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Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to enhance the position of community health councils in respect of (a) rights of audience at district health authority or family health services authority meetings, (b) involvement in joint planning of health and care services and (c) access to information.
Mr. Dorrell : There is no need to enhance the position of community health councils (CHCs).
It remains a matter for decision by the relevant authority whether a CHC representative should be invited to speak at its meetings. Responsibility for joint planning of health and care services rests with the relevant authorities. However, NHS authorities should consult CHCs when formulating strategies for health are so that their views can be taken into account at an early stage of the decision making process.
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CHCs are entitled to receive such information from their respective NHS authorities as they may reasonably require in order to carry out their duties.GP List Sizes
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Medical Practices Committee will revise the rules governing list sizes which are required before an area may be designated an open one ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have consulted the medical practices committee and understand that the classification of practice areas by average list size of general practitioners is indicative only and not absolute. In determining whether additional doctors are required in any area the medical practices committee considers each case on its merits, having regard to particular local needs.
Trichinosis
Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incidence of trichinosis has been recorded in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Dorrell : Cases of trichinosis in humans reported to the communicable disease surveillance unit of the Public Health Laboratory Service for the last 10 years are set out in the table.
Laboratory reports to CDSC, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man: Annual totals 1980 to 1990 Year |Laboratory reports and available details ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1980 | - 1981 |17 cases in soldiers returning from Hong Kong 1982 |1 case 1983 | - 1984 | - 1985 |2 cases 1986 |1 case 1987 |2 cases: one from Southern Africa 1988 | - 1989 | - 1990<1> | - <1> Provisional. Source: Form 20s to 1988; Oracle database from 1989.
Occupational Health
Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to occupational health in the single market, to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Dorrell : 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 from4 November 1991 to 11 November 1991.
Mental Illness
Mr. Bellotti : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the costs per person per week for long-stay patients in NHS mental hospitals.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not available centrally. Data on expenditure and activity are collected
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by specialty, and costs for long stay and short stay patients are not separately identified in the returns submitted by health authorities. The average cost of a bed occupied by an in-patient in a psychiatric specialty in 1989-90, the last year for which figures are available, is estimated at about £450 per week.Mr. Bellotti : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the costs per person per week for residents in local authority mental after- care homes.
Mr. Dorrell : The 1990-91 estimates published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy give the gross average cost per place filled in local authority residential hostels for mentally ill people in England and Wales, excluding capital charges, as £213 per resident per week.
Cochlear Implants
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Health why it was decided not to include Bradford in the list of centres for the cochlear implant ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : In selecting centres to participate in the cochlear implant programme the aim was to provide a reasonable geographical spread across the country ; to provide both single and multi-channel implantation and to ensure both adults and children were included in the programme. Account was also taken of experience in implantation and the availability of suitable rehabilitation procedures. Bradford did not match these criteria as well as the centres chosen for funding.
Bereavement (Staff Training)
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what code, practices and staff training procedures have been implemented by local health authorities regarding the provision of bereavement support for the family and friends of terminally ill patients.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not available centrally. Health authorities have been asked to plan and co-ordinate services for terminally ill people and their families, including the identification of training needs. Progress reports are expected later this year. The Department is supporting the production of training materials in this area by the Open university.
Electronic Foetal Monitoring
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the Royal College of Midwives concerning recent medical evidence that electronic foetal monitoring may have a correlation to specific pattern of foetal heart rates.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We meet with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) regularly. Many different areas are discussed, though electronic foetal heart monitoring has not recently been one of them. If the RCM has particular points that it wishes to make about this form of monitoring, I shall be glad to hear from it.
Children's Homes
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the local authority social services departments regarding the standards set for the administration and care provision in children's homes.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We will shortly be issuing comprehensive guidance and regulations on the provision of residential care for children to accompany the implementation of the Children Act 1989. In preparing the guidance and regulations the Department consulted local authorities.Dental Practice Board
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the total expenditure for the dental practice board for (a) 1990-91 and (b) the estimated expenditure for 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Total administrative expenditure by the Dental Practice Board in 1990-91 was £21,152,823. The board's expenditure plans for 1991-92 remain the subject of discussions between the board and health departments for England and Wales.
Generic Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it remains his intention to promote the prescribing and dispensing of generic pharmaceuticals in original packs as announced by his Department on 8 November 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Progress on systematic introduction of original pack dispensing was originally halted by the failure of the medical bodies and the manufacturers to agree on common standard pack sizes. We plan to institute a new round of consultations with the medical and pharmaceutical professions and the pharmaceutical industry with a view to resolving this difficulty.
