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Column 463
Proposed date of publication (1991)Supplement to the Autumn Statement Friday 1 February
Department of Social Security Friday 1 February
Ministry of Defence Tuesday 5 February
Department of Employment Tuesday 5 February
Home Office (including Charity Commission) Tuesday 5 February Cabinet Office Thursday 7 February
Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments and Net Payments to EC Institutions Thursday 7 February
Energy Thursday 7 February
Department of Transport Thursday 7 February
Department of Health and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Thursday 7 February
Department of Education and Science Monday 11 February
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Intervention Board and Forestry Commission Tuesday 12 February
Trade and Industry Tuesday 12 February
Environment Wednesday 13 February
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (including ODA) Wednesday 13 February
Office of Arts and Libraries Wednesday 13 February
Legal Departments Thursday 14 February
Scotland Thursday 14 February
Wales Friday 15 February
Northern Ireland Friday 15 February
Note : Copies will be available from the Vote Office.
|Proposed date of publication
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplement to the Autumn Statement |Friday 1 February
Department of Social Security |Friday 1 February
Ministry of Defence |Tuesday 5 February
Department of Employment |Tuesday 5 February
Home Office (including Charity Commission) |Tuesday 5 February
Cabinet Office |Thursday 7 February
Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments and Net Payments to EC
Institutions |Thursday 7 February
Energy |Thursday 7 February
Department of Transport |Thursday 7 February
Department of Health and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys |Thursday 7 February
Department of Education and Science |Monday 11 February
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Intervention Board and Forestry
Commission |Tuesday 12 February
Trade and Industry |Tuesday 12 February
Environment |Wednesday 13 February
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (including ODA) |Wednesday 13 February
Office of Arts and Libraries |Wednesday 13 February
Legal Departments |Thursday 14 February
Scotland |Thursday 14 February
Wales |Friday 15 February
Northern Ireland |Friday 15 February
Note: Copies will be available from the Vote Office.
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EC Personnel (Compensation)
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will raise with the European Court of Auditors the recent EC decision to pay £4,500,000 in compensation to 150 EC personnel ; and if he will make a statement on the implications for the United Kingdom contribution to the EC.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 25 January 1991] : The Government have noted with concern the observations in the European Court of Auditors' recent report on the 1989 EC budget in connection with redundancy payments to temporary staff at the joint research centre--JRC. The estimated cost to the United Kingdom of these payments is some £300,000 after abatement. The Government recognise that costs are frequently incurred when any organisation is restructured, but will want to ensure that measures taken to correct staff imbalances at the JRC do not result in unwarranted expenditure and that they will have the intended effect. The Government will therefore aim to pursue this issue in forthcoming Council discussions on the European Court of Auditors' report and in the review of the JRC planned for later this year.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Housing
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) unoccupied housing executive houses there are, (b) priority applicants are on the waiting list, (c) transfers are listed and (d) housing executive houses have been sold in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990, in Newtownabbey borough council area.
Mr. Needham : These are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by its chief executive that the information requested in respect of the Newtownabbey borough council district is as follows :
(a) At 31 December 1990 there were 44 unoccupied Housing Executive dwellings available for letting.
(b) The number of priority applicants on the waiting list at 31 December 1990 was 93.
(c) The number of applicants on the waiting list for transfer to the district at 31 December 1990 was 970.
(d) The number of Housing Executive dwellings sold is as follows :
|Houses sold
------------------------------------
1987 |165
1988 |200
1989 |201
1990 |165
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) unoccupied housing executive houses there are, (b) priority applicants are on the waiting list, (c) transfer requests are listed and (d) housing executive houses have been sold in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 in Antrim borough council area.
Mr. Needham : These are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by its chief executive that the information requested in respect of the Antrim borough council district is as follows :
a. At 31 December 1990 there were 37 unoccupied Housing Executive dwellings available for letting.
b. The number of priority applicants on the waiting list at 31 December 1990 was 58.
