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Mr. Maclean : The new rural action scheme which we recently announced as part of our action for the countryside package will provide grants in support of a wide range of local environmental initiatives in England at parish level. This is in addition to £4.054 million awarded by the Department for environmental projects through the environmental grant fund and the special grants programme in 1992-1993. We have no plans for low interest loans for environmental programmes.
Environmental Impact Assessments
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is currently undertaken by his Department to ensure the environmental impact assessments are conducted as early as possible in a project cycle.
Mr. Maclean : Where a project which is the subject of a planning application requires environmental assessment, the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 require the applicant to prepare and submit with the application an environmental statement setting out the applicant's own assessment of the likely environmental effects of the proposed development. This ensures that the environmental information--the applicant's environmental statement and any representations from statutory consultees and the general public--is taken into account in the decision making process.
DOE circular 15/88 and the Department's booklet "Environmental Assessment-- A guide to the procedures" advise developers to discuss with the planning authority the scope of the environmental statement before its preparation is begun and to approach statutory consultees and other bodies concerned with environmental issues at an early stage.
Public Information
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to allow public access to environmental impact assessments, environmental audit data and monitoring results and to information about the production, use and disposal of hazardous substances.
Mr. Maclean : It is my Department's policy to continue to work towards the maximum freedom of public access to environmental information, subject to commercial, personal, confidentiality and national security considerations.
Flora, Fauna and Habitats Directive
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to implement the EC flora, fauna and habitats directive.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom's current nature protection provisions give this country a firm basis for
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implementation of the directive. We are considering what further provisions are necessary to enable the directive to come fully into force within the two years prescribed.At the same time the Government's scientific advisers are working on the criteria for site selection as the first step towards compiling the United Kingdom's national list of candidate sites to be considered as sites of Community importance.
Heathrow Terminal
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received copies of the consultation documents published by BAA plc in respect of its wish to build a fifth terminal at Heathrow airport ; and if he will make it his policy to call in the intended formal planning application and hold a public inquiry.
Mr. Baldry : My right hon. and learned Friend was given notice of BAA plc's consultation proposals for a fifth terminal at Heathrow airport. He is aware that a planning application may be made later in the year for the terminal, associated link roads to the M25 and connecting rail access to central London.
In the absence of any formal application, it would not be right for my right hon. and learned Friend to decide now whether to call in the application for his own decision. He will consider this carefully when any application is made.
Disabled People (Access)
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what controls or incentives, such as might be incorporated into the grant system, his Department offers to the authorities responsible for places of worship to assist them in undertaking the necessary work to make their premises accessible to disabled people.
Mr. Baldry : Part M of the Building Regulations requires reasonable provision to be made for access and facilities for disabled people to and within new and extended places of worship. The provisions are for the benefit of disabled people, including those with impaired sight or hearing. The approved document, which accompanies part M, provides guidance on how the requirements might be satisfied.
Incinerators
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of whether plants and incinerators proposed for London will breach (a) World Health Organisation standards and (b) EC standards ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : None. Assessment of the environmental effects of these installations is for the appropriate local planning authority or my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to take into account in their consideration of whether to grant consents and for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to consider before authorising the relevant processes.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will take a strategic look at the location of plants and incinerators in London.
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Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration his Department is giving to the consequences new plants and incinerators in London will have upon rates of respiratory illness in their locality.Mr. Maclean : None. These are for the appropriate local planning authority or my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to take into account in their consideration of whether to grant consent for the proposals.
Species and Eco-systems
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to establish United Kingdom-wide surveys on species and eco-systems.
Mr. Maclean : Such surveys are carried out by the three country conservation agencies and co-ordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee for the purposes of the quinquennial review of species and the designation of sites of special scientific interest within Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, the Environment Service of the Department of the Environment (NI) carries out similar surveys for site and species protection.
Falconers
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences are currently issued to falconers ; and what are the terms and conditions of the licences.
Mr. Maclean : To date, no licences have been issued to falconers this year. In 1991, 65 licences were issued in England, Scotland and Wales to fly birds of prey at blackbirds, skylarks, song thrushes, meadow pipits and black-headed gulls.
