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Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many actions for damages under section 62 of the Financial Services Act 1986 have been brought ; by whom ; and with what result.
Mr. Redwood : Actions under section 62 of the Financial Services Act 1986 are private actions for damages, and as such my Department would not necessarily expect to hear of such cases. In the only instance of which I am aware, the case was decided against the plaintiff.
Education-Business Partnerships
Mr. Soames : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have for local education-business partnerships and for the teacher placement service.
Mr. Ridley : I am pleased to announce on behalf of myself and my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Employment, that the Government intend to support local education business
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partnerships across the country. The new partnerships will build on the work already done under the enterprise and education initiative, TVEI and compacts, and foster the development of the work-related aspects of the national curriculum.Partnerships involve local education and business interests in work that brings schools and other educational institutions, industry and commerce closer together for the benefit of young people and the economy.
The Government also intend to build wherever possible on existing partnership work. Where they are in a position to make effective proposals, the new training and enterprise councils will be offered the first opportunity to lead and co-ordinate the development of this activity ; otherwise, other local bodies and organisations will be invited to bid for this role.
There will be a development phase over the next 12 months in which my colleagues and I will collaborate closely. The Foundation for Education Business Partnerships, which has been established by industrial and education interests to foster partnership activity will be kept closely in touch.
Financial support will come initially from my Department. With the formation of partnerships from April 1991, the Department's Training Agency will take the lead.
My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland will make separate announcements about their arrangements for partnerships.
The teacher placement service will continue. Arrangements for its future administration will be developed together with those for local partnerships.
Mergers
Mr. Soames : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement concerning his policy on referring completed mergers to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Mr. Ridley : Section 64(4) of the Fair Trading Act 1973 provides that I may refer a qualifying merger to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) within six months of the date of the completion of the merger or the date on which material facts about the merger are made public or made available to me or to the Director General of Fair Trading. In addition, I am required, under section 64(5) of the Act, to make my decision on whether or not to refer the merger as soon as is reasonably practicable.
Many mergers are either made public or discussed with the Director General of Fair Trading before they take effect. But when a merger is completed before any such announcement or discussion, I am anxious to be in a position as soon as possible to decide whether it should be referred to the MMC. In such cases therefore I shall be looking to the director general for early advice, and to the companies concerned for their cooperation with his Office to enable him to give it. If, in such a case, I had reason to believe that the merger could raise competition or other public interest issues, and that the director general's inquiries were not being answered fully and promptly, I would not allow the lack of full information to deter me from requiring an investigation by the MMC.
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Disabled Employees
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list the number of companies which his Department have prosecuted for the failure to meet the disabled employee quota since 1979.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
There have been no prosecutions since 1979 against companies that failed to fulfil their obligation under the quota scheme established by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.
ENVIRONMENT
Housing
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much Government assistance has been given to Liverpool through housing investment programmes (a) between 1974 and 1979 and (b) in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Chope : Details of the allocations made to Liverpool city council since 1978-79, the first year in which housing investment programme allocations were made, are listed below. Since 1981-82 authorities have been able to augment the borrowing power of their HIP allocations by using the prescribed proportion of their capital receipts. For 1990-91, under the new capital finance system, the HIP allocation does not convey borrowing approval directly.
|c|Housing investment programme
allocations for Liverpool city
council|c|
|£ thousand
---------------------------------
1978-79 |35,460
1979-80 |42,430
1980-81 |47,230
1981-82 |39,788
1982-83 |49,337
1983-84 |41,850
1984-85 |38,499
1985-86 |31,000
1986-87 |27,500
1987-88 |25,300
1988-89 |20,588
1989-90 |<1>23,207
1990-91 |<2>33,687
Notes:
<1> Provisional.
<2> Initial allocations only.
Leeds Development Corporation
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 5 April given by the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mr. Moynihan) to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central, if he will list the public meetings held by or attended by the Leeds Development Corporation to which he refers.
Mr. Moynihan : The development corporation has held and attended public meetings with the local business community about the planning framework for the Calls and Riverside area and with residents of Armley, Kirkstall and Beza road, Hunslet.
The planning meetings of the development corporation are also open to the public.
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Earthquake
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by location the damage that was recorded in the counties of Yorkshire and Humberside after the earthquake that was felt in these areas on 2 April and the seismographic scale.
