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Mr. David Hunt : Enforcement of the law is a matter for local authorities. It is for them to decide how to discharge their duties under the Shops Act 1950.
The provisional local authority revenue settlement for 1991-92 allows for total standard spending of £2,433
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million--some 8 per cent. above authorities' 1990-91 budgets. I would expect authorities to be able to meet any additional costs arising from Sundary trading enforcement from within that total.Homelessness
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what new and additional finance he is making available to help (a) local authorities and (b) voluntary organisations to tackle the problem of homelessness in Wales generally and in Cardiff in particular ; (2) what new initiatives he is taking to tackle the problem of homelessness in Wales in general and Cardiff in particular.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Local authorities will soon be invited to bid against a capital reserve amounting to around £2.9 million for 1991- 92. Cardiff will certainly wish to respond. The reserve is designed to complement authorities' own efforts in dealing with cases of homelessness, within the context of the approach to partnership with the housing association sector which is developing strongly in Wales. This is underpinned by our plans to increase the total housing association stock by over a third by 1993-94. The Department's close working contract with voluntary bodies concerned with homelessness will continue. Revenue funding for them has been increased by over 16 per cent. to £460,000 for 1991- 2. For districts experiencing particular pressure this year, we intend to make available a further £2 million at least, in support of operationally effective scheme.
Fishing Industry
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of fishermen to discuss their current fishing activities and prospects.
Mr. David Hunt : I met a delegation representing Milford Haven fishing interests on 20 September.
Child Labour
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to assess the extent and seriousness of exploitation of child labour in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : None. Any allegations that children are working illegally should be drawn to the attention of the authorities who have responsibility for enforcing the law (including the provisions of local byelaws).
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what fresh initiatives he intends to take to prevent the exploitation of child labour in Wales.
Water
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he intends to meet the Director of Water Services to discuss the rise in prices planned by Welsh Water plc ;
(2) whether he intends to meet the Director of Water Services to discuss the requirements being placed on Welsh Water plc in respect of the investment needed in Wales on water supply, sewerage and water quality in rivers and on beaches ;
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(3) whether he intends to meet the Director of Water Services to discuss the expenditure by Welsh Water plc on the purchase of shares in South Wales electricity board.Mr. Nicholas Bennett : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be meeting the Director General of Water Services in the new year to discuss a number of matters relevant to their
responsibilities.
Sprint Programme
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he has taken to publicise the European Community Sprint programme along small and medium-sized businesses in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : The European Community's Sprint programme is featured in a leaflet included in a Welsh Office business service information pack. These are widely distributed to small and medium-sized businesses throughout Wales through various awareness events and also by my officials in their day to day contact with industry.
Through its involvement with Sprint, the Welsh Development Agency has also promoted the programme to industry.
Llyn Mawr Site, Swansea
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what decision he has made on the future of the Llyn Mawr site in Swansea.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : My right hon. Friend has already written to the right hon. Gentleman to say that he has deferred implementing the direction to West Glamorgan county council to sell the site at Llwynmawr road, Swansea by up to 36 months.
Heat Treatment Works, Abercumboi
Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many direct representations he has received in connection with the application by Coal Products Ltd. to build a mild heat treatment works at Abercumboi ; and if he will list them.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : It is not possible to obtain the information in the time available, but I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Housing Revenue Account Subsidy
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his initial housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1991-92.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1991-92 for Wales have been made today. They cover the assumptions that the Government will make about rents and management and maintenance and other rules governing the calculation of each authority's subsidy entitlement. I am placing copies of the determinations in the Library.
For rent guidelines, the proposals for an average increase of 2 per cent. above the allowance for inflation are confirmed. This means an average increase of £1.88 and a range of increases from £1.41 to £2.50 per week for individual authorities over the guideline rents which applied this year.
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The proposals for management and maintenance expenditure are similarly confirmed. These introduce a system which targets allowances in a way which better reflects the condition of each authority's council stock. This will benefit authorities with the poorest stock while no authority will have a lower allowance per dwelling, in cash terms, than in the current year. Across Wales overall, the average increase in the level of allowances will maintain them at this year's level in real terms.It is for each council to determine its own rent and how much to spend on the management and maintenance of its stock.
On leasing, subject to some refinement of the rules, the proposals on which we consulted for the Principality covering the amounts of leasing which would attract subsidy within the housing revenue account are also confirmed.
Opinion Surveys
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for, or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985, giving the date and purpose of each survey.
Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 17 December 1990] : The information is given in the table.