Community Pharmacists
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will publish the total remuneration paid to community pharmacists in England and Wales for the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 ; and indicate in each case the proportion attributable to the costs of providing pharmaceutical services and the proportion attributable to profit.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : 1988-89 was the final year of the cost- plus contract which allocated a specific amount of remuneration to profit and to the costs of providing pharmaceutical services. The total amount paid in 1988-89 was £468.2 million of which £20.6 million was attributed to profit. A sum of £20.9 million was also paid, which was arrears owing from 1987-88.
For 1989-90 £496.5 million was paid in fees and £63.4 million in lump sums in respect of earlier periods.
For 1990-91 £543.1 million was paid in fees and a lump sum of £10.1 million for 1990-91 will be paid in 1991-92.
Salmonella
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total number of salmonella cases reported in 1990 and in the first six months of 1991.
Mr. Dorrell : The total numbers of human isolations of salmonella reported by the public health laboratory service division of enteric pathogens in England and Wales for the periods in question are contained in the January and July
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1991 issues of the public health laboratory service/state veterinary service update on salmonella infection, copies of which are in the Library.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Meat Inspection
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to make meat and poultry inspection standards and charges universal throughout the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : I, along with other Agriculture and Health Ministers, commissioned in April a detailed study of the costs and benefits of alternative methods of providing day-to-day meat inspection and hygiene control in fresh meat, poultry meat and game plants in Great Britain.
The study has now been completed and my colleagues and I will be carefully considering the results. We expect to announce our decision early in the autumn. In making decisions on future enforcement arrangements a number of factors will need to be taken into account, including the ability of the enforcement system to ensure evenness of standards and consistency of charges throughout the country.
Veterinary Officers
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of veterinary officers employed in England in the current year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The number of veterinary officers in Great Britain is as follows : England, 246 ; Scotland, 58 ; Wales, 33. The number of veterinary officers employed by the state veterinary service is maintained at a level commensurate with its responsibilities.
Pigs, Warwickshire
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the movement restrictions imposed on pigs in Warwickshire have not been included in his Chief Veterinary Officer's report to the European Community, as placed in the Library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Blue-eared pig disease has not yet been confirmed in the restricted premises in Warwickshire and investigations there are continuing. Only those parishes in which the disease has been confirmed are notified to the European Commission.
Agriculture and Food Research Council
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to appoint an hon. Member to the Agriculture and Food Research Council.
Mr. Gummer : None. Last year my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science appointed my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) to the council with effect from 1 January 1991. His appointment will run until 31 July 1994.
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Veterinary Investigation Centres
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place copies of the annual reports for 1990 of all the veterinary investigation centres in the Library.
Mr. Gummer : It is not the practice for veterinary investigation centres to prepare annual reports for publication.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
RECHAR
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the value of the RECHAR funds earmarked for the United Kingdom at present frozen by the European Commission pending the outcome of his review of additionality.
Mr. Leigh : The United Kingdom's 11 RECHAR programmes for our coalfield areas, which are at present awaiting approval by the Commission, apply for a total of some £109 million of European Community grant.
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the terms of reference for this review of the additionality issue in respect of RECHAR funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : Discussions are continuing between the Departments concerned and the Commission on a range of issues relating to the operation of the structural funds in the United Kingdom. I attach great importance to the United Kingdom's RECHAR programmes and hope that they will be approved by the Commission very shortly.
ICI (Hanson Bid)
Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received any approach from Hanson plc seeking guidance on whether any takeover bid would be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Mr. Lilley : I have received no such approach. A bid involving a combined turnover in excess of five billion ecu, unless predominantly within one member state or outside the Community, would fall within the European Commission's jurisdiction.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was learned from the Le Quesne inquiry into Barlow Clowes about the use made by Barlow Clowes of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International and about the proprieties of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International's role in that case.
Mr. Redwood : Sir Godfray Le Quesne's report contains no reference to the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Soviet Union
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom help for the Soviet Union, including individual republics, through the know-how fund and the Council of Europe Demosthenes programme.
Mrs. Chalker : On 18 July my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that in addition to the£10 million available in 1991-92, the know-how fund for the Soviet Union will be increased from £10 million to£20 million in 1992-93 and a further £20 million will be made available in 1993-94. The objective of the fund is to support the transfer of British skills and expertise essential to making the change to a market economy in four key sectors : food distribution, small business creation, energy and financial services. Projects in individual republics are eligible for support.