Mr. Moynihan : No comprehensive list of damage caused by the Bishops Castle earthquake of 2 April 1990, exists at present. Information on damage and other felt effects is being collected by the British Geological Survey under the United Kingdom seismic monitoring and information service which is funded by a number of organisations including the Natural Environment Research Council and my Department. The survey has yielded about 6,000 replies so far and further information is being received daily.
It will be several months before all of the information has been studied in detail, but preliminary analysis indicates that little or no damage occurred in Yorkshire and Humberside. The earthquake measured about 5.4 on the Richter seismographic scale.
Kilbury Sewage Treatment Works
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he hopes to reply to a letter written on 27 February by the Staverton parish council about discharge consent standards at Kilbury sewage treatment works, Buckfastleigh, Devon ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I wrote to Staverton parish council and to my hon. Friend on 23 April.
Waste
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what examination he is making of alternatives to the source separation of the waste stream prior to recycling ; if he has any information concerning the effect mechanical separation would have on the percentage of refused derived products from waste ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of source separation of the domestic waste stream on the ability to recycle domestic waste output ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will list those local authorities in England and Wales that his Department is aware of that currently recycle all or part of the domestic waste stream, using the mechanical sorting of waste as opposed to source separation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : This information is not available at present but is currently being sought from local authorities through a comprehensive survey of their recycling activity. Issues relating to the collection and sorting of waste are being considered by the advisory group on recycling jointly run by my Department and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Refuse-derived Fuel Pellets
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how much public money has been spent on plants sponsored by his Department investigating the
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manufacture and use of refuse-derived fuel pellets ; if he will list the performance figures from those plants ; and if he will make a statement ;(2) if he will list such private sector research of which he is currently aware into the manufacture and use of refuse derived fuel pellets ; and if he will undertake a comparative study between their findings and data from plants sponsored by his Department.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : About £12 million has been spent by my Department between 1974 and 1986 on pilot schemes for the manufacture and use of refuse-derived fuel pellets. The results have been published by the Warren Spring laboratory, for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is responsible. Technical problems have now largely been solved, but further work is needed on marketing. Any comparison of these results and private sector research results would be a matter for prospective purchasers of equipment.
Housing Transfers
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of the outcome of the arrangements to transfer the housing stock of Rochester-upon-Medway city council, he will revise his guidelines regarding voluntary transfers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Our criteria remain those set out in the guidelines, "Large Scale Voluntary Transfers of Local Authority Housing to Private Bodies", a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make it his policy not to approve any future proposal by Rochester-upon-Medway city council to transfer its housing stock to another landlord which is not accompanied by financial assistance to the tenants' association to emply independent financial and legal advice.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Any local authority wishing to dispose of tenanted housing must comply with the requirements of schedule 3A to the Housing Act 1985. The Secretary of State will consider whether the authority has, in his view, met these requirements before deciding whether to give consent to the disposal. It is for the authority to decide whether it will provide tenants with financial assistance for obtaining external advice.
Hillingdon Vehicle Maintenance Department
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what grounds he used his powers under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988 to compel the London borough of Hillingdon to close its vehicle maintenance department.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Surbiton on 13 March at column 189.
National Rivers Authority
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the National Rivers Authority for additional staffing and resources ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The National Rivers Authority is currently preparing its first corporate plan. My officials are in discussion with the authority about this and about resources generally. The Government are committed to ensuring the NRA has the necessary resources to carry out its functions effectively. Grant in aid to the NRA for 1990-91 is £93 million.Sports Clubs (Rate Relief)
Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councils have agreed to grant discretionary rate relief to sports clubs for the year 1990-91.
Mr. Chope : The information for which my hon. Friend asks is not available. Authorities will not necessarily yet have dealt with all applications for relief. We intend, however, to collect later in the year information about the use that authorities have made of their discretion.
Ozone Levels
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why, in the light of his Department's news release of 3 August 1989, no public announcement was made in respect of ozone levels on 17 March and 18 March ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : In accordance with the Department's news release of 3 August 1989, information on ozone levels occurring on 17 and 18 March, and also 31 March and 1 April was available from the Department's press office the morning of the day after the episode commenced. No journalist asked for this summary.
Petrol
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to assess (a) the level of carcinogens and (b) the health risks associated with the carcinogens produced by (i) leaded and (ii) unleaded petrol.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My Department funds a substantial programme of research investigating pollution emissions from vehicles using leaded and unleaded petrol. Special emphasis is placed upon organic micro-pollutants, including benzene.
The evidence on human exposure to these pollutants provided by this research will be evaluated by the Department of Health for possible health effects.
Rain Forests
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his meeting at Sandringham in Norfolk with European Commissioners ; and whether he discussed rain forest issues.
