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Column 341
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 26 March 1991
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Sri Lanka
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the number of people who have disappeared in Sri Lanka in the last three years ; how many detainees are held by the Sri Lankan Government under emergency laws ; what recent representations he has made to the Sri Lankan authorities on human rights abuses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Reliable information is not available on the number of people who have disappeared or the number of detainees. We continue regularly to raise with the Sri Lankan Government our concerns about their human rights performance and the conduct of their security forces in dealing with the serious terrorist challenge they face.
Iraq (Humanitarian Assistance)
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what humanitarian assistance Her Majesty's Government are giving to Iraq via the European Community, the International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations agencies, and other relief agencies.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom supports the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations relief agencies in Iraq. This year we have already given £2.5 million to the ICRC's Gulf appeal and US $1 million to the United Nations appeal co- ordinated by UNDRO. In addition, the EC Commission has given £8.75 million to support the relief activities in the Gulf region. The share of this attributable to the United Kingdom's aid budget is £1.75 million. All these funds are available for use in Iraq.
In the light of reports from the ICRC and United Nations Under-Secretary- General Ahtisaari, the United Nations sanctions committee, with full British support, has now made a general determination that humanitarian circumstances apply with respect to the entire civilian population of Iraq in all parts of Iraq's national territory and that the civilian and humanitarian imports identified in Mr. Ahtisaari's report, which are integrally related to the supply of foodstuffs and supplies intended for medical purposes, should be allowed with immediate effect.
TRANSPORT
Motorway Lighting
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway there are in England and Wales ; and what proportion of these are lit.
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Mr. Chope : There are 1,640 miles of trunk motorway in England. About 30 per cent. of this length is lit. The Secretary of State for Wales is responsible for motorways in Wales.
Air Traffic Distribution
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which British-owned airlines were consulted prior to his recent announcement about traffic distribution rights at Heathrow airport ; what steps he took to ensure that airlines flying services from Britain's regional airports could continue to do so ; if he has discussed the allocation of Air UK's original slots with the Heathrow airport scheduling committee ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The hon. Member will be able to obtain from the CAA the names of the 54 United Kingdom airlines it consulted prior to offering advice on the need for the London traffic distribution rules. My right hon. and learned Friend explained in his statement of 5 March that removal of the rules did not impose any requirement on the operators of regional services to give up operating at Heathrow, and noted the existence of safeguards against unreasonable discrimination in an airport's trade practice or pricing policy. My right hon. and learned Friend has not discussed with the Heathrow scheduling committee the allocation of slots previously used by Air UK, as the Government are not involved in the slot allocation process.
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from British Northern Airlines about his Heathrow traffic distribution decisions and that airline's application to the Heathrow airport scheduling committee.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. and learned Friend has received no such representations from British Northern Airlines, although its concern to secure slots at Heathrow has been drawn to our attention by others. That is a matter for discussion between the airlines and the Heathrow scheduling committee.
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review his decision on allocation of airlines to Heathrow in the light of the refusal by the Heathrow airport scheduling committee to allocate the slots previously used by Air UK to British Northern Airlines.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to review his decision to remove restrictions on access to Heathrow. The allocation of slots at the airport is the responsibility of the scheduling committee, which follows guidelines drawn up by the International Air Transport Association. The Government are not involved in the allocation process.
Holidaymakers (Consumer Protection)
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Association of British Travel Agents over extending consumer protection for all holidaymakers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : Consumer protection matters in general, including package holidays, are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry ; I
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understand that the Association of British Travel Agents has had discussions with Ministers in his Department recently.The Association of British Travel Agents has also written recently to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, supporting his request to the Civil Aviation Authority, as announced in his statement to the House on 11 March, for advice on possible arrangements to give financial protection to scheduled air passengers ; air charter holidaymakers are already protected by the statutory bonding scheme for air travel organisers, and by the Air Travel Trust.
Offshore Standby Vessels
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer of 14 March, Official Report, column 639, when his Department's latest standard for standby vessels will be applied to all such vessels.
Mr. McLoughlin : The latest standard is expected to be published in April. New ships will be required to comply in full, but in view of the significant changes that are to be made there will be a staged introduction for existing ships.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he proposes to change the record keeping by his Department to enable him to know when standby vessels are on station in the North sea.
