shows rate poundages which would have been required in 1990-91 were it not for
the Government's Unified Business Rate policy.
2. Column 2 shows the actual rate poundages for 1990-91 which the Secretary of State intends
to prescribe following the £80 million UBR reduction.
3. Column 3 shows the reduction in poundages at individual payer level.
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his proposed community charge transitional relief scheme.
Mr. Rifkind : I have today sent to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities a paper describing the
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conclusions I have drawn after consultation with it. I intend to lay regulations in the new year which will provide for the introduction of the scheme.Column 425
Electricity Boards
Mr. Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the annual reports and accounts for 1988-89 of the Scottish electricity boards ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : I have now received the annual reports and accounts of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the South of Scotland electricity board. These have been laid before the House. Notwithstanding the position shown in the accounts at 31 March 1989, I have confirmed to the boards, with the agreement of Treasury that they shall continue to have access to advances which can be made by me under section 24(1) of the Electricity (Scotland) Act 1979 subject to the limit set out in section 29(1) of that Act, as amended, until the transfer date defined in section 67(4) of the Electricity Act 1989.
Nursery Education
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what extra resources he is proposing to devote to the promotion, development and provision of local authority nursery places in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what is his policy regarding promoting an increase in local education authority provision of nursery places in Scotland ; (3) what research he is currently undertaking to estimate the demand for local authority nursery places in Scotland ;
(4) what targets he has set for the increase in provision of local authority nursery education over the next five years.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 20 December 1989] : It is for education authorities themselves to determine, within the resources available to them, the level of nursery education places they wish to provide for their area, having regard to local circumstances and competing priorities. They are also responsible for estimating demand and setting any targets.
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ENVIRONMENT
Social Landlords
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to prevent private companies setting up as social landlords, obtaining a council dowry and then defaulting on their responsibilities.
Mr. Chope : Under the Housing Act 1988, tenants' choice landlords are required to meet stringent criteria if they are to be approved by the Housing Corporation to seek to acquire property under tenants' choice.
Only responsible applicants with a long-term commitment to the provision of rented housing for those who need it will be approved. All applicants will also have to give a series of binding undertakings in a deed under seal to the corporation, regarding the way they operate.
A negative valuation or "dowry" may arise where repairs are necessary to bring transferring property up to the standard required by the public sector landlord's repairing obligations. Disputed valuations are set on statutory principles by the district valuer. After a valuation is set, an approval landlord wishing to acquire property under tenants' choice is required to make a detailed offer to the tenants on a range of matters including repairs. If the tenants vote to accept the offer and transfer proceeds the offer is contractually binding on the landlord.
Urban Development Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list for each qualifying authority (a) the number of inquiries, applications and approvals relating to either urban development grant, or urban regeneration grant in 1987-88 and (b) the number of inquiries, applications and approvals relating to city grant in 1988-89 ;
(2) if he will publish a table which lists those qualifying authorities which did not win (a) any approvals for either urban development grant or urban regeneration grant in 1987-88 and (b) any city grant approvals in 1988-89.