Mr. Chris Patten : His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales invited Sr. Ripa di Meana, European Commissioner for the Environment, and Mr. Ray McSharry, European Commissioner for Agriculture, to visit Sandringham on 19 -20 April. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I were also invited. Discussions were wide ranging.
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Victoria Tower
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to undertake the restoration of the stonework to the Victoria tower at the Palace of Westminster ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : I am pleased to announce that a contract for the repair and restoration of the stonework on the Victoria tower and the south elevation of the Palace of Westminster overlooking Victoria tower garden was let to John Laing Construction Ltd. shortly before Easter. Work will start later this month. It will take four years to complete at a cost of some £7 million.
The placing of this contract marks the start of the final stage of the restoration of the exterior of the Palace of Westminster which began in 1981. It is intended to follow on with the restoration of the stonework of the internal courtyards.
Community Charge
Mr. Couchman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his statement of 3 April on charge capping, what were his decisions in relation to capping Lambeth borough council for 1990-91.
Mr. Chris Patten : On the basis of the principles that I adopted for inner-London boroughs, Lambeth's revised budget of £293.9 million is, in my opinion, excessive. On 10 April, I therefore designated the authority for charge capping in accordance with those principles, and proposed a cap of £285.1 million, a reduction of £8.8 million or £51 per adult. I am satisfied that, on the basis of the information available to me, the proposed cap is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances of Lambeth. The authority has 28 days, beginning on 10 April 1990, in which to let me know whether it accepts the proposed cap or, if not, what alternative cap it is proposing together with the reasons for it.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of people who will be required to pay standard community charge in respect of second homes in each local authority in England.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 23 April 1990] : This information is not available.
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether there are any circumstances under which those residing on islands would qualify for a reduction in their community charge bills ; and whether such residents qualified for a reduction under the old domestic rating system.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 23 April 1990] : The qualifying conditions for a reduction in community charges, either through community charge benefit, student status or transitional relief apply equally to residents on islands as to residents on the mainland. Under the old domestic rating system, the same principles in respect of rebates and reliefs applied.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the most recent estimate of the total expenditure on the collection of the poll tax (a) in Scotland in the year 1989-90 and (b) in (i) Scotland, (ii) England and (iii) Wales in the year 1990-91.
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Mr. Chope [holding answer 23 April 1990] : The Government's latest estimate for collecting the community charge in England in 1990-91 is £400 million. The cost of community charge collection in Scotland and Wales are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales respectively.Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to fix the maximum standard community charge at nil for empty dwellings in England and Wales on agricultural or forestry land.
Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 23 April 1990] : We have prescribed nine classes of property in respect of which no standard charge is payable. We have also given wide discretion to local authorities to specify additional classes of property for special treatment. Local authorities could, if they saw fit, specify a class of property relating to empty agricultural dwellings for which a lower multiplier would be applied. However, such a discretion may be exercised only before the start of the financial year in which it is intended to operate.
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to change the arrangements whereby local authorities may fix a standard community charge on self-catering holiday cottages, chalets and the like, with an impact above the level of current rates on farm income from this source.
Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 23 April 1990] : A standard charge will be payable in respect of self-catering accommodation only if the property is to be treated as domestic property, does not give rise to business rates and if no person has his or her sole or main residence there. In such circumstances, unless the local authority had chosen to specify such a class of property for special treatment, the property would be subject to the standard charge in the same way as other qualifying properties. A property will be subject to business rates if it is available for letting commercially for short periods of 140 days or more per year to individuals whose sole or main residence is elsewhere.
Hazardous Waste
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take either to secure the retention of the South Yorkshire hazardous waste unit or to provide for the environmental protection of south Yorkshire as far as the tipping, storage and management of harmful or toxic waste is concerned.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 April 1990] : Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I were concerned to receive notice of the intention of Sheffield and Doncaster to withdraw from the voluntary agreement on waste regulation in South Yorkshire with effect from 1 April 1991. We believe that satisfactory arrangements for the management of hazardous waste within the metropolitan areas require effective co- operation between all the districts in these areas and that is why, in cases where voluntary agreements were not forthcoming in 1985, statutory arrangements were introduced under the Local Government Act 1985. Consequently, I would hope that Sheffield and Doncaster will reconsider their position
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in relation to the voluntary agreement. In the meantime, I have asked Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to let me have a full assessment of the position.Acid Deposition
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent assessment he has made of the effect of acid deposition on trees ; what percentage of trees he estimates are (a) dying from (b) otherwise affected by acid deposition ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 24 April 1990] : The Forestry Commission has carried out a national monitoring programme of annual tree health surveys since 1984. In 1989, tree health showed an overall improvement for the second year running.