Mr. McLoughlin : Since early 1990 most owners have been providing on a weekly basis information on the locations and time their vessels are on station as a check on the periods of duty at offshore installations. When the revised code is published next month this information will be sought on a voluntary basis for all standby vessels. In his report on the Piper Alpha disaster Lord Cullen recommended that the owners of standby vessels should be required to notify the regulatory body weekly as to the locations and functions of their vessels in the ensuing week. This will of course be a matter for the Health and Safety Commission once responsibility has been transferred to it.
Drivers (Working Hours)
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to introduce regulations to restrict the working of excessive hours by taxi and private hire drivers.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Government will be consulting trade organisations to establish whether the working of excessive hours is a widespread problem, posing a serious safety hazard. If it is, we shall have to identify appropriate remedial measures.
Goole Port
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many registered dock workers there were at the port of Goole for each of the years from 1985 to 1990 ; and how many of those dock workers are currently employed following the abolition of the dock labour scheme.
Mr. McLoughlin : The numbers of dockers registered at the port of Goole at the end of each year 1985 to 1988 and at 3 July 1989 when the dock labour scheme was abolished were as follows :
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Numbers of registered
dockworkers
Year |Numbers
----------------------------
1985 |189
1986 |169
1987 |169
1988 |165
3 July 1989 |164
I have no information about how many of these are currently employed following abolition of the dock labour scheme.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the total tonnage of exports and imports handled by the port of Goole in each year since 1985.
Mr. McLoughlin : Annual tonnages of foreign trade handled at the port of Goole since 1985 are as follows :
(
Thousand tonnes
|Exports|Imports|Total
----------------------------------------
1985 |478 |817 |1,295
1986 |369 |909 |1,278
1987 |432 |1,265 |1,697
1988 |497 |1,603 |2,100
1989 |407 |1,423 |1,829
<1>1990 |354 |1,242 |1,596
<1>Provisional.
Highway Maintenance
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the long-term cost of financing highway structural maintenance on the primary route network through capital rather than revenue expenditure will be reduced or increased as a result of the changes proposed by his Department.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 25 March 1991] : The benefits of structural maintenance are primarily felt in future accounting periods. To compare the real cost of financing by means of borrowing and the cost of charging expenditure direct to revenue account, it is necessary to discount the nominal value of cash payments in future years to reflect the time intervals before they are made. The result of the comparison will depend on the rate of discount and the rate of interest.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Immigration
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances and for what reasons the Government record whether persons admitted to the United Kingdom are serving members of their armed forces.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Where relevant to the person's claim for admission, such information would be recorded on the landing card. However, landing cards are not completed for members of forces who are exempted from immigration control under section 8 of the Immigration Act 1971.
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Life Sentences
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to make a statement about the Thynne, Wilson and Gunnell case following the European Court of Human Rights judgment.
Mrs. Rumbold : The implications of the European Court's judgment require full and careful consideration ; we will put our proposals to Parliament as soon as we are able to do so.
Children Act 1989
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department is issuing to local authorities in connection with the Children Act 1989.
Mr. John Patten : None, but extensive guidance has been issued by the Department of Health which has responsibility for this Act.
Sunday Trading
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to protect the rights of those who do not wish to work or open their place of work on a Sunday, to remove the anomalies of the present Sunday trading laws and to replace the present legislation with a formula which allows limited shopping.
Mrs. Rumbold : The terms and timing of fresh legislation on Sunday trading remain to be determined, but our aim is that such legislation should be workable, enforceable and enjoy both popular and sufficient parliamentary support. Separate discussions to which I have invited the major groups interested in reform of the Sunday trading law may help to identify what particular provisions might satisfy these criteria.
Plastic Explosives
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Montreal agreement on the chemical labelling of plastic explosives.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) on 20 March 1991 at columns 113-14.
Security Firms
Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans for the registration of security firms and the establishment of minimum training requirements.
Mr. John Patten : We are considering a range of options for improving the regulation of the private security industry.
Immigration Rules
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to make changes in the immigration rules.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd [ pursuant to his reply, 25 January 1991, c. 354] : My right hon. Friend is laying before Parliament today an immigration rules change to introduce a visa requirement for all citizens of Uganda with effect from 2 April.
Ugandans currently account for nearly one in 10 of all asylum applications in the United Kingdom and their numbers have risen sharply over a period in which there is general agreement that respect for human rights in Uganda has substantially improved. The introduction of a visa requirement should benefit all bona fide travellers who will be less likely to encounter delays on arrival in this country. Our entry clearance unit in Kampala is being strengthened to ensure an efficient service. Regular visitors to this country will be eligible for multiple entry visas.
