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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 22 January 1992
HOME DEPARTMENT
Extradition
Mr. Stanbrook : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries with which the United Kingdom has extradition arrangements in which there is no obligation on a requesting country to provide evidence amounting to prima facie guilt.
Mr. John Patten : The following countries, listed in part 1 of schedule 2 to the European Convention on Extradition Order 1990--1990 No. 1507--do not have to provide prima facie evidence :
Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Prison Suicides
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of suicides in prisons in England and Wales during the year 1991 ; and if he will list the prisons and the number of suicides that took place within them.
Mrs. Rumbold : The total number of deaths in 1991 which resulted from an act of deliberate self-harm was 41. Of the 26 inquests which have so far been held into these deaths, a verdict of suicide was recorded in 20. The establishments at which the deaths occurred are listed in the table.
Deaths at HM Prison Service Establishments
in 1991
resulting from an act of deliberate
self-harm
Establishment |Number of
|Deaths
--------------------------------------------
Birmingham |3
Bristol |1
Brixton |1
Cardiff |1
Dorchester |1
Durham |1
Featherstone |1
Feltham |2
Full Sutton |2
Garth |1
Glen Parva |1
Gloucester |1
Grendon |2
Haverigg |1
Leeds |2
Liverpool |3
Long Lartin |1
Manchester |2
The Mount |1
Norwich |2
Nottingham |1
Oxford |1
Parkhurst |1
Pentonville |1
Preston |1
Stafford |1
Stoke Heath |1
Wakefield |1
Wandsworth |1
Winchester |1
Wormwood Scrubs |1
Police Cells
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present nightly cost of keeping a remand prisoner in police station cells.
Mrs. Rumbold : The current average daily cost of keeping a prisoner in a police cell is £228.
Rule 43 Prisoners
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women, were being held under rule 43 in prisons in England and Wales on 13 January.
Mrs. Rumbold : The numbers of prisoners removed from association under rule 43 of the prison rules and rule 46 of the young offender institution rules on 13 January were as follows :
|Number
----------------------
Males |2,236
Females |16
Animal Rights
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) from which sources the names on the animal rights national index are obtained ;
(2) what measures he takes to ensure that the animal rights national index does not include those involved only in legitimate and legal campaigning.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The animal rights national index holds information received from police forces throughout Great Britain. The use of the index is the operational responsibility of chief officers of police.
Mr. Steve Wyatt (Photographs)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the amount of police time expended on investigating the discovery of photographs involving the Texan business man Mr. Steve Wyatt.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Occupational Pensions
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to issue a Green Paper on the division of occupational pension rights on divorce.
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The Attorney-General : I have no plans to issue a Green Paper on this subject. Occupational pensions fall within the ministerial responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.Dr. Malde Modhwadia
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General what was the cost to public funds of the retrial of Dr. Malde Modhwadia of 245 Goodwood road, Leicester, which took place on 6, 7 and 8 January.
The Attorney-General : The legal aid costs of Dr. Modhwadia's solicitors and counsel have yet to be determined. However the prosecution costs, that is counsel's fees and witness expenses, were £3,626.72 and the costs incurred by the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Consolidated Fund amount to approximately £5,500.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the time taken to bring the case of Dr. Malde Modhwadia of 245 Goodwood road, Leicester, to retrial.
The Attorney-General : On 25 June 1991 the Court of Appeal criminal division allowed Dr. Modhwadia's appeal against conviction and ordered a fresh trial. The Crown Court at Northampton was notifed of that judgment on 24 July. Subsequently, on 19 August, those representing Dr. Modhwadia informed the court that they would not be ready for trial until January 1992. The trial took place between 6 January and 8 January 1992.
Insolvency Statistics
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Attorney-General if he will list by year, for the last 10 years, the number of companies that have been wound up by the High Court due to trading while insolvent.
The Attorney-General : The only figures available, as set out in the table, for the number of companies that have been wound up over the last 10 years in England and Wales are for the years 1983 to 1990. Full figures for 1991 are not yet available.
Total number of orders made in the High Court on Petitions presented for winding up of companies including orders for winding up on grounds of insolvency Year |Orders made ------------------------------------ 1983 |3,967 1984 |4,203 1985 |4,882 1986 |4,591 1987 |3,744 1988 |3,092 1989 |3,436 1990 |5,037
Rape (Juveniles)
Mr. Butcher : To ask the Attorney-General if he will review the advice given to judges in the sentencing of male juveniles convicted of rape ; and what representations he has received on this subject since 13 December.
