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Seas at Risk ;Shellfish Association of Great Britain ;
Tidy Britain Group ;
Town and Country Planning Association ;
Trades Union Congress ;
Transport 2000 ;
UK Petroleum Industry Association ;
United Kingdom Environmental Law Association ;
United Kingdom Reclamation Council ;
Volume Housebuilders Study Group ;
Water Research Centre ;
Water Services Association ;
Wildlife Link ;
Worldwide Fund for Nature.
As these contributions were not part of a formal consultation process, we do not have permission from contributors to place their submissions in the Library.
Mineral Extraction
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against licences for mineral extraction he has considered each year for which records are available.
Mr. Moynihan : The Department records appeals made under sections 36 and 37 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 involving mineral extraction. The number of such appeals decided in each year for which records are available, is as follows :
Year |Appeals
|decided
------------------------
1984 |18
<1>1985 |18
1986-87 |37
1987-88 |36
1988-89 |43
1989-90 |41
<1> After 1985, records
are available only for
financial years.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the decision was taken to include in table 3.2b of the United Kingdom radioactive waste inventory uncommitted low-level waste arisings.
Mr. Trippier : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 26 March 1990, Official Report, column 12.
Rural Disadvantage
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts of social policy expenditure have been allocated by his Department and its agencies to combat rural disadvantages.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Rural Development Commission, which is the Government's principal agency in England for carrying forward our policies on the rural economy, is developing and implementing a wide range of initiatives which deal with economic and social problems in the countryside. The Commission's expenditure on its social programmes in 1989- 90 was £4.7 million.
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District Councils (Searches for Solicitors)
Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the length of time taken by district councils (a) nationally and (b) in Staffordshire to conduct searches for solicitors.
Mr. Chope : Ministers at the Department of the Environment receive occasional representations about the length of time taken by district councils to conduct searches. No recent representation has referred specifically to a council in Staffordshire.
Local Government Salaries
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much he estimates would be added to the local government wage bill if all local government employees were paid at least two thirds of the national average wage in 1990-91.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 12 June 1990] : My hon. Friend may want an estimate of the cost of paying two thirds of the national average wage to those local authority employees earning less than this figure, or he may also want account to be taken of the consequences for those earning more than this figure, who will want to maintain differentials. However, on either basis, I regret the information is not available centrally.
Council House Sales
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the London borough of Greenwich has applied for permission to run a portable discount scheme for local authority tenants in 1990-91.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The London borough of Greenwich's bid for resources under the 1990-91 homelessness initiative originally included proposals for a portable discount scheme. This element of the bid was subsequently withdrawn by the council. There is, however, no reason why the council should not consider running a portable discount scheme without such special funding, using its own resources.
Denitrification
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the research which he has commissioned into denitrification technology ; what reports he has received ; and if he will place copies in the Library.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The Department has been involved with research into denitrification processes as follows :
(1) 1972-74, research by the Metropolitan Water Board, Middle Lee Main Drainage Department and the Water Pollution Research Laboratory into the denitrification of sewage effluent by the modified activated sludge process (part funding) ;
(2) 1973-75, research by the Water Research Centre into denitrification by ion-exchange and biological processes ; (3) 1977-79, field studies by the Anglian Water Authority of ion-exchange denitrification using fixed bed and experimental continuous loop plants (part funding) ;
(4) 1980-82, field trials by the Anglian Water Authority of fluidised bed biological denitrification plant (part funding) ; (5) 1987, review by Consultants in Environmental Science Limited of the effects of nitrate removal on water quality in
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distribution ; and collection of information on the operation of denitrification plants in Europe and the United States of America ; (6) 1988-89, studies by the Cranfield Institute of Science and Technology of the combined use of ion-exchange and biological denitrification processes (part funding) ;(7) 1988-89, project by the Cranfield Institute of Science and Technology to develop a computer model of the ion-exchange process for optimum operation ;
(8) 1990, studies by the Water Research Centre to improve the biological denitrification process.
Reports in various forms on all the projects were received, but not all are readily available.
I am arranging for copies of reports on projects (5) and (7) to be placed in the Library of the House.
New Homes
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to increase the number of homes built in 1990-91.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The Government do not attempt to forecast output of private housebuilders, who build some 85 per cent. of new houses. Output of subsidised dwellings by housing associations financed by the Housing Corporation in England is expected to rise substantially between 1989-90 and 1990-91, more than offsetting an expected decline in new housebuilding by local authorities.