ENVIRONMENT
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last issued guidance to owners and occupiers of sites of special scientific interest under the provisions of section 33 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 ; and whether such guidance reflects the changes in SSSI notification procedures introduced in the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985.
Mr. Trippier : A code of guidance for sites of special scientific interest was published in 1982 and we shall be revising it later this year. Advice is also given in departmental circulars and in the Nature Conservancy Council's publication "Sites of Special Scientific Interest".
This Common Inheritance"
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the timetable he has set for the implementation of the policy objectives set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance".
Mr. Trippier : Our White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", published on 25 September last year, was the first comprehensive statement of environmental policies and objectives by any United Kingdom Government. Over the last six months we have worked hard, proving that the White Paper means action, not just words. Thanks to the drive and commitment of the Government across the whole range of their activities, getting on for 100 White Paper initiatives have borne fruit so far.
In the field of investment, I announced last November an increase of 33 per cent., or £130 million, in planned expenditure for 1991-92 on protecting and improving the environment. This provided extra resources for purposes including environmental research, the countryside, the heritage, housing and urban initiatives, pollution control and waste disposal and recycling.
The Government have set up new institutions, including a permanent committee of Cabinet Ministers to consider environmental policies and follow up and roll forward the initiative taken by the White Paper. Each Government Department has nominated a Minister to consider the environmental implications of all of its policies and programmes. The first round of new annual departmental reports, many reporting at length on environmental initiatives, has been published. The first meeting of a new local government environmental forum
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has been held, and arrangements have been made to set up similar new fora involving business and the voluntary sector. In Europe, Britain has proposed amendments to the EC treaties to give the Community clearer competence on environmental matters and launched an initiative to promote the integration of the environment with other areas of Community policy.In the field of planning, a consultation paper has been issued on tighter controls over agricultural and forestry buildings. The Department of the Environment has published a report and consultation paper on the protection of hedgerows. The planning Bill has been introduced, with proposals which will implement many of the improvements described in the planning chapter of the White Paper. A consultation paper has been issued giving proposals for the application of environmental assessment to private Bills. New guidance has been published on subjects including archaeology and planning, the interaction of planning and transport and planning aspects of the extraction of cement.
In the field of environmental technology, waste minimisation and recycling, the Department of Trade and Industry in conjunction with the Department of the Environment has launched the new £12 million environmental technology innovation scheme as well as its own environmental management options scheme. An extra £60 million over three years has been announced to upgrade and replace municipal incinerators. A further £31 million will be available over the same period to help authorities improve standards at landfill sites, transfer stations and civic amenity sites and £40 million of resources will be available to enable authorities to invest in effective recycling schemes. The derelict land programme for 1991 -92 has been increased by £15 million.
Research projects have been commissioned on recycling building waste and waste from quarries and mines. Studies to monitor the results of pilot recycling projects in a number of cities have been commissioned. The Department of the Environment and the Scottish Office have announced the introduction of a new system of registration for carriers of waste. At present, local authorities are responsible both for disposing of waste themselves and for regulating the way in which others do so. The DOE has issued draft circulars for local authorities on arrangements to separate these functions by the formation of new local authority waste disposal companies. In line with the United Kingdom's policy, a recommendation on international self-sufficiency in waste management has been adopted by the OECD. Extra resources have been announced by the Department of the Environment for improving local authority disposal and recycling facilities, and a code of practice has been issued on standards of cleanliness in public places and the best means of dealing with litter.
In the fields of pollution control and air quality, a practical guide has been published to the system of integrated pollution control through which the Government have given a new push to the process of designing out pollution problems from the most potentially polluting processes. Detailed regulations have been laid to implement both these controls and the supplementary air pollution controls by local authorities. The Government have achieved agreement in the EC on standards for new large diesel engines. A new advisory group on medical aspects of air pollution episodes has been announced by the Department of Health. The
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Department of the Environment has produced a model describing critical loads of air pollution--the loads that a particular environment can tolerate without adverse effects--and has also announced funding for an expanded air quality monitoring network and new arrangements to provide information on air pollution for weather bulletins. As from 1 April, 25 process guidance notes will be published covering processes for local authority pollution control. The Chancellor, in the Budget, raised the duty on petrol and derv by 15 per cent., substantially above inflation. With the VAT increase in April the tax differential between leaded and unleaded petrol will rise to 4p a litre, giving a further boost to unleaded, whose market share has risen from 30 to 39 per cent. over the last year. The Budget also put up employers' national insurance contributions on company cars and raised income tax on car sales by a further 20 per cent.Also in the field of transport, the agreement that the Government have been pressing for on a consolidated directive applying to emissions from cars of all sizes has been reached. From November this year an emissions check will be included in the MOT test. A Road Traffic Bill has been introduced by the Department of Transport which contains provisions to improve the enforcement of speed limits. The first pilot "red route" scheme has been introduced. Plans have been announced for six demonstration projects on the best way to integrate bypasses with traffic management schemes.
