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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 9 March 1992
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Syria
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Syrian authorities concerning the violation of human rights of Jews in Syria.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have made our views clear to the Syrian Government about their human rights record, including the problems of the Jewish community.
Baltic Republics (Gold)
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the gold or money equivalent to be transferred to the Baltic republics has now been transferred ; and which other countries in the eastern European areas have gold reserves deposited in London.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We hope to reach final agreement with each Baltic Government on the transfer of gold, or its equivalent in money, by the end of March. We hope to receive shortly formal responses from the Baltic Governments to our proposals for the transfer, which we put to them in January.
Where countries choose to hold their gold and other international reserves is a matter of banking confidentiality and for them alone to disclose if they wish to. I am not in a position to do so.
International Science and Technology Centre
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statment on the role of the international science and technology centre in Russia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We support the proposal to establish an international science and technology centre in the CIS to reduce the risk of proliferation of expertise in building weapons of mass destruction. The EC is considering a financial contribution to the initiative from its technical assistance budget.
Chief Scientific Adviser (Moscow Visit)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the visit of Professor Bill Stewart, the chief scientific adviser, to Moscow.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The chief scientific adviser proposes to make an early visit to Moscow for discussions with leading members of the scientific community. These will be directed to identifying ways in which the west can help to sustain the science base in the CIS.
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Post Cold War Conference
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have provided any financial support or other assistance to the conference of former Heads of State and Government in Europe and America on "The World after the Cold War : National Roles and Responsibilities" held in Berlin on 4 March .
Mr. Garel-Jones : The conference of European and American former Heads of State and Government on the "Post Cold War World : Roles and Responsibilities of Nations" was held in Berlin on 5 March. Her Majesty's Government did not provide any financial support. Lord Callaghan was one of the participants and a member of the British embassy in Berlin attended.
Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations on nuclear disarmament, pursuant to United Kingdom commitments under the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty article VI provisions, currently involve the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The focus of nuclear arms control negotiations remains on the arsenals of the United States and Russia. We welcome the prospect of further reductions in their nuclear arsenals. Consistent with our nuclear non-proliferation treaty obligations, we are willing to consider involvement in strategic arms control negotiations when the time is right. But our deterrent force is a minimum only, and not comparable to those of the United States and Russia. President Yeltsin has accepted this position. We have, however, already announced substantial reductions in our sub-strategic nuclear capability, including ending our role in the deployment of the Lance missile and nuclear artillery in Europe, the withdrawal of tactical nuclear weapons from Royal Navy ships in normal circumstances, and a reduction of about 50 per cent. in the number of our free-fall nuclear bombs.
British-Argentine Group
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the British-Argentine high-level group held in Buenos Aires.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The British and Argentine delegations exchanged information and explored ideas on the scope for co-operation on activities deriving from their respective legislative measures relating to the continental shelf in the south-west Atlantic. There will be a second meeting of the high-level group in London in late June 1992.
Hong Kong
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the annual report on Hong Kong will be laid before Parliament.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The report is being published and laid before Parliament today. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
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ENVIRONMENT
Toxic Waste
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the report, "Waste Not Want Not--the Production and Dumping of Toxic Waste in Britain and Ireland", by R. Allen.
Mr. Heseltine : A copy has already been ordered.
Waste Disposal
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 24 February, Official Report, column 411, to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson), if he will set out the details of his departmental publicity on the duty of care for the disposal and carriage of waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mr. Baldry : The duty of care on holders of waste to ensure that it is properly dealt with under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the related provisions for the registration of carriers of controlled waste under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, come into force throughout Great Britain on 1 April.
It is vital that all businesses are informed of the implications of these new laws which require them to take a fair share of the responsibility for the waste they produce or handle. A large number of people need to know about the duty ; there are over 2 million business addresses in Great Britain. My Department's information campaign accordingly includes the distribution of some 6.5 million copies of a free explanatory leaflet through local authorities, trade associations and journals. So that knowledge of the new duty is widespread, we are placing advertisements in the national and provincial daily newspapers.
Water Companies
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State Environment if he will indicate, for each of the 10 water plcs, the cost at current market prices of purchasing a controlling interest of the companies' shares ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : At the price given in the second column of the table, the cost of purchasing a 51 per cent. stake in each of the privatised water companies would be as given in the third column.