Mr. Moynihan : The information requested is shown in the table :
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|UDG/URG |UDG/URG |City grant |City grant
applications |approvals |applications|approvals
1987-88 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1988-89
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnsley |- |- |2 |-
Birmingham |4 |2 |6 |3
Blackburn |2 |2 |7 |3
Bolton |2 |3 |3 |2
Bradford |1 |1 |2 |-
Brent |1 |1 |- |-
Bristol |- |- |3 |1
Burnley |- |- |- |-
Coventry |- |- |2 |1
Derby |- |- |10 |2
Doncaster |- |- |- |-
Dudley |2 |2 |2 |1
Gateshead |- |- |2 |-
Greenwich |- |- |2 |-
Hackney |- |- |1 |1
Halton |- |- |1 |-
Hammersmith and Fulham |- |- |- |-
Haringey |1 |- |- |-
Hartlepool |- |- |3 |1
Islington |1 |- |1 |-
Kensington and Chelsea |- |1 |- |-
Kingston upon Hull |5 |3 |- |-
Kirklees |- |- |3 |1
Knowsley |- |- |1 |-
Lambeth |1 |- |1 |-
Langbaurgh |- |- |- |-
Leeds |3 |3 |2 |1
Leicester |3 |1 |2 |2
Lewisham |1 |1 |2 |1
Liverpool |1 |1 |1 |-
Manchester |- |3 |4 |-
Middlesbrough |1 |- |- |-
Newcastle |2 |1 |4 |3
Newham |1 |1 |- |-
North Tyneside |1 |1 |2 |2
Nottingham |2 |5 |13 |7
Oldham |- |1 |1 |1
Plymouth |1 |- |1 |-
Preston |1 |- |1 |-
Rochdale |1 |1 |- |-
Rotherham |1 |- |- |-
St. Helens |- |- |1 |-
Salford |1 |- |3 |2
Sandwell |2 |3 |3 |2
Sefton |- |1 |1 |-
Sheffield |2 |2 |4 |3
South Tyneside |1 |3 |2 |-
Southwark |- |- |3 |1
Stockton |- |- |1 |-
Sunderland |- |- |3 |1
Tower Hamlets |1 |- |4 |2
Walsall |3 |1 |- |-
Wandsworth |- |- |1 |-
Wigan |2 |1 |- |-
Wirral |- |1 |- |-
Wolverhampton |1 |- |1 |-
Wrekin |2 |- |1 |-
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |54 |46 |113 |44
Notes:
1. Excludes projects in UDC areas.
2. The information requested on inquiries which are not formal applications is not held
centrally.
3. Applications received towards the end of a financial year may be decided at the
beginning of the following year.
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each urban development corporation (a) the value of city grant approvals in
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1988-89, (b) the value of Inner Urban Areas Act grants distributed in 1988-89, (c) the value of receipts from land sales in 1988-89 and (d) the area of land sold in 1988-89.Mr. Moynihan : The information available is as follows :
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£ million
|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91
----------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Urban Development
Corporations<1> |133 |234 |440 |542
(b) City Grant<2> |25 |25 |35 |49
(c) Derelict Land Grant |81 |78 |67 |72
(d) City Action Teams |5 |7 |6 |8
(f) Urban Programme<3> |266 |261 |260 |265
<1> External financing limits.
<2> Includes urban development grant and uraban regeneration
grant.
<3> Includes current and capital expenditure funded by the
programmes of various Government Departments and local
authority self-financed expenditure.
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1987-88 to 1990-91 the amount of actual or planned expenditure on (a) urban development corporations, (b) city grant, (c) derelict land grant, (d) city action teams, (e) Estate Action and (f) the urban programme.
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Mr. Moynihan : The information is as follows :
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£ million
|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91
----------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Urban Development
Corporations<1> |133 |234 |440 |542
(b) City Grant<2> |25 |25 |35 |49
(c) Derelict Land Grant |81 |78 |67 |72
(d) City Action Teams |5 |7 |6 |8
(f) Urban Programme<3> |266 |261 |260 |265
<1> External financing limits.
<2> Includes urban development grant and uraban regeneration
grant.
<3> Includes current and capital expenditure funded by the
programmes of various Government Departments and local
authority self-financed expenditure.
£ million 1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91
(a) Urban Development Corporations 133 234 440 542
(b) City Grant 25 25 35 49
(c) Derelict Land Grant 81 78 67 72
(d) City Action Teams 5 7 6 8
(e) Estate Action 75 140 190 190
(f) Urban Programme 266 261 260 265
External financing limits.
Includes urban development grant and urban regeneration grant. Includes current and capital expenditure funded by the programmes of various Government Departments and local authority self-financed expenditure.
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for every qualifying authority the amount of urban programme aid spent in each year from 1986-87 to 1988-89 on (a) new industrial and commercial buildings, (b) improving and converting industrial and commercial buildings, (c) land improvement, (d) housing and (e) other buildings which fulfil a social purpose.
