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Waltham Forest DHA
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Waltham Forest district health authority first expressed an interest in being considered in the next round of opt-outs ; what type of opt-out has been suggested ; whether the proposal contains any timetable for public consultation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No units will "opt out" of the national health service : NHS trusts will remain firmly within the NHS. An expression of interest in NHS trust status has been received from Waltham Forest health authority. The proposed trust would provide the acute and community services currently covered by the district. Public consultation will be undertaken by the regional health authority if or when a unit makes a formal application for trust status.
Beds
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each district health authority, regional health authority and for England as a wholethe number of (a) acute beds and (b) non-acute beds on 31 March.
Mr. Dorrell : A booklet (Summary of bed availability
England--1989-90) containing the information requested is shortly to be published. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.
Student Nurses
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the starting salary of a student nurse under existing conditions and a student nurse on the project 2000 scheme.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The starting pay for a salaried student nurse outside London is currently £5,695 increasing by yearly increments to £6,630 in the third year of training. These rates will increase on 1 January 1991 to £5,800 and £6,750 respectively. Figures for student nurses in London are currently £7,279 rising to £8,261. From 1 January 1991, these rates increase to £7,384 and £8,381. Project 2000 students receive the following levels of bursary, which are not subject to income tax and national insurance deductions ;
|£
-----------------------------------------
Under 26 at start of course:
London |4,700
Elsewhere |4,000
Over 26 at start of course:
London |5,200
Elsewhere |4,500
In addition to the above personal levels of bursary there are additions for dependants. These are means tested on the basis of Department of Education and Science mandatory grant rules.
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Air Ambulance Services
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the funding of air ambulance services.
Mr. Dorrell : It is for health authorities to determine whether local circumstances justify operating an air ambulance service and, if so, to fund the services from their own resources.
Nurses (Grading)
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list for each district health authority the cost to district health authorities of successful appeals by nurses against their clinical grading ;
(2) if he will list for each district health authority the total number of appeals at district health authority level by nurses against their clinical grading which have been (a) upheld and (b) rejected ;
(3) if he will list in each district health authority (a) the total number of appeals lodged by nurses against their clinical grading and (b) the number of appeals which are still outstanding ;
(4) if he will list in each regional health authority (a) the total number of appeals lodged by nurses against their clinical grading and (b) the number of appeals which are still outstanding.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each regional health authority the total number of appeals at regional health authority level by nurses against their clinical grading which have been (a) upheld and (b) rejected ;
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information requested is given in the table.
Decision
Regions |Allowed |Disallowed|Failure to
|agree
--------------------------------------------------------------
England
Northern |7 |4 |27
Yorkshire |8 |6 |11
Trent |1 |- |1
East Anglian |- |- |-
North West Thames |9 |- |17
North East Thames |8 |3 |48
South East Thames |13 |- |30
South West Thames |6 |- |14
Wessex |- |- |2
Oxford |7 |1 |121
South Western |31 |11 |50
West Midlands |8 |1 |10
Mersey |1 |- |2
North Western |14 |1 |23
|--- |--- |---
Total |113 |27 |356
The Gulf (Casualties)
Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of beds in national health service hospitals which are being prepared in anticipation of casualties which could arise from hostilities in the Gulf ; and what proposals he has to fund such eventualities.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In consultation with the relevant Government Departments, health authorities have reviewed their existing contingency plans for national health service treatment of military casualties in the event of war. Should it become necessary, beds would be made available through restrictions on non-urgent admissions. Contingency planning will be taken forward as necessary. The funding position can be reviewed if the need arises.
HIV
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from organisations and individuals in respect of an out of court settlement for people who have contracted HIV through national health service infected blood or blood products.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 12 November 1990] : Since the beginning of August 1990, 106 such representations have been received.
ENVIRONMENT
Competitive Tendering
Mr. Knowles : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association concerning compliance by the Nottinghamshire county council direct labour unit with the procedures and competition regulations laid down by the Local Government, Planning and Land Act ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : It is our policy not to reveal the identity of originators of complaints about failures by local authorities to comply with the requirements of part III of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980. My Department is, however, pursuing a number of matters with Nottinghamshire county council.
Minerals Extraction
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average length of time taken to deal with planning appeals relating to (a) minerals extraction other than opencast coal mining and (b) opencast coal.