Company |Price per|£ million
|share
-------------------------------------------
Anglian |368 |553.10
North West |375 |680.47
Northumbrian |400 |133.62
Severn Trent |348 |627.57
Southern |341 |284.69
South West |382 |231.84
Thames |382 |748.50
Welsh |388 |285.15
Wessex |414 |216.63
Yorkshire |401 |401.86
Note: The share prices are those given in
the Financial Times for the
close of business on 3 March 1992.
Eco-labelling
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a logo to be used in connection with eco- labelling ; and if he will publish a copy.
Mr. Baldry : The logo for the European Community eco-labelling scheme was agreed as part of the eco-labelling regulation in December. An environmental labelling factsheet, which includes the logo, has been deposited in the Library.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many products he expects to have been awarded eco- labels by the end of 1992 ;
(2) if he will publish a timetable for the introduction of eco-labelling.
Mr. Baldry : The European Community regulation which will introduce the official eco-labelling scheme was agreed at December's Environmental Council. We expect that it will be formerly adopted at the Environment Council later this month.
The Commission is aiming to launch the scheme in the autumn with 10 to 12 product categories. The number of awards of the label will depend on industry's response to the scheme.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the use of minimum packaging will be a requisite of any product awarded an eco-label.
Mr. Baldry : Under the European Community scheme the packaging of a product will be taken into account, together with the other impacts of the product over its lifecycle, in establishing criteria for the award of an eco-label.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what criteria are being set for awarding an eco-label to detergents, paints, carrier bags, bleaches and toilet rolls ; (2) what plans he has for the award of eco-labels to services such as dry cleaning, car breakers, photographic processors or taxis.
Mr. Baldry : Agreement has now been reached at European level on the first product categories that are to be developed for inclusion in the eco- labelling scheme. The United Kingdom is taking the lead in developing criteria for washing machines, dishwashers, hairsprays, soil improvers and light bulbs. Other member states have agreed to take the lead in developing criteria for photocopying paper, kitchen rolls, toilet paper, writing paper, paints, laundry detergents and other cleaning agents, insulation materials, batteries and solar heating systems. Other product groups, which could include services, will be agreed in due course.
No proposals for criteria have yet been formally submitted.
Uniform Business Rate, Leeds
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against the uniform business rate have been lodged each year since its introduction in the Leeds metropolitan district.
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Mr. Key : In Leeds, 10,289 appeals were lodged in 1990-91 and 3, 497 between 1 April 1991 and the end of February 1992.Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against the uniform business rate remain outstanding in the Leeds metropolitan district.
Mr. Key : In Leeds, 11,307 appeals were outstanding at the end of February.
Local Authority Rate, Leeds
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals were made by local businesses against the local authority rate in 1989-90 in the Leeds metropolitan district.
Mr. Key : In Leeds, 1,452 appeals were made by businesses in 1989- 90.
RECHAR, Rotherham
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the amount which will be due to be provided from RECHAR for purposes within the metropolitan borough of Rotherham.
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Mr. Yeo : Approval of projects within the South Yorkshire RECHAR area is the responsibility of the programme co-ordinating committee, which has not yet formally met. Consequently, no estimate can be given of the value of projects within the metropolitan borough of Rotherham which will be funded by RECHAR.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the district authorities in Northamptonshire setting out (a) the 1992-93 community charge and last year's community charge, (b) the percentage increase, subdividing that increase into that part accountable to the district and that part accountable to the county, (c) the percentage increase between 1990-91 and 1991-92 having made allowances for the £140 rebate and (d) identifying which party is currently in control.
Mr. Key : Not all authorities in Northamptonshire have supplied the relevant information. Charging authorities have until 18 March to make their "Demands and Precepts Return" to the Department and they have until 1 April to set a charge. The available information is as follows :
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Authority |1991-92 |1992-93 |Change in |Change in
|community |community |1992-93 charge|1991-92 charge
|charge |charge |over 1991-92 |over 1990-91
|(£) |(£) |(per cent.) |(per cent.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
East Northants |250 |220 |14 |17
Kettering |257 |230 |12 |14
Wellingborough |145 |129 |12 |-7
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the community charge figures for Westminster and Wandsworth in 1992- 93.
