| Home Page |
Column 189
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 28 February 1990
ENVIRONMENT
Nuclear Power Stations, Calais
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether there is any monitoring by Her Majesty's Government of nuclear emissions from power stations at Calais.
Mr. Trippier : No. Emission monitoring is undertaken by the power station operating authorities in the country concerned. Her Majesty's Government would be informed under international agreements of any release of radioactive material that could be of radiological significance for the United Kingdom. The national radiation monitoring network, Rimnet will detect any abnormal levels of radiation in the United Kingdom.
Radiation (Cornwall)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of properties surveyed by the National Radiological Protection Board in each Cornwall district is over the newly declared safety level ; and whether the owners of those properties have been informed of the new safety advice.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The percentage of private and council houses surveyed by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in each Cornwall district with radon concentrations above the new action level are as follows :
|Percentage
-------------------------------------
Caradon |27
Carrick |23
Kerrier |45
North Cornwall |34
Penwith |42
Restormel |27
The NRPB is writing to all householders whose survey revealed concentrations of between 200 and 400bq m to inform them of the change in the action level.
Watercourses (North West)
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many watercourses in the North West water authority area are classified under (a) class 1b and (b) class 2 categories ; and whether there are any plans to alter the classification procedure in the future.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The 1985 river quality survey indicated that, of the 5,900 km of rivers and canals surveyed in the North West water authority area, 2,710 kms were in class 1a, 762 kms in class 1b, and 1,239 kms in class 2. The existing classification schemes for rivers, canals and estuaries are being reviewed in conjunction
Column 190
with the work of developing the system of statutory quality objectives provided for in the Water Act 1989, and proposals will be published in due course.Public Land (Bolton)
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which sites in the Bolton area are included in the Goverment's register of under-used publicly owned land ; and what is their individual acreage.
Mr. Moynihan : The Department's register has now been superseded for most purposes by individual public sector owners' registers which have been available to the public since 31 October 1989 under codes of practice issued last August. Copies of relevant extracts are available at district council offices
I have, however, arranged for a list of sites in the Bolton area on the Department's register as at 30 September 1989 to be placed in the Library.
Hazardous Waste
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) of 8 December 1989, Official Report, column 423, if he will publish in the Official Report the information contained in his letter of reply of 5 December 1989.
Mr. Trippier : My letter of 5 December 1989 to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) contained the following information in reply to questions he had tabled on aspects of hazardous waste management.
I said that there were four incinerators licensed to deal commercially with special wastes in Britain. I had no detailed information on the number of large chemical incinerators in the European Community or elsewhere which treated special wastes. I was unable to provide the information the hon. Member sought on the design of the furnace doors of the incinerators.
Regarding incineration at sea, the disposal of wastes was licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. My Department did not keep records of the amount of special wastes incinerated in the North sea or in other European waters.
This Department had held information on the import of wastes for incineration only since October 1988 when the relevant provisions of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations came into force. Since then some 8,700 tonnes of imported special waste had been dealt with at the four commercially available incinerators. Information on the amount of waste dealt with at the incinerator operated by ReChem International Ltd. at Ponteg, Pontypool was not held by this Department but by the local waste disposal authority, Torfaen borough council. The results of the PCB sampling in soils and herbage around the plant undertaken by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution were (figures in micrograms per kilogram) :
PCBs in Herbage :
Range 3.0-19.7
Mean 8.4
Median 6.6
PCBs in Soil :
Range 9.0-19.0
Mean 13.5
Median 14.8
Column 191
The latest figures (August 1989) indicated levels of PCB in the flue gas of the incinerator to be considerably less than 0.01 mg/cum. The (then) latest figures for Dioxin and Furans (in nanograms per cubic metre) were :
|Number
--------------------------------------------------
2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran |0.050
Tetrachlorodibenzofurans (total) |0.120
2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin |<0.025
Tetrachlorodibenzodioxins (total) |<0.025
Pentachlorodibenzofurans (total) |<0.025
Pentachlorodibenzodioxins (total) |<0.025
Hexachlorodibenzofurans (total) |<0.025
Hexachlorodibenzodioxins (total) |<0.025
Heptachlorodibenzofurans (total) |<0.050
Heptachlorodibenzodioxins (total) |0.050
Octachlorodibenzofuran |<0.025
Octachlorodibenzodioxin |0.050
The emission figures for both PCBs and dioxins/furans compared very favourably with those published for similar incinerators in Europe.
