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Mrs. Chalker : Some $567 million has been pledged by OECD, OPEC and developing countries to the third replenishment of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Negotiations on the replenishment were completed in mid-1989, but it became effective only last December. Together with estimated income from loan repayments, investments and other sources. IFAD should have resources totalling in excess of $1,200 million for commitment over the next three years.
IFAD's special programme for Africa, which attained the $300 million target set in 1986 with voluntary contributions from OECD countries, will be fully committed early this year. IFAD's governing council in May will be invited to consider proposals for extending the programme for a further, and final, phase.
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Sudan
Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on Britain's humanitarian assistance to Sudan.
Mrs. Chalker : We continue to provide substantial humanitarian assistance to Sudan. On 2 April I approved a new package of food and other emergency assistance worth £5.5 million. I am today announcing provision of a further 5,000 tonnes of food aid at an estimated cost of £1.7 million. This brings the total of our response to the present emergency to £17.4 million, which includes 55,550 tonnes of food aid, and to nearly £39 million since the beginning of 1989. I expect to provide more aid as the year goes on.
ENERGY
Immingham Port
Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will request the Director General of OFFER to undertake a review of the involvement of National Power and PowerGen in the financing and operation of the port development at Immingham, with respect to the policy of securing economic supply of electricity by means of competition between generators.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No. These are commercial matters for the companies concerned.
British Gas
Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to British Gas and the environment to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Moynihan : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 22 to 26 July.
ENVIRONMENT
Community Charge
Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates will be the yield of the community charge in England in 1991-92 allowing for the effect of the community charge reduction schemes.
Mr. Portillo : The community charge is expected to yield about £7.4 billion in England in 1991-92. About £1 billion of this will be met by community charge benefit.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to ensure that the £140 reduction of community charge announced on 19 March does not lead to any reduction in the benefits previously provided for those people entitled to rebates.
Mr. Key : All headline community charges for 1991-92 will be reduced by £140 as a result of the Community Charges (General Reduction) Bill. The amount of community charge benefit received by charge payers will be lower as a result, but all charge payers, including those on benefit, should have reduced bills.
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Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would have been the community charge in the London boroughs of (a) Wandsworth and (b) Westminster had they received in 1990-91 Government grants per head of relevant population of £448.
Mr. Key : Since 1 April 1990, in contrast to previous arrangements, revenue support grant has been paid to the receiving authority for each area in support jointly of its own expenditure and that of the precepting authorities in the area. For this reason it is inappropriate to attempt to estimate the community charge that Wandsworth and Westminster would have set had they received in 1990-91 Government grants per head of relevant population of £448.
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the proposed spending of £4.3 billion on the poll tax is additional to transitional relief grant and rebate subsidy.
Mr. Key [holding answer 28 March 1991] : The figure of £4.3 billion represents broadly the switch from local to central taxation. It is estimated that the gross cost of community charge grant will be some £5.6 billion in Great Britain. Because many people are already getting extensive help with paying their charges at the levels set by authorities the general reduction will result in savings of some £1.3 billion on reduction scheme grant and benefit subsidy.
Jet Skis
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the powers the exercise of which is monitored by his Department which are currently available to local authorities and others to control nuisances caused by operators of waterborne jet ski machines.
Mr. Baldry : Local authorities can make byelaws under section 76 of the Public Health Act 1961 requiring engines of all seaside pleasure boats, including water ski vessels and ski-mobiles, to be fitted with silencers. Local authorities can also serve an abatement notice on a person responsible for a statutory nuisance, including noise, under section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. An individual aggrieved by noise can apply direct to a magistrates court to make an abatement order where a statutory nuisance occurs or is likely to recur, under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Department keeps no statistics about the control of nuisance caused by operators of waterborne jet ski machines.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those Acts passed by Parliament since 1979 concerning (a) local government finance and (b) local authority duties, powers and responsibilities for authorities in England.
