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comparable with domestic rates. Subsequent changes in local government spending and the level of central support mean that an equivalent basis of comparison is not available for 1991-92. Because of the small sample size, a more detailed breakdown of net household income is not possible.Buildings Regulations
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects his Department's proposals for the revision of part M of the Building Regulations 1985 to be introduced.
Mr. Yeo : I expect to lay before Parliament in the autumn of this year revised Building Regulations, incorporating changes to the requirements of part M. The revised approved document which gives practical guidance on how the requirements of the regulations can be met will be published at the same time. They will come into force subject to parliamentary approval in the summer of 1992.
Wild Birds
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the caging of wild birds for use as decoys is permitted under the European Birds directives 1979.
Mr. Baldry : The directive prohibits the hunting, capturing or killing of wild birds where the methods used would result in the large- scale or non-selective capture or killing of birds, or would cause the local disappearance of a species. The directive prohibits live birds which are blind or mutilated from being used as decoys.
Convention Centres
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of grants and other assistance given to (a) the Birmingham international conference and exhibition centre and (b) the Bournemouth international centre from public funds in the United Kingdom and from the European Community ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The Birmingham international convention centre has received £49.75 million grant from the European regional development fund.
The national exhibition centre received a central Government grant of £1.5 million at the outset and a further £12.3 million ERDF grant in 1988 to fund the newest halls.
The Bournemouth international centre has received no specific grant from central Government or the ERDF.
My Department does not collect information on local authority support for such projects.
Listed Buildings
Mrs. Irene Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria are used to designate a listed building in each category.
Sir George Young : There are three categories of listed building in England and they are classified in three grades to show their relative importance as follows :
Grade I --Buildings of exceptional interest.
Grade II*--Particularly important buildings of more than special interest.
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Grade II --Buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them.Principles of selection and grading are more fully explained in appendix 1 to my Department's circular 8/87 "Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas --Policy and Procedures".
Local Government Structure
Mrs. Irene Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce full-time councillors in his proposals for the structure of local government ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The Government will be publishing shortly a separate conslutation document on the internal management arrangements of local authorities ; I cannot pre-empt its contents.
Enterprise Zones
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of (a) the lost revenue, (b) the cost of capital allowances, and (c) (a) and (b) within enterprise zones for the latest workable year.
Mr. Portillo : The latest available figures are :
rate revenue forgone in enterprise zones in the United Kingdom--£92 million in 1989-90.
capital allowances in enterprise zones in Great Britain--no figures are available for Northern Ireland--£150 million in 1988-89.
Environmental Protection Act
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment since what date the guidance notes to the implementation of the Environmental Protection Act have been out of print ; and when he expects new ones to be printed.
Mr. Baldry : A total of 6,000 copies of the "Practical Guide to Integrated Pollution Control" were issued on 28 February 1991. These were sent free of charge to operators of processers controlled under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and to all other interested bodies on request. However, demand for the guide so far exceeded our expectations that this initial supply was exhausted by mid-April. A reprint of a further 6,000 was ordered immediately and copies may now be obtained from the Department on request. The guide was out of print for less than three weeks.
Tradeable Permits
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the results of research by London Economics Ltd. into the utility of tradeable permits ; and if he will place a copy of the research in the Library.
Mr. Baldry : I expect to receive a final report from London Economics Ltd. before the end of the year, and will then place a copy in the Library.
Compulsory Tendering
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken on representations he has received concerning differential treatment between
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outside and in-house contractors under the local government compulsory competitive tendering schemes ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Key : My right hon. Friend considers all representations about the operation of compulsory competitive tendering. Where they relate the conduct of individual competitive tendering exercises by local authorities, he considers whether there are grounds for the use of his sanction powers under sections 19A and 19B of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and sections 13 and 14 of the Local Government Act 1988, and uses them where appropriate.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the guidelines followed by the Audit Commission in settling the question of local authorities being allowed to undertake work for each other under the compulsory competitive tendering procedure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Any such guidelines are a matter for the Audit Commission.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many contracts have been put out to tender by local authorities under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1988 ; and how many contracts were awarded to outside contractors and how many were won in-house under the compulsory competitive tendering schemes.
Mr. Key : My Department does not collect this information, but indications are that the proportion of contracts awarded to external tenderers varies between services, and is highest for building cleaning work, at some 30 per cent.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a review of the retendering procedure for the carrying out of additional work to any main contracts under the compulsory competitive tendering scheme for local government ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : We have no plans to make changes to the regulations made on 19 March 1991 which provided, among other things, that where "other cleaning" work had been assigned to direct service organisations and the cost of additional work to meet the litter duties proposed by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 exceeded 20 per cent. of the cost of the work already being done, the work had to be put out to tender again.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amendments have been made to the threshold included in the Local Government Act 1988, for the smaller levels of work carried out in local government under compulsory competitive tendering schemes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : No amendments have been made to the de minimis threshold of £100,000, set out in the order made on 29 July 1988--SI No. 1988/1372.
