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Departmental Grants
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the non-governmental organisations in receipt of grants from his Department in 1989-90, and the size of each grant.
Mr. Chris Patten : I have today placed the information in the Library.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will place in the Library a list of all sites of special scientific interest his Department considers to be of national importance.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No. Such a document could be produced only at disproportionate cost. SSSIs are notified by the Nature Conservancy Council on the basis that the series of sites as a whole should contain adequate representation, in the form of the best examples, of the total countrywide range of natural wildlife habitats, geological features and landforms. These may be of local, national or international significance.
Pollution
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will take steps to require disclosure of information about the nature of pollution incidents within two weeks after they occur ;
(2) if he will amend legislation on trade secrets so that waste disposal authorities are required to disclose specific information about the nature of industrial wastes ;
(3) if he will publish the results of the monitoring of chemical discharges into sewers.
Mr. Trippier : Information about releases from industrial processes coming under part I of the Environmental Protection Bill, including pollution incidents, discharges into sewers and the nature of industrial wastes, will be placed on public registers of information as a matter of course. The terms of an EC directive on public access to information which the United Kingdom played a leading role in negotiating will also require environmental information to be made available on request.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution
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will publish the identities of waste disposal authorities which fail to meet standards and local authorities which accept hazardous waste into dumps in contravention of their licences.Mr. Trippier : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is currently undertaking trial audits of a small number of waste disposal authorities. Once the results of these have been evaluated, a planned programme of audits is to be introduced and it is the inspectorate's intention that the reports of these will be published. The reports will clearly identify any perceived inadequacies by the authorities concerned.
Waste disposal authorities are currently responsible for ensuring that all operations, including those carried out by the authorities themselves, are properly controlled. There are no central records of occasions when licence conditions are breached. The Environmental Protection Bill contains provisions that records of enforcement action taken by the waste regulation authorities, which will be created by the Bill, will be contained on registers available to the public, and that the authorities must publish annual reports on their inspection and enforcement activities.
Housing
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many private and public authority homes were built in each of the past five years in the London borough of Greenwich ;
(2) how many private and public authority homes were built in each of the past five years in the constituency of Peterborough ; (3) how many (a) private and (b) public authority homes were built in each of the past five years in the constituency of Wiltshire, North.
Mr. Chope : The Department collects housebuilding statistics for local authority areas. Information is available for the London borough of Greenwich, Peterborough city council, which includes the constituency of Peterborough, and parts of two others and North Wiltshire district, which covers the same area as the constituency. Figures for dwellings completed for the years 1985 to 1987 appear in tables 1.6 and 1.8 of "Housebuilding in England by Local Authority Areas 1980 to 1988", and the latest figures for 1988 and 1989 in table 1 of "Local Housing Statistics No. 93". Copies of both publications are in the Library.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many private and public authority homes were built in each of the past five years in the constituency of Northavon.
Mr. Chope : The Department collects housebuilding statistics for local authority areas. Information is available for Northavon district council area which includes the constituencies of Northavon and part of Bristol, North-West. Figures for dwellings completed in the years 1985 to 1987 appear in tables 1.6 to 1.8 of "Housebuilding in England by Local Authority areas 1980 to 1988", and the latest figures for 1988 and 1989 are in table 1 of "Local Housing Statistics No. 93". Copies of both publications are in the Library.
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Planning Appeals
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning appeals refused by local authorities were granted by the inspector on public inquiry in 1979, 1984 and 1989 where (a) no structure or unitary development existed and (b) a structure or unitary development plan had been agreed.
Mr. Moynihan : I regret that the information requested is not available for 1979 and 1984 cases and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense for 1989 cases.
London Borough of Ealing
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has had any formal communications from the leader of the London borough of Ealing since 10 May ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : I am not aware of any formal communications from the leader of the London borough of Ealing since 10 May, but I recently met him for an informal discussion and congratulated him upon his success in the recent local government election.
Action for Cities
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the action for cities anniversary event he hosted in Cleveland on 28 February ; and what was the cost of these events on a national level.
Mr. Portillo : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Stern) on 4 April. The locally incurred cost of the action for cities anniversary event in Cleveland on 28 February was £6,200.
Water Tables
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much on average water tables have fallen since 1968 in each water authority area.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : This information is not held centrally.
Domestic Sewage
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what feasibility studies have been undertaken by his Department regarding the use of domestic sewage as a substitute for agrochemicals and peat by removing toxic elements in sewage sludge at source.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No feasibility studies have been carried out by my Department into the use of sewage sludge as a substitute for agrochemicals and peat. Some 49 per cent. of sewage sludge is applied to agricultural land in England and Wales.
