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Mr. Wakeham : I have meetings and consultations with the directors of PowerGen, as of other companies in the electricity supply industry, whenever necessary. Such meetings and consultations are confidential.
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Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he has discussed with Robert Malpas as the chairman of PowerGen the use of the least-cost approach to electricity industry investment ; (2) whether he has had discussions with Robert Malpas as the chairman of PowerGen about the need for energy conservation.
Mr. Wakeham : The details of my discussions with Mr. Malpas, in his capacity as the chairman of PowerGen, are confidential.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his predecessor approved the appointment of Robert Malpas as chairman of PowerGen.
Mr. Wakeham : I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Member for City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill) on 9 June 1988 at column 632.
Offshore Safety
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what consultations he has had with the Health and Safety Commission about the appointment of a successor to Mr. Petrie as head of offshore safety ;
(2) why he has decided to proceed with the selection of the successor to Mr. Petrie as head of offshore safety rather than leaving the appointment to the Health and Safety Commission.
Mr. Wakeham : There is no intention to replace Mr. Petrie as director of safety. Offshore safety is, however, to become the responsibility of a new head of division to whom Mr. Petrie will report. Mr. Tony Barrell, from the Health and Safety Executive, has been appointed to the new post. The Health and Safety Commission has warmly welcomed the new appointment.
Home Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what criteria were applied by him and his appointed agency in drawing up the regional allocations under the home energy efficiency scheme ; (2) if he will give a regional breakdown of the allocations under the home energy efficiency scheme during (a) January to March 1991 and (b) the financial year 1991-92.
Mr. Wakeham : The home energy efficiency scheme is a national scheme, and no regional allocations of funding have been made. However, it is important for organisations wishing to apply to become "network installers" in particular localities that they should have some broad indication of the scale of insulation and advice which they might be able to undertake using grants under the home energy efficiency scheme. The energy action grants agency therefore has included with the information it is sending to applicants a preliminary view on this based on numbers in receipt of housing benefit in each locality. The figures provided by the agency are neither an allocation, nor an estimate of the total value of work which might be undertaken by all contractors operating in that locality.
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Clean Coal Technology
Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action is proposed by his Department on clean coal technology.
Mr. Baldry : The Government attach great importance to developing clean coal technologies and technologies aimed at maximising the economically recoverable coal from indigenous coal reserves. We are, therefore, carrying out a major review of our coal research programme and plan to publish a new strategy as an energy paper early next summer. To help us develop this new strategy my Department has established a new advisory body--the coal task force. The task force held its first meeting this morning. Over the next few months it will examine all aspects of coal research, including extraction, coal preparation, utilisation and conversion.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Special Educational Needs
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what was the total number of hours of home tuition provided each week to children with a statement of special educational needs by each local education authority for each of the last five years ;
(2) what was the average number of hours of home tuition received per week by each child with a statement of special educational needs in each local education authority for each of the last five years.
Mr. Alan Howarth : This information is not collected centrally.
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children with a statement of special needs have been (a) excluded from attending school and (b) unable to attend school in each local education authority for each of the last five years.
Mr. Alan Howarth : This information is not available centrally.
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the statutory requirements on local education authorities to provide home tuition for children with a statement of special needs who (a) have been excluded from school and (b) are unable to attend school ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Section 7(2) of the Education Act 1981 provides that, in any case where a local education authority maintains a statement of special educational needs for a child, it is the duty of the authority to arrange that the special educational provision specified in the statement is made for him or her unless the parent has made suitable arrangements.
University Salaries
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the average salary of vice-chancellors in United Kingdom universities, together with the average percentage increase in their salaries, for each year since 1980, as recorded for all institutions which supply a return in box 1 of the university statistical record annual return.
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Mr. Alan Howarth : The information requested is not available to the Department. It is for each university to set the salary of its vice- chancellor.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the number of professors in United Kingdom universities with salaries in each £1,000 band from £27,000 upwards.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Information in the form requested is not readily available. However, the table sets out details of professorial salaries in broad salary bands. The data relate to universities in the United Kingdom at December 1989.