Councillors
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to include in the consultative document on the internal management of local government the role of the elected member ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Key : The Government intend to publish this document shortly ; I cannot pre-empt its contents.
Nuclear Plants (Carbon Dioxide)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to commission a study of the effects of carbon dioxide releases to the atmosphere from sea water boiled off in the cooling of nuclear plants ; and what information he presently possesses on the levels of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere as a result of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to waste disposal.
Mr. Baldry : No. The amount of carbon dioxide released from sea water used for cooling power stations is negligible in global terms. I understand that the nuclear industry and environmental analysts are in agreement that the nuclear power fuel cycle is responsible for about 4 per cent. of the carbon dioxide released from conventional coal-fired plant for an equivalent amount of delivered energy.
Environment : Ideas for the 21st Century"
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the report published in December 1990, "Environment : Ideas for the 21st Century", prepared by the Dutch committee for long-term environmental policy.
Planning Controls
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the outcome of the consultation about planning controls over agriculture and forestry buildings conducted by his Department and the Welsh Office.
Sir George Young : On 5 October 1990 my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales issued a consultation paper inviting views on two significant changes to the present permitted development rights enjoyed by agriculture and forestry. We are grateful to the large number of bodies and individuals responding to this exercise. A list of their submissions is being placed in the Library of the House, where copies will be available on request. We have also published a research report on the subject--"Permitted Development Rights for Agriculture and Forestry"--which is available through HMSO.
The consultation paper proposed : (i) the extension to all areas of England and Wales of arrangements similar to those which already apply in the national parks, giving local planning authorities discretion to require details of new agricultural and forestry buildings to be submitted for approval ; (ii) an increase, in all areas of England and Wales, in the minimum area of agricultural land attracting permitted development rights under class A of part 6 of schedule 2 to the General Development Order.
The Government have decided to implement both these changes by amendment to the General Development Order and to extend controls further in certain respects.
The current scheme in the national parks requires anyone who wishes to erect a farm or forestry building that falls within the definition of permitted development not
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requiring a specific planning permission to first send basic information about the proposed development to the local planning authority. The authority then has 28 days to decide whether the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on its surroundings. If so, it may require the submission of details for formal approval. Consultation on submitted details would be a matter for the authority's discretion.If the authority does not ask for details, the development can proceed after the expiry of the 28-day period. If details are sought, the authority's consent will be needed before the development can proceed, but it may concern itself only with the siting, design, and external appearance of the building. It may not challenge the need for the development. If the authority does not approve the proposed details, the applicant has the right of appeal to the Secretary of State.
In the light of the consultation responses, and the research carried out, we have decided to build on the experience of the national park arrangements by making them apply to all parts of England and Wales. In addition to the consultation proposals, we intend in the light of the views expressed : (i) to make the arrangements cover not only new buildings, but also significant extensions and alterations, and farm and forestry roads. Extensions and alterations and farm and forestry roads are already covered in the national parks ; and (ii) both in national parks and elsewhere, to expand the considerations to be taken into account by local planning authorities to cover not only visual aspects, but also the desirability of preserving ancient monuments and their settings, known archaeological sites, the settings of listed buildings, and sites of recognised nature conservation value including SSSIs. Some consultees argued that agricultural buildings should be subject to full development control. They claimed that the initial notification and any subsequent consideration of details would together take longer than the normal planning process. On the basis of experience in the national parks, the Government consider that in most cases the local authority will not need to request full details of the proposed development ; the farmer will therefore usually be free to proceed after 28 days--much quicker than most planning consents.
As recommended in the research findings, the new arrangements will be accompanied by guidance to local planning authorities stressing the importance of reconciling environmental considerations with the operational requirements of farm and forestry business. We hope to incorporate that guidance in a revised version of planning policy guidance note 7, also reflecting the outcome of consultation on a draft version of that document.
We have considered whether local authorities should be required to charge fees in conjunction with these arrangements. The Government's policy is that local authorities' development control activities should be wholly funded by application fees. Accordingly, we have decided that a fee should be payable, in national parks and elsewhere at the initial notification stage ; no further fee would be payable where the local authority decided to request details. The fee will be £20 initially. We will monitor the costs of the operation of the new system over the first three years, and thereafter aim to relate the fee to actual costs, as with other planning fees.