Mr. Atkins : The latest information available is for the financial year 1989-90 and is as follows :
|Median time
|from start
|Number of |to decision
Case type |cases decided|(weeks)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
open cast coal |49 |37
(b) Open-cast coal appeals |9 |40
Property Services Agency
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received alleging loss of benefits and rights to civil servants from the planned transfer of the Property Services Agency to a wholly-owned Government company ; if he will list the benefits and rights referred to and Her Majesty's
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Government's response in respect of each benefit or right ; what plans Her Majesty's Government has to extend the transfer proposal to other areas of work currently in the civil service sector ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : A variety of representations and requests for clarification have been received. No decision has yet been taken on whether the Property Services Agency should trade for a period as a wholly owned Government company or companies prior to sale. Employees' terms and conditions of employment would be protected by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. Separate discussions are taking place on the new pension scheme that would be required to replace the principal civil service pension scheme ; this will be broadly comparable with the existing scheme and staff will not be disadvantaged by any changes. Redundancy entitlements which are currently within the principal civil service pension scheme will be transferred as far as possible identically. I have no plans to include other areas of work in the privatisation of the Property Services Agency.
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Protected Species
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which protected species in the United Kingdom may be taken under licence ; and if he will produce a table showing for the last three years the number of licences issued to take otherwise protected bird species and the number of birds, by species, taken under such licences.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, licences may be issued, for certain purposes, to take any of the species to which the Act affords protection. Similar provisions apply under legislation in force in Northern Ireland.
The number of licences issued to take wild birds in the last two years, apart from those issued by the Nature Conservancy Council for scientific purposes, is shown in the table, with the numbers of birds taken.
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1988 1989 1990
|Licences|Birds |Licences|Birds |Licences|Birds
| issued|taken | issued|taken | issued|taken
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Buzzard |33 |27 |3 |1 |1 |1
Peregrine |10 |12 |5 |6 |3 |3
Sparrowhawk |49 |46 |2 |3 |- |-
Crossbill |1 |3 |- |- |- |-
Snow Bunting |1 |8 |- |- |- |-
Travellers
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy with regard to local authorities with designated status which make no provision for protection for traveller mothers.
Mr. Key : The Secretary of State expects those authorities which are designated under the Caravan Sites Act 1968 to use their powers humanely, and with compassion ; and he expects authorities with a shortfall of authorised gipsy sites to head Government advice that they should not needlessly move gipsies from place to place.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has for ensuring that there is adequate site provision in London to meet the needs of the increasing population of gipsies and travellers.
Mr. Key : The Caravan Sites Act 1968 placed a duty on London borough councils, as well as County and metropolitan district councils, to provide adequate sites for gipsies residing in or resorting to their areas. The Secretary of State is keen for all authorities to fulfil their duty under the 1968 Act as speedily as possible. The Government provide 100 per cent. grant aid towards the reasonable capital costs of site construction.
Disabled People (Housing)
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what housing provision for disabled people, as a percentage of the disabled population under 59 years, was made by each local authority at the latest date for which figures are available ; and what steps he is taking to increase housing provision in the public sector for people with disabilities.
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Mr. Michael Spicer : The number of dwellings for disabled people at April 1989, as reported by local authorities in their 1989 housing investment programme (HIP1) returns, appears in columns A2C1 and A2D1 of "HIP1 All Items Print (1989)", a copy of which is in the Library. The information for April 1990 is not yet available. The Department has no information in a readily accessible form on the number of disabled people under 59 years of age.
Disabled people may obtain assistance for house adaptations under the new house renovation grants system introduced in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, and this should help to increase the amount of housing suitable for people with disabilities.
Water Resources
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the report on actual and prospective water resources in all regions of England, assessed against demand, which the National Rivers Authority has commissioned under section 143 of the Water Act.
Mr. Trippier : The National Rivers Authority expects to publish a preliminary report early next year.
National Rivers Authority
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what circumstances planning authorities consult the National Rivers Authority before giving their approval to planning applications.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Article 18 of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988, as amended, sets out the categories of development about
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which local planning authorities are required to consult the National Rivers Authority before granting planning permission. The Department advises local planning authorities also to consult the NRA where development is proposed on a flood plain or wash land, on in an area which the NRA has indicated might be subject to drainage problems or be susceptible to inundation by the sea or to tidal flooding. Advice on development in flood risk areas is in DOE circular 17/82. It is important that local planning authorities take proper account of the NRA's recommendations. I am inviting the NRA to consider whether there is any need for updating of the current guidance in the light of developments since 1982.Nature Conservancy Council Wardens
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made in the discussions on the outcome of the 1985 study of hours worked by Nature Conservancy Council wardens ; and whether it is intended that those will be resolved before re-organisation.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Conditions of employment for the Nature Conservancy Council's wardens are a staff management issue for the council to consider in the first instance. Any major and long-term changes will need the agreement of the council's successor bodies, which are already in existence.
County Hall, London
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial consequences for London's local authorities will result from the failure of the London residuary body to sell county hall before 31 October ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : The prospective purchaser did not complete the contract of sale. The London residuary body notified London boroughs on 25 October that there would be no general distribution of Greater London capital receipts this year. Since 1986-87 London boroughs have had the benefit of £486 million capital receipts distributed by the LRB from the sale of surplus ex-GLC property.