Toxic Waste
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the ports that received toxic waste in each year since 1987, the quantity of such waste imported, the composition of the waste, and the country of origin and ultimate destination of the waste.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The information is available in the detail required only since the introduction of Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988. Provisional figures for imports of hazardous wastes through English ports in the year to 31 March 1990 by country of origin and destination, and by waste disposal authority, are as follows. Figures for types of waste imported are summarised, as information for individual ports is not available in a concise form.
Imports of hazardous waste 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 via ports
in England
By type of waste |Tonnes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inorganic acids |10
Alkalis |282
Toxic metal compounds |822
Non-toxic metal compounds |167
Metal oxides |1,644
Inorganic compounds |427
Other inorganic materials |10,894
Organic compounds excluding PCBs |2,080
PCBs/PCB contaminated material |2,986
Polymeric material and precursors |181
Fuels, oils and greases |410
Fine chemicals and biocides |600
Miscellaneous chemical waste |1,426
Filter materials, treatment sludge and contaminated rubbish |5,490
Interceptor wastes, tars, paint, dyes and pigments |3,499
Miscellaneous wastes |2,234
|-----
Total |33,399
Imports of hazardous waste 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 via ports
in England
By type of waste |Tonnes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inorganic acids |10
Alkalis |282
Toxic metal compounds |822
Non-toxic metal compounds |167
Metal oxides |1,644
Inorganic compounds |427
Other inorganic materials |10,894
Organic compounds excluding PCBs |2,080
PCBs/PCB contaminated material |2,986
Polymeric material and precursors |181
Fuels, oils and greases |410
Fine chemicals and biocides |600
Miscellaneous chemical waste |1,426
Filter materials, treatment sludge and contaminated rubbish |5,490
Interceptor wastes, tars, paint, dyes and pigments |3,499
Miscellaneous wastes |2,234
|-----
Total |33,399
Imports of hazardous waste 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 via ports
in England
By type of waste |Tonnes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inorganic acids |10
Alkalis |282
Toxic metal compounds |822
Non-toxic metal compounds |167
Metal oxides |1,644
Inorganic compounds |427
Other inorganic materials |10,894
Organic compounds excluding PCBs |2,080
PCBs/PCB contaminated material |2,986
Polymeric material and precursors |181
Fuels, oils and greases |410
Fine chemicals and biocides |600
Miscellaneous chemical waste |1,426
Filter materials, treatment sludge and contaminated rubbish |5,490
Interceptor wastes, tars, paint, dyes and pigments |3,499
Miscellaneous wastes |2,234
|-----
Total |33,399
HOUSE OF COMMONS
European Legislation
81. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Lord President of the Council when the revised arrangements for considering EEC legislation will be implemented ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : In the light of the House's forthcoming debate on the Procedure Committee's report on the scrutiny of European legislation and the Government's response to it, the Government will table motions to make the necessary detailed amendments to Standing Orders. The Government hope that the new arrangements will operate from the start of the next Session.
Natural History Museum
84. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make space available in the Palace of Westminster for an exhibition of the palaeontological, palaeo-botany and diatom work of the natural history museum.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : The Upper Waiting Hall is available for Members wishing to arrange for an exhibition to be held there. The procedures agreed by the Services Committee are set out in the leaflet "Exhibitions in the Upper Waiting Hall" and I am arranging for a copy to be sent the hon. Member.
Oral Questions
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward a motion to approve the recommendations of the Select Committee on Procedure's first report of Session 1989-90 on oral questions.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I hope to do so shortly so that, if the House agrees, the recommendations can take effect from the start of the next Session.
Energy Costs
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to the answers of 30 April, Official Report, column 406 and 10 May, Official Report, column 199, about energy consumption, what is the square footage of office space to which these figures relate.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : The Privy Council Office covers 15,372 sq ft. This area includes office and storage space, and courtroom of the Judicial Committee.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Lord President of the Council how much was invested in improving the energy efficiency of the Privy Council Office in the latest available year.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : No specific part of the Privy Council Office vote is dedicated to improving energy efficiency, but staff are encouraged to be economical in their use of energy resources.