Title |Year
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey associated with the Community Nursing
Review |1985
Aids knowledge and attitudes survey |1986
Survey by Grigmore into market research in mature
entrants to nursing |1987
Welsh Youth Survey-A series of surveys concerned
with attitudes on diet, alcohol use, smoking, physical |1986,
activities, dental health and health beliefs. |88 & 90
Evaluation of campaigns and training events:
Combating sex stereotyping in school girls career
choice |1987
Drinkwise campaign (Attenders and Organisers) |1989
Quit and Win |1990
Health Lifestyle club |1990
Wales Tourist Board Marketing (Advertisers) |1990
Tourist Brochure Conversion Study |1990
Tourism, Impact Study, Llandrindod Wells Festival
(Visitors and Local Residents) |1989
Monitoring of Community Charge Public
Information Programme |1989
Review of Development Board for Rural Wales'
Business Support Services |1990
Surveys by and on behalf of Cadw-Welsh Historic Monuments:
Joint Cadw/WTB study of visitor attitudes involving 7
Cadw sites |1985-86
Postal survey of attitudes to Heritage in Wales'
Membership |1985-86
Easter 1986 visitor study of 10 Cadw sites |1986-87
Survey of Cadw sites on attitudes to interpretative
and display facilities |1986-87
Pricing policy and visitor satisfaction survey at 6
Cadw sites |1986-87
Comprehensive General Survey of 8 Cadw sites |1986-87
Survey of visitors to Events at Cadw sites |1987-88
WTB/Cadw survey of Domestic Holiday and Day
Visitors to Wales in 1987 |1987-88
WTB/Cadw survey of Overseas Holiday and Day
Visitors to Wales in 1987 |1987-88
Survey of visitors to Gerald of Wales' Exhibition in
Cardiff |1988-89
Survey of visitors to Gerald of Wales' Exhibition at
Criccieth |1988-89
Survey of school visits to Gerald of Wales'
Exhibition in Cardiff |1988-89
Postal survey of school visits to Cadw sites |1988-89
Survey of visitors attitudes to 8 Cadw sites |1989-90
Survey of visitors to Events at Cadw sites |1989-90
Survey of visitors at 5 Cadw shops |1989-90
Postal survey of Heritage in Wales' Membership |1989-90
Survey of visitors attitudes to Cadw sites in 2 North
Wales resorts and 2 South Wales towns |1990-91
Survey of visitors attitudes to 4 unmanned Cadw sites |1990-91
Current Surveys
Patient satisfaction survey of the outpatient
Department, East Glamorgan Hospital
Patients' responses to the service provided at the 3 All
Wales Treatment Centres
Attitudes and awareness of environmental issues in a
range of companies
In addition, surveys of local authority housing tenant opinion have been undertaken from time to time, notably in the context of the eight priority estate projects in Wales. The Welsh inter-censal survey 1986 included a question designed to test opinion on house repairs. Housing for Wales completed a survey report on the housing aspirations of young people in rural Wales earlier this year.
Treatment Centres Initiative
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the success or failure of the treatment centres initiative in Wales to date.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett [holding answer 19 December 1990] : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave him earlier today.
ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for 1990-91 and 1991-92 the share in percentage terms of income represented by(i) revenue support grant, (ii) the poll tax and (iii) the business rate for (a) the country as a whole and (b) Stoke on Trent.
Mr. Key : The information requested for 1990-91 is as follows :
Percentage of income received from |England |Area of receiv-
|ing authority of
|Stoke-on-Trent
|per cent. |per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue support grant |29.1 |20.6
Receipts from non-domestic rate
pool |32.1 |36.9
Special grants/safety net
adjustment to revenue support
grant |0.6 |4.1
Budgeted income from community
charges (post capping) |38.3 |38.4
Of which:
Community charge benefit |6.0 |4.7
Transitional relief grant |1.0 |0.8
The percentages for 1991-92 will not be known until all authorities have set their community charges for that year.
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Stoke-on-Trent
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will accept the invitation of the leader of Stoke-on-Trent city council to discuss the current lack of any inner-city status for Stoke-on-Trent.
Mr. Key : We will be responding to Councillor Smith'sinvitation shortly.
Special Needs Housing
Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the numbers of housing associations, voluntary organisations and other projects which exist to provide accommodation for (a) the single homeless, (b) the mentally ill and (c) those leaving penal institutions or ex-offenders ;
(2) if he will give details of the additional funding he has secured to further develop voluntary after-care accommodation provided by housing associations ;
(3) what topping-up funding is available to voluntary organisations and housing associations providing special needs accommodation in 1991-92 to the homeless.
Mr. Yeo : Accommodation for people with special needs is to be provided under a number of Government initiatives in 1991-92 including :
3,000 bedspaces funded through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme.