Mr. Moynihan : I am arranging for copies of the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of urban programme aid was allocated to each of the 57 qualifying authorities in 1987-88 and in 1988-89.
Mr. Moynihan : The amount of urban programme aid allocated to each of the 57 qualifying authorities and district health authorities in these areas for 1987-88 and 1988-89 is shown in the table. The figures do not include the amounts topsliced for the Merseyside special allocation, residual traditional urban programme commitments, low-attaining pupils programme and research.
Region and Local authority |1987-88 |1988-89
allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern
Newcastle/Gateshead |17.3 |16.8
Hartlepool |1.7 |1.8
Langbaurgh |1.6 |1.7
Middlesbrough |5.8 |5.5
North Tyneside |3.6 |3.4
South Tyneside |4.5 |4.4
Stockton |1.2 |1.4
Sunderland |4.3 |4.7
North West
Manchester/Salford |24.3 |22.2
Blackburn |4.0 |4.0
Bolton |4.0 |3.8
Burnley |1.0 |1.8
Oldham |4.0 |3.7
Preston |1.3 |2.0
Rochdale |4.0 |3.6
Wigan |1.5 |2.2
Merseyside
Liverpool |20.0 |20.4
Halton |1.5 |1.5
Knowsley |4.1 |4.0
St. Helen's |1.5 |1.7
Sefton |1.6 |1.5
Wirral |3.5 |3.5
West Midlands
Birmingham |25.4 |24.7
Coventry |4.4 |4.8
Dudley |1.3 |1.3
Sandwell |5.0 |4.9
Walsall |1.5 |1.5
Wolverhampton |5.5 |5.4
The Wrekin |0.6 |0.6
East Midlands
Derby |1.5 |1.4
Leicester |5.4 |5.4
Nottingham |5.5 |5.7
Yorkshire and Humberside
Barnsley |1.6 |1.5
Bradford |4.5 |3.1
Doncaster |1.8 |1.8
Hull |5.0 |4.9
Kirklees |0.8 |0.8
Leeds |4.5 |4.8
Rotherham |1.8 |1.8
Sheffield |5.6 |5.5
London
Hackney |10.8 |9.7
Islington |9.8 |9.7
Lambeth |11.7 |10.3
Brent |4.0 |3.9
Greenwich |1.5 |1.9
Hammersmith and Fulham |4.7 |4.3
Haringey |2.0 |2.3
Kensington and Chelsea |1.3 |1.9
Lewisham |1.7 |2.0
Newham |1.8 |2.3
Southwark |2.0 |2.3
Tower Hamlets |4.5 |4.5
Wandsworth |4.5 |4.5
South West
Bristol |1.6 |1.5
Plymouth |0.5 |1.0
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table for each urban development corporation which shows, either in terms of units or in matters of square feet, the volume of planning applications since the inception of the corporations for (a) private housing, (b) industrial premises, (c) commercial premises, (d) warehousing and (e) retail premises.
Mr. Moynihan : The following information is available :
Total number of planning decisions by English UDCs
Number of planning decisions up to 30 June 1989
Urban Development |Year |Number of
Corporations established quarters for Dwellings Offices, Manufacturing, Retail
|which date |Storage & Warehousing
|are available
|Decisions |Granted |Decisions |Granted |Decisions |Granted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merseyside |1981 |20 |12 |9 |34 |30 |11 |8
London Docklands |1981 |20 |607 |587 |305 |287 |140 |134
Trafford Park |1987 |3 |1 |1 |37 |37 |2 |2
Black Country |1987 |7 |48 |43 |206 |193 |51 |44
Teesside |1987 |8 |1 |1 |67 |59 |6 |5
Tyne and Wear |1987 |7 |42 |39 |97 |75 |75 |60
Central Manchester |1988 |3 |2 |2 |10 |8 |6 |6
Leeds |1988 |3 |1 |0 |32 |27 |5 |2
Sheffield |1988 |3 |0 |0 |26 |24 |1 |0
Bristol |1989 |1 |1 |1 |2 |2 |0 |0
Note:
The information given in column 2 relates to the number of quarters since the establishment of each UDC for which data is available. Figures for Merseyside and London Docklands relate only to information available for
the most recent 5 years.