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c. The number of applicants on the waiting list for transfer to the district at 31 December 1990 was 551.d. The number of Housing Executive dwellings sold is as follows :
|Houses sold
------------------------------------
1987 |129
1988 |125
1989 |174
1990 |239
Killead Bypass
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the completion date for the Killead bypass.
Mr. Needham : Killead bypass is expected to be completed in autumn 1992.
Roads, Newtownards
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to remove the mound of earth at the lower end of Hollymount crescent, Newtownards ; what action has been taken against the rats at this location ; and if planning permission has been granted for development at this location.
Mr. Needham : Outline planning permission was granted for residential development at the Hollymount crescent site on 2 March 1971. On the detailed plans approved in 1975 the area in question was shown as open space. The Department of the Environment (NI) has attempted without success to trace the owner of the land with a view to seeking his co-operation in having an environmental improvement scheme carried out at this location. The problem of rodent infestation is a matter for Ards borough council.
Local Enterprise Development Unit
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many LEDU-assisted firms went into liquidation or ceased trading in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Needham : This information is available only in respect of firms that were LEDU clients at the time they went into liquidation or ceased trading. The numbers of such firms in the years stated are detailed in the table.
----------------- 1988 |16|15|31 1989 |15|11|26 1990 |17| 8|25
Local Authorities
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members there are in each of the 26 local authorities ; and what was the total amount of allowances and expenses paid to these members by each of the local authorities in each of the past five years.
Mr. Hanley : The information is set out in the table.
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Local Authority Number of Total amount of allowances and expenses paid to members
Members by local authorities in each of the last five years
|1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Antrim |19 |10,004 |6,976 |13,917 |21,235 |<1>20,051
2. Ards |20 |17,029 |11,237 |16,127 |<1>28,564|<1>45,000
3. Armagh |22 |14,835 |2,531 |12,962 |22,796 |<1>27,007
4. Ballymena |23 |14,597 |7,887 |18,203 |27,152 |30,958
5. Ballymoney |16 |7,498 |4,933 |10,320 |12,571 |<1>20,771
6. Banbridge |15 |10,337 |4,245 |14,970 |20,926 |17,727
7. Belfast |51 |55,861 |34,387 |53,721 |104,544 |<1>86,459
8. Carrickfergus |15 |13,249 |6,050 |18,987 |<1>34,832|<1>41,012
9. Castlereagh |21 |19,317 |11,830 |19,124 |35,540 |39,153
10. Coleraine |21 |12,668 |6,450 |14,620 |16,877 |22,510
11. Cookstown |16 |5,327 |2,780 |3,198 |5,401 |8,857
12. Craigavon |26 |18,961 |8,116 |8,723 |45,433 |44,358
13. Derry |30 |26,441 |31,050 |32,923 |42,279 |45,477
14. Down |23 |21,537 |16,842 |27,430 |33,092 |<1>35,464
15. Dungannon |22 |11,060 |9,314 |12,564 |19,489 |24,301
16. Fermanagh |23 |23,843 |20,748 |17,362 |20,994 |28,308
17. Larne |15 |9,978 |5,694 |11,063 |13,167 |<1>13,294
18. Limavady |15 |11,778 |5,172 |13,460 |18,640 |<1>21,731
19. Lisburn |28 |26,751 |11,675 |33,598 |52,053 |59,345
20. Magherafelt |15 |4,149 |5,232 |7,350 |7,058 |11,256
21. Moyle |15 |8,620 |8,970 |11,820 |12,719 |<1>18,978
22. Newry and Mourne |30 |54,266 |57,123 |48,405 |62,282 |<1>71,804
23. Newtownabbey |25 |24,220 |10,182 |27,360 |46,125 |<1>56,094
24. North Down |24 |18,486 |17,819 |24,010 |42,729 |<1>35,351
25. Omagh |21 |19,834 |19,007 |27,354 |32,548 |<1>33,172
26. Strabane |15 |31,615 |20,344 |22,976 |27,845 |<1>38,258
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Totals |566 |492,261 |346,594 |522,547 |806,891 |896,697
<1>Estimates.