Mr. Key : The authorities mentioned have yet to make a return to the Department giving this information. Charging authorities have until 18 March to make their "Demands and Precepts Return" to the Department and they have until 1 April in which to set a charge.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum provided from central funds through the standard spending grant for the Westminster, Wandsworth and Rotherham local authorities, respectively, expressed on a per capita basis ; and what were the community charge figures for these local authorities in 1991.
Mr. Key : The information requested is as follows.
|1991-92 |1991-92
|Revenue support|Community
|grant |charge
|£ per adult |£ per adult
----------------------------------------------------------------
Westminster |997.27 |36.00
Wandsworth |711.40 |0.00
Rotherham |211.30 |232.46
Note: Community charge figures are after the £140 reduction
made by
the Community Charges (General Reduction) Act 1991, for which
authorities are compensated by Exchequer grant in 1991-92.
Authorities also receive £349.18 per adult from the non
domestic rate
pool in respect of 1991-92.
Mr. Richard Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the community charge
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collection costs per head of relevant population for each of the west midland authorities, for each of the years available.Mr. Key : The information is as follows :
Community charge collection costs per head of relevant population (£) Authority |1990-91 |1991-92 -------------------------------------------- Birmingham |10.62 |12.08 Coventry |11.54 |11.24 Dudley |11.70 |8.24 Sandwell |14.47 |16.43 Solihull |11.70 |13.00 Walsall |16.73 |18.11 Wolverhampton |13.49 |16.55
Local Government Commission
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 4 February, Official Report, column 135, if he is now able to publish the draft procedural guidance for the local government commission.
Mr. Key : The draft procedural guidance will be published for comment as soon as possible.
Wild Birds
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has received from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee concerning the international trade in wild caught birds.
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Mr. Baldry : The JNCC's report "International Trade in Wildlife : A Review of Sustainable Use", published last October, is relevant to the bird trade. Since then, I have had discussions with both the UNCC and other interested organisations about the aspects of the trade, especially in the context of proposals for discussion at the current conference of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES.Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the representations by the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority in respect of the financial difficulties facing it in carrying out its statutory duties ; if he intends to meet members of the authority as requested ; if he is reviewing its standard spending assessment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Our reply of 25 February to Merseyside fire and civil defence authority's letter made clear that we did not consider it appropriate to meet the authority to discuss its budget. We have taken our decisions on the revenue support grant settlement for 1992-93, under which the authority's standard spending assessment increases by 7.4 per cent., but we are prepared to consider any new evidence on SSAs for the future.
National Stadium
Mr. Denis Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what calculations have been made by the Government of the revenue consequences of building a national stadium in Manchester ; and what consideration has been given as to which authority would have ongoing responsibility for meeting them.
Mr. Portillo : Studies indicate that a stadium in east Manchester would cover its operating costs and make a profit. The detailed calculations use material which is commercial-in-confidence and it would be prejudicial to future negotiations to make this public.
Mr. Denis Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the costs of the intended national stadium in Manchester, announced by the Minister for Sport on 3 March, it is intended should be provided from central Government funds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : The Government are already committed to the purchase and preparation of the stadium site. The costs of this will be met from central Government funds and part of the £55 million allocated to the Manchester Olympic bid will be used for this purpose.
Government Properties
Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has considered ways in which empty Government residential properties might be brought into use to house homeless people ; and if he will make a statement.
Sie George Young : The Public Accounts Committee reporting on homelessness in June last year drew attention to the potential for using empty Government residential properties to help house the homeless. Other Government
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Departments, which are individually responsible for managing their own properties, have co-operated with my own in drawing up best practice guidance on the management of their empty properties. The guidance emphasises the need for Departments to have clear strategies for their stock ; the role of local authorities and housing associations in alleviating homelessness, and the advantages of making maximum use of short-term lets of properties which are temporarily vacant. It explains the potential for contracting out management of such properties to housing associations and others. It also sets out simplified disposal procedures, endorsed by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury which may be used by Departments selling their properties to housing associations and others. These procedures should speed up property sales. Quicker sales should bring more of such properties into use faster, and thus contribute to relieving housing stress in pressure areas. My Department's regional controllers will play a liaison role as necessary in bringing together Departments, authorities and housing associations to help speed the process.Great strides have been made in recent years in reducing the numbers of empty properties held by Government Departments. However, further progress can be made particularly where local authorities have great difficulty in housing the homeless. I hope that all those who receive the guidance will act on the advice and to make better use of their properties in accordance with the spirit of the PAC report.