The United Kingdom is one of 25 members of the Council of Europe, whose Demosthenes programme enables the countries of eastern and central Europe to take advantage of the Council's work and expertise in the rule of law, human rights and a pluralist democracy. The Soviet Union has "special guest status" in the Council's Parliamentary Assembly and can benefit from this programme.
THE ARTS
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister for the Arts, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 113, with which other Departments his office shares accommodation.
Mr. Renton : My office has two locations : the Government Offices, Great George street, London SW1 and the St. Christopher House annexe, Sumner street, London SE1. The former is shared with the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Central Statisticl Office and Ministry of Defence ; the latter with the Department of Health and Ministry of Defence.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Pensions
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many personal pension (i) schemes and (ii) individual policies the Fees Office administers on behalf of hon. Members' staff ; and how many whole-time equivalent staff are employed to administer them.
Mr. MacGregor [holding answer 17 July 1991] : The Fees Office, on behalf of hon. Members, currently makes payments towards a total of 1,021 individual pension arrangements for Members' staff.
The Fees Office employs the equivalent of two full-time staff to administer these arrangements.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Lord President of the Council how much money was available to be paid into personal pension schemes for hon. Members' staff in 1990-91 ; and what proportion of it was paid into hon. Members' staff policies.
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Mr. MacGregor [holding answer 17 July 1991] : Staff of an honourable Member are eligible for pension contributions of up to 10 per cent. of their gross salaries paid from the Member's office costs allowance. In the financial year 1990-91 the total salaries paid amounted to £12,141,417, making £1,214,142 available for pension contributions ; £998,099, representing 82.2 per cent., was actually paid.Mr. Meacher : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list each pension scheme currently in operation for people employed in the House of Commons, including hon. Members, and indicate the category and number of personnel eligible.
Mr. MacGregor [holding answer 17 July 1991] : Membership of the following pension schemes is open to Members of Parliament, all House of Commons permanent staff and staff employed by hon. Members and paid from their office cost allowances.
Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund
With the exception of the Speaker, the Prime Minister and former Prime Ministers, whose pensions are payable from the Consolidated Fund, all Members of Parliament are eligible for Membership. House of Commons Staff Pension Scheme
All House of Commons permanent staff and those with period appointments, 1,039 at 30 June 1991, are eligible for membership. Hon. Members Staff Pensions Arrangements
All staff of hon. Members who are paid salaries from the Members' office costs allowance--1,312 at 30 June 1991--are eligible for a contribution not exceeding 10 per cent. of their salary to be paid towards an individual pension arrangement.
Other persons employed in the House of Commons are subject to pension arrangements provided by their employers.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Lord President of the Council what is his estimate of the cost to the House of Commons Fees Office of administering the pension provision for hon. Members' staff as a proportion of contributions paid to their policies for the year 1990-91.
Mr. MacGregor [holding answer 17 July 1991] : Salary costs as a proportion of premiums paid in 1990-91 was3 per cent.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Child Care
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson), of 9 July, Official Report, column 301, if he will list the other relevant factors of which he estimates the TRAC--Campaign for Child Relief on Child Care--estimates take no account.
Mr. Maude : The TRAC estimates do not appear to take any account of the likelihood that some of those induced to return to work by tax-free child care would replace existing workers, or displace jobs elsewhere in the economy. To the extent that that happened, net employment gains would be overstated. Nor do they take account of the deadweight costs arising from switches into employer-assisted child care by those who are already employed.
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Youth Training
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the number of youth training places in the departments for which he is responsible and (b) the number of places occupied in May for each of the years 1989, 1990 and the current year.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 18 July 1991] : The information is not held centrally, but provisional figures are as follows :
$
|Number
------------------------------------
Youth training places
May 1989 |25
May 1990 |39
May 1991 |43
Places occupied
May 1989 |13
May 1990 |32
May 1991 |43
ENERGY
South Wales Electricity
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has had from the South Wales Electricity company concerning purchases of its shares by Welsh Water ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : We have been informed by South Wales Electricity plc that further shares have been purchased by Welsh Water plc and that the directors are opposed to a merger.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 436, if he will give for each Department the progress made so far towards the target of a 15 per cent. reduction in weather-corrected energy consumption per unit of floor area.
