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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 21 February 1990
ENVIRONMENT
Derelict Land
4. Mr. Allason : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many acres of derelict land in public ownership are currently on the register ; and how many have been removed as a result of privatisation of statutory undertakings and nationalised industries.
Mr. Moynihan : A total of 82,400 acres of unused and underused land were on the register at 30 September 1989, including 1,900 acres owned by the water authorities ; 5,000 acres had been removed from the register earlier as a result of privatisation of other bodies.
72. Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to conclude his review of derelict land policy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : The Department is currently considering responses to the derelict land policy review which was published for consultation in September 1989 and any policy changes will be announced later in the year. It is also planned to issue further consultation papers on proposed measures to prevent land from becoming derelict and on alternative financing arrangements for the payment of derelict land grant.
Private Rented Accommodation
16. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to abolish controls on the letting of private property in the residential sector.
Mr. Michael Spicer : We made important changes to the controls on rent and security of tenure in the private sector in the Housing Act 1988, and we have no plans for further legislation in this area.
Local Government Finance
15. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received concerning the introduction of the poll tax in England and Wales in the current year.
Mr. Chope : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) earlier today.
19. Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of representations that he has received from Devon and Cornwall concerning the application of the community charge ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : On 6 November my right hon. Friend announced to Parliament his proposals for the amount of revenue support grant to be paid to receiving authorities
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and specified bodies. As well as a letter from my hon. Friend the Member for Cornwall, South-East (Mr. Hicks) I receivedrepresentations from Cornwall and Devon county councils and from four district councils in those counties. In addition I met a deputation from Torbay on 5 December.
22. Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the level of the community charge to be set in Basildon.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update to 1990-91 the answer given to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett), Official Report, 2 February 1989, columns 359- 60, showing the distributional effect of the community charge in comparison with domestic rates.
Mr. Chope : The information requested is not at present available.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update to 1990-91 the answer given to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle), Official Report, 2 February 1989, columns 359-60, showing the numbers of gainers and losers by family type and income band from the introduction of the community charge.
Mr. Chope : The information requested is not at present available.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how, with reference to paragraph 3.36 of his revenue support grant distribution report (England), the figure of (a) £18.55, (b) £4.77 and (c) £5.21 are arrived at ; how poll tax payers and council officials can check its validity ; and what effect the choice of this figure has on the standard spending assessment arrived at for Grimsby.
Mr. Chope : The figures referred to in the revenue support grant distribution report (England) were determined by my right hon. Friend after full consultation with local authority representatives. Together they account for £27 per adult of Great Grimsby's SSA.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes were made to the indicator data for calculating revenue support grant for local authorities between 16 November 1989 and 12 January 1990 ; why they were made ; and what was the effect of the changes on the standard spending assessment for local authorities.
Mr. Chope : The two main changes to the indicator data were that credit approvals reflected more up-to-date information on each authority's actual credit approvals for 1990-91 ; and that the adult population for the area was based on information from authorities' community charge registers. In addition, a number of minor changes were made as a result of further checking and correspondence with local authorities, particularly with respect to the information on traffic flows. SSAs were calculated according to the formulae set out in the revenue support grant distribution report (England) approved by the House on 18 January using the indicator data as specified in annex A to that report.
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Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to cap Wolverhampton council's community charge in response to that council's proposal to set a community charge in excess of the Government's guideline.Mr. Chope : We have made it clear that if authorities budget excessively for 1990-91 we shall not hesitate to cap them, but it would not be right for me to speculate on the detailed operation of any capping scheme we might need to introduce or on which authorities would be capped were we to introduce such a scheme.
108. Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much he estimates the level of poll tax in Lambeth to be on the assumption that the current levels of expenditure including expenditure on education remain unchanged in 1990-91.
Mr. Chope : The exemplifications that the Department issued on 11 January show that if Lambeth borough council and the London fire and civil defence authority budget in line with our assumptions consistent with authorities broadly maintaining current policies, the community charge in Lambeth next year will be £308. The level of the actual charge set in Lambeth in 1990-91 is a matter for the council.
102. Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Association of District Councils on the introduction of the poll tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : Over the last four years the Association of District Councils has been invited to comment on all aspects of the implementation of the community charge and has made many representations and suggestions.
95. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the criteria for assessing rate support grant.
Mr. Chope : My right hon. Friend has said that he is prepared to consider new evidence relating to the standard spending assessments on which the distribution of revenue support grant is based. Any new evidence that comes to light will be taken into account before he issues his proposals for the 1991-92 RSG settlement.
93. Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reduce the rate capping ceiling for local authorities spending less than £15 million.
Mr. Chope : My right hon. Friend has no power to reduce the £15 million budget threshold in section 101 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, below which local authorities are exempt from charge capping.
91. Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to monitor the implementation of the community charge by local authorities.
Mr. Chope : The Department issued a questionnaire to all charging authorities in May 1989 which gave us a clear picture of how authorities were progressing with implementing the charge. A copy of the results of the survey were placed in the Library of the House on 6 December. The Department keeps in constant touch with
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local authorities and their software suppliers and has just completed a further series of visits to a number of authorities to monitor preparations for billing and collection of the charge later this year.89. Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received in favour of replacing the community charge with a tax on home improvement.
Mr. Chope : I am not aware of any such representations. Financing local expenditure through a charge linked to the capital value of people's homes would, however, amount to a tax on home improvement. The Government have no intention of introducing such a system.
67. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the effect of the proposed community charge on the outer London boroughs.
Mr. Chope : If local authorities in outer London spend in line with our spending assumption, the average charge will be £320.
64. Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received on the community charge.
105. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about the standard community charge.
Mr. Chope : We continue to receive a good many representations on all aspects of the community charge, including detailed aspects of how the standard charge may affect the owners of domestic property which is not used as a sole or main residence.
47. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what meetings he has had with private landlords on the implementation of the community charge in England and Wales.
Mr. Chope : So far as England is concerned, no such meetings have been sought by landlords or their representatives. The implementation of the community charge in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
43. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received urging him to replace the community charge with a system of local income tax.
46. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received seeking the introduction of a tax on home ownership in place of the community charge.
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received seeking replacement of the community charge with a system of local government finance based on property values.
Mr. Chope : While we continue to receive a good many
representations on all aspects of the community charge, very few correspondents suggest that this should be replaced by a system of local income tax and none that I am aware of are in favour of any form of roof tax. My hon.
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Friends' questions might be more appropriately directed to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) who is reported to be wrestling with a policy that combines both types of tax in ways that have yet to be explained.31. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of local authorities setting a poll tax figure of £278 in 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
36. Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is yet in a position to assess the amount of increased spending by county councils in the forthcoming year.
97. Mr. Terry Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his best estimates of the average level of poll tax in England in 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
104. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have indicated an intention to levy a community charge at or below the Government's projected poll tax figure for their area.
Mr. Chope : Charging authorities are not required to set their amounts for the personal community charge until 1 April, and little firm information about charges set is yet available to the Department. Local authorities have recently been asked to report to the Department basic information about their spending plans and where appropriate the average charge set.
32. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he intends to use in deciding which local authorities will be poll tax capped in 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 February to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor).
Home Ownership
24. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any fresh proposals to assist first-time house buyers.
40. Mr. Gow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to extend the opportunities for home ownership.
Mr. Michael Spicer : We will continue the policies which have enabled around 6 million people to buy a home for the first time since April 1979.
North Sea (Pollution)
25. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of pollution entering the North sea comes from rivers ; and what proportion comes from British rivers.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Rivers are the most important source of North sea pollution, but not all other inputs can be reliably quantified. The combined effect of all United Kingdom rivers flowing into the North sea is to contribute about 20 per cent. of riverborne pollutants.
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Methane Gas
26. Mr. Duffy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of sites in England and Wales that may be emitting methane gas in quantities likely to present hazards to personal health and the local environment.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Reliable and complete information on these sites is not held centrally. This is the responsibility of waste disposal authorities which have co-operated in studies made by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. I expect to receive a report on this shortly.
Bellwin Formula
27. Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to revise the operation of the Bellwin formula ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The Government will be making revisions to the Bellwin scheme from 1 April 1990 following consultation with the local authority associations. These will reflect the changes to the local government finance system generally.
Capital Controls
28. Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will finalise the new system of capital controls to be brought in under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
Mr. Chope : Part IV of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, which provides for the new local authority capital finance system, came into force on 16 January 1990. Consultation on a draft of the main capital finance regulations ends on 23 February. We expect to lay the regulations before Parliament shortly thereafter.
Housing Improvement Grants
29. Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to help elderly people obtain housing improvement grants.
Mr. Chope : Under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 we are introducing a new system of house renovation grants which will allow local authorities to help the poorest households, including the elderly, with grants of up to 100 per cent. to repair and improve their homes. Minor works assistance of up to £1,000 will be available to help elderly people stay in their own homes or move in with relatives.
United Nations Environment Programme
30. Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of funds the Government provide for the United Nations environment programme ; and what are the comparable levels from other countries.