Professorial Salary Bands £ |Number ---------------------------- 26,250-27,819 |537 27,820-28,704 |479 28,705-29,609 |452 29,610-30,549 |554 30,550-31,549 |430 31,550-32,589 |311 32,590-33,654 |220 33,655-34,669 |123
In addition, 184 university professors receive salaries over £34, 670 pa.
All figures apply to non-clinical academic professors who are wholly university funded.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list (a) the numbers of men and women who have received awards from the 1 per cent. of academic and related pay set aside for allocation on merit or market criteria since 1 April 1989, (b) the proportions which the above represent of all men and women academic staff and (c) the proportions of the 1 per cent. funds that have been received by men and women since 1 April 1989.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information is not available in the form requested. Information supplied by the UFC in June 1990 indicates that, at that time, it was intended that about 6,000 academics would receive payments from the1 per cent. of the pay bill set aside to reward individual merit and to help counter staffing difficulties. This figure excludes returns from two universities for which data were not then available. The actual number to benefit from the scheme will be known later ; the UFC has been asked to supply us with full details of the implementation of the schemes by 31 December 1990. The figure of 6,000 represents approximately 20 per cent. of all wholly university-funded full-time and part-time academic staff*. *Based on USR statistics, 1988-89.
Research Councils
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been paid out by each of the research councils in respect of 1 per cent. awards and what proportion this represents of each research council's total university funding.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The SERC has so far paid out £47,473 in respect of 1 per cent. pay additions arising from the 1989 university pay settlement. This represents 0.032 per cent. of the SERC's total research grant funding to higher education institutions in 1989-90. Further claims are expected.
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The AFRC has so far paid out £10,000 in respect of 1 per cent. pay additions. The per annum figure rate of payment is currently £7,000, which represents 0.047 per cent. of the AFRC's total research grant funding to higher education institutions in 1989-90.The other three research councils do not keep figures centrally, and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Academic Posts
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state (a) the total amount of funding made available under the academic "new blood" scheme and the total amount taken up, (b) the total amount of funding made available under the new academic appointments scheme and the total amount taken up, (c) the numbers of men and women academics appointed under each of the two schemes and (d) the numbers of men and women appointed under each of the two schemes who are still in post.
Mr. Alan Howarth : (a) The total funding allocated by the University Grants Committee between academic years 1983-84 and 1985-86 under the "new blood" scheme and for new posts in information technology was £40.9 million. All allocated funding was taken up by universities.
(b) The amount allocated by the Universities Funding Council under the new academic appointments scheme in academic year 1989-90 was £13.4 million. It is estimated that all allocated funding was taken up by universities.
(c) Information about the total number of men and women academics appointed under the schemes is not readily available.
(d) Of the total of 792 academics appointed under the "new blood" scheme, 739 were in post in March 1989. A further 46 posts had been replaced through new appointments. Comparable figures are not yet available for the new academic appointments scheme.
Student Awards
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much financial assistance was offered to students by local authority intermediate awards in the last financial year.
Mr. Eggar : The latest data available are for the academic year 1988 -89. LEA expenditure on discretionary (section 2) awards granted at less than the mandatory rate was £94.4 million split as follows :
Percentage of |Expenditure mandatory |(£ millions) rate ------------------------------------------ 80-99 |27.1 50-79 |13.9 below 50 |53.5
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial assistance is available for further education students, with parents on low incomes or in receipt of benefits ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Under section 2 of the Education Act 1962, LEAs have discretionary power to bestow awards on persons who have left school in respect of courses which do
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not attract mandatory awards. Since September 1990 the further education access fund has given colleges additional funds to support full-time students aged 19 and over on further education courses.Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much financial assistance was awarded to students by local authority education maintenance allowances in the last financial year.
Mr. Eggar : The latest available data are for the academic year 1988 -89. The financial assistance awarded to students by local authority education maintenance allowances was £11.2 million in that year.