The guidance is being issued today by my Department and that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I am arranging for it to be placed in the House Libraries. Copies are being sent to all Government Departments and local authorities, and distributed to registered housing associations through the Housing Corporation.
Rural Housing Programme
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the allocation of resources to local authorities under his Department's rural housing special programme for 1992-93.
Mr. Yeo : Local authorities that have been successful in bidding for resources under my Department's rural housing special programme for 1992-93 are being informed today. These allocations follow the success of this programme in its first year in 1991-92 in seeking to address, at low unit costs, shortages of social housing which exist for local people in some rural areas.
The £30 million of additional supplementary credit approvals are being targeted on those local authorities in rural areas with the greatest need for low-cost rented housing and where best value for money will be obtained. The programme is designed in part to take advantage of the Department's planning policies for the provision of social housing in rural areas, articulated in DOE circular 7/91. This explains that local authorities may now give planning permission for low-cost housing to meet local needs on some sites where commercial housing would not be allowed. Research carried out by the Department recently indicated that this policy was achieving positive results.
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All the schemes will be undertaken by housing associations, and this programme is in addition to the Housing Corporation's own programmes for shared ownership and rented housing in rural areas. The corporation's rural programme has targets for approvals rising to 2,250 in 1993-94.The allocations which I am announcing today should support the creation of 1,016 new units in 1992-93, from 138 schemes in 112 local authorities.
A schedule of allocations has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Coal and the Environment
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is in a position to announce his decisions on the recommendations contained in the report of the informal working group on coal and the environment published last year.
Mr. Yeo : The informal working group was comprised of officials from the Departments of the Environment and of Energy and British Coal. It was set up to review progress on improving the environmental context of coal extraction, to identify where further improvements might be made and to recommend action. The group's report identified a number of options for change and was issued for public consultation in June 1991. In the light of the responses to that consultation, we propose to bring forward amendments to the General Development Order 1988 and to the Town and Country Planning (National Coal Board) Regulations 1974. The effect of these amendments would be : To provide for British Coal's permitted development rights for underground working to continue within a sensible planning unit based on the existing infrastructure of, and capital already invested in, the particular colliery. They will not be able to work outside that unit without obtaining specific planning permission in the normal way.
To incorporate British Coal's special permitted development rights for opencast coal exploration within the general permitted development rights for minerals exploration. Those rights will be amended to provide for a six monthly indefinitely renewable permission subject to giving periodic notice to the mineral planning authority.
That British Coal's specialised entitlements to compensation following adverse planning decisions will be fully aligned with the general planning compensation regime applying to all mineral operators.
I believe this will provide a clear and fair planning framework for the coal industry now and in the future.
This Common Inheritance"
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress on the implementation of the commitments set out in the first anniversary report on the environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance" ; and whether there will be a second progress report this year.
Mr. Heseltine : I am very pleased to announce further progress on the 400 commitments to action made in last September's anniversary report on "This Common Inheritance". To demonstrate our continuing commitment to environmental issues, the Government will issue a further detailed report on progress in October 1992. This will draw on the findings of the new statistical report on the environment to be produced by my Department in September this year.
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Britain is a world leader in the integration of environmental issues across Government Departments. This successful integration has been assisted by the strong role now played by the "green" Ministers in every Department. These Ministers seek to ensure environmental considerations are taken into account in the work of their Departments, as recently announced in the environmental coverage in Department's 1992 reports ; training to back up guidance Departments use when considering the environmental impact of their policies and programmes ; advice provided by a range of new environmental advisory bodies, such as the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment.This concerted approach has allowed the Government to make progress on its environmental commitments in all areas.