Mr. Trippier : In 1989 the Government contributed £3 million ($4, 705,500) to the United Nations environment programme. This was the third largest contribution, with only the United States and Japan donating more. Contributions from other countries in 1989 were as follows (where over $100,000) :--
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|($000)
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Australia |273
Canada |940
China |129
Denmark |487
Finland |1,292
France |1,077
FRG |2,565
GDR |211
Italy |664
Japan |5,000
Kuwait |200
Netherlands |791
Norway |1,338
South Arabia |250
Spain |505
Sweden |2,591
Switzerland |900
USSR |4,224
United States of America |9,500
Toxic Waste
33. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in recent months concerning the import and incineration of toxic wastes.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Department has received a variety of representations revealing public concern about the import of toxic waste for incineration and other methods of disposal under the operations of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations. The Department intends to review the operation of these regulations with disposal authorities and industry.
We are already seeking to persuade developed countries that they should be self-sufficient in dealing with wastes. Meanwhile, those transfrontier movements that continue are well controlled under international transport regulations and disposal in the United Kingdom takes place at properly regulated facilities. We also have proposals in the Environmental Protection Bill for powers for the Secretary of State to control imports where this is necessary to prevent risk of pollution or harm to human health.
99. Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to discuss the management of toxic waste tips with the leadership of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities.
Mr. Trippier : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has arranged to meet the AMA, ACC and ADC on 26 February to discuss all aspects of environmental protection policy.
71. Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what methods he regards as acceptable for disposal of toxic wastes.
Mr. Trippier : Landfill, chemical treatment and incineration are all suitable methods in appropriate circumstances.
37. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will launch a comprehensive assessment on the state of toxic tips in the United Kingdom and their effect on ground water supplies.
Mr. Trippier : A specific review of waste disposal sites is not required. A 1988 assessment by independent
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consultants concluded that the quality of groundwater used for public supply in England and Wales was generally good, although a number of detailed recommendations concerning monitoring and research are being followed up by the Department. Waste disposal authorities are required to consult the National Rivers Authority over all applications for waste disposal licences. The National Rivers Authority already has extensive programmes for monitoring ground and surface waters which it is reviewing ; these will cover, inter alia, the possible effects of disposal sites that predate licensing controls.Chlorofluorocarbons
34. Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress Britain has made towards meeting the terms of the Montreal protocol on chlorofluorocarbons use.
79. Mr. Wells : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in Britain towards meeting the international commitment under the Montreal protocol to reduce chlorofluorocarbon emissions.
Mr. Trippier : Action taken already, especially by the aerosol industry to remove CFCs from 90 per cent. of its products, means the United Kingdom met the 1999 requirement of the protocol by the end of 1989. The Government believe that the protocol should be strengthened to require a full phase-out of CFCs within 10 years.
Homelessness
35. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated cost to London local authorities of placing homeless families with private landlords.
Mr. Chope : The Department collects information on the cost to local authorities of using bed and breakfast hotels as temporary housing for homeless families. In 1987-88, the last year for which estimates are available, the gross cost to London boroughs of using this type of temporary accommodation was £127 million. Housing subsidy claim forms provide some further information on the cost to local authorities in London of leasing (which includes accommodating homeless families). The provisional figure for 1988-89 was £20.25 million. The Department also takes full note of data available from time to time through other sources.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will carry out a survey of the level of homelessness caused by the number of mortgage repossessions by companies other than building societies.
Mr. Chope : Local authorities already make quarterly returns of the numbers of households for which they had accepted responsibility for securing accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act. These provide a breakdown of the total number of households accepted by main immediate reason for homelessness including mortgage arrears ; although it does not distinguish households which were actually subject to repossession or between those which were building society or other types of borrower.
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Latest estimates appear in table 2 of "Local authorities' action under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act : England. Results for the third quarter 1989. Supplementary Tables", a copy of which is in the Library.Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to cut homelessness in Leicester ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The review of the homelessness legislation, published in November 1989 sets out the Government's proposals for tackling homelessness. Copies are in the Library.
103. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the number of homeless people in England.
94. Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the number of homeless people in London.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Latest estimates of households accepted as homeless in England appear in table 1(a) of "Local authorities' action under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act : England. Results for the third quarter 1989. Supplementary Tables", which is in the Library.
100. Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the most rapidly growing cause of homelessness for families seeking emergency accommodation under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act.
Mr. Michael Spicer : In percentage terms there has been no significant change over recent years in the reasons why those for whom local authorities accept responsibility to secure accommodation are homeless.
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