Licences are subject to conditions restricting them to the period 1 September to 28 February ; imposing a limit of 50 on the number of quarry which may be killed ; requiring that the bird of prey to which the licence refers is properly ringed and registered ; and requiring that a return showing the birds killed be made by 31 March.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the cost of supervision of falconers, including keeper's time, in the New Forest for 1991 and to date for 1992 ;
(2) how many animals and birds, and of which species, were taken by falconers in the New Forest in 1991 and to date in 1992.
Mr. Maclean : Licences issued to fly birds of prey at quarry do not require falconers to be supervised. No information is available on the costs of any local requirements that may apply in the New Forest.
Falconers' returns show only the total numbers of each bird species killed under licence ; no details are available on the areas from which quarry is taken.
Car Boot Sales
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to propose legislation relating to regulation of the conduct of car boot sales ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Baldry : Several existing statutory controls are relevant to the regulation of car boot sales. Thus, although the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988--the GDO--gives a general grant of planning permission for the temporary use of land for markets, including car boot sales, for up to 14 days in total in any calendar year, use for more than 14 days requires specific planning permission. A local planning authority may make a direction under article 4 of the GDO which withdraws this general permission and so requires a specific planning application.
The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 enables local authorities to require the market operator and the site occupier to give them not less than one month's notice of a forthcoming market. The notice gives the authority time to make any necessary provision to avoid disturbance.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires local authorities to ensure that their land is kept clear of litter and refuse. Since 1 July 1991 authorities have been able to extend this duty to the owners of land used for markets, if there is a problem of persistent littering, by designating the land concerned a litter control area. I do not consider that further legislation is needed.
Assured Tenancy Scheme
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new lets have been created as a result of the assured tenancy scheme introduced in the Housing Act 1980.
Mr. Baldry : By 1 April 1988, a total of 6,700 tenancies had been created by the assured tenancy scheme introduced in the Housing Act 1980. No new tenancies could be created under this scheme after 15 January 1989. After that date, new assured tenancies would be of the type introduced by the Housing Act 1988.
Smog
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent initiatives have been taken by his Department to alert the public to the dangers of summertime smog.
Mr. Maclean : On 22 May, my Department published a leaflet entitled "Summertime smog--how to help prevent it". This gives a practical guide on what individuals can do to limit the emissions of air pollutants which cause summertime smog. It also contains details of how to obtain information on the levels of air pollution in the United Kingdom and associated health advice. This is available to the media, on Ceefax, and, since 6 May, on a free telephone line, 0800 556677.
Pollution
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made by his Department in developing an integrated approach to pollution prevention.
Mr. Maclean : Integrated pollution control was introduced by part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and became effective from 1 April 1991. Implementation is being phased in over a five-year period.
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Opencast Mining
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the precise terms of reference of his monitoring exercise in respect of the effectiveness of mineral planning guidance 3 in relation to opencast mining ; and if he will give the start date and last date of this consultation exercise.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 2 June, at column 377.
Ozone Depletion
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent initiatives have been taken by his Department to raise public knowledge of ozone-depleting substances and actions the public can take to mitigate their unintended release to the atmosphere.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace), at column 266.
Chlorofluorocarbons
Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent CFCs are still needed by the refrigeration and air conditioning industries in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Following a proposal by the United Kingdom, the European Community decided earlier this year that it should seek to tighten the controls in the Montreal protocol so that CFC production and consumption had to be phased out by the end of 1995, subject to any exemptions for essential uses. We now need to consider whether an earlier phase-out is possible within the community, and whether production for essential uses is likely to be necessary. To assist in this, the Department has commissioned a study by March Consulting Group on CFC use within the United Kingdom refrigeration and air conditioning industry. The study will consider the pattern of CFC used by the industry and the extent to which substitution by other refrigerants is taking place ; how the pattern of use is likely to change between now and the end of the century ; and the quantities of CFCs that industry will need in that period and the extent to which this can be met from recycled material.
Council House Sales
Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will allow Stockport to use the capital receipts it has accumulated through sale of council houses to invest in housing.
Mr. Baldry : An increase in spending financed from local authorities' capital receipts would be an addition to public expenditure in just the same way as an increase financed by credit approvals to permit additional borrowing. However, by placing constraints on spending from receipts, the Government are able to issue a greater amount of credit approvals to those local authorities where housing needs are greatest and where resources can be put to best use.