The Attorney-General : Subject to the statutory limits laid down by Parliament, sentencing policy is a matter for the Court of Appeal criminal division which from time to
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time issues guidance to the judiciary. This takes the form of a judicial decision, with general comment which may be expressed as formal guidelines setting the class of offence in the general context of the court's overall sentencing practice. The court has issued guidelines for rape and they are contained in the judgment in the case of R v. Billam which is reported in the 1986 "Criminal Appeal Reports" at page 347. The court has given no separate guidance for the sentencing of juveniles convicted of rape.I have received 10 letters on this subject in the period between 13 December 1991 and 17 January 1992 and my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has received 19 over the same period.
ENVIRONMENT
Vacant Public Land
17. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure vacant, dormant, derelict and under-utilised sites in public ownership in urban areas are built on first before green-field sites beyond city boundaries are used.
35. Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure vacant, dormant, derelict and under- utilised sites in public ownership in urban areas are built on first before green-belt sites beyond city boundaries are used.
Sir George Young : I refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs).
City of Birmingham (Bankers)
18. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the tendering procedure that has resulted in the appointment of the Co-operative bank as bankers to the city of Birmingham.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received one representation.
UN Conference on Environment and Development
19. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the progress of preparations for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
Mr. Trippier : The United Kingdom Government are taking an active role in the preparations for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has indicated that he intends to lead the United Kingdom delegation and is encouraging other Heads of Government to attend. We have submitted our national report for UNCED ; we have prepared reports for the preparatory committee on technology transfer and population ; we are providing financial assistance so that developing countries can play an effective part in the preparations ; and we are consulting non-governmental organisations, business and local government on their preparations for UNCED. We have also pledged £40.3 million to the global environment facility which is helping developing countries to address global environmental problems.
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Housing Associations (Funding Allocations)
20. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of current developments within the control of housing associations out of public funds are (a) for private ownership and (b) for public letting ; what are the total numbers in each case ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : The Housing Corporation estimates that this financial year its approved development programme will provide 2,400 homes for low-cost home ownership and 24,700 homes available for letting. These figures represent, respectively, 9 and 91 per cent. of the total number of completions.
Next year, the Housing Corporation will introduce a major programme of "do- it-yourself" shared ownership. This will be targeted on existing council and housing association tenants, thereby releasing rented accommodation for the homeless.
Local Government Finance
21. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities on the present revenue grant system.
Mr. Key : My right hon. Friend has received 301 written representations from local authorities and their associations on the revenue grant settlement. In addition, Ministers have held meetings with 62 local authorities to discuss the settlement.
34. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the amount of capital receipts currently being held by local authorities.
Mr. Portillo : Based on the most recent returns submitted by local authorities to my Department, it is provisionally estimated that the amount of capital receipts held by authorities in England at 31 March 1991 was £6.5 billion. Of this total, it is estimated that authorities had set aside £5.1 billion to redeem debt and that £1.4 billion was available to finance capital expenditure.
RECHAR
22. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present situation with regard to the release of RECHAR funding ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The United Kingdom's RECHAR programmes are being blocked by Commissioner Millan's unjustifiable refusal to approve them.
31. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance is given by his Department to local authorities on applications under the RECHAR programme for EC support for environmental projects in former coal-mining areas.
Mr. Yeo : None at present, as the United Kingdom's RECHAR programmes are being blocked by Commissioner Millan's unjustifiable refusal to approve them.
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Development Projects
23. Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with Commissioner Ripa di Meana concerning the effect of directive 85/337/EEC on British development projects ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heseltine : There have been a number of exchanges between Ministers and the Commissioner about the application of the directive. I discussed the matter with him yesterday and contacts will continue while the Commission considers the Government's recent response to the Commission's letter of 17 October about the application of the directive in the United Kingdom.
Housing Association Properties
24. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many additional housing association properties for rent he estimates will be completed during 1991-92.
Sir George Young : The Housing Corporation estimates that its approved development programme will provide 21,800 new homes for rent in the current financial year. This includes 1,800 homes brought back into use by the corporation's short-life repair programme--"mini-HAG". In addition, 2,900 homes will be released for reletting by the corporation's tenants incentive scheme.
Poll Tax
25. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on poll tax arrears in England and Wales.
Mr. Key : At the end of September 1991 authorities in England had, on average, received 95 per cent. of the community charge that they expected to collect for 1990-91 and 39 per cent. of that amount for 1991- 92.