No equipment was available to give instantaneous readings of PCB or dioxin in flue gas. However, continuous sampling was undertaken and samples of flue gas were analysed on a routine basis for PCB and on a more random basis for dioxin.
A number of possible processes were under investigation as alternative methods of incineration of PCBs. The most promising appeared to be those involving exchange of the chlorine atom or microbiological systems. Neither would be likely to prove effective for high concentrations of PCBs, for which high-temperature incineration was likely to remain the only satisfactory form of disposal.
From the start of commercial production of PCBs in 1929 to 1980 some 1,055,000 tonnes of PCBs had been produced worldwide, of which 66,800 tonnes were produced in the United Kingdom by Monsanto, Newport. Other major producing countries were the United States of America (648,000 tonnes), Japan (60,000 tonnes), Spain (25,000 tonnes) and (Italy (24,000 tonnes). During 1980-84, only France, West Germany, Italy and Spain within the Community continued to manufacture PCBs and after 1984 production continued only in France and Spain. This Department did not hold figures for PCB production after 1980.
The hon. Member for Carmarthen asked about the amount of special wastes which had been subjected to the Leigh environmental sealosafe solidification process. This Department does not hold information on that which is a matter for the waste disposal authority, Walsall metropolitan borough council. Finally, the hon. Member asked about the import of flyash through Swansea docks. That, again, is a matter for the local waste disposal authority, Swansea district council.
Empty Council Houses, Stockport
Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of empty council houses in Stockport at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Chope : The latest available information was provided by Stockport metropolitan borough council in its April 1989 housing investment programme return (HIP1), a copy of which is in the Library.
Column 192
Jet-Skiing
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to give local authorities powers to control jet-skiing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : Local authorities already have powers to make byelaws regulating the use of jet ski's under the various Public Health Acts and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. Harbour authorities and the National Rivers Authority are similarly empowered.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications to dispose of radioactive waste have been refused on the ground that the volumes in question exceeded the quota set for applications by British Nuclear Fuels Limited ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : No application received by this Department has been refused on these grounds.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the locations of those sites where non-nuclear radioactive waste is disposed of, stating the percentage of the total non- nuclear radioactive waste generated which is disposed of at each site.
Mr. Trippier : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 February 1990 to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Butler) at column 179.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste held in storage in (a) 1984, (b) 1985, (c) 1986, (d) 1987, (e) 1988 and (f) 1989 ; what projections exist for levels over the next 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : The information is not available in the form requested. Low-level radioactive waste arising from outside the nuclear industry is not normally stored, but is disposed of either locally or to the BNFL-operated disposal facility at Drigg (sometimes via the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) establishment at Harwell) under the terms of authorisations issued by HMIP under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Where appropriate, such authorisations may permit waste to be accumulated on site either to allow the radioactivity to decay before disposal or for other operational reasons. Such accumulations and disposals are subject to strict conditions and activity limits and, although information on volumes of waste etc. is not recorded centrally, operators are required to maintain proper and detailed records. These records, as well as the premises or sites concerned, are subject to scrutiny by HMIP inspectors. Where a suitable disposal route is not available, the radioactive waste may be stored at the UKAEA establishment at Harwell.
Apart from these local disposals and accumulations, the latest available information on stocks and future arisings of raw radioactive waste from minor waste producers is contained in the 1987 "United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory," a copy of which is available in the Library.