Total number of planning decisions by English UDCs
Number of planning decisions up to 30 June 1989
Urban Development |Year |Number of
Corporations established quarters for Dwellings Offices, Manufacturing, Retail
|which date |Storage & Warehousing
|are available
|Decisions |Granted |Decisions |Granted |Decisions |Granted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merseyside |1981 |20 |12 |9 |34 |30 |11 |8
London Docklands |1981 |20 |607 |587 |305 |287 |140 |134
Trafford Park |1987 |3 |1 |1 |37 |37 |2 |2
Black Country |1987 |7 |48 |43 |206 |193 |51 |44
Teesside |1987 |8 |1 |1 |67 |59 |6 |5
Tyne and Wear |1987 |7 |42 |39 |97 |75 |75 |60
Central Manchester |1988 |3 |2 |2 |10 |8 |6 |6
Leeds |1988 |3 |1 |0 |32 |27 |5 |2
Sheffield |1988 |3 |0 |0 |26 |24 |1 |0
Bristol |1989 |1 |1 |1 |2 |2 |0 |0
Note:
The information given in column 2 relates to the number of quarters since the establishment of each UDC for which data is available. Figures for Merseyside and London Docklands relate only to information available for
the most recent 5 years.
Column 431
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1987-88 to 1990-91 the amount of actual or planned expenditure designed to support the urban programme.
Mr. Moynihan : The figures showing the total amount of expenditure for the urban programme for the years 1987-88 to 1990-91 are as follows. These figures include the amounts topsliced for the Merseyside task force, residual traditional urban programme, low-attaining pupils programme and research.
|£ million
------------------------------------
1987-88 Actual |266
1988-89 Actual |261
1989-90 Planned |260
1990-91 Planned |265
Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the factors and (b) the figures used to determine the percentage increase in the 1990-91 standard spending assessments to take account of the costs arising from the geographical location of Surrey county and Spelthorne borough councils.
Mr. Chope : The standard spending assessments for all authorities in the south-east standard region are adjusted to take account of higher labour costs in the region as identified by standardised earnings for an appropriate range of occupations from the new earnings survey for 1988. The precise adjustments vary from service block to service block according to the proportion of total costs represented by labour costs. Provisional figures are set out in annex F to the draft distribution report which my right hon. Friend placed in the Library on 6 November.
Pollution
Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the appeals under section 10 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 currently under consideration by his Department ; how many decisions have been issued since 27 July ; and what steps he is taking to increase the speed of progress.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Following is a list of the appeals currently under consideration showing the dates they were
Column 432
first lodged. Three decisions have been issued since 27 July. Internal reorganisation of staff will allow greater priority to be given to these appeals in future, and changes have also been made to the various administrative procedures in order to speed up the decision-making process.