Sulphur Dioxide (London)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much sulphur dioxide there is on average and at maximum levels in the air in London.
Mr. Trippier : As part of the national pollution monitoring network, SO is measured at two sites in
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London. The provisional annual mean and peak concentrations (in parts per billion) for 1989-90 are as follows :Site |Annual mean|Peak --------------------------------------------------- Cromwell Road |16.6 |185 Central London |10.7 |226
Data for peak values should be viewed in the context of international agreements protecting human health, which specify mandatory concentration limit values linked to exposure for a period of time. SO concentrations are controlled by EC directive 80/779 ; the limit values it specifies have never been breached in London since the directive came into force.
Drinking Water
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many cases during the past 12 months toxins have been found in drinking water in England and if he will analyse these to specify (a) any recognised or suspected carcinogens, (b) any recognised or suspected co-carcinogens and (c) any recognised or suspected mutagers.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Traces of many chemicals have been detected on occasion in water supplies, but their presence could not always be quantified because of their low concentrations. Medical advice has been that at these low concentrations, if any risk to health existed, it was likely to be extremely small. A sufficiently large and lengthy exposure to some of those chemicals has been shown to be toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic in appropriate test systems, but there is no evidence that water consumers have been subject to such exposure during the past 12 months.
Homelessness
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconsider his decision to withdraw funding from National Debtline, in the light of rising mortgage defaulters.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This year we have trebled the funds available under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to £2 million. Half will go to a new homelessness advice service involving CABs, SHAC and Shelter. A key aim of this service is to prevent homelessness cases from occurring through timely and accurate general advice on debt and financial planning. The remaining £1 million goes to a total of 27 bodies providing direct assistance and practical help to single homeless people and rough sleepers. I have received a number of representations on behalf of National Debtline, the Birmingham Settlement's Housing Debtline, but I will not raise hopes of further funding this year : all the funds are earmarked.
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the reasons why his Department discontinued a section 73 grant to Homes for Homeless People.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This year £2 million has been allocated to voluntary bodies concerned with homelessness--three times last year's total. Half will go to a new national homelessness advice service based on citizens'
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advice bureaux and involving Shelter and SHAC, and half to a total of 27 bodies providing direct assistance and practical help to single homeless people and rough sleepers. Priority in choosing successful applications has been given to projects which will either take single homeless people off the streets or work directly with young people, persuading them not to leave home and/or come to London.Jones Brothers Building
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the reasons for his Department's refusal of the urban development grant application submitted jointly by the John Lewis Partnership and the London borough of Islington in respect of the Jones Brothers building in Holloway road, London N7.
Mr. Moynihan : The application for urban development grant towards the refurbishment of the department store was rejected in August 1985 on the ground that the project did not offer good value for money in terms of the new jobs and other benefits likely to arise.
Uniform Business Rate
Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost of exempting from the uniform business rate any business the sole owner of which is principally resident in the same premises from which the business is conducted.
Mr. Chope : The information for which my hon. Friend asks is not available. However, the cost of exempting from non-domestic rates all composite hereditaments (that is, properties which are partly non-domestic and partly domestic) would be £910 million a year in England, without the transitional arrangements.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number of dedicated energy managers in his Department and the number of person years devoted to energy management in the latest year.
Mr. Chris Patten : My Department currently has one dedicated energy manager and three other officials who contribute to energy conservation. The total staff effort, which does not include that available from the Property Services Agency, represents an approximate total of 1.5 person years.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number of energy audits carried out in his Department in the last five years and for each audit a statement of its main conclusions.
Mr. Chris Patten : A total of eight energy audits of offices and specialised sites in London and the regions carried out by external consultants have been initiated by my Department within the past five years. The majority of recommendations have concerned good housekeeping and other no-cost/low-cost measures which have been, or are in the process of being, implemented where practicable.
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Departmental Savings
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what mechanisms exist in his Department for identifying and tracking value-for- money savings in its operations.
Mr. Chris Patten : My Department has a range of consultancy, inspection and review mechanisms designed to improve financial and management performance. These include internal audit and staff inspection, and an extensive range of targets and performance measures. In addition, it conducts efficiency scrutinies as part of a programme co-ordinated by the efficiency unit, and has a policy of market testing to achieve operational savings.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the value-for-money savings in his Department's operations identified by internal audit and internal efficiency arrangements, by external audit and by management consultants retained by his Department between 1983-84 and 1988-89 ; and what is the amount of those savings fulfilled to date.
