House of Commons Hansard Debates for 27 Jun 1990

85. Sir George Young : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet the Controller of the Audit Commission to dicuss the potential for efficiency savings in local government.

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Mr. Portillo : I met the Controller on 18 June.

Audit Commission figures released on 13 June 1990 showed that at March 1990 auditors had identified recurrent value improvement opportunities totalling £1,328 million a year, of which £662 million had already been implemented.

It is the duty of the auditor of each local authority to be satisfied by examining the accounts and otherwise, that the authority has made proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources.

78. Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to meet local authority leaders to discuss the potential for efficiency savings in local government.

Mr. Portillo : This year, as in the past, meetings will be held with leaders of the local authority associations to discuss the revenue support grant settlement. The potential for efficiency savings in local government will be among the subjects under consideration.

World Indoor Games

42. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to meet representatives of Sheffield city council to discuss funding for the world indoor games.

Mr. Moynihan : My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so at this date.

Eutrophication

43. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to tackle the problem of eutrophication in British waters.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Eutrophication is a problem in only a few British waters. It is tackled on a case-by-case basis which takes into account local conditions. The National Rivers Authority has the responsibility for setting the standards of effluents discharged into those waters. The most common method of control is the removal of phosphates at sewage treatment works. Other measures being taken which will reduce inputs of nutrients to our coastal waters are listed in the United Kingdom North sea action plan. The decision to ban dumping of sewage sludge at sea, and to treat all substantial sewage discharges to sea will further reduce nutrient inputs by between 10 per cent. and 20 per cent.

Forests

44. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to establish new community forests.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Government have authorised three such forests--at Tyne and Wear, south Staffordshire and east London--as pilots for this joint initiative by the Countryside and Forestry Commissions. In due course we shall consider their proposals relating to nine other candidate sites : north Bristol, Cardiff, Cleveland, Hull, west Manchester, east Merseyside, Neath-Port Talbot, Southampton-Portsmouth and South Yorkshire. However no decisions on extension of the programme have yet been made.

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Water Charges

45. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received concerning the working of the water infrastructure charge ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend has received numerous representations about the new system of water and sewerage infrastructure charges. The detailed application of the charges is for individual water and sewerage companies, within the terms of their instruments of appointment. The Government believe that the new system provides a much fairer way of funding the provision of infrastructure capacity for new developments then the previous system whereby new customers were subsidised by existing ones.

Air Pollution, London

46. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on ozone levels in central London.

Mr. Trippier : The United Kingdom ozone monitoring network includes a site in central London. Between January and June 1990, ozone levels measured at this site averaged 11 parts per billion (ppb). Over the same period, an hourly average of 75 ppb was exceeded on seven occasions, The World Health Organisation hourly guideline value is 75 to 100 ppb.

The Department has produced a "Layman's Guide to Low Level Ozone", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Integrated Pollution Control

47. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he hopes to see the practice of integrated pollution control, which is being pioneered in Britain, spread throughout Europe.

Mr. Trippier : I do indeed. Although the EC recognised the benefits of an integrated system of pollution control in the fourth action programme, Britain has gone further than any country in Europe to put such a system into practice on a national basis. Given the scope for pollution reduction offered by an integrated system of control, I hope that other member states and European Governments will follow our lead.

South Africa (Sport)

49. Mr. John Carlisle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is considering any change in policy by Her Majesty's Government towards sporting links with South Africa.

Mr. Moynihan : The Government consider that it would be premature to do so. Therefore, we remain fully committed to the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport, the Gleneagles agreement.

Empty Properties

51. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to take powers to require owners to utilise empty private properties.

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Mr. Michael Spicer : No. It is in owners' interest to make such properties available for renting, rather than keeping them empty, thanks to the changes to private renting legislation we made in the Housing Act 1988.

Stationery

52. Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of his Department's notepaper is produced from mill off-cuts.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : All the letterhead paper and ministerial notepaper used in the Department of the Environment is produced from mill off-cuts.

Housing Action Trusts

53. Mr. Sedgemore : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing action trusts have been established under the provisions of the Housing Act 1988.

Mr. Chope : None.

Housing Corporation

54. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation to discuss housing development.

97. Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation to discuss housing development.

Mr. Chope : My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning meets the Chairman of the Housing Corporation from time to time to discuss housing development and other matters.

58. Mr. Bell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about funding for the Housing Corporation.

119. Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the funding for the Housing Corporation for 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991- 92 and 1992-93.

Mr. Chope : The Housing Corporation's gross capital expenditure in 1989-90 was £935 million, and is planned to increase to £1,100 million in 1990-91, £1,563 million in 1991-92 and £1,736 million in 1992-93.

Housing Waiting Lists

55. Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures for the local authority housing waiting lists.