A study of the effects of air pollution, including acid deposition, on trees was carried out for the Department by the United Kingdom terrestrial effects review group (TERG). The report was published in July 1988 and copies placed in the Library of the House. It concludes that there is as yet no direct proof that air pollution is damaging trees in the United Kingdom, but that some forests are subjected to pollution climates which may be expected to cause stress. Further laboratory and field study data, including information from the Forestry Commission's programme, have become available since the publication of the TERG report which may enable more precise conclusions to be drawn. The Department has therefore set up a sub- group of TERG specifically to evaluate this new information. The group will report in January 1991.
Waste Disposal
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) of 20 February, Official Report, column 656, if he will now make a further statement on the feasibility of compiling a register of contaminated land.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 April 1990] : I am sympathetic to the idea of compiling registers in appropriate form and expect to receive later this week, the report of the internal working party which has been looking at this. I will announce my proposals at the earliest opportunity.
Environmental Research
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much, for each year from 1980 to 1989, inclusive, was spent by his Department on environmental research to meet (a) United Kingdom needs, (b) European needs, and (c) global needs.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 April 1990] : The expenditure of the Department of the Environment on environmental research to meet United Kingdom needs between 1980 and 1989 is as follows :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1980-81 |24.1 1981-82 |23.7 1982-83 |21.3 1983-84 |20.4 1984-85 |20.8 1985-86 |24.9 1986-87 |25.7 1987-88 |27.3 1988-89 |29.9 1989-90 |35.5
None of the above expenditure has met European needs directly. The above expenditure does, however, cover research on global issues amounting to £190,000 in 1988-89 and £950,000 in 1989-90.
Oil Spillage (Antarctic)
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding the pollution from oil spillage in the Antarctic.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 23 April 1990] : I have been asked to reply.
There are no comprehensive data on the quantities of oil spilled in the Antarctic. Overall the impact of oil pollution is believed to be insignificant. The British Antarctic Survey reports only three spills of any size from its operations within the last 10 years. None of these spills, of marine gas oil, amounted to more than six barrels and none had any recorded environmental impact.
Following a number of reported incidents by other national operators in the Antarctic, notably the sinking of the supply vessel Bahia Paraiso, the Antarctic treaty consultative parties discussed at their 15th meeting in Paris in October 1989 the prevention, control and response to marine pollution. Recommendations passed included measures to prohibit certain discharges and disposal from vessels, requirements for vessels to comply with specific international conventions on vessel safety and pollution control and a requirement for Governments to increase mutual co-operation in hydographic survey and charting in Antarctic waters, to assist in navigational safety and environmental protection.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Libya
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the number of British nationals currently working in Libya ; and what were the figures for each year since 1985.
Mr. Waldegrave : Not all British citizens in Libya register with the British interests section in Tripoli, but we estimate that since 1985 the British community there has numbered between 3,500 and 5, 000.
Peru
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has raised with the Peruvian Government the detention of Victor Taipe Zuniga, president of the National Mineworkers Federation.
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations
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he has made to the Peruvian Government about the detention of politicians, trade union leaders and trade union representatives.Mr. Maude : We frequently raise with the Peruvian authorities the cases of individuals who have been detained or who have disappeared in Peru, including politicians and trade union leaders and representatives.
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Peruvian ambassador ; and what subjects were discussed.
Mr. Maude : My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met the Peruvian ambassador on 18 January, at a lunch given by the Latin American heads of mission in London, at which a wide range of issues were discussed.
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last raised with the Peruvian Government the subject of the violation of human rights in that country.
Mr. Maude : We frequently stress to the Peruvian Government our support for democracy in Peru and our wish that human rights be fully respected.
Uganda
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Ugandan High Commissioner ; and whether at that meeting he raised the subject of claims for compensation on behalf of British citizens.
Mr. Waldegrave : Since his appointment last October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not had a formal meeting with the Ugandan high commissioner. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development raised this subject with President Museveni when she visited Uganda in March.
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) the bilateral agreements between the United Kingdom Government and Uganda, (b) when they were signed and (c) when they are individually due for review or and renewal.
Mr. Waldegrave : The main bilateral agreements signed by Her Majesty's Government with Uganda since 1986, when President Museveni came to power, are :
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