The second main proposal in the consultation paper for new planning controls over agriculture was the extension
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of full development control to all farm holdings of less than five hectares. We have considered carefully the case put by many consultees and in the research findings for a 10 hectare eligibility limit, but that would double the number of farm units coming within control--so that about one quarter of all holdings would come within control. We do not accept that the case has been made to bring in that degree of control.We have, however, decided : (i) not to proceed with the idea of an exemption for genuine commercial holdings when extending planning control to holdings of less than five hectares ; we have concluded that the proposed genuineness test would be unworkable ; (ii) to extend control to separate areas of agricultural land of less than one hectare. Land below one hectare which forms part of a unit of five hectares or more but is separated from it, for example by a public road or by land in different ownership, will thus be subject to full development control.
Below these thresholds, all agricultural permitted development rights under class A of part 6 of schedule 2 to the General Development Order will be withdrawn. These new measures will provide more effective control over development associated with the fragmentation of holdings. They will discourage the erection under permitted development rights of buildings ultimately intended either for non-agricultural uses, or to support an application to erect an agricultural dwelling where in farming terms there may be no prospect of creating a viable holding.
In addition, we propose to improve controls over excavations and engineering operations and over livestock units. Excavations and engineering operations which individually or collectively exceed 0.5 hectares on one site will be brought within the discretionary control system for buildings, in the national parks and elsewhere. We also intend to rectify an anomaly in the treatment of livestock units. Since 1988 specific planning permission has been required to erect livestock buildings within 400 m of residential or similar property. It has however been possible to use new agricultural buildings within the 400 m cordon for keeping livestock once five years have elapsed from erection. We will amend the General Development Order so that in future new buildings erected within the cordon will not be able to be used for livestock without specific planning permission, except in emergencies. And we will issue further guidance to local planning authorities on development near existing livestock farms.
Taken together, these changes will produce substantial environmental benefits in controlling the effects of agricultural and forestry development, while ensuring that the rural economy can continue to prosper and make its own contribution to the quality of the environment. They represent a significant extension of the rights of local authorities to take an interest in the activities of our agricultural and forestry industries. We therefore intend to monitor the operation of the new system, and to review the position in three years' time with a view to making any further modifications shown to be necessary, either by increasing or reducing control.
Nothing in this statement applies to planning controls over fish farms. We announced last December that we would be withdrawing permitted development rights for fish farm excavations and engineering operations in the national parks. In addition, during Parliament's consideration of the Planning and Compensation Bill, the Government introduced provisions to control floating
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freshwater fish tanks and cages. I hope to announce shortly a consultation paper on the detailed implementation of these measures, and on the planning treatment of buildings and other developments on fish farms.Minerals Survey
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to publish the results of the 1988 minerals survey.
Mr. Yeo : I am pleased to announce that the results of the survey are published today, 11 June 1991. A copy is available in the House of Commons Library. These findings show that the majority of the minerals industry acts responsibly and effectively where our planning system requires them to restore their land when extraction or tipping ceases. But I would like to see the whole of the industry operating to the highest standards and actively ensuring that all their sites will be adequately restored and will not create future dereliction for public funds to reclaim.
I am very concerned that a third of the workings still in operation, and almost 60 per cent. of the areas for mineral waste tipping, either have no planning conditions requiring final reclamation or that the conditions which do exist are not thought satisfactory. That is why the Government are taking a number of steps. The Planning and Compensation Bill now contains provisions to bring old interim development order mineral sites into the planning system and their operations up to modern standards.
We have instituted a review of the operation of the Minerals Act 1981, which will include how best to improve the activities on the many mineral permissions granted in the 1950s and 1960s. We are to fund a pilot study by Groundwork to encourage the improvement of the environmental performance of the minerals industry ; and we are funding a number of important research projects concerned with improving reclamation practices within the industry.
All this should result in the minerals industry becoming "better neighbours" while still supplying the minerals which are needed by the country.
Plant and Machinery
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a review of the rating of plant and machinery.
Mr. Portillo : We have decided to establish a small expert committee to review the rating of plant and machinery. Much of the existing law has remained substantially unchanged for almost 30 years and has become outdated as a result of technological change. The committee will have the following terms of reference :
To consider the present law and practice in regard to the rating of plant and machinery in the United Kingdom ; to make recommendations as to the principles that should be prescribed to comprise the extent of rateable property, having regard to the financial and other considerations involved, and with a view to removing inconsistencies and harmonising the law and practice in all parts of the United Kingdom ; and to make proposals for giving effect to the recommendations.
It will be asked to report by 31 December 1992, so that any recommendations can be implemented for the 1995 revaluation of non-domestic property.
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The chairman of the committee will be Mr. Derek Wood, QC. The other members will be decided after consultation with interested bodies.Waltham Forest HAT
Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the tenants of the Cathall road, Boundary road, Oliver close and Chingford hall estates in Waltham Forest will have the opportunity to vote for the establishment of a housing action trust.