Mr. Chris Patten : Improvements resulting from audits, inspections and reviews are taken into account in the setting of annual budgets and performance targets. My Department estimates that it has achieved efficiency savings averaging in excess of 1.5 per cent. a year since 1984- 85. The contribution of each of the review mechanisms to this overall saving is not separately recorded.
Langland Bay, Gower
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library the results of the investigations in September 1989 by the water research centre of health hazards associated with bathing in the polluted waters of Langland bay, Gower.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 22 May 1990] : The water research centre report is expected soon.
Local Authority Officers
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions there are on local authority officers making statements which may have or be construed to have a political context in their capacity as lay preachers.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 22 May 1990] : The Local Government Officers ( Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990 are intended to uphold the tradition of political neutrality among senior local government officers. They accordingly place restrictions on their public political activity. A politically restricted officer who was a lay preacher would not be in breach of the regulations if he were to make statements referring to a political party, a person identified with a political party or promoting or opposing a point of view identified with a political party provided there was no apparent intention to affect public support for a political party.
Landfill
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has considered the value of a landfill tax to provide revenue for use in the promotion of recycling as an alternative to landfilling.
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : We are considering all effective means of encouraging waste recycling.Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider the introduction of a financial incentive to waste authorities which initiate landfill mining and reclamation through recycling.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Any financial incentives to waste authorities that initiate landfill mining and reclamation through recycling would be contemplated only after an in-depth study of the concept and in the light of any incentives which may or may not be afforded following the current joint DOE/DTI proposals on recycling.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will make a study into the technology available at the present time and in the immediate future to recycle the contents of landfill sites in England and Wales.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : This subject is one of a number in connection with waste disposal and recycling currently under review by this Department's research and development group.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has made a study into the implications of landfill content in the event of the removal of (a) glass, (b) paper, (c) metals, and (d) other solids by source separation ; what new regulations his Department will be considering to counter the increased problem of methane that may result ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : This Department has not yet made a study of the implications of landfill content in the event of removal of glass, paper, metals and other solids by source separation. The removal of metals and glass would have minimal influence on the production of methane in landfill. Paper, however, degrades in landfill to produce methane and its removal would therefore diminish the overall gas potential.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will initiate a comprehensive study into the potential of landfill mining through recycling ; and what incentives his Department intends to offer the development of such schemes.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : This Department will initiate a study into the potential of landfill mining through recycling if it is considered to be a viable option by the Department's research and development group. The question of incentives would be considered subsequent to any decision made.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has made a study of the technology now available in the private sector to recycle the contents of landfill sites ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : This Department has not made a specific study of the technology available in the private sector to recycle the contents of landfill sites.
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Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in respect of lining requirements for landfill sites ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Any decisions with regard to the lining of landfill sites are for operators in pursuit of obtaining a site operation licence or for operational reasons or for the waste disposal authority in respect of the issue of a site operation licence in consultation with the National Rivers Authority.
My Department has produced guidance documents--waste management paper 26, landfilling wastes and waste management paper 27 : "The Control of Landfill Gas"--to provide assistance to site operators and licensing authorities in installing management systems and in setting licence conditions.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when officers of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution last met officials of East Sussex county council to discuss disposal of low-level radioactive waste ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Since the inception of HMIP in 1987 there have been no formal meetings between its officers and officials of East Sussex county council to discuss disposals of low-level radioactive waste.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sites in east Sussex permitted to accept low-level radioactive waste, giving the maximum permitted quantity in each case, as determined by the radiochemical inspectorate branch of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Any waste disposal site licensed by a waste disposal authority under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (COPA) may receive low-level radioactive waste where such a disposal method is authorised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP) under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Waste disposal authorities maintain registers of all disposal sites licensed under COPA in their areas.
The Department does not maintain a central record of quantities of low- level radioactive waste disposed of through local disposal routes. However, a condition of authorisation requires waste producers to keep proper and detailed records relating to their disposals. These records are subject to scrutiny by HMIP inspectors and in cases where a disposal requires special precautions to be taken, both HMIP and the local waste disposal authorities are notified by the operator of the nature and destination of individual consignments of radioactive waste due for disposal.
National Rivers Authority
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding resources for the National Rivers Authority.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 24 May 1990] : We are in discussion with the National Rivers Authority about resources and will be examining its future requirements in the context of considering the authority's first corporate plan.