New Council Houses
26. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new council houses will be completed in the United Kingdom in the financial year 1991-92.
Mr. Yeo : Based on reported activity to November 1991, English local authorities are expected to complete 7,000 to 8,000 dwellings in 1991-92.
We do not plan a specific level of council house building. It is for local authorities to propose how best to use the resources made available under their housing investment programme allocations. Housing associations are now the main providers of new subsidised rented housing, and public expenditure provision for the Housing Corporation is planned to increase from £1.1 billion last year to over £2 billion by 1993-94, when output of housing by associations will rise to over 50,000.
For information about other parts of the United Kingdom, I refer the hon. Member to the Secretaries of State concerned.
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Local Authority Homes
27. Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the number of local authority empty homes at June 1979, June 1983, June 1987 and June 1991 ; and what is the most recent available figure.
Mr. Yeo : The Department gets this information from local authorities in their annual housing investment programme returns, and this gives the position at 1 April. The latest available figures relate to April 1991.
England totals April |Number ------------------------ 1979 |100,000 1983 |114,000 1987 |112,000 1991 |83,000
London (Development Policy)
28. Sir Anthony Durant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider changing the policy on development to a greater emphasis on the east of London rather than the west of London.
Mr. Heseltine : I am reviewing the existing regional guidance for the south-east--PPG9--which already aims to redress the balance of attraction between the eastern and western parts of the region. I have appointed consultants to study the east Thames corridor--the area stretching from docklands to Tilbury and the Medway towns--to help in considering options for the future location of development in the south- east.
Rents-to-mortgages Scheme
2. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to extend the rents-to-mortgages scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : The pilot schemes in Basildon and Milton Keynes have so far helped about 100 new town tenants into owner-occupation, and they have successfully tested the working of rents to mortgages. We will now consider whether to extend the scheme to local authority tenants.
River Quality
30. Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the chairman of the National Rivers Authority to discuss the quality of water in rivers.
Mr. Trippier : I meet Lord Crickhowell regularly to discuss matters relating to the National Rivers Authority's responsibilities for the water environment, including river quality.
32. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made in cleaning up rivers.
Mr. Trippier : The National Rivers Authority's 1990 river quality survey showed that despite a small net deterioration in water quality, around 90 per cent. of our
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rivers, canals and estuaries are of good or fair quality--compared with the average of 75 per cent. for the European Community. The survey was too soon to reflect the major investment on which the industry has embarked following privatisation, or the vigorous action being taken by the NRA against polluters. The system of statutory water quality objectives will help ensure that a real and sustained improvement in water quality is achieved.SSSIs
33. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the protection of sites of special scientific interest in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Baldry : The appropriate territorial conservation agencies are continuing the good work of the Nature Conservancy Council in notifying sites of special scientific interest. As at 31 March 1991 the Nature Conservancy Council had notified a total of 5,671 SSSIs covering 1.8 million hectares--8 per cent. of Great Britain. The additional safeguards for SSSIs announced by the Government in September 1991 came into effect on 2 January 1992.
Grants
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the level of grant per head of population for each of the standard economic regions and in Greater London in the financial years 1980-81, 1983-84, 1986-87, 1989-90 for (a) rate support grant, (b) housing revenue subsidy, (c) total specific and supplementary grants and (d) urban programme ;
(2) if he will list the level of grant per head of population in the financial years 1980-81, 1983-84, 1986-87 and 1989-90 for (a) rate support grant, (b) housing revenue subsidy, (c) total specific and supplementary grants and (d) urban programme for (i) Blackburn, (ii) Burnley, (iii) Knowsley, (iv) Liverpool, (v) Manchester, (vi) Preston, (vii) Rochdale, (viii) Salford, (ix) Middlesbrough, (x) Birmingham, (xi) Coventry, (xii) Sandwell, (xiii) Wolverhampton, (xiv) Leicester, (xv) Nottingham, (xvi) Bradford and (xvii) Kingston-upon-Hull ;
(3) if he will list the level of grant per head of population in the financial years 1980-81, 1983-84, 1986-87 and 1989-90 for (a) rate support grant, (b) housing revenue subsidy, (c) total specific and supplementary grants and (d) the urban programme for (i) Brent, (ii) Greenwich, (iii) Hackney, (iv) Hammersmith and Fulham, (v) Haringey, (vi) Islington, (vii) Kensington and Chelsea, (viii) Lambeth, (ix) Lewisham, (x) Newham, (xi) Southwark, (xii) Tower Hamlets and (xiii) Wandsworth.