Mr. Key : My right hon. Friend the then Minister for Local Government and the Inner Cities gave a list on 4 May 1990 of 124 public general Acts of Parliament, passed between June 1970 and November 1989, which affected
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local authorities in England, distinguishing those which concern, at least in part, local government finance, Official Report, Vol. 171, column 676. Since November 1989, public general Acts which affect local government in England include :Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990
Broadcasting Act 1990
Education (Student Loans) Act 1990
Entertainments (Increased Penalties) Act 1990
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Food Safety Act 1990
National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990
Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1990
Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990
Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990
Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 Representation of the People Act 1990
Rights of Way Act 1990
Town and Country Planning Act 1990
Caravans (Standard Community Charge and Rating) Act 1991 Community Charges (General Reduction) Act 1991
Community Charges (Substitute Setting) Act 1991
Consolidation Act.
Concerns local government finance.
Not all these Acts resulted from Government Bills.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will allow local authorities to spend all their capital receipts.
Mr. Key : Local authorities are able to spend the usable part of their capital receipts on new capital expenditure or on the repayment of their debt. They also retain use of the reserved part of their receipts to repay debt or to finance capital expenditure covered by a credit approval ; meanwhile, the funds may be invested in approved investments.
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Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of Government grant per head of the population for 1990- 91 and 1991-92 in the London boroughs of (a) Haringey, (b) Barnet and (c) Enfield.
Mr. Key : The available information is as follows :
Government grants in 1990-91, consisting of revenue support grant, special grants, specific grants in aggregate external finance, community charge benefit grant and transitional relief grant, per head of relevant population are £762 in Haringey, £366 in Barnet and £475 in Enfield.
Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, following the fixing of the community charge in all Leicestershire district councils, he will now update the two answers given by the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton on 4 March, Official Report, columns 47-48.
Mr. Key [holding answer 26 March 1991] : Following the statement on 19 March 1991 by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Official Report, vol. 188, column 180-81, £140 will be cut from the current headline community charges for 1991-92. The calculation of community charge reductions and benefits will be made after this general reduction. In addition, my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities announced on 25 March that under the community charge reduction scheme the threshold amount which charge payers are expected to meet from their own resources will be lowered from £104 to £52. The revised figures in the table show the reductions payable to couples in Charnwood, Melton and Rutland who, on 31 March 1991, are living in properties of (a) three quarters average rateable value and (b) half average rateable value for the area.
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Reductions for couples under 1991-92 Community Charge
Reduction Scheme
Set Charge Reductions from the set charges
(taking accpayable by a couple
|of £ 140 |(a) |(b)
|reduction)
|£ |£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------
Charnwood Borough |257 |85 |210
Melton Borough |250 |95 |212
Rutland District |254 |52 |187
Vacant Land
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he has established the level of vacant land areas within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Yeo : The Department has commissioned a national sample survey of the stock of vacant land in urban areas in England. Final estimates from the survey are not yet available. The broad figure of up to 150,000 acres of vacant land given in the consultation paper, "Encouraging the use of vacant public sector land", relates to urban areas in England alone and was based on preliminary work carried out in preparation for the national survey.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact the disposal of vacant land areas will have on the green belt.
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Mr. Yeo : There is a general presumption against inappropriate development in the green belts. The Government's policy for them is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2. Development of suitable vacant land within urban areas can help to reduce the pressure for development of green field sites.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps he intends to take to ensure full public consultation takes place when land areas, currently of recreational value to local people, are indentified as unused or underused and available for disposal ;
(2) what is his policy on retaining open spaces in urban areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Land used as public open space or for recreation is not at present entered on registers and is therefore not subject to my right hon. Friend's power to
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direct disposal. My Department's consultation paper, "Encouraging the use of vacant public sector land", noted that we envisage further public consultation on the criteria for entry on registers under any new statutory arrangement covering all public sector owners. The issue of retaining open spaces in urban areas has been addressed in my Department's draft planning policy guidance note on sport and recreation which was issued for public consultation in October last year. In the light of the many responses received, my right hon. Friend will be considering carefully what advice should be included in the final guidance.Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to enter into a partnership with local government in order to develop vacant land areas in both the public and private sector, for the benefit of and in full consultation with local people.
Mr. Yeo : The Government have already taken various steps to encourage the bringing into use of vacant land, for example, through grant arrangements which apply to land in public or private ownership and through land registers which record public sector land. I am considering what further action is necessary.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what safeguards he is considering in order to avoid vacant land areas being disposed of at a time when land prices are very low.