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Housing Authorities
Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the top 10 performing housing authorities in each of the past two years ; and what position in the rank order is held by Stockport.
Mr. Baldry : The Department has made no ranked assessment of the performance of housing authorities. However, in the context of the housing investment programme allocations published last December, the previous Secretary of State issued a list of 51 authorities judged to be well ahead of the field in comparison with others in their DOE region. Stockport was included in the list for north-west region.
Empty Properties
Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Audit Commission benchmark for empty properties ; and what is the level of empty properties in Stockport.
Mr. Baldry : The latest discussion by the Audit Commission of options open to local authorities for the better use of their housing stock is contained in the report "Developing Local Authority Housing Strategies", which was published on 28 May. In the report, the commission refers to benchmarks for void turn-around times for local authorities of six weeks in London and three weeks elsewhere. The commission suggests that if long-term voids were held to 1 per cent. of stock nearly all authorities with void intervals within these benchmarks would achieve a void level of less than 2 per cent. The latest available information on Stockport's empty council dwellings relates to 1 April 1991 and was provided by the council in its 1991 housing investment programme return, a copy of which is in the Library.
Local Authorities (Debts)
Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average figure for metropolitan authorities of debt in relation to housing stock ; and what is the figure for Stockport.
Mr. Baldry : No information is now collected by the Department on debt relating to housing stock. However, figures published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy suggest that outstanding debt relating to housing at 31 March 1991 was £61 million for Stockport, or £210 per head of population, and £6.2 billion for all metropolitan districts, or around £560 per head.
Council Waiting Lists
Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are on the waiting list for council accommodation in Stockport.
Mr. Baldry : The latest available information on the number of households on the waiting list relates to 1 April 1991 and was provided by Stockport metropolitan district council in its April 1991 housing investment programme return, a copy of which is in the Library.
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City Grant, Bradford
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the position of the application by 3D Ltd. for a city grant in connection with the west end scheme in Bradford.
Mr. Squire : My Department received a revised application for City Grant from 3D on 15 October 1991, for a first phase of the west end scheme, comprising offices in Aldermanbury, and a European pavilion with a multi- storey car park. The developer had to be asked to supply additional information and the application is now under appraisal.
Wild Birds
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of licences granted for taking and the numbers of birds so taken from the wild, for each species of avian predator in each year since 1987.
Mr. Maclean : Details of licences issued to take birds of prey from the wild are given in the United Kingdom's annual derogation reports to the European Commission under the terms of the EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds. Copies of each report for the years 1987 to 1991 have been placed in the Library of the House.
RECHAR
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when transitional arrangements for RECHAR funding in 1992-93 will be announced.
Mr. Robin Squire : The transitional arrangements for 1992-93 for the provision of public expenditure cover for European regional development fund grants to be received, including those under the European Community's RECHAR initiative, will be announced very soon.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 9 June, Official Report, columns 155 -56, if he will extend the policy of strict control over development proposals for sites of special scientific interest to one of complete protection unless a question of public safety is at stake.
Mr. Maclean : No. I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 24 September 1991 announcing additional safeguards for SSSIs which are now incorporated in DOE circular 1/92.
I also refer the hon. Member to the consultation draft of the planning policy guidance note on nature conservation.
I will arrange for these documents to be sent to the hon. Member.
Traffic, Greenwich
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 154, if he will publish figures on the increase in black smoke concentrations in the Greenwich area in recent years.
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Mr. Maclean : The annual mean black smoke concentrations measured at the Greenwich site in g/m were as follows :
Year ------------------ 1985-86 |7 1986-87 |13 1987-88 |11 1988-89 |14 1989-90 |18 1990-91 |20
Waltham Forest HAT
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to agree a corporate plan with the Waltham Forest housing action trust.
Mr. Baldry : A corporate plan has not yet been received from the Waltham Forest housing action trust. It will be agreed as soon as possible after receipt.
Mortgage Repossessions
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on how many home owners threatened with repossession by banks and building societies have been assisted in each London borough in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Baldry : Figures are not available in the form requested. The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that the combined effect of measures taken by the Government and lenders since December 1991 will save some 55,000 repossessions in the United Kingdom this year.
