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Mr. Yeo : The consultation proposals for amendments to part B, "Safety in Fire", of the Building Regulations 1985 incorporate detailed practical guidance relating to means of escape, including the provision and protection of escape routes, and maximum travel distances for escape purposes. This guidance is not affected by the proposals relating to compartmentation, as maximum travel distances are measured to a protected escape route or final exit, regardless of compartment size.
Housing
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the new role of local authorities as housing enabling authorities under the Housing Act 1988 ; (2) how local authorities will fulfil their statutory responsibilities under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 in their enabling role under the Housing Act 1988.
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Mr. Yeo : Local authorities have been acting as enablers for many years--although often in a small way. The new emphasis on local authorities acting as enablers rather than direct providers of subsidised housing parallels the expansion of the housing association movement. Housing associations are becoming the principal providers of new subsidised housing. Local authorities can fulfil their duties under the homelessness legislation by placing those they accept as homeless in their own dwellings ; by using nomination arrangements to place them in dwellings owned by housing associations ; or through similar arrangements made with other providers.
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest evidence he has on changes in the level of private rented accommodation arising from the implementation of the Housing Act 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : There is a significant anecdotal evidence of an increase in the amount of property available for new lettings in the private rented sector. We have a survey in hand which will provide firmer evidence, the results of which should be available within the next two to three months.
Large Combustion Plants
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to issue his formal plan for reducing sulphur dioxide and NOx emissions from existing large combustion plants.
Mr. Trippier : The United Kingdom's programme and national plan for reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from existing large combustion plants was published on 20 December. Notice of the making of the plan was given in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazette. Copies have been laid in the Libraries of both Houses and are also available from my Department.
Long Sea Outfalls
Mr. Bellotti : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in respect of disposal of leachate from landfill sites through long sea outfalls ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : It is for the NRA to set conditions on discharges through long sea outfalls.
Ministerial Responsibility
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of all those Ministers who have been given a specific responsibility for environmental matters within their respective departmental portfolios.
Mr. Heseltine : I am responsible, supported by my ministerial colleagues, for all environmental matters within my Department's remit. The current list of Ministers nominated to be responsible for considering the environmental implications of all their Department's policies and spending programmes and for following up the relevant parts of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance" (Cm. 1200) is as follows :
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Department and MinisterLord Chancellor
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mackay of Clashfern
Environment
The Rt. Hon. Michael Heseltine, MP
Transport
The Rt. Hon. Malcolm Rifkind, QC, MP
Energy
The Rt. Hon. John Wakeham, MP
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Rt. Hon. John Gummer, MP
Trade and Industry
The Rt. Hon. Peter Lilley, MP
Law Officers'
The Rt. Hon. Sir Nicholas Lyell, QC, MP
Privy Council Office/Office of Arts and Libraries
The Rt. Hon. Tim Renton, MP
Overseas Development
The Rt. Hon. Lynda Chalker, MP
Home Office
The Rt. Hon. Angela Rumbold, CBE, MP
Treasury
Mrs. Gillian Shephard, MP
Defence
Kenneth Carlisle, Esq., MP
Education and Science
Michael Fallon, Esq., MP
Employment
Eric Forth, Esq., MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd, MP
Health
Stephen Dorrell, Esq., MP
Northern Ireland Office
Richard Needham, Esq., MP
Scottish Office
The Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MP
Social Security
The Lord Henley
Local Government
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of statutory bodies set up to carry out successor functions of the Greater London council and metropolitan counties, showing the expenditure of each successor body in 1989-90 and the principal sources of income of each successor body.
Mr. Key [holding answer 22 January 1991] : I have today arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.
Interest Rate Swaps
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement in the light of the House of Lords' judgment on local authority interest rate swaps.
Mr. Heseltine : The House of Lords' judgment concerns local authorities' powers to undertake interest rate swaps and similar business. The Government are considering the implications of the judgment.
The statutory powers of local authorities to borrow money, and the protection provided by legislation to those who lend to local authorities, were not in issue in the Hammersmith and Fulham case. The legislation provides that a person lending money to a local authority does not have to ask whether the authority has power to borrow the money and the lender is entitled to repayment of the loan, together with any interest thereon, regardless of whether the borrowing was within the authority's power or not.
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TRANSPORT
London Underground
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the occasions, within the last 12 months, when a London Underground station has been evacuated, or closed for a period exceeding 10 minutes, listing (a) the length of time the station was closed or evacuated, (b) the reason for the closure or evacuation and (c) whether the closure or evacuation took place during the peak period.
Mr. Freeman : This information is not kept by my Department. It is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd.
Public Bodies
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all those bodies to which he makes appointments, giving the number of people whom he appoints to each body.
Mr. Rifkind : The majority of the appointments for which I am responsible are listed in either "Public Bodies 1990" published by HMSO or "Women into Public Appointments" produced by the Women's National Commission, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The appointments which are not listed in either document are :
Acting conservator of the River Mersey ;
Four delegates to the Central Rhine Commission ;
Chairman and six members of the honorary medical advisory panel on driving and diabetes ;
Chairman and five members of the honorary medical advisory panel on driving and disorders of the cardiovascular system ;
Chairman and eight members of the honorary medical advisory panel for driving and disorders of the nervous system and chairman and two members of the panel's sub-committee on mental health drug and alcohol misuse.
