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Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has considered amending the concurrent functions that operate between parish and district councils ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : No : there is no evidence that the concurrent powers of district and parish councils create problems. While there are non-parish areas within district councils, districts must continue to have some powers in these fields.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received to increase the number of parish and town councils in England ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Key : There have been no recent representations on this subject. Since Ministers have power to create new parishes only on the recommendation of the Local Government Boundary Commission, the question is in the first place for them, and for the district councils on whom the primary responsibility for reviewing the structure of parishes lies.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new parish, community or town councils have been created since 1974 ; and if he will give details of their location.
Mr. Key : The Department publishes an annual bulletin of changes in local government structure, including the creation of new parishes on the recommendation of the Local Government Boundary Commission and the creation of new parish councils by district councils. Copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any representations to introduce parish councils in the larger cities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : There have been no recent representations on this subject. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England considered proposals to create new parishes throughout the city of Birmingham, but did not recommend that change.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to give statutory powers to parish councils to have access to information of any proposals for change of services or facilities involving parish councils ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : No : though the role of parish councils is relevant to the current review of local government.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if parish councils are to receive any part of the uniform business rate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The proceeds from the uniform business rate go into the collection fund operated by the charging authority in each area. Each local authority makes a demand on the collection fund for its income. Parish councils therefore have the same access to business rate income as do county and district councils.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice is given to parish councils on obtaining grants to carry out environmental improvements in their area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : No general advice is issued, but the Department is happy to give what advice it can in specific cases when asked.
Sefton Park Palm House
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why proposals submitted to his Merseyside task force for improvements to Liverpool's Sefton Park palm house, to be financed under the urban fund, have not been proceeded with ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Proposals to restore the palm house were submitted in Liverpool's 1989-90 programme and again in
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the 1990-91 programme. Ministers at that time were not satisfied that cost estimates for this specialised renovation task were sufficiently robust and detailed costings were commissioned. Liverpool submitted a detailed appraisal in June 1990 and this was used as a basis for further consultation. I am not satisfied that in their present form the proposals offer value for money. If the city were to come forward with wider proposals for the park linked to adjoining initiatives by the Merseyside development corporation, I would be prepared to reconsider the issue.House Improvement Grant
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the implementation of the new house improvement grant system by Liverpool city council.
Mr. Yeo : The implementation of the house renovation grant system is a local authority responsibility and Liverpool city council has a duty to comply with the statutory requirements.
Property Surveying
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require all building surveyors to show proof of adequate liability prior to any property surveying work being undertaken for members of the public.
Sir George Young : I refer the hon. member to the answer given to him on 4 December 1989 by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State at column 9 .
Garden Festival Site, Liverpool
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the original land reclamation costs, and the subsequent annual costs of maintenance and repair, of the international garden festival site, Liverpool ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The garden festival site was reclaimed as part of a wider land reclamation scheme in the Liverpool south docks area, the total cost of which was £10.6 million. The current annual maintenance cost of the festival park is £200,000.
Local Authority Finance Settlement
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make the local authority finance settlement for 1991-92.
Mr. Heseltine : I have today laid before the House the Revenue Support Grant Report (England) 1991-92, the Population Report (England) (No.2), the Special Grant Report (No. 2) and the Revenue Support Grant Distribution (Amendment) Report (England).
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Postal Service, Lancashire
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure that postal service names and areas and local government names and areas in Lancashire are brought into alignment.
Mr. Key : It is for the Post Office to decide on what names and areas to use for the postal service.
Water Supplies
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the National Rivers Authority about the need for local planning authorities to consult the National Rivers Authority about the availability of water supplies before planning permissions are approved.
Sir George Young [holding answer 20 December 1990] : My right hon. Friend is not aware of any such representations. He listens closely to any comments or proposals which the National Rivers Authority may make to him.
Housing Subsidy (Lambeth)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the reason for the continuation of the previous basis for housing subsidy when Lambeth borough council changed its accounting policy on sinking fund accumulation rates used for debt charges in the financial years 1984-85 and 1985-86.
Mr. Yeo : The Department refused Lambeth borough council's request to increase from 5 per cent. to 10 per cent. the sinking fund accumulated rate used in the calculation of housing subsidy entitlement because such a change would have resulted in an increase in the amount of subsidy paid to the council in the long term.
Antarctica
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters he has received from hon. Members and their constituents on the matter of the environment in Antarctica.
Mr. Baldry : Most inquiries of hon. Members on this subject are addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is responsible for policy on the Antarctic. A small number of letters recently addressed to Ministers in this Department have been passed to my right hon. Friend for his attention.
Sea Bathing
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department expects to receive the report of the 1990 research into the health risks of sea bathing ; and when this report will be made available to the House.
Mr. Baldry : We expect to receive the final report of the 1990 studies in early April and copies will be placed in the Library shortly thereafter.
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