60 short-term bedspaces in the Department of Health's homeless mentally ill programme.
An allocation by the Home Office of £9,179,000 to the voluntary after- care grant scheme.
Further funding by the Department of Social Security of the Resettlement Agency's scheme for replacing resettlement units and the funding of a number of short-term direct access hostels in London for people sleeping rough.
Topping up is provided from a variety of sources, particularly local authorities and health and social services authorities. In addition, the Department of Health will be funding the running costs of the 60 bedspaces referred to above and the Home Office will be providing topping up funds direct to about 130 organisations. We do not hold an up-to-date or comprehensive list of projects providing accommodation for people with special needs. But I have arranged for the Housing Corporation to write to the hon. Member to see if they can assist her from the information they hold on schemes run by registered housing associations.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the expenditure by his Department on energy efficiency measures since 1983.
Mr. Heseltine : Information on the expenditure of my Department on energy efficiency measures prior to 1989-90 is not available. Expenditure on energy efficiency measures for 1989-90 is estimated to have totalled £120,000.
Homelessness
Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what incentives he will give local authorities to bring empty council stock back into use and to work in partnership with housing associations and voluntary organisations seeking to provide accommodation for the homeless.
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Mr. Yeo : We have made a special allocation of £300 million over this year and next to local authorities and housing associations in London and the south-east to provide housing for homeless families, in addition to the resources available under the housing investment programme system. A substantial proportion of the special allocation will be used to bring empty property in both sectors back into use. In addition, a further £96 million will be spent over this year and the next two years ; mainly through local authorities, in providing hostel and long-term accommodation for single homeless people in central London ; I very much hope that all London boroughs will co-operate positively in making these schemes work, as some have already done.Community Charge
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, for each local authority area in England (a) the number of individuals who are liable to pay the personal community charge, (b) the number of people who are paying the personal community charge and (c) the number of people who are exempt from paying the personal community charge, separately distinguishing the numbers of exemption category.
Mr. Key : I am arranging for the available information, supplied by local authorities, to be placed in the Library of the House. The figures given for the total number of exemptions from the personal community charge include
(i) Community charges registration officers' estimates of the numbers exempt because they are in detention, living in short stay accommodation, or persons without fixed abodes. Figures for those categories are known to be underestimated because CCROs are not obliged to keep records of those exempt.
(ii) CCRO's estimates of the numbers excempt because they are contributors to a collective community charge.
Separate information has not been given where there are fewer than 20 persons in a category of exemption or where the majority of authorities reported fewer than 20 persons in a category of exemption.
London Docklands
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts have been budgeted by the London Docklands development corporation for meeting the terms of the memorandum of agreement with the London borough of Newham in 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Mr. Key : I will write to the Hon. Member.
Mobility Standard
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many units of housing association new build are (a) mobility standard and (b) wheelchair standard for the each year for the last five years ; and of those how many units are for sheltered housing for elderly people for both (1) mobility and (2) wheelchair standard ;
(2) if he will list, for each year for the last five years, how many units of wheelchair housing of housing association new build have (a) one, (b) two and (c) three bedrooms, excluding those within sheltered housing schemes for elderly people.
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Mr. Yeo : The available information on completions of newly built specialised dwellings for 1985 to 1989 is published in table 6.7 "Housing and Construction Statistics 1979-1989 : Great Britain" and, for the first half of 1990, in table 1.5 of the June quarter 1990 (Part I) edition of the same title. Wheelchair and mobility standard dwellings for the elderly are not separately identified, nor does the Department collect information about the number of specialised dwellings by number of bedrooms.
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many housing association schemes have been audited since the new requirement to build to mobility standard was introduced ; and of these how many met the requirement to be of mobility standard ; (2) how many housing association schemes, which were package deal schemes, have been audited since the new requirement to build to mobility standard was introduced ; and of these how many met the requirement to be of mobility standard.
Mr. Yeo : This is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have therefore asked the corporation to respond to my hon. Friend direct.
Renewable Energy
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy on promoting the use of recycled materials and renewable energies where relevant to his Department's activities.
Mr. Trippier : The Government's policies for the use of recycled materials and renewable energies are set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm. 1200).
In order to ensure that these policies are put into practice in Government, my Department's property holdings organisation is preparing an environmental action guide, which will include advice on the use of recycled material and on energy efficiency.
My Department's policy is to use recycled materials where practicable and reasonably economic to do so.
For instance, my Department uses recycled paper for all of its ministerial correspondence. Other products made from recycled material that are in general use within my Department include manilla paper and file covers, brown paper bags, paper towels, buff envelopes and toilet tissue. We are also conducting trials in the use of recycled paper for high speed photocopying and we are considering a trial of recycled paper for use with computer printers.