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total estimated cost to the London residuary body of proceeding, from 1 October, with the planning application for the change of use for county hall initially submitted jointly by itself and the County Hall Development Group ; and how these costs will be met.
Mr. Key : A figure is not available because of the uncertainties attached to the future progress of the planning and associated applications. Such costs as are incurred are being met in the first instance from the London residuary body's own resources.
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the London residuary body has estimated the demand for the meeting facilities at county hall and the income which could be derived from making them immediately available to potential users.
Mr. Key : No. The LRB's objective is to dispose of county hall.
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the feasibility study into the possible
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future uses of county hall, promised by the then Minister on 12 February 1985, Standing Committee G, column 1270, will be presented to Parliament.Mr. Key : I will place in the Library a copy of the report which the London residuary body commissioned from Richard Ellis in February 1986 about the possible uses, marketing and disposal of county hall when the LRB decides to publish it. The report contains information that is commercially confidential.
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total estimated cost per month to the London residuary body from 1 October of maintaining county hall ; and how these costs will be met.
Mr. Key : The costs are a matter for the London residuary body. They will be financed from the residuary body's revenue balances.
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any damage has been done to the fabric of county hall during the preparation for its transfer to new owners with vacant possession prior to 1 October.
Mr. Key : I am not aware of any damage to county hall.
Planning and Compensation Bill
Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which provisions of the Planning and Compensation Bill are to be treated as having effect from the date of the Bill's publication.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Clauses 47 and 49 (home loss payments) are to have effect in relation to displacements occurring on or after today, 16 November 1990. However, no sum will be payable by virtue of these clauses until one month after they come into force (which under clause 55 will be on a date to be appointed by order after the Bill receives Royal Assent).
Clauses 25(2) and 42(2) provide for the repeal of section 114 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and section 158 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 (compensation for planning decisions restricting development other than new development). Clauses 25(5) and 42(5) provide that these repeals shall have effect, or be treated as having effect, where the application for planning permission was made on or after today, 16 November 1990.
Clauses 25(3) and 42(3) provide for the repeal of section 27 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and section 160 the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 (compensation for refusal of consent to alteration, etc. of listed building). Under clauses 25(6) and 42(5) these repeals shall have effect, or be treated as having effect where the application for listed building consent was made on or after today, 16 November 1990.
Schedule 5 provides, inter alia, for consequential amendments of section 15 of the Land Compensation Act 1961, section 5 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 and section 107(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to have effect as specified from today.
Planning Procedures
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions he has reached in the light of his consultation on proposed changes to the procedures for designating simplified planning zones.
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Mr. Michael Spicer : About 50 responses were received to the consultation paper published on 31 August. I shall arrange for copies of the responses to be made available in the library of the Department.Our proposals for changes to the requirements for public consultation at the pre-deposit stage, and to adoption procedures, were generally welcomed. Suggestions as to the desirable scope of consultations on draft SPZ schemes will be taken into account when new guidance to planning authorities is prepared.
Some respondents expressed misgivings about the proposal that the holding of a public inquiry to consider objections to a draft SPZ scheme should be a matter for the planning authority's discretion. I have considered these responses carefully ; but it has to be remembered that objectors to major planning applications which are not called in do not have a right to a public inquiry. SPZ schemes are in many respects analogous to such applications : it is appropriate that they should be treated in the same way. It will often be possible for planning authorities to do full justice to objections without the need for a public inquiry.
Some respondents suggested that it would be helpful for guidance to be issued on the circumstances in which we would expect a public inquiry to be held. I agree that there are circumstances in which it would normally be appropriate to consider objections at a public inquiry--for instance, where the SPZ scheme constitutes a substantial departure from the development plan or raises strategic planning issues ; where the scheme is the subject of substantial local controversy ; or where it involves a substantial area of land in the authority's ownership and there are objections to the authority's proposals. Advice on these lines will be issued to planning authorities when new guidance is prepared. It will make clear that in such cases my right hon. Friend will if necessary be prepared to direct that a public inquiry is held.
My conclusion is that we should press ahead with the streamlining of SPZ procedures which was proposed in the consultation paper. Appropriate amendments to the primary legislation have therefore been incorporated in the Planning and Compensation Bill, which is being published today.
Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions have been made on the proposals in his Department's July 1989 consultation paper, "Efficient Planning".
Mr. Michael Spicer : Nearly 500 responses were received to the consultation paper "Efficient Planning". The Government have considered them carefully. My right hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for Wales have decided to proceed with the following proposals, which are included in the Planning and Compensation Bill published today.