Women Doctors
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the recent announcement about women doctors and their careers will be applied to Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The report of the joint working party on "Women Doctors and Their Careers" was issued by the Department of Health (London) on 22 January 1991. The report's recommendations have been drawn up in terms suitable for application in England only, but the Department of Health and Social Security for Northern Ireland will consider these and the action necessary in the light of needs in Northern Ireland.
Toxic Waste Incinerator
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public safety and environmental impact assessment criteria and procedures would be invoked by the Government in respect of a proposal to site a toxic waste incinerator in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 28 January 1991] : The effect of a proposal to site a toxic waste incinerator in Northern Ireland on public safety would be examined by the Department of Economic Development's health and safety inspectorate which enforces the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work (NI) Order 1978. The order requires every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. Regulations prevent the granting of planning permission to proposals of this type unless environmental information has first been considered. Schedule 1(8) of the Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations (NI) 1989 applies and any planning
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application for such an incinerator must be accompanied by an environmental statement. These statements are available for public information.Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on planning applications made by Du Pont regarding waste incineration at Maydown.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 28 January 1991] : The only planning application made by Du Pont at Maydown for a waste incinerator was submitted on the 10 October 1990 for the
"installation of a solid waste burner"
the purpose of which is to incinerate only lycra waste from the existing plant. Schedule 1(8) of the Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations (NI) 1989 applies to this application and the company have been asked to submit an environmental statement for consideration with the planning application.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any Government Department or public agency has had discussions with Du Pont about the establishment of a toxic waste incinerator at its Maydown complex.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 28 January 1991] : In October 1990, Du Pont (NI) Ltd. advised the Industrial Development Board, the Department of Economic Development, and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland of a proposal to establish a hazardous waste incinerator on its site at Maydown, Co. Londonderry. In December 1990, the company confirmed in writing that an evaluation of the project was under way. Officials from the Department involved will be available for consultations with the company as appropriate.
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Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions have taken place with Republic of Ireland Government departments or public agencies regarding possible siting for a toxic waste incinerator.Mr. Hanley [holding answer 28 January 1991] : In November 1990, correspondence from the appropriate Minister in the Republic of Ireland indicated that the Republic of Ireland government was a at an advanced stage in its consideration of a central hazardous waste incinerator to service Irish industry, that it had become aware that Du Pont (UK) Ltd. was considering the provision of such a facility on its site at Maydown, Co. Londonderry and sought the views of the Northern Ireland authorities.
The response indicated that Du Pont (UK) Ltd. was engaged in the necessary studies of all the implications of such a facility. Informal discussion of the matter between officials has been in accord with the correspondence.
ENVIRONMENT
Empty Housing
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of empty properties owned by (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The available information for April 1990 for England is in the table
|Vacant
|dwellings
|(thousands)
-----------------------------------------------
Local authority<1> |99.2
Housing association<2> |19.7
<1> Derived from local authorities' housing
investment programme returns for April 1990.
Includes 38,900 dwellings which are awaiting
or undergoing major works or awaiting sale or
demolition.
<2> Derived from housing association returns
to the Housing Corporation for March 1990.
Includes 12,700 dwellings, mainly purchased
from the private sector, which require
rehabilitation work before being suitable for
occupation.
Homelessness
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what new initiatives he is taking to tackle the problem of homelessness in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) Doncaster ; (2) what new and additional finance is being made available to help (a) local authorities and (b) voluntary organisations to tackle the problem of homelessness in (i) South Yorkshire generally and (ii) Doncaster.
Mr. Yeo : Housing investment programme allocations to South Yorkshire authorities for 1991-92 total £56.574 million, of which Doncaster's share is £7.950 million. When these allocations were determined, the levels of homelessness experienced were taken into account, both through generalised needs index indicators and in the distribution of resources not allocated through the GNI. In addition, Doncaster MBC's proposal to provide an additional hostel for the homeless was taken specifically into account. Our two main national homelessness
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initiatives, involving expenditure of £396 million, are targeted on the areas of greatest need in London and the south-east. In the longer term, we will consider extension to other areas.Sheffield and Barnsley's urban programme submissions, which include schemes directed at the homeless, are under consideration now. Neither Doncaster nor Rotherham have included such schemes in their urban programme submissions.