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Waste Recycling
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what methods other than source separation of waste would enable his Department to achieve its target of 50 per cent. domestic waste recycling by the year 2000.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 24 May 1990] : The 50 per cent. recycling target can be achieved only by joint action by all those involved in recycling : first, by manufacturers using recycled materials and designing recyclability into their products, cutting down on the amount of unnecessary packaging and pricing recycled products competitively ; secondly, by consumers knowing about and choosing recycled products and making use of recycling facilities provided by local authorities, retailers and voluntary groups ; thirdly, by local authorities and retailers substantially increasing their commitment to providing recycling facilities so that the majority come up to the standard of the best ; and, fourthly, by the Government setting the right waste management framework through legislation so that the real costs of alternative disposal methods are apparent and the benefits of recycling accrue to those who bring it about, co-operating with efforts to inform the public about the benefits of recycling, and bringing forward other measures such as encouraging public sector purchasing of recycled materials and promoting relevant research and monitoring studies.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation giving equal status and support to authorities when looking at the options of (a) source separation and (b) mechanised separation.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 24 May 1990] : The Government do not intend at present to legislate for or against any method of domestic waste separation.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has held talks with any other organisations or authorities in relation to funding, directly or indirectly, the creation of a source separation infrastructure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 24 May 1990] : Ministers in the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment have received advice and information about domestic waste collection and sorting methods from a wide range of sources including the advisory group on recycling, interested local authorities, voluntary groups and trade associations, and have had discussions from time to time about a number of matters relating to recycling and waste management, including the possible means of funding and managing different waste separation systems.
Low-level Ozone
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to combat the rise in low-level ozone.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 24 May 1990] : Low-level ozone is produced by the action of sunlight on oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Government are acting to reduce emissions of both
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classes of compound. The main sources of NOx in the United Kingdom are motor vehicles and power stations ; the main sources of VOCs are motor vehicles, industrial processes and solvents. Tight new standards for new cars, which will come into effect by the end of 1992, will cut their emissions of both NOx and VOCs by at least 80 per cent. We are pressing the Commission for tight standards on NOx emissions from heavy diesels. We are committed by the EC large combustion plant directive to reducing NOx emissions from existing power stations and large industrial boilers by 15 per cent. by 1993 and 30 per cent. by 1998 against a 1980 baseline.NOx and VOCs travel long distances and United Kingdom ozone episodes can be exacerbated by pollutants from abroad. It is therefore essential to tackle these problems internationally. The United Kingdom is strongly supporting Commission proposals for a directive requiring monitoring of ozone levels and is actively contributing to negotiations within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe convention on long-range transboundary air pollution aimed at reducing VOC emissions from all sources.
Overhead Power Cables
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to acquaint himself with the results of studies into the possible links between overhead power lines and childhood cancers which have been carried out in Sweden and elsewhere ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 24 May 1990] : The National Radiological Protection Board is under a statutory duty to advise Government and others on possible hazards to health from ionising and non- ionising radiation. The board is currently conducting a review of epidemiological studies on an international basis (including the one carried out in Sweden) on possible effects on human health from exposure to non-ionising electro-magnetic fields. The board expects to publish its advice later this year.
SCOTLAND
Earnings
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of Highland, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles (a) average earnings, (b) median earnings, (c) average hours including overtime and (d) overtime hours.
Mr. Lang : For the area in question the average gross earnings in April 1989 of all full-time employees on adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence was £209.8 per week. To obtain the precise figure of median earnings would involve disproportionate cost, but the figure for all full-time employees in the sample on adult rates lies in the range of £170 to £180. Average total weekly hours were 40.7 of which overtime was 2.9.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of Highland, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles, the figures for female
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part-time workers (a) average gross weekly earnings, (b) average weekly hours, (c) average gross hourly earnings, (d) median gross hourly earnings, (e) lowest decile of gross hourly earnings and (f) highest decile of gross hourly earnings (i) in total and (ii) broken down by the standard industrial classifications ;(2) if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of Highland, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, the distribution of gross hourly earnings for female part-time workers, giving the percentage of female part-time workers, with hourly earnings less than (a) £3.00, (b) 3.20, (c) £3.60, (d) £4.00 and (e) £4.20 (i) in total and (ii) broken down by the standard industrial classifications.
Mr. Lang : Because of the small samples in the areas concerned, reliable information for female part-time employees is not available.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the combined regions and islands areas of Highland, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, the earnings of full-time workers on adult rates of pay broken down by (a) male manual, (b) male non-manual, (c) all males, (d) female manual, (e) female non- manual, (f) all females and (g) all workers.
Mr. Lang : The available information from the 1989 new earnings survey is as follows :
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