School Grants
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table listing (a) the amounts of capital allocations for county and voluntary controlled schools for 1991-92 for which each local education authority in England has bid, (b) the amount of capital grant for voluntary aided schools in their area which each local education authority has asked of his Department and (c) (a) and (b) for each local education authority and with totals in respect of (a) , (b) and (c) for England, and for each region.
Mr. Fallon : The information requested is provided in the table. The figures are taken from the capital plans for 1991-92 submitted by each local education authority to the Department. I will provide a regional breakdown of this information shortly.
LEA plans for Capital Expenditure in 1991-92
LEA |LEA plans |Voluntary aided
|County and VC |schools
|schools |£'000s
|'000s
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |17,000 |1,342
Barking |2,659 |1,955
Barnet |4,036 |3,605
Barnsley |1,246 |25
Bedfordshire |8,795 |1,127
Berkshire |9,305 |723
Bexley |6,170 |2,341
Birmingham |20,957 |3,539
Bolton |3,256 |984
Bradford |23,997 |1,002
Brent |8,273 |193
Bromley |8,401 |429
Buckinghamshire |12,749 |2,401
Bury |2,332 |830
Calderdale |2,363 |634
Cambridge |28,783 |825
Camden |3,725 |1,055
Cheshire |9,921 |3,324
City |0 |97
Cleveland |11,935 |884
Cornwall |18,382 |444
Coventry |7,745 |1,570
Croydon |20,970 |3,051
Cumbria |16,363 |1,292
Derbyshire |27,250 |1,106
Devon |23,942 |2,951
Doncaster |1,536 |145
Dorset |11,525 |6,734
Dudley |8,716 |2,385
Durham |17,936 |1,103
E. Sussex |28,855 |1,319
Ealing |11,199 |315
Enfield |15,427 |812
Essex |66,785 |1,264
Gateshead |8,182 |449
Gloucester |10,816 |1,694
Greenwich |1,867 |201
Hackney |6,848 |162
Hammersmith |5,923 |1,357
Hampshire |35,504 |2,994
Haringey |7,415 |1,412
Harrow |3,505 |172
Havering |4,334 |159
Hereford and Worcester |13,018 |2,580
Hertford |11,937 |2,302
Hillingdon |9,908 |905
Hounslow |5,029 |236
Humberside |21,536 |1,400
Isles of Scilly |215 |0
Isle of Wight |6,806 |260
Islington |5,017 |181
Kensington |7,794 |3,580
Kent |45,605 |7,737
Kingston |3,740 |646
Kirkless |5,395 |326
Knowsley |5,319 |1,329
Lambeth |6,532 |937
Lancashire |27,625 |6,534
Leeds |41,168 |12,626
Leicester |13,179 |967
Lewisham |9,263 |329
Lincoln |22,655 |1,753
Liverpool |13,842 |8,180
Manchester |20,909 |1,305
Merton |7,950 |228
North Yorkshire |6,272 |2,005
North Tyneside |4,587 |251
Newcastle |9,293 |1,050
Newham |15,067 |284
Norfolk |8,702 |587
Northampton |12,945 |400
Northumberland |5,411 |1,175
Nottinghamshire |10,803 |1,359
Oldham |13,674 |609
Oxfordshire |23,119 |4,178
Redbridge |4,384 |3,399
Richmond |4,319 |902
Rochdale |12,623 |756
Rotherham |3,386 |385
South Tyneside |6,651 |59
Salford |7,116 |567
Sandwell |6,536 |351
Sefton |5,488 |2,233
Sheffield |4,073 |885
Shropshire |16,740 |318
Solihull |4,548 |687
Somerset |10,357 |2,135
Southwark |6,086 |1,616
St. Helens |4,852 |2,299
Staffordshire |10,723 |2,084
Stockport |2,570 |341
Suffolk |17,956 |890
Sunderland |7,788 |523
Surrey |10,255 |2,956
Sutton |10,663 |3,374
Tameside |2,311 |136
Tower Hamlets |29,116 |597
Trafford |5,313 |140
West Sussex |13,804 |2,129
Wakefield |10,475 |346
Walsall |3,364 |400
Waltham |10,238 |1,800
Wandsworth |13,503 |130
Warwick |5,704 |3,112
Westminster |7,041 |346
Wigan |9,725 |2,126
Wiltshire |15,552 |1,677
Wirral |5,661 |1,017
Wolverhampton |5,788 |614
|------- |-------
England |1,255,953 |167,975
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table giving the amounts for England of capital allocations for (a) county and voluntary controlled schools, (b) voluntary aided schools and (c) the totals of (a) and (b) for each financial year from and including 1978-79 to 1990-91 expressed in (i) current prices, (ii) constant prices and (iii) an index of (ii) where 1978-79 = 100, together with such estimates for expenditure in 1991-92 on a comparable basis as are already available from the autumn statement.