Mr. Yeo : The timing of disposal is normally a matter for the owner. A public sector owner should get a proper price for his land and my right hon. Friend would for that reason be hesitant about directing disposal when the general level of the market was depressed in the short term.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how a system of incentives for franchisees of vacant land areas will be financed ; and what level of incentives budget is envisaged in the first year of operation ;
(2) how defined areas of vacant public land will be established ; and how large such areas are expected to be ;
(3) what progress has been made with the selection of two experimental areas for the proposals outlined in the consultation paper "Encouraging the use of vacant public sector land" ; and if he will make a statement ;
(4) how he intends to define the terms "underused" and "unused" when identifying vacant land areas ;
(5) how vacant land areas, which ought to be on new
underused/unused land registers, will be identified.
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Mr. Yeo : We are considering in the light of responses to the consultation paper what further action might be taken to encourage the bringing into use of vacant sector land. Our conclusions will be announced in due course. Meanwhile no decisions have been taken on whether to proceed with the proposals for experimental franchises or for giving all public sector owners a statutory obligation to maintain and publicise registers. The consultation paper noted that the criteria for entry on such registers and for eligibility for directions to dispose would be the subject of further consultation.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce proposals to identify and dispose of vacant land areas in the ownership of central Government Departments ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for South Hams (Mr. Steen) on 19 February, Official Report, columns 114-15. Individual Departments have been asked to maintain and publicise registers of their vacant land holdings and proposals to make this a statutory obligation were included in the Department's consultation paper.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce proposals to identify and dispose of vacant land areas in private sector ownership ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : In the light of responses made to the Department's consultation paper our review will include the question of whether any measures are appropriate to encourage the bringing into use of vacant land in private sector ownership or whether, as implied in the consultation paper, its subjection to the normal incentives and disciplines of the market is sufficient.
Public Sector Land
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the occasions when existing powers have been exercised to direct disposal of public sector land.
Mr. Yeo : The following list shows the sites in respect of which directions under section 98 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 have been issued together with the owners concerned :
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Sites which have been the subject of directions under section 98 of the Local Government Planning & Land Act 1980
Site address |Owner at time of direction
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984
Barmpton Lane West, Darlington |Darlington BC
Barton Lane, Clifton, Nottingham |Nottingham City Council
Doxford Park Way, Sunderland |Sunderland MBC
Oozewood Road, Royton |Oldham MBC
1985
Alfred Street/Oak Bank, Harpurhey |Manchester City Council
Boothroyden "A" site, Blackley |Manchester City Council
Maple Road West, Brooklands |Manchester City Council
Old Market Street/Grant Street, Blackley |Manchester City Council
Old Market Street/Lion Street/Lawson Street/Dommett Street, Blackley |Manchester City Council
South Street/Parkhouse Street, Openshaw |Manchester City Council
Colton Common, Colton, Leeds |Leeds City Council
Denison Street/Silver Lane, Yeadon |Leeds City Council
Freely Lane, Bramham |Leeds City Council
Keswick Lane, Bardsey |Leeds City Council
Kirkfield Lane, Thorner |Leeds City Council
Lyndon Road, Bramham |Leeds City Council
Old Farm Close, Leeds |Leeds City Council
Primrose Lane, Boston Spa |Leeds City Council
Richmond Road/Dawsons Corner, Pudsey |Leeds City Council
Whiteley Croft, Otley |Leeds City Council
Willow Avenue, Clifford |Leeds City Council