In the international arena the members of the Antarctic treaty successfully completed and, in October 1991, signed the protocol on environmental protection of the Antarctic which provides for a 50-year ban on mineral activity in the Antarctic. The British Government have also continued to prepare for the UN Conference on Environment and Development--"The Earth Summit"--which the Prime Minister will attend in Rio in June 1992. The United Kingdom has played a leading role in the negotiations for international conventions on climate change and the conservation of the world's biological diversity, both of which it is hoped will be ready for signature in Rio.
In the European Community significant progress has included agreement in December 1991 on a Community eco-labelling scheme for products which achieve a high degree of environmental performance ; agreement in December 1991 on a habitats directive to protect endangered wildlife and natural habitats ; agreement on a regulation to control the export of certain hazardous chemicals, mainly pesticides ; adoption in December 1991 of a directive on the protection of water against nitrate pollution. The Government have also announced that the use of CFCs will be phased out by the end of 1995, two years ahead of the EC target.
On policies affecting the countryside, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has continued to press for the inclusion of environmental considerations in negotiations on the reform of the common agricultural policy. Other policies on the countryside include : the launch of "Action for the Countryside", a statement of the Government's policies to enhance the conservation, development and enjoyment of the English countryside, introducing a number of new initiatives to fund and encourage such action ; increased protection for sites of special scientific interest ; publication of a revised planning policy guidance note on the countryside and the rual economy, setting out a balanced approach to rural development and conservation ; publication of "Our Farming Future" setting out the Government's policies for reconciling agricultural and environmental objectives ; measures to improve the environment of the farmed uplands, particularly moorland. In addition, the Employment department has continued to develop policies to encourage environmentally sustainable tourism, with the publication by the English tourist board of the "Green Light : a guide to sustainable tourism" in December 1991.
As far as the marine environment is concerned my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and
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Food has secured agreement in the EC restricting the length of drift nets to be used by all EC vessels wherever they fish in the world.Measures which affect the local environment include : the introduction in Britain of the first phase of a system of integrated pollution control, which brings together the regulation of pollution of air, land and water. This has attracted considerable interest in the EC, and may form the basis for Community-wide action ; implementation of the majority of the provisions of the Planning and Compensation Act including a development plan-led system which pays close attention to environmental factors, supported by strengthened planning guidance ; introduction, in January 1992, of the first phase of a new urban air quality monitoring network, which will provide more information for the public on a wide range of air pollutants ; the launch in November 1991 of a major national publicity campaign "Helping the Earth Begins at Home" to raise householders' awareness of the link between home energy use and global warming, and to encourage greater energy efficiency.
At the Department of Transport, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has also been making progress on our commitments to make transport more sensitive to the environment by : the introduction of MoT emissions checking to reduce vehicle pollution ; publication of "Keeping Buses Moving", a guide to bus priority in urban areas, allocation of £10 million for local bus schemes, and approval of further work in developing the Midland metro light rail scheme.
At the Department of Health work has continued to develop the strategy for "greening the NHS", encouraging the use of environmentally sensitive products, and making more effective use of resources.
Many other Departments are developing their own environmental initiatives. At the Department of Education and Science, the expert committee appointed to consider environmental higher and further education is making good progress ; the Ministry of Defence has launched a thorough environmental review of its work ; and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices all have environmental programmes to meet their particular needs.
Charterhouse Estates Ltd.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department has given in grants to Charterhouse Estates Ltd. for its involvement in the Liverpool 1 area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key [holding answer 3 March 1992] : A city grant of £196,000 was awarded to Charterhouse Estates Ltd. on 6 March 1992 for the conversion of 14-16 Fleet street, Liverpool to a studio-business complex. This was the first and only grant offered so far by the Department to the company for its involvement in the Liverpool 1 area.
Departmental Properties
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many residential properties owned by his Department are (a) empty, (b) for sale on the open market, (c) intended for sale on the open market and (d) for sale to housing associations, in terms of numbers and percentage of stock.
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Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 5 March 1992] : The Department of the Environment manages 52 residential properties, as distinct from those held and managed by other Departments as part of their departmental estate. Of this total, 7--13.5 per cent.--are (a) empty, none are (b) for sale on the open market, 12--23 per cent.--are (c) intended for sale on the open market and none are (d) for sale to housing associations.
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