Mr. Fallon : Not all the information is available in the form requested. The table shows figures from 1981-82. Prior to 1981-82, local education authorities did not receive block allocations, but were notified annually, in the context of a rolling programme, of a limit on the value of building starts in the following year. From 1981-82 to 1989-90 allocations for spending on capital works were made to local education authorities for schools and colleges of further and higher education, in accordance with the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. It was for each local education authority to decide how to use its allocation, including apportionment between schools and colleges, and the extent to which it wished to supplement it through the use of capital receipts and other sources of revenue.
Figures for 1990-91 and 1991-92 (in the table) are not comparable with previous years. Following the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the Department issues an annual capital guideline to each local education authority, which is one element in the calculation of each local authority's basic credit approval announced by the Department of the Environment.
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Total allocations and annual capital guidelines for England in cash and constant terms
£ million
Local authority schools andVoluntary aided and specialLocal authority schools and
colleges agreement schools colleges voluntary aided and specia
special agreement
|Cash |Constant|Index |Cash |Constant|Index |Cash |Constant|Index
|81-82 |81-82 |81-82 |81-82 |81-82
|prices |prices |prices |prices |prices |prices
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |355 |355 |100 |24 |24 |100 |379 |379 |100
1982-83 |338 |316 |89 |22 |21 |87 |360 |337 |89
1983-84 |295 |263 |74 |19 |17 |71 |314 |280 |74
1984-85 |300 |255 |72 |25 |21 |87 |325 |276 |73
1985-86 |315 |254 |71 |31 |25 |104 |346 |279 |74
1986-87 |297 |231 |65 |28 |22 |92 |325 |253 |67
1987-88 |306 |226 |64 |32 |23 |97 |338 |250 |66
1988-89 |387 |266 |75 |43 |29 |123 |430 |296 |78
1989-90 |352 |228 |64 |56 |36 |150 |408 |264 |70
1990-91 |485 |291 |82 |74 |44 |185 |559 |335 |88
1991-92 |538 |304 |86 |84 |47 |198 |622 |352 |93
Notes to the table
1. All figures are in £ million. All figures are rounded.
2. Constant prices are calculated at 1981-82 prices using the latest GDP deflators. The index for
1981-82 is set at 100.
3. The Department provides grant aid at a rate of 85 per cent. on governors' capital expenditure
at voluntary aided and special agreement schools.
4. Capital grant figures for the voluntary aided sector for the year 1981-82 are not separately
identifiable from a single building grant figure which includes repairs and maintenance. The
capital figures shown for this year are based on an apportionment of the building grant figure
using the average ratio between capital and repairs during 1982-83 and 1985-86.
5. Prior to 1981-82 local authorities did not receive block allocation, but were notified annually
in the context of a rolling programme of a limit on the value of the building starts in the
following year.
6. Local authority allocations for 1989-90 and ACGs for 1990-91 and 1991-92 exclude institutions
which were transferred to the PCFC sector in 1989-90.
Students
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons between the ages of 18 and 30 years entered full- time further education in the last financial year.