Housing Associations
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of housing association new build came from package deal programmes in each year for the last five years.
Mr. Yeo : This is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have therefore asked the corporation to respond to my hon. Friend direct.
New Parliamentary Building
Dr. Blackburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the contractor for the new parliamentary building phase I will achieve completion by 22 December 1990 ; and when he expects hon. Members will be able to occupy the new offices.
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Mr. Yeo : Although the contractor has made considerable progress over the past months, he has not been able to complete the contract and hand over the building to Property Holdings. It seems likely that handover will now be achieved in late February or early March. A programme is being developed to fit out the building and to arrange for a phased programme of moves for Members, their staff and the Departments of the House. It is still expected that full occupation will be achieved at the end of the summer adjournment 1991.Freeholds
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses are exempt from the provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1967 which permit leaseholders to purchase the freehold of the property.
Sir George Young : The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 gives leaseholders of most houses, but not leaseholders of flats, the right to purchase their freeholds. The number of dwellings exempt is not known. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 enables a court to order the compulsory acquisition by the leaseholders of flats of the landlord's interest in certain circumstances where he has been failing in his duties. Again, the number of exempt dwellings is not known. It is open to any leaseholder or group of leaseholders to seek to purchase the freehold of their dwelling by negotiation.
EC Environment Council
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he will be putting forward at the next European ministerial Environment Council on 20 and 21 December on (a) the management of hazardous waste, (b) the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances and (c) developing fiscal instruments to attain environmental protection and improvement objectives.
Mr. Trippier : The first two subjects are on the agenda for discussion at the Council on the basis of proposals submitted by the European Commission. I shall be pressing for agreement to these directives. The question of economic and fiscal mechanisms to achieve environmental objectives may also be discussed. I shall report to Parliament on the outcome of the Council in the usual way.
Local Authority Accounts
Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Audit Commission regarding local authorities which are more than 12 months in breach of their statutory duty to produce accounts for audit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : The Audit Commission publishes each year a list of authorities which are in breach of their statutory duty to produce accounts for audit. It lists those which have not produced accounts by 31 December i.e. within nine months. That number fell from 80 for 1986-87 to 32 for 1987-88 and 29 for 1988-89. Our officials and the Commission's officers have discussed this position amongst other matters during their regular contacts.
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Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities in England and Wales have not published their statements of account for the financial years (a) 1987-88, (b) 1986-87, (c) 1985-86 and (d) any earlier year.
Mr. Portillo : I regret that the Department does not have this information.
Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment against how many local authorities in breach by more than 12 months of their statutory duty to publish their accounts or produce them for audit proceedings have been instituted.
Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is treated as a reasonable excuse for a local authority to have failed to publish its statement of account more than 12 months after being required by statute so to do.
Mr. Portillo : It would be for the court to decide in the circumstances of a particular case whether there was a reasonable excuse for a local authority to have failed to publish its statement of account by the statutory time limit.
Bathing Waters
Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in the studies and research into the effects of bathing or water sports in sea water contaminated by sewage ; whether resources have been made available for the early completion of such studies and research on a comprehensive and scientifically validated basis indicated by the methodology proposed by the Langland bay study ; and when the results will be made available.
Mr. Trippier : The Government supported further research last summer. A beach survey was undertaken at Ramsgate Sands with 2,000 beachgoers and a cohort study was conducted at Moreton (Wirral) using 310 volunteers. These further studies provided the opportunity to confirm the validity of the methodologies developed in the Langland Bay study. I expect to receive a report on these surveys next March and copies will be made available to the House.
The Government are anxious to establish as soon as possible the health risks, if any, of bathing in sewage contaminated sea water and is commissioning further research, jointly funded with the National Rivers Authority, using the methodologies developed over the last two years.
Community Charge
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the numbers of people registered, or registerable, under the National Assistance Act 1948, are used in the formulation of the standard spending assessments for the poll tax.
Mr. Key : No, not as such, though such individuals will often be included on other grounds within the indicators used in the calculation of the personal social services SSA element.
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National Business Rate
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from the local government information unit concerning non-payment of the national business rate ; and if he will make a statement.
Atmospheric Pollution
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will continue with the consultancy process that was extablished for the implementation of the EC directive on atmospheric pollution ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : My hon. Friend may have in mind the Large Combustion Plants Directive (88/609/EC). If so, I would refer him to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will be happy to continue to discuss the detailed implementation of the directive with those affected.
Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to deliver to the European Commission the United Kingdom's national programme for emission reductions of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from existing large combustion plants.
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