Column 193
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure public consultation in the site selection process for a single national repository for radioactive waste.Mr. Trippier : UK Nirex Ltd's consultation document "The Way Forward" invited comments on Nirex's proposals for a deep repository for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste. Nirex took account of these comments before recommending that site investigations should be made at Sellafield and Dounreay. The Government have made it clear that a public inquiry will be held into Nirex's proposals for a substantive development.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste was disposed of at landfill sites under the Radioactive Substances (Phosphatic Substances, Rare Earths, etc.) Exemption Order 1962 for each of the last five years ; what projections exist for volumes to be disposed in this manner over the next 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : The terms of the exemption order do not require such information to be kept either by the disposer or this Department.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste accepted at Drigg for each of the last five years ; and what percentage came from (a) hospitals, (b) research and development operations, (c) land decontamination and (d) other sources ; what are the expected global levels in volume for the next three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : Information on the volumes of wastes disposed of at the Drigg disposal site can be found in BNFL's annual reports entitled "Radioactive Discharges and Monitoring of the Environment", copies of which are in the Library of the House. A more detailed breakdown of the wastes originating from non-nuclear industries is not available.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the volume of non-nuclear radioactive waste disposed of otherwise than at Drigg for each of the last five years ; and what percentage came from (a) hospitals, (b) research and development operations, (c) land decontamination and (d) other sources ; what are the expected global levels in volume for the next three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : This Department does not maintain a central record of the volumes of low-level radioactive waste disposed of through local disposal routes or of specific disposal locations. However, a condition of authorisation requires waste producers to keep proper and detailed records relating to their disposals. These records, as well as the premises or sites concerned, are subject to scrutiny by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution inspectors and in cases where a disposal requires special precautions to be taken by a local or public authority, both Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution and local waste disposal authorities are notified by the operator of the nature and destination of individual consignments of radioactive waste due for disposal.
Column 194
Water Leakage
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria the Director General of Water Services will employ to determine if the level of leakage from water distribution systems is excessive ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : Water undertakers are under a duty to maintain an efficient and economical system of water supply. It is for undertakers to determine what leakage control measures to take, based on their own cost- benefit analysis.
How the director general might decide to review this aspect of undertakers' performance is a matter for him.
Sellafield
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has in regard to the statement made to the European Parliament on 14 February by the President of the European Council, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, concerning Sellafield.
Mr. Trippier : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has noted the verbatim report of the proceedings of the European Parliament on 14 February.
North Sea Conference
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what participation his Department will have in the North sea conference in March.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will visit the Hague on 7 and 8 March to represent the United Kingdom at the third North sea conference.
Action for Cities
Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in the first two years of the Government's action for cities initiative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is announcing today, two years after she launched the Government's action for cities initiative, that spending on the programmes which come within the initiative is to increase by £0.5 billion, from just under £3.5 billion this year to around £4 billion in 1990-91. Also today, I am publishing a new report entitled "People in Cities" which highlights ways in which inner city residents are benefiting from the new opportunities being created in their areas and which emphasises the importance of the partnership and growing co-operation between business, central Government, local authorities, voluntary organisations and local people.
Other announcements being made include the approval of funding for a new spine road to open up the Bristol development corporation area, the setting up of two inner city task forces in the Wirral and in Derby and a large number of task force and city grant project approvals.
Today, the Prime Minister and all nine members of the special ministerial team appointed in December to spearhead action in the inner cities are visiting projects and reviewing progress in cities up and down the country.
Column 195
I have sent copies of the "People in Cities" report to hon Members with constituencies in the inner city target areas. Copies of the report will also be placed in the Library and are available in the Vote Office.Housing, Bradford
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 8 February, Official Report, column 758, when he expects to announce a decision on applications submitted last October and November for city grant and estate action grant in respect of new homes to rent and for sale on the Lower Grange estate.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 22 February 1990] : I am pleased to be able to tell the hon. Member that I announced approval of a £5.38 million estate action contribution towards an £11.5 million scheme to improve over 300 local authority owned houses on the Lower Grange estate on 22 February and that my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities has today announced approval of a £2.65 million city grant for the construction of 280 new homes and the refurbishment of 28 flats for sale.
Parliamentary Rifle Range
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who paid the cost of the newly completed refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster rifle range.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 26 February 1990] : The cost of safety work carried out last year to allow members of the staff sports and social club to continue to use the range was borne on the parliamentary works subhead (class XX, vote 18).
Local Government Finance
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his estimate of what the rates levied in each local authority for 1990-91 would have been had rates continued will be based on a proportion of grant-related expenditure into 1990-91 or on standard spending assessments ; and if he will publish a table estimating for each local authority the sums under each system, the gains and losses and the effect of these on the average rate bill and the poll tax demand.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 26 February 1990] : It is our intention when community charges are finally set to say what the increase would have been in domestic rates had that taken the place of the community charge.