Sir George Young : At a recent meeting, the joint steering group of tenant representatives proposed that a ballot of tenants on the proposal for a trust to redevelop the estates should begin on 13 July. The London borough of Waltham Forest has already confirmed that, if a trust is established after tenants vote in favour, they will fully support its implementation.
In view of the very high level of agreement that has been reached among the parties on how the HAT proposal can best serve the interests of the tenants of the estates, I am happy to confirm that the ballot will begin on the date proposed by tenant representatives.
I hope the tenants of the estates will seize the unique opportunity this proposal offers to transform housing and living conditions on the estates, and bring investment and jobs, in the interests of themselves, their families and the wider community in Waltham Forest.
Waste Incineration
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list any EC regulations or directives currently in force or pending which restrict or control the erection of high-volume waste incinerators in the vicinity of food storage and processing premises.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 10 June 1991] : There are no EC directives or regulations which specifically impose restrictions or controls of this kind.
The EC has adopted three directives on incineration : directive 84/360 on the combating of air pollution from industrial plants and directive 89/369- -new plant--and directive 89/429--existing plant--on municipal waste incineration. These set emission limits and combustion conditions which apply to new plant now, and will apply to existing plant over 6 tonnes/hour capacity from 1996, and from 2000, with interim conditions from 1995, to smaller plant.
In addition, directive 85/337 requires the environmental effects of major projects to be taken into consideration before development consent is given. These effects might include effects on food storage and processing premises in a project's vicinity.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Northern Iraq
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect Iraqi and Kurdish civilians who have assisted allied forces during the occupation in Northern Iraq, once allied forces have been withdrawn.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Our aim has always been that those refugees and other civilians who fled their homes in March
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should be able to return in conditions of safety and security. We are working to establish the conditions which would allow for their continuing safety after the withdrawal of allied forces from Iraq.Israel
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the numbers of Palestinian dead and wounded, respectively, and of Israeli dead and wounded, respectively, since the start of the Intifada ; and what representations he has made to Israel.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : According to our information, since the start of the Intifada 906 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli security forces and many thousands injured. There has recently been a disturbing increase in the number of Palestinians killed by other Palestinians : the total now stands at approximately 400. We regularly take up with the Israelis incidents where we believe their security forces have acted in breach of the fourth Geneva convention. According to our sources, at least 61 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians, but we have no reliable figures for numbers of Israelis injured. We continue to condemn violence on both sides.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken at United Nations Security Council level in respect of Israeli attacks on Lebanon on 4 June.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have made clear to the Israelis in London and Jerusalem our concern about the recent raids. We believe that the key to peace on Israel's northern border is the effective deployment of the Lebanese army, a strong Government in Beirut and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 425.
Tibet
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on Tibet.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 October 1990, column 905, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas).
Addis Ababa (British Subjects)
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects are at present trapped in Addis Ababa ; how many have been invited to shelter in the British embassy during the current crisis ; and what steps have been taken to ensure the safety of those not resident in the embassy.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The British community were advised to leave Ethiopia by the embassy on 23 May 1991. About 150 chose to remain. All were invited to shelter on the embassy compound. Over 60 accepted. All have now returned to their homes. The embassy remains in close touch with the community. Addis Ababa international airport reopened on 7 June 1991 and all British nationals are free to leave.
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Iraq
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of current persecution of Iraqis by the Government of Saddam Hussein.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We continue to monitor the situation in Iraq closely and receive information from a number of sources. We have made clear to the Iraqis that we would take the severest view of any evidence of persecution, which would contravene the terms of Security Council resolution 688.
Sri Lanka
Mr. Michael Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the expulsion by the Sri Lankan Government of Mr. David Gladstone, British high commissioner in Colombo.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We believe that Sri Lankan action to be wholly unjustified. During four years in Colombo Mr. Galdstone has assiduously carried out Her Majesty's Government's policies, including effectively representing our concerns over Sri Lanka's unsatisfactory human rights record. It appears that his expulsion was motivated by a desire to stifle these criticisms.
Our immediate response has been to cancel high-level visits, including one I had planned for this month. We are also reviewing other aspects of our relationship.
We intend to move quickly to nominate a successor to Mr. Gladstone as high commissioner in Colombo.
Sierra Leone
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he proposes, either bilaterally or as part of a Commonwealth initiative to protect the security of small states, to the invasion of Sierra Leone by troops from Liberia loyal to Charles Taylor.
Mrs. Chalker : Following discussions with the Government of Sierra Leone we are supplying a quantity of non-lethal defence equipment to the Sierra Leone army.
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