Mineral Planning
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who appoints members of mineral planning authorities ; to whom they report ; and what are their terms of reference.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 15 June 1992] : Within the shire counties, London and the metropolitan districts, the members of the mineral planning authorities are not appointed but are elected through the local government elections. In national parks, the Secretary of State appoints one third of the members of the mineral planning authority, the remaining two thirds are appointed by the local authorities involved.
Members of mineral planning authorities would normally report to the chairperson of any committee on which they sit ; in national parks they would normally report to the chairman of the board or committee of the park.
There are no fixed terms of reference for mineral planning authorities.
Ferro-Alloys Chimney
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how emission levels from the Ferro-Alloys chimney in Glossop will be monitored by his Department to ensure there is no breaching of the limits laid down by it.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 12 June 1992] : Emissions from the chimney at Ferro-Alloys, Glossops, will be
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monitored continuously using recording instruments. The records will be scrutinised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.Housing, Liverpool
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many private and public sector properties are currently vacant in the city of Liverpool ; what incentives he will provide to Liverpool city council to introduce homesteading schemes ; what penalties he will impose on private and public sector landlords who fail to let properties ; what is the estimated annual rent and community charge lost on empty private and public sector properties (a) throughout the United Kingdom and (b) in Liverpool ; if he will meet leaders of Liverpool city council to discuss a plan of action ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [pursuant to his answer, 3 June 1992, c. 542] : At 1 April 1991, the number of vacant properties in Liverpool was 5,733 local authority, 843 housing association and 7,908 privately owned. As far as local authority stock is concerned, the housing subsidy rules penalise those councils that have more than 2 per cent. of their stock empty and reward those who do better. To further encourage best use of housing resources the Department will be introducing a pilot scheme to promote homesteading of local authority stock, linked with the estate action programme. For private homes, we do not believe that property owners should be forced to let accommodation against their will but our policies are geared to creating the conditions to encourage landlords to let their properties.
The estimated rent loss, for 1991-92, on empty public sector properties was over £136 million for England and £6.4 million for Liverpool. There are no figures available for the private sector. There are no personal community charge losses on empty properties although the council can levy a standard community charge on most unoccupied domestic properties. This can act as an incentive for landlords to find tenants.
My right hon. and learned Friend will be replying shortly to an invitation from Councillor Harry Rimmer, leader of Liverpool city council, to visit the city. The estate action programme and the vacant dwellings initiative and the prospect of a housing action trust are examples of joint initiatives tackling the city's housing problems. In addition, the council's success in round one of city challenge will lead to a major transformation in the city centre with substantial benefits for its residents.
Cash Limits
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any further changes to announce his Department's cash limits for 1992-93.
Mr. Howard [pursuant to his answer, 4 June 1992, c. 608] : In addition, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate the DOE/UA non-voted cash limit will be increased by £159,492,000 from £829,603,000 to £989,095,000. This includes £22,992,000 transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry for inner cities task forces' projects.
It also includes an increase in grant in aid of £49,300,000 to the London Docklands development
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corporation for the eastern extension of the docklands light railway and capital expenditure relating to the railway.Also, £81,800,000 is transferred from the Department of Transport to enable the corporation to take over operational responsibilities for the railway.
A net figure of a further £5,400,000 is required for setting up the Birmingham development corporation, progressing the Bristol spine road, supporting the Manchester Olympic bid committee's preparation of the bid for the 2000 Olympics and transferring inner cities research to the Department's housing vote.
All these changes are either claims on the reserve or are offset elsewhere and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Law of the Sea
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what efforts are being made by his Department to bring into force the United Nations convention on the law of the sea.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I have been asked to reply.
We are working towards the achievement of a universally acceptable convention. While many of the provisions of this convention are helpful, there are serious objections to part XI, concerning sea-bed mining.
On 16 and 17 June my officials will be participating in informal consultations chaired by the United Nations Secretary-General in order to seek solutions to the problems in part XI.
Disabled People (Access)
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what controls or incentives, such as might be incorporated into the grant system, his Department offers to the managers of sub-post offices to assist them in undertaking the necessary work to make their premises and services accessible for disabled people.
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