Applications from voluntary organisations assisting the homeless for funding in 1991-92 under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 are also currently being considered.
Unused Sites, Thamesdown
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the unused sites owned by public bodies within the borough of Thamesdown, together with their owners and sizes in hectares, as detailed in the land register.
Mr. Yeo : In 1989 individual public sector owners were asked to keep their own registers of their unused and underused land. Since then up-to- date information has ceased to be available from my right hon. Friend's register. Information on sites on owners' registers as at 31 March 1990 is available from individual owners for their holdings and from district or London borough councils for sites within their areas for which owners have deposited information.
English Heritage
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what has been English Heritage's total education budget for each of the last three years for which figures are available ; (2) how many school children are estimated to have used English Heritage properties in each of the last three years for which figures are available ;
(3) what has been English Heritage's budget for educational publications, including audio-visual productions, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Sir George Young : These are matters for English Heritage.
Heveningham Hall, Suffolk
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom Heveningham hall in Suffolk was sold.
Sir George Young : I.D. Investment Development AG.
Refuse-derived Fuel
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the arguments his Department put forward during negotiations on the derogation agreement with the European Community for the use and development of refuse-derived fuel.
Mr. Baldry : During the negotiations in the European Community of the draft directives on municipal waste incineration, the United Kingdom sought derogation for refuse-derived fuel in view of the considerable investment and research being undertaken in the United Kingdom to
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develop RDG as an economic alternative fuel in the interests of recycling, the securing of energy from waste, and the development of waste disposal options.Crayfish
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from the Nature Conservancy Council since 1982 recommending the listing of American signal crayfish under schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : My Department has received a number of representations from the Nature Conservancy Council about this subject in recent years. In October 1990, the council formally recommended that the American signal crayfish should be added to schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. My Department is currently considering this recommendation and undertaking the consultation required under section 26 of the 1981 Act.
Nine Elms Coldstore
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his consent has been sought by the Covent Garden market authority for the demolition of the Nine Elms coldstore and for alternative proposals for the site.
City Grant, Bradford
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce a decision on the application for £5 million city grant by 3Ds Ltd. ; and how many applications are anticipated for the west end scheme in Bradford.
Mr. Key : The proposal for the first phase in the development of Bradford west end is under consideration. Discussions were held earlier this month with 3D Ltd. and further details have been requested from the developer. Once all information has been provided, the Department will be able to undertake a full appraisal of the scheme. No details are available for the likely number of any future applications arising from the proposal.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on efforts to secure international agreement on the environmental safety of genetically modified organisms.
Mr. Baldry : The White Paper on the environment, "Our Common Inheritance", recognised that the safe development of biotechnology based on genetically modified organisms--GMOs--requires the agreement of satisfactory environmental safeguards, both nationally and internationally. Good progress has been made to date. In particular, the United Kingdom Government played an influential role in the adoption last year of two European Communities directives on GMOs and has made provision in part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for implementation of their environmental requirements. The United Kingdom is actively participating in work to secure wider international agreement on the safety of GMOs. An opportunity for further significant progress is
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provided by the United Nations conference on environment and development to be held in Brazil in 1992--UNCED 1992. As part of the preparations for the conference, the UK Government have responded positively to a Netherlands proposal for a UN approach on biotechnology safety and are developing that proposal further in collaboration with their Dutch counterparts. The proposal aims to encourage the effective risk assessment and management of GMO activities worldwide through the development of international guidelines based on the exchange of information and expertise. The Government see this as a positive contribution to preparations for UNCED 1992 and hope that other countries will support the UK and the Netherlands in seeking to make this initiative a success.Urban Programme
Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources will be available for local authorities under the urban programme in 1991-92 ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : I am pleased to announce initial urban programme resource allocations for 1991-92 totalling over £264 million. The resources will be allocated to the 57 urban programme partnership and programme authorities in England. The money will be used to support a wide range of projects aimed at stimulating enterprise and the development of local economies, improving the environmental quality of inner-city areas particularly through greening, and improving the quality of life in inner- city areas.