Mr. Eggar : In 1989-90, there were 76,000 full-time first-year students aged 18-30 studying on further education courses in England.
Mature Students (Housing Benefit)
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what study he is making of the impact of the withdrawal of housing benefit on the numbers of mature students following courses in further education.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The annual further education statistical records monitor the number of mature students in further education. Mature students with dependants, those who are disabled and part-time students will, of course, retain entitlement to benefits.
ENVIRONMENT
Metropolitan Water Board "B" Shares
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information was available to the Government about the liabilities of the Metropolitan Water Board to the holders of "B" stock at the time of flotation of Thames Water.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : At the time of the flotation of Thames Water in 1989 the Government were aware of a possibility of outstanding liabilities in respect of such stocks, and this was reflected in a note on contingent liabilities in the privatisation prospectus.
Archery
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what implications COM(90) 453 has for the sport of archery.
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Mr. Atkins : Although COM(90) 453 concerns the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons, I now understand that it will not have any effect on the sport of archery.
Mineral Workings
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give full details of the research project he has recently commissioned into the environmental effects of mineral workings ; who has been awarded the contract in each case ; and when he expects the findings to be published.
Mr. Atkins : Roy Waller Associates was commissioned last year to review and examine the environmental impacts of surface mineral extraction and how they can be controlled most effectively. This is a broad-based project looking at the major problems of traffic, blasting, noise, dust, visual and landscape effects. The final report will propose a number of steps to ameliorate the environmental impact of mineral working. Areas for further research will also be identified. Publication of the final report is expected in spring 1991.
The findings of a more detailed research project carried out by W. S. Atkins Engineering Sciences Ltd. on "The Control of Noise at Surface Mineral Workings" have recently been published by HMSO and copies are already lodged in the House of Commons Library.
Lead Pipes
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants are available to assist domestic consumers to replace old lead feeder pipes from the water mains into their homes.
Mr. Key : Both mandatory and discretionary renovation grants under part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 are available towards the cost of replacing lead water supply pipes on land owned by the grant applicant, subject to a test of the applicant's financial resources.
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Local Government Finance
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish tables showing for each local authority either the planned use of balances to support revenue expenditure in 1990-91 or the amount to be used to replenish balances as appropriate.
Mr. Portillo : I have today arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain a copy of "Local Government Finance, the 1990 reforms", by Michael Ridge and Stephen Smith, published in Fiscal Studies August 1990 (Vol. 11, No. 3), for his Department's library.
Mr. Key : The Department's library already has a copy of the journal in which this article appears.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in collection of the community charge in England and Wales.
Mr. Key [holding answer 21 November 1990] : Information from regular quarterly returns supplied by local authorities confirms that around nine out of 10 charge payers had begun paying their charges by the end of September. In many areas this figure is already approaching 100 per cent. and I look to all authorities to achieve figures close to this during the balance of this financial year. Collection of the community charge in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Keynsham Chew Valley Inquiry
Mr. Aspinwall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the result of the Keynsham Chew valley local plan inquiry, held in December 1989 and January 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The inspector has now completed his report to the local planning authority, Wansdyke district council, following this complex inquiry. It will be sent to the council shortly : publication is a matter for it.
Housing Associations
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the rate of take-up of funds allocated by the Housing Corporation to housing associations in the different regions of the country ; and if he will make a statement on whether the funds taken up by housing associations in the different regions of England have been expended by them in total.
Mr. Key : This is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have therefore asked the corporation to respond to my hon. Friend direct.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what basis he will continue to contribute to neighbourhood care and repair schemes run by housing associations.
Mr. Key : As I announced on 19 October, from 1 April 1991, 50 per cent. of the running costs of approved home improvement agencies, including those run by housing
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associations, will be met by Government grant. Local housing authorities are responsible for the co-ordination and submission of such bids by the end of the month.Disability
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under the new provisions for house adaptations for people with disabilities, how many people have been denied grants or been given reduced grants to make adaptations to their homes because they do not meet the means test.