Mr. Wakeham : Information on energy consumption in Departments for 1990-91 is being collected by my Energy Efficiency Office, and will be published in the annual report of the ministerial group on energy efficiency in the autumn.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 436, if he will give the formula used to adjust energy consumption according to the weather.
Mr. Wakeham : The formula used to adjust energy consumption according to the weather applies to the space heating of a building and is :
DDO is the 20-year average of degree days, and DD is the number of degree days for the current year. This information is prepared on a regional basis by the Meteorological Office. DDO and DD should refer to the same region.
Executive Salaries
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy further to his oral answer of 15 July to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, Official Report, column 8, if
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he will list the other organisations which produced reports on executive pay, indicating in each case the name of the organisation which retained their services and over what period.Mr. Wakeham : Other reports on executive pay were produced for a number of the now privatised electricity companies and are a matter for those companies.
Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what volumes of low-level radioactive wastes will be created in the reprocessing of foreign spent nuclear fuel already contracted to be processed in the British Nuclear Fuel Ltd. thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : British Nuclear Fuels plc estimates that some 36,000 cu m of conditioned low-level radioactive waste will arise from the reprocessing of overseas spent nuclear fuel currently contracted to be reprocessed in the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Clerk's Department
Mr. John Garrett : To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what percentage of the staff in
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the House of Commons Clerk's Department of grade 7 equivalent and above did not graduate from Oxford or Cambridge ;(2) what percentage of the staff in the House of Commons Clerk's Department of grade 7 equivalent and above did not have arts degrees ;
(3) what percentage of the staff in the House of Commons Clerk's Department of grade 7 equivalent and above were not educated at private schoools.
Mr. Beith [holding answer 2 July 1991] : No central records are kept, but from information obtained by way of questionnaire, the approximate percentage figures are 30 per cent., 37 per cent. and 40 per cent.
The definition used for a "non-arts" degree includes degrees in science, mathematics, law and social sciences. If only science and mathematics degrees were included, the figure would be 7 per cent.
ENVIRONMENT
Rent Arrears
Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authority rent arrears level in London by borough for each year since 1979.
Mr. Yeo : I have today placed in the Library tables listing cumulative rent arrears of London boroughs, and arrears as a percentage of rent roll, for each year since 1981. The corresponding figures for earlier years are not available centrally.
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Cumulative rent arrears at the end of March 1981 to 1985
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
London boroughs |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as
|percentage |percentage |percentage |percentage |percentage
|of rent roll |of rent roll |of rent roll |of rent roll |of rent roll