261-281 Regents Park Road, N3 |Barnet LBC
Roewood Lane, Macclesfield |Macclesfield BC
Stocks Park Drive, Horwich |Bolton MBC
The Grange, Southgate Circus |Enfield LBC
1986
Eltham Road, Greenwich |Greenwich LBC
Hornpark Close/Eltham Road, Greenwich |Greenwich LBC
Ling Close, Coltishall |Broadland BC
London Road, SE1 |Southwark LBC
South Park Drive, Blackpool |Blackpool BC
Hall Farm Road, Doxford Park, Sunderland |Sunderland MBC
The Hollins, off Plodder Lane |Bolton MBC
Bamfield/Briery Leaze Road, Cheltenham |Bristol City Council
Fiddlers Green Lane, Cheltenham |Cheltenham BC
Russells Hall, Dudley (H7) |Dudley MBC
Russells Hall, Dudley (H8) |Dudley MBC
Duddon Close, Ireleth |Barrow-in-Furness BC
Hardy Avenue, Brierfield |Pendle BC
Houghton Lane, Houghton (South Ribble BC) |Lancashire CC
1987
Surbiton Lagoon, Surbiton |Kingston-upon-Thames LBC
Netherleigh, off Biggar Bank Road, Walney Island |Barrow-in-Furness BC
Beck Lane/Lanark Walk, Upton Priory, Macclesfield, (Macclesfield BC) |Cheshire CC
Congleton Road, Macclesfield |Macclesfield BC
Land at County Road North, Hull (Ref. 23) |Kingston-upon-Hull CC
Land at County Road North, Hull (Ref. 24) |Kingston-upon-Hull CC
Land at County Road North, Hull (Ref. 25) |Kingston-upon-Hull CC
Land at Spring Street, Hull |Kingston-upon-Hull CC
Longcroft/Benomley Road, Huddersfield |Kirklees MBC
Royd House, Reinwood Road, Huddersfield |Kirklees MBC
Goodison Boulevard, Cantley (Ref. 15) |Doncaster MBC
Broadway, Dunscroft, Doncaster |Doncaster MBC
Crescent East/Flanderwell Lane, Sunnyside, Rotherham |Rotherham MBC
Thompson Hill, High Green, Sheffield |Sheffield MBC
Land at Pigeon Cote Farm, Ryedale |York City Council
Land at the rear of Bur Dike Avenue, York |York City Council
Land fronting Cheam Road and Robin Hood Lane, Sutton |Sutton LBC
Land fronting Camden Road and Robin Hood Lane, Sutton |Sutton LBC
Galleywall Road/Anchor Street/Lynton Road, SE16 |Southwark LBC
Thames Road North Allotment Site, Barking |Barking and Dagenham LBC
Land between Nos. 2 and 4 Meadow Way, Offley |North Hertfordshire DC
Pleckgate Road Blackburn |Blackburn BC
Land adjacent to Loughborough Technical College, Loughborough (Charnwood BC) |Leicestershire CC
Land to the south of Hillingdon Road, Lanehead, Burnley |Burnley BC
Land east of Portland Street, Mansfield Woodhouse |Mansfield DC
1988
Staveley Road School, Chiswick |Hounslow LBC
Vauxhall Walk/Randall Road, London SE11 |Lambeth LBC
Land fronting Longshaw Street, Opposite Longport Flats, Longport, Stoke-on-Trent |Stoke-on-Trent DC
Dere Park, Brandon |Durham City Council
Castle Road, Unsworth, Bury |Manchester City Council
Land North of Wythenshawe Road, Manchester |Manchester City Council
Douglas Street, Atherton |Wigan MBC
Land east of Leeds Road, Methley |Leeds City Council
Land bounded by Dewberry Street/St Leonard's Road & Brunswick Road, E14 |Tower Hamlets LBC
Land between 102 and 108 Gordon Avenue, Stanmore, Middlesex |Harrow LBC
Site 2, Marton Grove South, Middlesbrough |Middlesbrough BC
Land to the rear of Burleigh College, Loughborough (Charnwood BC) |Leicestershire CC
Greenhill Lane, Riddings (Amber Valley BC) |Derbyshire CC
1989
South Street/Nantwich Road, Crewe |Crewe & Nantwich BC
Land at Water Lane, Droylesden, Manchester |Tameside MBC
Alexandra Avenue, Meol Brace, Shrewsbury |Shropshire CC
Helston Drive, Strelley Estate, Nottingham |Nottinghamshire CC
1990
Quarry Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight |Medina Borough Council
Longden Road, Shrewsbury |Shropshire CC
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has available concerning the impact of proposals for the disposal of public sector land on land areas identified by local authorities for future housing purposes.
Mr. Yeo : The use of any land which my right hon. Friend decided to make the subject of a direction to dispose would be decided through the planning system in the normal way. Where a direction to dispose is proposed the landowner has the right to make representations about its actual or intended use. My right hon. Friend takes these into account when deciding whether to make the direction.
Environmental Assessments
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to make the 1985 European Community directive on environmental assessment applicable to development proposals for which consent is sought by means of private parliamentary Bills.
Mr. Yeo : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs.