Mr. Key : The available information has been placed in the Library of the House.
Enterprise Zones
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment at what date an application was made by Her Majesty's Government to the Commission of the European Community for permission to establish the existing enterprise zone in the London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets ; and if he will list the article(s) of the treaty of Rome which require applications
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to be made to a Member of the European Commission for the establishment of additional zones in the United Kingdom.Mr. Key : Under article 93(2) of the EC treaty, the Commission may require member states to alter or abolish existing or proposed systems of aid.
The Government wrote on 26 March 1980 to inform the European Commission, as required by article 93(3), of their intention to set up a number of enterprise zones including one comprising parts of the London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets. The Commission raised no objections.
Home Insulation
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what targets his Department has set for home insulation ; and what progress has been made towards meeting these targets.
Mr. Yeo : The Government's aim of upgrading the Building Regulations standard for energy efficiency of new buildings by 20 per cent. was achieved though the revised regulations which came into force in 1990. We are now reviewing the scope for further strengthening of the standard. The green house demonstration programme for existing council housing requires a 25 per cent. increase in energy efficiency in participating schemes. I anticipate that by the end of 1994 all programme schemes will have met this target. The Department does not set central targets for other insulation programmes carried out by local authorities and housing associations.
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Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the national programme for limiting carbon dioxide emissions to which he committed the United Kingdom at the joint session of EC environment and energy councils on 13 December ; and if he will use his powers under section 3(5)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to make a plan for establishing limits for the total amount of carbon dioxide which may be released into the environment in any period in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Trippier : The environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm 1200) set out the Government's strategy and a first tranche of measures towards Britain's conditional target of returning CO emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2005. The first year report--Cm 1655-- sets out progress with this strategy. My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to use his Environmental Protection Act 1990 powers to make a plan for establishing limits for carbon dioxide emissions.
Opencast Mining
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 13 January, Official Report, columns 422-23, if he will specify which decisions listed in the answer were on application by (a) British Coal and (b) private companies ; and if he will give the corresponding figures for appeal refusals.
Mr. Yeo : The information requested is as follows :
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Table 1 Appeals by British Coal: Planning permission granted
Planning authority |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1 April 1991 to
|30 November 1991
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnsley |- |- |1 |- |-
Bolton |1 |- |- |- |-
Derbyshire |1 |1 |2 |- |-
County Durham |1 |2 |- |- |-
Northumberland |1 |1 |- |- |-
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |4 |4 |3 |0 |0
Table 2 Appeals by private companies/individuals: Planning permission granted
Planning authority |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1 April 1991 to
|30 November 1991
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derbyshire |1 |1 |- |2 |-
County Durham |2 |1 |3 |3 |4
Gateshead |- |- |- |1 |-
Huntingdon |- |- |- |1 |-
Lancashire |- |1 |- |- |-
Leeds |- |- |1 |- |-
Norfolk |- |- |1 |- |-
North Tyneside |- |- |- |1 |-
Northumberland |- |- |- |1 |1
Staffordshire |- |1 |- |- |-
Wakefield |- |- |- |- |2
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |3 |4 |5 |9 |7
Table 3 Appeals by British Coal: Planning permission refused
Planning authority |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1 April 1991 to
|30 November 1991
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greater Manchester |- |1 |- |- |-
Staffordshire |1 |- |- |- |-
County Durham |2 |- |- |- |-
Bolton |- |1 |- |- |-
Lancashire |- |1 |- |- |-
Nottinghamshire |- |- |- |1 |-
Derbyshire |- |- |- |1 |-
West Midlands |1 |- |- |- |-
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |4 |3 |0 |2 |0
Table 4 Appeals by private companies/individuals : Planning permission refused Planning authority 1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1 April 1991 to
30 November 1991
Gloucestershire -- 1 -- -- --
Staffordshire -- -- -- 1 --
County Durham -- 1 -- -- --
Northumberland 1 1 -- 1 --
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2 1 -- -- --
Nottinghamshire -- -- 2 -- --
Derbyshire 1 1 -- -- --
Total 4 5 2 2 0
Housing Corporation
Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Housing Corporation.
Mr. Yeo : My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning meets the chairman of the Housing Corporation from time to time to discuss various corporation matters.
Housing Co-operatives
Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made to expand the number of housing co-operatives and other tenant-led initiatives.
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