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Child Care Facilities
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, West, 24 May, Official Report, column 297, if he will make it his policy to ensure that (a) the staff unions and (b) the staff creche committee are consulted about the design and operation of the feasibility study of the provision of child care facilities in the House.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : Extensive consultations over the past few years in relation to the provision of child care facilities have clearly identified the nature of provision desired by both groups to which the hon. Member refers. They will, however, be given the opportunity to update their observations once the feasibility study has been completed.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Official Duties
75. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many official visits he has made as Chancellor of the Duchy since last replying to questions in the House.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Marginal Tax Rates
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the marginal tax rate incurred by a combination of income tax, national insurance, housing
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benefit rent withdrawal taper, and the community charge benefit withdrawal taper in 1990 ; and what is the contribution of each of these to the total.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The marginal tax-benefit withdrawal rate on additional gross income for someone paying standard rate income tax, and national insurance contributions, and receiving both a rent rebate and community charge benefit is 86.8 per cent., from April 1990, where the earner is not contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme ; and 86.4 per cent. where the earner is contracted out. These overall withdrawal rates break down as follows :
Percentage of additional gross income
|Per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Contracted In
Income tax |25
National insurance |9
Reduced entitlement to income related benefits
Rent rebate taper |42.9
Community charge benefit taper |9.9
Contracted Out
Income tax |25
National insurance |7
Reduced entitlement to income related benefits
Rent rebate taper |44.2
Community charge benefit taper |10.2
Note: Rent rebate and community charge benefit entitlement is
calculated on the basis of net income, after deduction of tax and
national insurance contributions. The withdrawal tapers applied to
additional net income are 65 per cent. for rent rebate and 15 per
cent. for community charge benefit.
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War Widows
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will supplement the pensions of war widows whose husbands, while holding United Kingdom citizenship, were killed in the service of a Commonwealth country, whose pensions they now receive, to bring them up to the level of war widows whose husbands were killed while serving in the United Kingdom armed forces ; (2) if he will supplement the pensions of war widows whose husbands, while holding United Kingdom citizenship, were killed in the service of a Commonwealth country during either of the world wars and whose pensions they now receive, to bring them up to the level of war widows whose husbands were killed while serving in the United Kingdom armed forces.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The pensions paid to war widows by other countries are matters for those countries. There is no provision under the war pensions scheme to pay pensions to widows of men who died as a result of service in the armed forces of another country.
Deaf People
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research his Department has carried out into the additional costs that deaf people face.
Mr. Scott : The Government commissioned the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to carry out major surveys of disability in Great Britain between 1985 and 1988. The reports include information about the additional costs incurred by people with a range of disabilities, including hearing. The six OPCS reports of the surveys' findings are in the Library. A follow-up study to the family expenditure survey has been carried out to compare the actual spending of disabled and non-disabled people, and the results of that study will be published shortly.
Residential Homes
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer of 23 April, Official Report, column 36, on residential homes, if he will make available such information as is available to him on this subject.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The average total number of income support recipients in residential care homes and nursing homes whose recorded fees were below the appropriate income support limit for the period November 1988 to August 1989 was 22,000 rounded to the nearest thousand. This represents just over one eighth of the average total claimants in such homes in that period.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims for income support were received during the last financial year from residents of care homes which had been transferred from local authority to independent management or ownership ;
(2) what guidance has been issued by his Department as to the eligibility for income support of residents in care homes managed by charitable trusts set up by local authorities.
Mr. Scott : Eligibility for income support is defined by regulations, which provide that benefit is available in
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respect of fees, up to certain limits, to residents of registered residential care homes and certain other types of homes. Independent adjudication officers are provided with guidance on the interpretation of the regulations by the chief adjudication officer in the adjudication officers' guide, but no specific guidance has been given on this point. Information on numbers of people living in transferred homes who have claimed income support is not available centrally.Attendance and Mobility Allowances
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many doctors are employed by his Department for the purpose of assessing attendance allowance and mobility allowance claims in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole ; on what basis they are employed ; what salaries or fees they receive ; and whether such payments are related to the number of claimants they examine.
Mr. Scott : The numbers of doctors who carry out examinations of claimants to attendance and mobility allowances in the areas mentioned are : (a) Inverclyde--30, (b) Strathclyde--428, (c) Scotland--982. The work is of a casual nature, the available cases being allocated among the doctors who are available and have been trained in the work. Payment is from a scale of fees agreed between the Treasury and the medical profession's representatives. A fee is paid for each case completed, individual case fees depending on the time taken to deal with that case.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average and what is the longest delay in hearing of appeals against refusals of mobility allowances, during each of the last five six-month periods for which records are available.
Mr. Scott : Appeals against refusal of mobility allowance can be made to a social security appeal tribunal if the decision was not on medical grounds and to a medical appeal tribunal on medical questions. Information about these appeals is not available in the form requested. The national average clearance times, during the last 10 quarters, for appeals on mobility allowance to social security appeal tribunals, from date of lodgment to hearing, were as follows :
Quarter ending |Weeks ------------------------------------------------ 30 June 1987 |19.1 30 September 1987 |20.6 31 December 1987 |20.1 31 March 1988 |23.3 30 June 1988 |20.1 30 September 1988 |20.5 31 December 1988 |20.8 31 March 1989 |21.8 30 June 1989 |18.8 30 September 1989 |17.6
The Department has recently began compiling information on the clearance times for appeals to medical appeal tribunals, but this has not been running long enough to provide representative figures. Information about the time taken to have a hearing on an appeal to a medical board is not kept.