As for the countryside, a start has been made on planting a new national forest in the midlands. Extra funds have been announced for national park authorities, the Countryside Commission and the Groundwork Trust. Proposals have been announced for additional planning control safeguards over sites of special scientific interest. Agriculture departments in England and Wales have gone out to consultation on a draft code embodying new advice on best practice to reduce agricultural water pollution. My right hon. Friend has announced that he proposes to revoke a deemed planning permission to develop housing on the edge of Canford heath, a site of acknowledged international importance for nature conservation.
Internationally, the Government have continued to make a major contribution to efforts to agree a global convention on climate change and to work for a successful United Nations conference on environment and development in 1991. In the field of overseas assistance, the Government announced in November 1990 a new public expenditure sub-programme, separate from the budget for aid for developing countries, on global environmental assistance. For this, the Government have pledged £40 million to the global environment facility being established under the leadership of the World bank, UNDP and UNEP to help developing countries tackle global environmental problems.
In the field of energy, the Government are drawing up plans for a major publicity campaign and extra research on domestic energy efficiency. The Department of Energy's new home energy efficiency scheme has been launched. The Department of the Environment has launched a pilot programme of energy efficiency measures in local authority housing. The Department of Energy has announced a £4 million increase in research into renewable energy. With the active participation of the United Kingdom, the second world climate conference in Geneva agreed the basic shape of a global strategy on climate
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change. Thanks in no small part to the Department of Energy's efforts, obsolete EC rules that made it harder than it need be to switch to gas from more polluting fuels for generating electricity have been repealed, and a new ministerial committee has been established to oversee all aspects of energy efficiency.In the field of the heritage, state funds are to be available for the first time for the repair of historic cathedrals. The scheme will be launched on 3 April. A total of £11.5 million of new money has been set aside for grants for cathedrals over this and the next two years.
In the field of water, to help reduce water pollution regulations have been introduced setting standards for farm waste facilities and oil stores. A total of £23 million extra grant in aid for the National Rivers Authority has been announced. The maximum fines for water pollution in magistrates courts have been increased tenfold to £20,000 ; the fines in Crown courts are unlimited.
In the field of noise, the report of the Government's noise review working party has been issued for consultation.
In the field of wider environmental knowledge, the Department of the Environment has issued its detailed consultation paper on its proposed new, more comprehensive environmental statistical report. Consultation with industry and consumer groups is continuing on the outlines of a new eco- labelling scheme. A new leaflet--"Wake Up To What You Can Do For The Environment"--has been published and widely distributed to tell individuals how they can help.
In Scotland, legislation has been introduced establishing Scottish Natural Heritage. A project team has been appointed to bring the Government's new rural enterprise programme into operation. A fuller list of Scottish Office achievements is in its press notice also issued today.
In Wales, £41 million funding was announced for the Welsh Development Agency's initiatives "Landscape Wales" and "Urban Development Wales" in 1991-92, with £7 million urban programme support for environmental improvements. An environmental competition for schools is being run with £5,000 cash prizes donated by Welsh Water plc.
In Northern Ireland, work has started on a code to support the Government's new countryside management strategy. Core funding has been announced for the establishment of a regional Tidy Britain Group office in Belfast, and a consultation paper has been issued on energy efficiency in Northern Ireland. An Environment Week will also be held at the end of April.
This is only a selection of the very wide range of action that the Government have in hand in order to push ahead with their environmental strategy. Vigorous action will continue, not only to fulfil the individual commitments made in the White Paper, but to roll forward the process of addressing tomorrow's environmental challenges. With co-operation from everyone--individuals, as well as local authorities, businesses, schools and voluntary organisations--I am confident that those challenges can be met with courage and success.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the individuals and organisations being consulted in the process of completion of the statistical report on the environment being prepared as a result of a commitment in "This Common Inheritance".