Mr. Chope : The latest information available to the Department is for the number of households on housing waiting lists at April 1989, as reported by local authorities in their 1989 housing investment programme (HIP1) returns ; the figures appear in column B51 of "HIP1 All Items Print (1989)", a copy of which is in the Library.

Council House Building

56. Mr. Carr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new council properties for rent he expects to be completed during 1990 and 1991.

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Mr. Chope : In the first four months of 1990, 4,300 new council dwellings are provisionally estimated to have been completed. The Government do not forecast council housing output. Housing associations are becoming the main providers of new subsidised housing for rent.

Land Use

57. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is continuing to monitor the use of derelict or under- used land, once in public ownership, now transferred to private ownership under the privatisation programme ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : No. The efficient use of their assets is a matter for the companies concerned.

Recycling

59. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to introduce recycling credits for waste collection authorities.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Government intend to place a duty on waste disposal authorities to pay recycling credits to waste collection authorities in respect of waste diverted from disposal facilities by recycling. If Parliament approves this proposal, comprehensive guidelines will be published to advise authorities on how the system should operate.

114. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has received from local authorities regarding the idea of recycling credits for waste collection authorities.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : We have received 136 written responses from local authorities and oral comments from 10 others. Most were in favour of the proposals.

83. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to promote the recycling of office grade paper.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : It is important to establish a reliable chain of collection and processing facilities. I was pleased to support the Friends of the Earth paper round project at its launch on 25 June ; this project is receiving grant aid from my Department through UK 2000 to help to set itself up. The paper-making industry is expanding its manufacturing capacity and the Government are also giving a lead in specifying recycled paper wherever possible : my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, announced last week that the Department is prepared to pay a reasonable premium for recycled paper in order to encourage industry to increase volume production of such paper.

Planning

60. Mr. Michael Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has held with the Council for the Protection of Rural England on planning issues in rural areas ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning met the Council for the Protection of Rural England last month, following a meeting that my

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right hon. Friend had with it last October. The CPRE commented earlier this year on my Department's draft planning policy guidance note on "The Countryside and the Rural Economy", and recently sent my right hon. Friend a copy of its report on planning controls over agricultural dwellings. We are studying its comments along with others received.

120. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects to publish the results of the consultations of outside opinion on proposals for prior to demolition planning applications in respect of dwelling houses ;

(2) when he expects to publish the results of the consultations on proposals for pre-demolition planning applications in respect of dwelling houses, prior to site redevelopment.

Mr. Michael Spicer : Responses to the Department's consultation paper "Planning Permission : Demolition of Houses" were invited by 25 June. Over 90 responses have been received so far. They are being analysed, but I cannot yet say when I shall be able to announce the Government's conclusions.

99. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce new planning legislation.

Mr. Michael Spicer : I propose to introduce legislation when the parliamentary timetable permits.

87. Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to review the planning procedures for rural areas ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : My Department is finalising the planning policy guidance note on "The Countryside and the Rural Economy" in the light of the many comments received on the consultation draft, and continues to keep the operation of the planning system under review.

68. Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent submissions he has received regarding future planning strategy for south-east England.

Mr. Michael Spicer : I continue to receive many submissions which touch upon future planning strategy for south-east England. I hope later this year to receive advice on the subject from the London and south-east regional planning conference, "SERPLAN".

Eastern Europe (Pollution)

61. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking in assisting eastern European countries to tackle environmental pollution.

Mr. Trippier : In a meeting of EC and eastern European Environment Ministers in Dublin on 16 June, at which I represented the United Kingdom, I made clear the United Kingdom's determination to play a full part in tackling the appalling environmental problems of eastern Europe. We are already active in the multilateral PHARE--Poland and Hungary Assistance for Economic Restructuring--programme co-ordinated by the European Commission. This has earmarked £216 million for restructuring the economies of Poland and Hungary, more than a sixth of it

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for the environment, and we have provided key experts for fact-finding missions. I am hopeful that a significant proportion of the £144 million allocated to extending the programme to other eastern European democracies will stimulate environmentally sound projects and investments.

In addition, my Department is working closely with the United Kingdom know- how fund. We have sent a local government mission to Poland and discussed co-operative action with the British water industry. We have invited representatives of industry, environmental groups, universities and the media to a seminar next month on all aspects of environmental help. I have also invited the Polish and Czech Environment Ministers to this country in the autumn after which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I hope to visit east Europe to see for ourselves what needs to be done.

Derelict Land

63. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to assist those local authorities which face the problem of increasing dereliction.

Mr. Moynihan : The Department maintains a vigorous programme of derelict land reclamation through the derelict land grant programme. We have provided £71.5 million for this purpose in 1990-91, and I anticipate that about 1,300 hectares of derelict land will be reclaimed. Delelict land is also reclaimed by the urban development corporations and through the operation of city grant, and the urban programme.