Mr. Key : The information requested is not yet available. The impact of the new house renovation grant system is, however, being monitored closely.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government will introduce legislation to amend the Town and Country Planning Act to make it unlawful to erect or adapt buildings without approved access facilities for disabled people, and to provide for all existing buildings to be adapted in the same way with cash grants available from central Government for the owners of such buildings, with such adaptations subject to checks annually by the disablement advisory service.
Mr. Key : There is already a requirement in the Building Regulations 1985 that reasonable provision must be made to enable disabled people to gain access to new offices and shops, and to the principal entrance storey of new factories, educational buildings covered by the regulations, and other premises to which the public are admitted. Consultation proposals have been issued recently which would have the effect of extending this requirement to all floors of all new non-domestic buildings and to certain alterations and extensions to existing buildings. Research is being carried out into the technical problems involved in extending such a requirement to other alterations and extensions of non-domestic buildings. Under the adaptations to premises and equipment scheme, administered by the Department of Employment through the disablement advisory service, a grant of up to £6,000 may be awarded to an employer, towards the cost of adapting premises and equipment for an existing disabled employee or a disabled new recruit. Employers are expected to contribute and to undertake to recruit a disabled person with similar needs as a replacement in the event of the original employee leaving. Grants are most commonly provided for adaptations to toilets and improved access to a building. An evaluation of the Department of Employment special schemes was published by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment on 2 November 1990 and comments invited by 2 February 1991.
Peat
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidance to planning authorities which would highlight the importance of refusal of planning permission for the extraction of peat from sites of special scientific interest.
Mr. Atkins : Local authorities have to reach decisions on individual planning applications on their merits, having due regard to all relevant material considerations. "Material considerations" include relevant national
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policies, such as the protection of designated sites of special scientific interest. The Department of the Environment's existing guidance in circular 27/87 "Nature Conservation" and minerals planning guidance note 2 requires that proposals for the extraction of peat and other minerals from SSSIs should be subject to the most rigorous examination, in which the need for the mineral has to be balanced against environmental considerations. The Government are giving further consideration to the issues raised by peat extraction and nature conservation, and this includes whether there is a need for further advice.I also welcome the agreement reached recently between the Nature Conservancy Council and the Peat Producers Association whereby, pending an agreed peatland strategy, members of the association will not make any planning applications to work existing or proposed peatland SSSIs without the prior agreement of the NCC.
Sewage Sludge
Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure other means of disposal of sewage sludge presently dumped in the North sea.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked the water companies concerned to submit to him by the end of November their detailed plans and programmes of work phasing out disposal of sludge to sea. The main disposal options are to agricultural land, landfill and incineration.
Single People (Accommodation)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to ensure the provision of adequate single persons' accommodation in both the public and private rented sectors at prices which young single persons can afford.
Mr. Michael Spicer : We have taken a number of measures that will help young single people find accommodation including, in particular, the deregulation of new lettings in the private rented sector. Allocation of subsidised rented housing is mainly a matter for local authorities and housing associations ; local authorities' duties under the homelessness legislation cover vulnerable single people ; and we have recently announced a special programme, costing £100 million over four years, to help people sleeping rough in London.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have been carried out by his Department into single persons' accommodation needs.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Department has published four reports on single persons' accommodation needs. These are :
Housing Single People 1 : how they live at present. Design Bulletin 23, HMSO 1790.
Housing Single People 2 : A design guide with a description of a scheme at Leicester. Design Bulletin 29, HMSO 1974.
Housing Single People 3 : an appraisal of a purpose built scheme. Design bulletin 33, HMSO 1979.
Housing Initiatives for Single People of Working Age. DoE, 1982. The Department will shortly let a research contract on single homeless people including their accommodation needs and preferences.
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Mortgage Arrears
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to require local authorities, building societies and other mortgage lenders to submit regular returns of the number of borrowers in arrears with their payments and the number of properties repossessed.
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