ENERGY
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what specific measures his Department has taken to promote energy efficiency ; what further measures his Department intends to take to promote energy efficiency ; and by what amount and what percentage of its total energy bill his Department's energy bill has been reduced over the past year.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Since 1983, the Energy Efficiency Office (EEO) has promoted a range of programmes and other services to encourage the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency measures in industry and the domestic sector. These initiatives have led to recurrent annual energy savings now worth over £500 million a year and currently include :
the ministerial group on energy efficiency which aims to promote awareness and raise the profile of energy efficiency ; encourage an energy efficiency lifestyle at home, at work and in transport ; and lead by example in the development of policy initiatives and by taking forward the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate and in other public sector bodies ;
the best practice programme which provides independent and authoritative advice and information on energy use and efficiency in industry and commerce, and in the public sector and in housing ; the programme will continue to promote combined heat and power ;
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regional energy efficiency officers who lead the drive to encourage energy efficiency by visiting main energy users to guide them in developing energy management programmes, promoting EEO programmes and energy efficiency seminars and exhibitions, and encouraging the energy efficiency industry ;in the domestic sector, the home energy efficiency scheme, which began on 1 January 1991, replacing the community insulation programme which has insulated some 850,000 homes ; it will offer grants towards the cost of basic energy efficiency measures in low-income households ; the EEO has also launched a new domestic advertising campaign to motivate those moving house or improving their homes to improve their energy efficiency ; This campaign is supported by a new information pack--"Energy in Your Home"-- which provides information and advice on a wide range of measures.
The EEO is also carrying forward a number of new initiatives which were announced in the White Paper on the Environment, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm 1200), and which include :
developing proposals for a new scheme of project management assistance for implementation of energy efficiency investments ; considering with the lighting industry how to overcome barriers to the uptake of high-efficiency lighting ;
pursuing appliance labelling and minimum standards with our own appliance industry and in the EC.
With regard to the Department of Energy's own energy use, during the first year of occupation in our new headquarters building, which incorporates energy-efficiency systems, major energy initiatives were precluded by the process of ensuring that all plant and equipment were operating correctly and efficiently. However, during the coming year, my officials together with those of Property Holdings, will be investigating the feasibility of a contract energy management package. In addition, my Department will be running year-long schemes designed to promote staff awareness of the importance of energy efficiency through a variety of means including leaflets, poster campaigns and staff suggestions schemes.
Orimulsion
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he has received approaches seeking consent by National Power for the use of Orimulsion in any of their power stations :
(2) if he has received approaches seeking the consent by Power Gen for the use of Orimulsion in any of their power stations.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consideration he has given to the postponement of the flotation of National Power and PowerGen until after the cessation of hostilities in the middle east.
Mr. Wakeham : Preparations for the flotation of National Power and PowerGen are proceeding to timetable. Subject to market conditions, I intend to float both companies next month.
Flue Gas Desulphurisation
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the present plans and timetable for the installation of flue gas desulphurisation equipment at Ferrybridge and Ratcliffe power stations.
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : PowerGen has submitted applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to install flue gas desulphurisation equipment at its Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Ferrybridge C power stations. These applications are under consideration.
WALES
Bristol Channel (Pollution)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date Welsh Water will cease the dumping of sewage sludge into the Bristol channel ; and what quantities were disposed of by this method in the latest two years for which figures are available.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The sea disposal of sewage sludge is to be terminated as soon as possible and by 31 December 1998 at the latest. Welsh Water is preparing plans to meet this requirement. The amount of sewage sludge deposited by Welsh Water in the last two years for which figures are available is as follows :
Thousand tonnes (wet weight) 1988 |1989 --------------- 55 |62
Community Charge
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give his estimate of the community charge for 1991-92, including precepts for each of the district councils in Wales.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The level of community charges for 1991-92 will depend on the spending decisions of each local authority. If counties and districts spend in line with the realistic settlement that my right hon. Friend announced to the House on 17 January the average community charge component for each tier should be around £190 and £38 respectively, giving a combined community charge for standard spending of £228. The average community charge payable should not exceed £200 after allowing for the £62 million which the Government has provided for the community charge reduction scheme. This is £23 lower than the average actual charge for 1990-91 after relief, and is eminently achievable.
Irradiated Food
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to ensure the adequate protection of the public in respect of irradiated food in Wales since last year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Regulations permitting the irradiation of food came into operation on 1 January this year. The regulations incorporate a strict control framework both in respect of the licensing of food irradiation premises, and in respect of the categories of food which may be subjected to irradiation. Additionally, official recognition is needed for the use of the process in connection with imported foodstuffs.
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Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency to discuss Wales's share of inward investment projects going to United Kingdom assisted areas.
Mr. David Hunt : I have regular discussions with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency about a range of matters concerning the development of the Welsh economy, including inward investment.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Crawfordsburn Hospital
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations have taken place about the closure and subsequent disposal of Crawfordsburn hospital between the Eastern health and social services board and the Department of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Hanley : The Eastern health and social services board first sought the approval of the Department of Health and Social Services to the closure of Crawfordsburn hospital in September 1987. A further submission was made to the Department in September 1990 and formal approval to the closure was conveyed to the board on 25 October. No consultations between the board and the Department about disposal of the property have so far taken place.
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the future of Crawfordsburn hospital was first discussed at a meeting of the Eastern health and social services board.
Mr. Hanley : A proposal to close Crawfordsburn hospital was first discussed by the Eastern health and social services board at its meeting on 26 March 1987.
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will consider the conversion of Crawfordsburn hospital and its grounds into a retirement village for the elderly of North Down.
Mr. Hanley : The future use of Crawfordsburn hospital is a matter for the Eastern health and social services board in the first instance. Decisions about the disposal of the hospital will be taken in the light of any proposals put forward by the Board for its future use.
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the future of Crawfordsburn hospital was discussed at a meeting of the North Down and Ards unit of management of the Eastern health and social services board.
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