(a) a power for local authorities to turn away repetitive planning applications. This is a tactic used by a minority of developers. Outlawing it will be welcomed by people whose homes and neighbourhoods are blighted by the prolonged uncertainties which such applications can cause ;
(b) a power for the Secretary of State to dismiss a planning appeal where the appellant delays unreasonably. This will discourage use of the appeals system as a tactical device, and reduce the burden of unproductive work for the planning inspectorate and local authorities ;
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(c) lifting the six-month time limit for prosecuting an applicant who makes a false declaration ;(d) rationalising the secondary legislation governing development control ;
(e) simplifying the law on publicity for planning applications ; (
(f) a power for local authorities to impose after-care conditions on landfill sites ; and
(g) extending to minerals waste tips the provisions for the review of minerals sites, abatement of compensation and after-care conditions.
I announced on 25 July that we intend to take forward the proposal to increase planning application fees progressively until they cover 100 per cent. of local authorities' development control costs. I announced on 31 August that we propose to simplify the procedures for designating simplified planning zones. SPZs can be used to extend permitted development rights in a defined area, and we have concluded that a further power for local authorities to do this (the proposed local development orders) is unnecessary.
In the light of the responses to the consultation paper the Government have decided not to proceed with the following proposals :
(i) to allow the Secretary of State to determine the procedure to be used to decide a planning appeal. This would have removed the main appeal parties' long-standing right "to be heard". However, we do intend to introduce provisions which would enable appeal costs to be awarded against a main appeal party who insists "unreasonably" on being heard at a public local inquiry or a hearing in preference to the written representations procedure; (ii) to give special permission for development by householders if the local planning authority takes no decision on a planning application within eight weeks; (iii) dual jurisdiction for the local authority and the Secretary of State following an appeal against non-determination, and re-defining the point at which development is said to commence. We shall be considering further the technical aspects of these proposals; (iv) charging for planning appeals. This was proposed as part of our policy to improve the efficiency of the appeal system. But we have decided to concentrate initially on the essential first step of making the planning inspectorate a next steps agency. This will improve the management of the process, to the benefit of all users - appellants, objectors and local authorities alike.
(iv charging for planning appeals. This was proposed as part of our policy to improve the efficiency of the appeal system. But we have decided to concentrate initially on the essential first step of making the planning inspectorate a next steps agency. This will improve the management of the process, to the benefit of all users--appellants, objectors and local authorities alike.
North Sea Conference
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government intend to present plans to the delegates of the North sea conference in line with the North sea conference agreement, giving the techniques and methods for ending sewage sludge dumping ; what techniques and methods he proposes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Paragraph 56 of the UK guidance note on the ministerial declaration of the third North sea conference, a copy of which is in the Library, sets out the Government's commitment to end sewage sludge dumping at sea by the end of 1998 and how this will be addressed.
A copy of this note has been sent to Ministers of the other North sea states. The third North sea conference also agreed to invite the Paris Commission to undertake,
"a review of alternative methods of handling and disposal of sewage sludge aiming at developing clean and low waste technology".
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The Paris Commission has agreed to undertake this and is expected to report by 1992.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fishing (Grimsby)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many jobs in Grimsby depend on fishing : and what proportion of the Grimsby catch is haddock.
Mr. Curry : Landings of haddock by United Kingdom and foreign vessels into Grimsby in 1989 represented 4.7 per cent. of the total quantity landed and 5 per cent. of the total value of all landings into Grimsby.
There are estimated to be about 4,500 jobs in the fish catching and processing industry in Grimsby.
Agriculture Assistance
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received over the special assistance which other EC members provide for specific sections of agriculture, including horticulture, which are not part of general EC programmes and which are not replicated in the United Kingdom ; whether such assistance can be continued after the single market comes into effect ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : I receive representations from time to time about national aids paid in other member states. Such aids are subject to EC rules, and where there is evidence that an aid is not consistent with these rules my Department draws the attention of the European Commission to the matter. The EC's rules on national aids will not be affected by the single market.
Fish Quotas
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the tonnage of fish swapped with the Danes in the Fishery Council of December 1989 and his proposals for reviewing this in the 1990 Council.
Mr. Curry : As part of the final overall settlement which enabled the December 1989 Council of Fisheries Ministers to reach agreement on Community fishing opportunities for 1990, the United Kingdom, Germany and France transferred respectively 500 tonnes, 260 tonnes and 100 tonnes of their 1990 North sea cod quotas to Denmark. The outcome of the Council was very satisfactory to the United Kingdom and we secured all our major objectives. We will work hard to secure a satisfactory outcome to the December Council but we have yet to see the proposals it will be considering.
Bovine Somatotropin
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his present policy in respect of bovine somatotropin in the light of the views of the Veterinary Products Committee.
Mr. Maclean : My policy has not changed. No decision on licensing any bovine somatotropin product will be
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