Enterprise Zones
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of acres covered by each enterprise zone within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 27 February 1990] : The area of each enterprise zone in the United Kingdom is given in the table.
Enterprise zone |Acres ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. Belfast |510 2. Clydebank |570 3. Corby |280 4. Delyn |293 5. Dudley |649 6. Glanford |124 7. Hartlepool |270 8. Inverclyde |<1>274 9. Invergordon |148 10. Isle of Dogs |<1>362 11. Londonderry |270 12. Lower Swansea Valley |775 13. Middlesbrough |190 14. Milford Haven Waterway |362 15. North East Lancashire |282 16. North West Kent |377 17. Rotherham |260 18. Salford-Trafford |870 19. Scunthorpe |260 20. Speke |340 21. Tayside |297 22. Telford |279 23. Tyneside |1,120 24. Wakefield |220 25. Wellingborough |136 26. Workington (Allerdale) |215 <1> Excluding water covered areas.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Speech Therapists
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the numbers of speech therapists employed by each local education authority in England (a) in total, (b) by category of employment and (c) as a figure per 100,000 of the population of the appropriate local education authority area, listing the local education authority areas in the last case in descending order ;
(2) if he will take steps to increase the number of speech therapists who are employed within the education service.
Mr. Alan Howarth : District health authorities are responsible for the provision of speech therapy services to local education authorities. It is for local education authorities to decide whether in addition they make available any provision from their own resources. Information about the number of speech therapists employed by local education authorities is not available centrally.
City Technology Colleges
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make it his policy that any agreement under section 105 of the Education Reform Act 1988 which has yet to be finalised will contain a provision specifying that, in the event of the agreement being terminated for any reason, the city technology college or city college for the technology of the arts shall be treated as discontinued for the purposes of the agreement and section 105(5) of the Education Reform Act 1988 ; and if he will take steps to have such a provision included, by way of amendment, in any agreements already in effect ;
(2) if he will take steps to prevent a city technology college or a city college for the technology of the arts from being converted into a fee- paying school other than by his consent, without there being a requirement that any capital funding previously provided under section 105 of the Education Reform Act should be repaid.
Column 197
Mrs. Rumbold : Section 105 of the Education Reform Act 1988 provides for my right hon. Friend to enter into an agreement with any person to establish and maintain a city technology college (CTC) or city college for the technology of the arts (CCTA). A copy of the model agreement for this purpose has been placed in the House of Commons Library. If this agreement were terminated, for example, because the college charged fees, the provisions of section 105(5) of the Education Reform Act would come into effect.Storms
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is taking in view of the recent storms to ensure the safety of school pupils.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Our first concern has been to ensure that everything possible is done to avoid more deaths and injuries to pupils such as those which occurred in the recent storms. The standing instructions which local authorities issue to schools about handling emergencies, combined with the good sense of head teachers and their colleagues, played their part in helping to minimise casualties. But my Department is writing to LEAs asking them to review their instructions in the light of recent experience. It is the responsibility of local education authorities to ensure the safety of their school buildings, but my Department has been working with the Department of the Environment and the Building Research Establishment to establish the causes of the roof failure at the Grange junior school in Swindon. As a result of that investigation the Department is today issuing guidance to all local education authorities, grant-maintained schools, independent schools, non-maintained special schools, CTCs and the PCFC and UFC about the characteristics of buildings with lightweight roofs which may be at risk, inspection procedures and possible remedial measures. I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library.
The Government have already announced that the Bellwin scheme will operate with respect to damage sustained in the storms of a month ago. This assists LEAs following an emergency with the costs of immediate repairs to school buildings to ensure their continued operation and the safety of their occupants. In parallel, my Department has written to diocesan authorities and other promoters of voluntary aided schools setting out a simplified claims procedure for repairs required after storm damage and inviting bids.
Curriculum Returns
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he proposes to take in respect of the requirements on schools to complete the annual curriculum returns.