My Department's survey of derelict land in England in 1988 showed that the overall level of dereliction had in fact decreased by some 5,000 hectares since the last survey in 1982, although there are areas where the amount has increased. My Department will continue to target assistance at the worst areas of dereliction.

The measures for dealing with dereliction were reviewed last year, and we are currently considering responses to the consultation document, "A Review of Derelict Land Policy". We will be announcing policy changes later this year which will ensure that these measures continue to assist local authorities to tackle the reclamation of derelict land effectively.

Mr. Andrew Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much derelict land in public ownership has been entered on the register of derelict land for each of the last five years for which records exist.

Mr. Moynihan : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt) as Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities on 21 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin), [ Official Report, Volume 169, column 669 ].

75. Mr. Donald Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the rate at which land in public ownership currently on the register of derelict land is being disposed of.

92. Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the speed of disposals of land from the register of derelict land.

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Mr. Andrew Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the register of derelict land.

Mr. Moynihan : As I stated to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 26 April, we are currently considering whether further measures might be appropriate to reduce the amount of public sector vacant land.

73. Mr. Andrew Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much vacant land in public ownership is entered on the register of derelict land ; and what was the acreage in each category of (a) the public sector, (b) statutory undertakers and (c) nationalised industries.

Mr. Moynihan : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 21 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind), Official Report, Vol. 169, column 668-69.

70. Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the register of derelict land ; and what steps he is taking to reduce it.

Mr. Moynihan : I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) earlier today and to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 26 April.

River Pollution

65. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in cleaning up the rivers of the United Kingdom ; and what standard has been achieved against the European Community average.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : There has been an overall improvement in the quality of rivers since the first national survey carried out in 1958. The most recent river quality surveys, carried out in 1985 throughout the United Kingdom, showed that 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's rivers were of good or fair quality. A review of river classification schemes across the European Community published in 1988 by the water research centre showed that the average figure in the EC for rivers of comparable quality was 75 per cent. ; the review also indicated that no other member state bettered the United Kingdom's position.

74. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of United Kingdom rivers are of good or fair quality ; and what information he has on the situation in the rest of Europe.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The river quality surveys carried out in 1985 throughout the United Kingdom showed that 95 per cent. of the United Kingdom's rivers were of good or fair quality. A review of river classifiction schemes across the European Community published in 1988 by the water research centre showed that the average figure in the EC for rivers of comparable quality was 75 per cent. ; the review also indicated that no other member state bettered the United Kingdom's position.

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Building Regulations

66. Mr. Madel : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is planning any alterations to the building regulations between the present time and 31 December ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Spicer : A review of the Building Regulations 1985 is currently being undertaken. A number of consultation proposals has been issued, but alterations arising from these proposals are not likely to be made before the first half of 1991.

Housing Finance

71. Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals under consideration for the reform of housing finance.

Mr. Chope : A major reform of housing finance was given effect by the Housing Act 1988 and the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and is now being implemented.

Agricultural Land

72. Mr. Hannam : to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many acres currently in agricultural use are estimated as being needed to satisfy the housing requirements in the south and south-west of England in the next 10 years.

Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter) on 21 March, Official Report, column 668.

Homelessness

76. Mr. Roy Hughes : to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest available figure for homelessness ; and what was the figure in 1979.

Mr. Michael Spicer : In the 12 months to March 1990 English local authorities accepted responsibility for securing accommodation for 132,890 households under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Acts ; in 1979 the figure was 57,200. However, because of a change in the reporting system between 1980 and 1982, the figure for 1979 is not strictly comparable with those for later years.

116. Mr. Cox : to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the organisations which will deal with homelessness in London that he has met during the last three months.

Mr. Michael Spicer : I have met the following voluntary organisations dealing with homelessness in London during the last three months : West End Co-ordinated Voluntary Services ; Look Ahead Housing Association ; St. Mungo's Housing Trust ; the Salvation Army ; Shelter ; the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children the Shelter Housing Aid Centre ; CHAR ; Centrepoint (Soho) ; and Thames Reach.

111. Mr. Buckley : to ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the number of families becoming homeless through mortgage repossession.

Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member tothe answer I gave on 21 June 1990 to the hon. Memberfor Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), Official Report, at column 642.

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104. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures for the number of homeless households in England and Wales.

Mr. Michael Spicer : The latest estimates of households accepted as homeless in England appear in table 1(a) of "Local authorities' action under the homeless provisions of the 1985 Housing Act : England. Results for the first quarter 1990. Supplementary Tables", which is in the Library.

For information about Wales I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

European Football Competitions

79. Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he had in Italy regarding the admission of English football teams into European competitions next season.

Mr. Moynihan : I made it clear to the president of the Italian Football Association, who is vice-president of UEFA, during my visit to Italy last month that it would be unwise of the Government to take a view or for UEFA to reach a decision on the return of English clubs to European competitions until we were able to assess the behaviour of English supporters both in the 1989-90 domestic season and at the World Cup finals.

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