|£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barking and Dagenham |0.50 |3.00 |0.70 |3.20 |1.10 |4.80 |1.20 |5.20 |0.70 |3.10
Barnet |0.50 |3.80 |0.70 |4.30 |0.90 |4.30 |1.00 |4.60 |1.00 |4.50
Bexley |0.30 |4.10 |0.40 |4.60 |0.40 |4.30 |0.30 |2.80 |0.30 |2.70
Brent |1.50 |15.60 |2.80 |20.60 |3.60 |23.20 |4.90 |31.40 |5.30 |32.20
Bromley |0.30 |2.80 |0.50 |3.20 |0.40 |2.70 |0.90 |5.30 |0.30 |3.20
Camden |2.40 |17.20 |1.60 |8.40 |2.50 |9.60 |2.70 |9.90 |3.10 |11.20
City of London |0.02 |1.30 |0.04 |2.40 |0.05 |2.40 |0.06 |2.60 |0.08 |3.30
Croydon |0.40 |4.60 |0.90 |6.10 |0.90 |5.30 |0.60 |4.10 |1.10 |6.00
Ealing |0.70 |4.80 |0.90 |5.10 |1.10 |5.50 |1.40 |6.80 |1.50 |7.30
Enfield |0.50 |4.40 |0.40 |2.70 |0.60 |3.20 |0.70 |3.50 |1.30 |6.30
Greenwich |1.20 |6.80 |1.40 |5.60 |2.00 |7.20 |1.60 |5.90 |3.00 |10.80
Hackney |1.40 |12.80 |1.00 |7.00 |3.30 |10.20 |3.60 |10.90 |9.20 |27.20
Hammersmith and Fulham |0.90 |10.10 |1.00 |7.30 |1.10 |6.90 |1.10 |6.10 |1.50 |7.50
Haringey |1.50 |14.80 |1.40 |9.10 |3.50 |18.50 |2.50 |13.20 |2.90 |15.20
Harrow |0.40 |6.20 |0.50 |5.80 |0.40 |5.10 |0.60 |6.60 |0.70 |8.40
Havering |0.60 |5.80 |0.60 |4.50 |0.40 |3.10 |0.70 |5.10 |0.70 |4.80
Hillingdon |0.50 |3.80 |0.50 |2.50 |0.60 |3.30 |0.50 |2.70 |0.50 |2.30
Hounslow |0.20 |2.30 |0.50 |3.60 |1.20 |8.20 |1.40 |8.60 |1.60 |9.30
Islington |0.60 |3.40 |3.20 |12.80 |5.50 |17.40 |4.50 |14.50 |4.90 |15.10
Kensington and Chelsea |0.50 |7.30 |0.50 |5.60 |0.90 |7.70 |0.90 |7.30 |1.10 |8.20
Kingston Upon Thames |0.05 |1.00 |0.20 |2.60 |0.20 |2.80 |0.10 |1.80 |0.10 |1.50
Lambeth |3.70 |29.00 |7.40 |40.00 |n/a |n/a |7.90 |20.80 |9.40 |24.00
Lewisham |2.10 |17.60 |2.80 |14.90 |4.30 |12.90 |6.70 |20.30 |7.30 |22.30
Merton |0.70 |7.80 |1.20 |10.60 |1.30 |10.40 |1.20 |8.80 |1.20 |7.90
Newham |0.60 |4.40 |0.80 |4.20 |1.60 |6.70 |1.80 |7.30 |2.30 |9.10
Redbridge |0.30 |4.10 |0.60 |5.50 |0.60 |4.70 |0.60 |4.70 |0.60 |4.80
Richmond Upon Thames |0.07 |1.10 |0.10 |1.20 |0.10 |1.00 |0.10 |1.30 |0.20 |2.00
Southwark |5.10 |16.10 |5.10 |11.30 |6.80 |13.50 |8.80 |17.20 |11.00 |20.50
Sutton |0.20 |2.00 |0.30 |3.00 |0.40 |3.10 |0.40 |3.00 |0.40 |2.60
Tower Hamlets |0.50 |7.30 |0.70 |6.40 |1.00 |7.40 |0.80 |6.00 |0.90 |6.20
Waltham Forest |0.40 |4.60 |0.70 |6.10 |1.20 |8.10 |2.80 |16.50 |3.10 |17.80
Wandsworth |2.70 |11.00 |4.50 |13.10 |5.70 |15.10 |5.40 |14.20 |5.40 |12.30
Westminster |1.00 |7.20 |1.50 |8.30 |1.60 |7.60 |1.50 |6.80 |1.80 |6.80
Source: Housing Subsidies and Grants: Second Advance Claim Forms.
Note: Large year to year changes in arrears up to 1987 may be due to changes in reporting (ie high figures may include arrears of rates or
service charges). From 1987 onwards figures for rent arrears only have been estimated where necessary (indicated by *).
Cumulative rent arrears at the end of March 1986 to 1990
1986 1987 1988 1988 1990
London boroughs |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as |Arrears |Arrears as
|percentage |percentage |percentage |percentage |percentage
|of rent roll |of rent roll |of rent roll |of rent roll |of rent roll
|£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent. |£ million |per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barking and Dagenham |1.20 |4.90 |0.70 |3.00 |0.80 |3.20 |0.80 |3.20 |0.70 |2.70
Barnet |1.00 |4.90 |0.60 |3.00 |0.80 |3.70 |1.00 |4.40 |1.30 |5.80
Bexley |0.30 |2.80 |0.30 |2.80 |0.30 |3.00 |0.30 |3.20 |0.30 |2.80
Brent |11.00 |63.00 |6.50 |38.50 |*8.10 |46.90 |*13.70 |49.00 |15.80 |44.60
Bromley |0.50 |3.20 |0.40 |2.70 |0.40 |2.00 |0.60 |3.10 |0.70 |3.50
Camden |4.40 |15.60 |4.60 |16.00 |4.70 |15.30 |5.80 |15.20 |7.50 |17.80