Mr. MacGregor [pursuant to his reply, 27 February 1990, c. 167] : My proposals were published today. They simplify those provisions of the Education (Schools Curriculum and Related Information) Regulations 1989 which cover the annual curriculum return. Copies of the proposals have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Column 198
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Child Abduction
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General what research his Department has carried out, or is undertaking, regarding the problem of children abducted by one of their parents ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : There is no formal research programme, but the Lord Chancellor's Department is fully aware of the practical and legal difficulties that arise from the problem, and is able constantly to monitor developments through its role as a central authority under the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction and the European convention on the recognition and enforcement of decisions concerning custody of children and on restoration of custody of children. This brings the Department into contact with large numbers of victims of the problem. It also involves the Department in international discussions, the next of which will occur next week, which promote increased understanding of the problem.
THE ARTS
Export Licences
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what list he maintains of works of art for which Her Majesty's Government would not consider granting an export licence.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 12 February 1990] : Lists have been suggested from time to time, but were never taken forward and form no part of the export procedures.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will draw up a list of works of art for which Her Majesty's Government would not consider granting an export licence which includes (a) sculptures, (b) drawings, (c) manuscripts and (d) contemporary works of art.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 12 February 1990] : I have no plans to draw up lists of works of art for which Her Majesty's Government would not consider granting an export licence.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Rented Sector
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1978 the weight of private sector and public sector rents in the cost of living index ; whether those weights include rates when paid by the landlord ; and what will be the effect of the index if the landlord does not reduce the rent to take account of the abolition of rates.
Mr. Lilley : The weight for local authority and private rents in the retail prices index, in parts per thousand, has been as follows :
|Weight
---------------------
1978 |32
1979 |32
1980 |28
1981 |30
1982 |36
1983 |36
1984 |35
1985 |31
1986 |29
1987 |34
1988 |33
1989 |32
The weight is adjusted to exclude domestic rates paid through landlords. The index will continue to reflect actual rents charged.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1978 the weight of (a) rates and (b) water and sewerage rates in the retail prices index together with the implied domestic rate contribution to local government expenditure.
Mr. Lilley : The weights in the retail prices index, to the nearest part per thousand, have been as follows :
|Domestic |Water and
|rate |sewerage
|charges
----------------------------------------
1978 |32 |2
1979 |28 |6
1980 |26 |5
1981 |28 |8
1982 |33 |8
1983 |35 |9
1984 |37 |9
1985 |36 |9
1986 |33 |8
1987 |42 |7
1988 |43 |7
1989 |42 |7
The weights relate only to the households covered by the index and do not provide estimates of aggregate contributions to local government expenditure.
Public Sector Borrowing Requirement
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, for each of the years since 1973-74, the public sector borrowing requirement or the PSDR expressed in 1989-90 prices.
Mr. Ryder : Figures for the public sector borrowing requirement for 1973-74 onwards are given in the table expressed in cash terms and in 1989- 90 prices.
Public sector borrowing requirement (
PSBR)<1>
|Cash |1989-90
|£ billion|prices<2>
----------------------------------------
1973-74 |4.3 |21.9
1974-75 |8.0 |33.8
1975-76 |10.3 |34.4
1976-77 |8.3 |24.5
1977-78 |5.4 |14.0
1978-79 |9.2 |21.6
1979-80 |9.9 |20.0
1980-81 |12.5 |21.3
1981-82 |8.6 |13.4
1982-83 |8.9 |12.9
1983-84 |9.7 |13.4
1984-85 |10.1 |13.3
1985-86 |5.6 |7.1
1986-87 |3.6 |4.3
1987-88 |-3.4 |-3.9
1988-89 |-14.5 |-15.5
<1>A negative PSBR is a public sector
debt repayment.
<2>Cash figures converted to 1989-90
prices using the GDP deflator.
Pensions
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those schemes that meet the general conditions of approval of occupational and personal pensions by the Inland Revenue, are such as to permit payment of an amount related to a person's accrued or prospective retirement pension under the scheme, such payments to be made throughout any period in which that person is entitled to the payment of an invalidity pension from the national insurance fund and to cease at the end of that period.
Mr. Major : I regret that the information requested is not available.
| Next Section
| Home Page |