The urban programme has achieved a great deal over many years. I now want to build on that success. Our aim is to promote vital and self-reliant communities. The key, I believe, is to target resources effectively on those areas of particular need. I also want to encourage the partnerships that local authorities are developing with other local interests : local business, voluntary bodies, and of course the people in the inner city areas.
The resources I am now making available will allow local authorities to extend this good practice already well established in many areas.
A list of the allocations to individual authorities for 1991-92 is set out in the table.
Urban Programme Allocations 1991-92
|£ million
-------------------------------------------------
Newcastle/Gateshead |17.096
Hartlepool |2.012
Langbaurgh |2.059
Middlesborough |5.450
North Tyneside |3.560
South Tyneside |5.025
Stockton |1.669
Sunderland |5.332
Manchester/Salford |21.749
Blackburn |4.010
Bolton |4.010
Burnley |2.173
Oldham |3.965
Preston |2.461
Rochdale |3.975
Wigan |2.722
Liverpool |19.115
Halton |1.537
Knowsley |4.177
St. Helens |1.882
Sefton |1.742
Wirral |3.713
Birmingham |23.535
Coventry |4.772
Dudley |1.637
Sandwell |4.776
Walsall |1.763
Wolverhampton |5.398
The Wrekin |1.009
Derby |1.312
Leicester |4.990
Nottingham |5.350
Barnsley |1.832
Bradford |4.711
Doncaster |2.000
Hull |5.120
Kirklees |1.136
Leeds |5.490
Rotherham |2.000
Sheffield |6.182
Hackney |5.585
Islington |9.240
Lambeth |9.084
Brent |2.680
Greenwich |1.536
Hammersmith/Fulham |2.625
Haringey |2.865
Kensington/Chelsea |1.860
Lewisham |2.584
Newham |3.061
Southwark |2.816
Tower Hamlets |4.910
Wandsworth |3.180
Bristol |1.715
Plymouth |1.380
Outward Bound Funding
Through Local Authorities |0.270
Special Regional Initiatives |3.400
Combined Heat and Power
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that his technical guidance accompanying the introduction of integrated pollution control will recognise and promote the environmental and economic benefits of combined heat and power.
Mr. Trippier : The chief inspector's technical guidance will focus on the requirements for authorisation under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. However, in seeking to establish the best practicable means not entailing excessive cost for preventing, minimising or rendering harmless polluting substances, and the best practicable environmental option to protect the environment as a whole, the guidance might identify the need to include conditions in an authorisation which an operator could in fact meet by the use of combined heat and power.
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HEALTH
Under-fives
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of (a) the secretariat and (b) the annual budget of the inter-departmental consultative group for under-fives.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The secretariat of this group, which I chair, is found from administrative staff in the Department's community services division. There is no separate budget allocation for the work of this group. The group last met on 25 September 1990 when the main subject discussed was the Children Act 1989 and the draft guidance on day care services. The group's next meeting is arranged for 13 March, when it is intended to discuss quality systems for child care providers and consultants, and day care services on Crown premises.
Maternity Units (Security)
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requests he has had for support for the initiative taken by the Royal College of Midwives to improve the security of maternity units and hospitals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : None, but we are aware that the general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives wrote to the chairmen of all district health authorities on 13 December 1990 asking them to review the security system for their maternity services.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make available resources to improve security for mothers, babies and midwives in maternity units and hospitals.
Mr. Dorrell : The Department is providing funding to the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts to update the NHS security manual which is the main source of practical guidance to health authorities on security matters.
It is for health authorities to decide how to use the funds already allocated to them in the light of local needs and priorities. The cost and efficiency of security arrangements within any particular hospital or unit are matters for the relevant health authority and its general managers.
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