City of London |0.10 |4.80 |0.10 |2.40 |0.10 |1.90 |0.10 |3.30 |0.20 |4.30
Croydon |1.70 |8.20 |1.20 |5.60 |1.30 |6.00 |1.40 |5.60 |1.80 |6.60
Ealing |1.70 |8.20 |1.90 |8.90 |2.20 |10.20 |5.70 |26.20 |5.70 |18.30
Enfield |1.00 |4.80 |1.10 |5.70 |1.20 |5.10 |1.70 |6.50 |1.00 |3.50
Greenwich |2.90 |10.00 |3.50 |12.10 |4.80 |15.30 |5.50 |14.10 |8.10 |18.00
Hackney |5.50 |16.20 |6.60 |19.80 |8.40 |24.10 |12.40 |30.30 |15.30 |29.50
Hammersmith and Fulham |1.70 |7.50 |1.90 |7.90 |2.20 |8.40 |3.70 |10.50 |6.40 |17.40
Haringey |5.60 |28.50 |3.20 |16.50 |4.10 |18.80 |7.20 |25.60 |11.90 |30.30
Harrow |0.60 |6.30 |0.40 |4.30 |0.40 |4.00 |0.60 |5.90 |0.70 |6.60
Havering |0.70 |4.30 |0.50 |3.00 |0.50 |2.80 |0.60 |3.30 |0.60 |3.10
Hillingdon |0.50 |2.50 |0.40 |2.30 |0.50 |2.50 |0.50 |2.80 |0.60 |3.00
Hounslow |0.90 |4.90 |1.10 |5.60 |1.10 |5.60 |1.00 |4.70 |1.60 |5.20
Islington |6.20 |18.30 |6.50 |19.60 |9.80 |27.40 |13.10 |28.90 |6.50 |12.10
Kensington and Chelsea |1.20 |8.40 |1.00 |7.20 |1.10 |7.00 |1.30 |8.20 |1.70 |9.90
Kingston upon Thames |0.10 |1.60 |0.10 |1.80 |0.10 |1.70 |0.30 |3.00 |0.30 |3.10
Lambeth |10.00 |24.00 |7.50 |18.00 |12.60 |29.90 |17.50 |35.70 |17.40 |32.50
Lewisham |6.80 |19.50 |4.20 |12.00 |4.70 |12.20 |5.70 |12.80 |5.80 |11.90
Merton |1.20 |7.40 |1.10 |7.70 |0.80 |5.20 |0.70 |5.00 |1.30 |7.60
Newham |2.70 |10.70 |3.10 |11.40 |3.60 |12.10 |5.40 |16.00 |9.90 |21.60
Redbridge |0.60 |3.90 |0.70 |4.90 |0.80 |5.50 |1.30 |8.50 |1.60 |8.70
Richmond upon Thames |0.20 |2.00 |0.20 |2.00 |0.30 |2.90 |0.40 |4.00 |0.80 |5.80
Southwark |13.40 |24.40 |14.70 |27.80 |19.00 |29.30 |*26.80 |35.50 |27.00 |31.90
Sutton |0.40 |2.70 |0.40 |2.60 |0.40 |3.10 |0.80 |5.60 |0.70 |4.50
Tower Hamlets |2.30 |6.80 |2.30 |5.60 |2.20 |4.90 |2.20 |4.70 |3.10 |6.10
Waltham Forest |4.40 |23.60 |2.70 |14.10 |3.10 |16.00 |4.40 |20.60 |3.20 |13.80
Wandsworth |2.80 |6.80 |2.50 |5.40 |2.40 |5.30 |3.40 |6.90 |3.80 |8.10
Westminster |1.80 |6.20 |1.90 |6.50 |1.80 |6.10 |1.70 |5.60 |2.00 |5.50
Source: Housing Subsidies and Grants: Second Advance Claim Forms.
Note: Large year to year changes in arrears up to 1987 may be due to changes in reporting (ie high figures may include arrears of rates or
service charges). From 1987 onwards figures for rent arrears only have been estimated where necessary (indicated by *).
Housing
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the drafting of his Department's circular 7/91 ; and if he has any plans to amend it.
Sir George Young : We have received a number of letters from hon. Members, local authorities and other interested bodies about circular 7/91 on "Planning and Affordable Housing". I have also discussed the circular at meetings with local authority representative bodies, including the Housing Consultative Council.
Many local authorities and others have welcomed the clarification of policy on the use of planning mechanisms to encourage the provision of affordable housing where it is needed. The circular emphasises the important role of local plans which may, after careful analysis of the need, incorporate appropriate planning policies on affordable housing. The circular makes it clear that matters unrelated to land use, such as tenure or the income of the occupier, should not be regulated through the planning system. In view of this, the best way of ensuring that such housing remains affordable is through planning agreements that provide for a housing association or similar body to retain an interest in the ownership sufficient to control the occupation.
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