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Gorman) on 26 February, column 422. As the consultation paper issued by my Department and the Welsh Office on that date stated, it is proposed that the amendments to procedures to require environmental assessment, where appropriate, for private Bills for the construction of works should apply to Bills deposited in and after the 1991 -92 Session. A proposed amendment to Standing Orders was tabled on 6 March.Urban Programme
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will break down the number of projects not approved for the 1991-92 financial year (a) numerically and (b) by cash value for the urban programme in (i) Barnsley, (ii) Blackburn, (iii) Bolton, (iv) Bradford, (v) Brent and (vi) Bristol ; and if he will indicate the percentage of projects not approved for the financial year 1991-92 relating to (1) ethnic minority projects, (2) projects relating to disability, (3) economic developments and (4) the environment.
Mr. Portillo : The information is provided in the table.
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Project rejections in 1991-92 Urban Programmes for selected local authorities
Local |Number of |Cash value |Ethnic |Per cent. |Disability |Per cent. |Economic |Per cent. of|Environ- |Per cent.
authority |projects |of projects |minority |of all |projects |of all |projects |all projects|mental |of all
|rejected |rejected |projects |projects |rejected |projects |rejected |rejected |projects |projects
|(£ k) |rejected |rejected |rejected |rejected |rejected
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnsley |8 |381 |0 |0 |1 |13 |2 |25 |1 |13
Blackburn |4 |18 |0 |0 |1 |25 |0 |0 |0 |0
Bolton |9 |639 |0 |0 |1 |11 |2 |22 |1 |11
Bradford |30 |2,808 |3 |10 |2 |7 |6 |20 |3 |10
Bristol |8 |193 |1 |13 |1 |13 |3 |38 |0 |0
Information for the Brent 1991-92 urban programme is not currently available.
London City Airport
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make his decision on the future of the City of London airport in the light of his inspector's report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : When I have received and considered the inspector's report.
Housing, Liverpool
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have been improved in Liverpool with the aid of Government grants, over each of the past 11 years ; how many new homes have been built by the local authority and by housing associations in each of the past 11 years ; and how many homes in the public and private sector are currently vacant in Liverpool.
Mr. Yeo : The numbers of grants paid to private owners and tenants and the numbers of housing association and local authority dwellings improved with the aid of grant or subsidy reported quarterly by Liverpool city council are published in "Local Housing Statistics". The numbers of new homes built, based on monthly returns, appear in the publication "Housebuilding in
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England by Local Authority Areas 1980 to 1989" (tables 1.1 to 1.10). Figures for the first nine months of 1990 are in "Local Housing Statistics" (issue 96, table 1).The tables indicate where the information is incomplete because all returns for the year have not been received.
The latest available information on vacant dwellings relates to 1 April 1990 and was provided by Liverpool city council in its April 1990 housing investment programme return (HIP1).
Copies of all these documents are in the Library.
Uniform Business Rate
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against the uniform business rate have been lodged in the areas covering the parliamentary constituencies of (a) Hornsey and Wood Green and (b) Tottenham.
Mr. Key : By 5 April 1991, the valuation office had received 1,368 proposals to alter the 1990 rating list in respect of the parliamentary constituency area of Hornsey and Wood Green and 1,062 in respect of that for Tottenham.
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the staffing of
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the North Yorkshire valuation and community charge tribunal, in order that appeals concerning the uniform business rate may be heard within six months of their submission ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Key : Ratepayers had six months from 1 April 1990 in which to make proposals to alter their 1990 rating assessments and valuation officers then had a further six months to settle the proposal before the matter became an appeal. Most proposals have only recently become appeals to the tribunals. The North Yorkshire valuation and community charge tribunal has 9,800 appeals outstanding. Staffing and other administrative arrangements of tribunals have been improved to enable the caseload to be dealt with, and staffing levels are being further reviewed. Tribunals will generally give priority to hardship cases and to the more significant appeals, with a view to establishing quickly benchmarks which should allow settlements pag p 31between valuation officers and ratepayers without the need in all cases for a tribunal hearing. Complex cases may take longer and it would not necessarily be in the ratepayers' best interests for these to be rushed.
Public Buildings (Safety)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will change the standards relating to the physical structures of public buildings to make them safer in the event of attacks by terrorists.
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