Information about the longest delay in hearing any of these types of appeal can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Local Government Finance
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole are entitled to poll tax rebate based on claims for refund of rebate received from Strathclyde regional council and other regional and island councils ; and what percentage of poll tax payers this represents in (a), (b) and (c) above.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The caseload returns made by regional councils do not provide information separately for parliamentary constituencies and district councils. The latest available caseload information for Strathclyde regional council shows that at the end of February 1990 about 490,000 community charge rebate cases were in payment-- (counting rebates to couples as one case). The latest 1989-90 caseload estimate for Scotland is 930,000. The total number of individual charge payers receiving help with the community charge is not collected. It is not, therefore, possible to show the proportion of individual charge payers helped by benefit.
Office Relocation
Sir George Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on progress on the relocation work from local offices to Glasgow.
Mr. Newton : I am pleased to announce that relocation of all backroom work from the first cluster of four London offices--Ealing, Southall, Acton and Notting Hill--to the social security centre was completed on schedule on 18 June 1990.
My Department recently undertook an evaluation study to establish whether the initiative had resulted in an improved service to our London customers. The results were most encouraging. Claims are being processed much more accurately. The error rate has fallen significantly from 29 to 9 per cent. Work is also being dealt with faster. The average time taken to clear a claim has been reduced by 50 per cent., from 11 days to five days. Caller waiting times have also been reduced, and a sampling exercise revealed that, already, between a third and half of customers have noticed an improvement in the quality of service provided. It is also encouraging that these improvements have been made against a background of greater efficiency : the cost of processing a unit of benefit has reduced by half, from £12 to £6. I am arranging to place a copy of the evaluation study in the Library.
Invalidity Pension
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he has received on the question of members who serve on local authorities and are in receipt of invalidity pension having the invalidity pension disregarded when assessing the payment of allowances etc. for serving on their local council ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he has considered disregarding the payment of invalidity pension for those members who serve on local authorities and are disabled, when assessing payment of allowances to councillors ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he has discussed with local authority organisations the question of the disregard of invalidity pension for members of local authorities who are in receipt of invalidity benefit when receiving allowances for local government duties ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The question of entitlement to local authority allowances is the prerogative of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and is a matter over which we have no jurisdiction. I understand, however, that invalidity benefit has no bearing on the amount of local authority allowances payable. Entitlement to invalidity benefit is dependent upon a person being incapable of work and is not, therefore, normally payable where any work is performed. However, following discussions with hon. Members and councillors' representatives special arrangements were introduced for councillors. These provide that councillors can receive invalidity benefit in full in addition to any local authority allowances to which they are entitled up to the level of the therapeutic earnings limit--currently £35 per week. Where local authority allowances for any week exceed this limit, invalidity benefit is reduced only by the excess. These arrangements have operated since May 1987 and continue unchanged.
Social Fund
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of income support claimants are living below the appropriate scale rate of benefit because they are repaying social fund, or benefit overpayments, or fuel arrears (a) nationally, (b) regionally and (c) in each local Department of Social Security office area.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of successful social fund applicants are in paid employment (a) nationally, (b) regionally and (c) in each local Department of Social Security office area.
Mr. Scott : I regret that the information requested is not collected.
Letters (Cornwall)
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne may expect a reply to his letter of 7 April, on behalf of Mr. T. G. Harry, of 20 Barripper road, Camborne, Cornwall.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I replied to my hon. Friend on 22 May.
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne may expect a reply to his letter of 7 April on behalf of Mr. P. McKenna, of 8 Greenfield terrace, Portreath, Redruth, Cornwall, reference POS (3) 2223/240 ; (2) when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne may expect a reply to his letter of 28 February on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Thomas of 19 Castle View Park, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I replied to my hon. Friend on 20 June.
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Retirement Pensions
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether there are any plans to harmonise retirement pensions in the European Community.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no plans to harmonise retirement pensions in the European Community.
Debt Recovery
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 11 June, Official Report, column 53, whether his Department makes any distinction in its treatment of debt collection between moneys owed by (a) current social security beneficiaries and (b) former social security beneficiaries, liable relatives and national insurance contributors.
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