|Date
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Empire Brickworks, Stubbers Green Road,
Aldridge, Walsall |1 June 1982
Seal Sands Terminal, Seal Sands, Cleveland |26 June 1984
Empire Brickworks, 51, Stubbers Green Road,
Aldridge, Walsall |8 September 1986
Empire Brickworks, 231, Stubbers Green
Road, Aldridge, Walsall |8 September 1986
Empire Brickworks, 323, Stubbers Green Road,
Aldridge, Walsall |8 September 1986
Empire Brickworks, 324, Stubbers Green
Road, Aldridge, Walsall |8 September 1986
East Tilbury (1) East Tilbury, Essex |26 March 1987
Aveley Clay Pit 2 and 3, Sandy Lane,
Aveley, Essex |10 July 1987
Auckland Road, Leyton, LWRA |21 July 1987
Charleston Road, Hardley, Hampshire |10 August 1987
Gilbey Road, Grimsby, Humberside |7 September 1987
Old Railway Cutting, Chesterfield Road,
Bolsover, Derbyshire |7 December 1987
Unit 3 Hartlepool, Sandgate Industrial
Estate, Cleveland |7 December 1987
Springwell Hill, Nether Handley, Sheffield |9 December 1987
Norwood Industrial Estate, Rotherham
Road, Killamarsh, Sheffield |3 February 1988
East Tilbury (2), East Tilbury, Essex |18 April 1988
Whinfield Farm, Pennington, Cumbria |23 June 1988
Munnery's Copse, Worthing, West Sussex |27 June 1988
Springwell Hill, Nether Handley, Sheffield |1 August 1988
Unit 10 Eddarbridge Industrial Estate,
Cheshire |19 August 1988
Redbournbury Plant, St. Albans,
Hertfordshire |24 November 1988
Grazebrook Industrial Estate, Stubbers
Green Road, Dudley |6 January 1989
Leabrook Road, Wednesbury, Sandwell |10 January 1989
Butterley Hole, Stubbers Green Road,
Aldridge, Walsall |6 February 1989
Bakers Hole, Swanscombe, Kent |8 March 1989
Martin Earles No. 1, Cuxton, Kent |8 March 1989
Martin Earles Pit, Cuxton, Kent |8 March 1989
140 Moss Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire |13 March 1989
Grazebrook Estate (2), Stubbers Green
Road, Dudley |4 May 1989
Mucking Wharf, Mucking, Essex |16 May 1989
Offham Quarry, Teston Road, Offham,
Kent |19 June 1989
Stangate Quarry, Borough Green, Kent |19 June 1989
Pluckley Brickworks, Chambers Green,
Pluckley, Kent |29 June 1989
Vineyard Chalkpit, Rainham, Kent |29 June 1989
Stone Pits 5 and 6, Stone, Dartford, Kent |29 June 1989
Stone 1 and Atlas Stone, Stone, Dartford,
Kent |29 June 1989
Heathside Farm, Sandyford, Stoke-on-
Trent, Staffordshire |3 July 1989
Chesterfield Road, Barlborough, Derbyshire |29 August 1989
Barnett and Beddows, Stubbers Green
Road, Aldridge, Walsall |6 September 1989
Moss Hall Farm, Rixton, Warrington,
Cheshire |19 September 1989
Moss Hall Farm 2, Rixton, Warrington,
Cheshire |19 September 1989
Rough Park Quarry, Mill Lane, Upholland,
Lancashire |9 October 1989
Lumm Farm, Lumb Lane, Littlemoss,
Droylesden, Greater Manchester |20 October 1989
Halfhead Farm, Shallowford, Stone,
Staffordshire |17 November 1989
Bell Terminal, Grangetown,
Middlesbrough, Cleveland |20 November 1989
Jolly Farmer Sand Pit, Guildford Road,
Runfold, Surrey |21 November 1989
Farnham Sandpit, Alton Road, Farnham,
Surrey |8 December 1989
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he intends to take following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination above background levels by polychorinated biphenyls at Ordnance Survey grid reference numbers (a) NY 5151, (b) NZ 5101, (c) NZ 0151, (d) SE 0101 and (e) TR 3666; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what action he intends to take following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination levels of dioxins and furans above the established background levels at Ordnance Survey grid reference numbers (a) NY 5101, (b) NZ 5151, (c) SE 0101, (d) SE 0151, (e) SU 5101; (f) TQ 0151; (g) TR 0151; (h) SK 0202 and (i) NT 0301; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 20 December 1989] : The report by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has shown PCBs, dioxins and furans to be ubiquitous in United Kingdom soils. As expected levels are higher where there is a history of heavy industry and urbanisation. I am, however, informed that the levels of these compounds found at the locations mentioned do not pose a direct risk to human health. Further work will concentrate on sampling around those processes having the potential to release significant amounts of these compounds.
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