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Mr. Trippier : Around 250 organisations have been consulted and 94 written responses have been received by my Department. A list of consultees and those organisations from which written responses have been received has today been placed in the Library of the House.
Doncaster (Grants)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount per head of revenue support grant, area protection grant, inner London education special grant and of all grants payable to Doncaster metropolitan borough council for 1991-92.
Mr. Key : The available information for Doncaster MBC for 1991-92 is as follows :
|£/Head of relevant
|population
------------------------------------------------------------
RSG |226
Area Protection Grant |80
In addition after the enactment of the Community Charges (General Reduction) Bill, Doncaster MBC will receive payment of £140 for each personal community charge paid or, in the case of standard or collective charges, equivalent.
Information on the amounts of transitional relief grant, community charge benefit grant and specific grants payable to Doncaster MBC in 1991-92 is not available.
Wake Up To What You Can Do For The Environment"
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of his departmental leaflet, "Wake Up To What You Can Do For The Environment" have been printed ; what plans exist for additional print runs ; how the leaflet is being distributed and to which target audiences ; how much the printing and distribution has cost to date ; and whether any external consultants were involved in the design and content of the leaflet.
Mr. Baldry : Five million copies of the leaflet have been printed ; additional print runs will depend upon demand. The leaflet is being distributed through supermarkets with the generous assistance of Tesco, Sainsbury's, the Co-op, Safeway and Asda ; and at the Department's stand at the ideal home exhibition. Local authorities have been invited to assist in distribution ; and copies are available on request from the Department. The target audience for the leaflet is the general public. Printing and distribution have cost £180,000 to date. Consultants were commissioned to conduct market research on a pilot version of the leaflet, and the leaflet was designed by outside contractors.
Common Land
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to bring forward new common land legislation in pursuance of the recommendations of the Common Land Forum in 1986 and the policy statement made by the Minister for the Environment and Countryside on 26 July 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : It remains our policy, as stated by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside
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on 26 July 1990, to safeguard the status of common land and to strengthen the ways in which we protect and use it. We recognise that this requires legislation to implement it, and the importance of such legislation. I regret, however, that, given the pressures on the parliamentary timetable, we cannot see any opportunity to legislate comprehensively during the lifetime of this Parliament.We have also considered very carefully the proposal for a short Bill put to us by amenity bodies. We have concluded that this would not have sufficient advantages to be a priority candidate, in the light of the reservations expressed by other interested parties.
Land Planning
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what use is made by his Department in developing land use planning policy of geographic information systems and digital terrain models.
Mr. Yeo : The Department of the Environment is involved in several applications of geographic information systems--GIS--and digital terrain models, mainly through its research programme. The inclusion of GIS along with other technologies is also being considered in the Department's information technology strategy.
The following GIS applications are of most relevance to the development of land use planning policy :
In 1990 the Department undertook a survey of the stock of vacant land in urban areas of England. A GIS was used to select the sample for the survey.
A research project is being undertaken to explore the potential uses of GIS in the analysis of countryside data.
A further research project using the Department's land use change statistics applied GIS technology to analyse the data and to report on ways in which the data can be used to monitor planning policies. In the Countryside 1990 survey GIS is being used to link together broad-brush census information from satellite remote sensing and data from ground surveys to provide valuable ecological information about plant species and habitats.
Further information about some of these projects can be found in the article "Government in Action", written by my officials for inclusion in the 1991 yearbook of the Association for Geographic Information. A copy of the article has been placed in the Library.
Council House Sales, Bolton
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much extra money Bolton council would receive in capital receipts if its sales of council houses were now brought into line with the national average for sales since 1981.
Mr. Yeo : A total of 2,200 extra sales would be needed to catch up with the average for England, or 1,000 to come in line with the rest of the region. The receipts cannot be predicted reliably, but in recent months the average discounted selling price for council houses in Bolton has been about £11,000.
Homelessness
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent consideration he has given to the use of capital receipts by local authorities with a view to introducing more flexibility into the system in order to provide accommodation for homeless people.
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Mr. Yeo : We have already introduced a number of relaxations to the rules on the use of capital receipts by local authorities, in particular to encourage provision of low-cost housing. We intend to keep these rules under review to ensure that they are fully achieving our policy aims.
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