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Column 421
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 26 October 1992
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
EC Research Programmes
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster following his letter of 15 July to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, if he will list the actions taken to ensure the effective management of EC research programmes.
Mr. Waldegrave : Her Majesty's Government consistently pressed for proper assessment of proposals and rigorous evaluation of results to ensure effective management of research programmes. The EC Council of Research Ministers on 12 October welcomed the evaluation of the second EC R and D framework programme carried out by CREST--the EC science policy advisers' committee. The report was prepared under United Kingdom chairmanship, and a copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library. The Council considered that this report should help to determine future EC R and D priorities, and underline the need for regular and independent evaluations.
EC Biomedical and Health Programme
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the result of discussions between Vice-President Pandolfi and the advisory committee on the biomedical and health programme of the EC, to which he referred in his letter of 15 July.
Mr. Waldegrave : The immediate problems with the scientific evaluation process were resolved without the need for direct discussions with Vice-President Pandolfi. The Commission is now considering which proposals to approve for funding, in the light of the advisory committee's views.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Property Speculation
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church Commissioners will establish an inquiry into their loss on property speculation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alison : The Archbishop of Canterbury, as Chairman of the Church Commissioners, recently announced that he has :
(1) asked Coopers and Lybrand to examine and report upon (a) the Commissioners' borrowings and (b) the information flow required for the management of their assets ; and
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(2) appointed a group to consider that report and related matters in the light of recent experience, and to make such recommendations as they think fit to the Commissioners.FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Nuclear Technologies
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Russian and Chinese counterparts, in regard to the recently announced sale of missile guidance technology, rocket engines and nuclear technologies from Russia and China, in the context of the permanent five's commitment to control proliferation.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We regularly raise our concerns about missile and nuclear non-proliferation matters with the Russians and Chinese, in the context of the permanent five process, bilaterally and with our EC partners.
Middle East
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decisions were taken on the application of the International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards in the middle east during the 36th annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in September.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Resolution GC (XXXVI)/1045 on application of International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards in the middle east was adopted by consensus at this meeting. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Languages
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will grant funding from his Department to the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We have no intention of doing so at the present time.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to make representations to the Council of Ministers to enable the European charter on regional or minority languages adopted by the Standing Conference of European Regional and Local Authorities to become adopted as a European convention.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Committee of Ministers has already taken the decision to adopt the European charter on regional or minority languages as a convention. It will be open for signature from 5 November 1992.
Romania
Sir Dudley Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current state of the United Kingdom's relationships with Romania ; and if he has any plans to carry them forward.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom enjoys satisfactory relations with Romania. We look forward to
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developing these with a new Romanian Government which will carry forward reform in that country. As presidency of the European Community, we are working for the early signature of an association agreement between Romania and the Community.UN Peacekeeping Reserve Force
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support proposals by the United States of America for the establishment of a permanent United Nations peacekeeping reserve force.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : It is our view that the appropriateness of UN forces to a country or a conflict and the size and shape of those forces are best addressed on a case-by-case basis. We do not therefore support the establishment of a permanent UN peacekeeping reserve force, although it should be noted that, by completion of our deployment to UNPROFOR in Bosnia, some 3,500 British troops will be on UN service making us the third -largest troop contributor to UN operations.
Mordechai Vanunu
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Israel over the continued imprisonment in solitary confinement of Mordechai Vanunu in Israel.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have no formal locus to raise Mr. Vanunu's case with the Government of Israel. He has been treated in accordance with normal Israeli judicial process. We are in touch with the Israelis privately about some aspects of his imprisonment.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has had from (a) Belarus, (b) Ukraine and (c) Kazakhstan to his recommendations on accession to the NPT.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 14 July 1992, at column 587 . The three states in question have since given further assurances that they will accede to the NPT as non- nuclear weapons states, and we continue to press them to do so rapidly. We welcome the recent accessions of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
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Maastricht Treaty
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for the purposes of article 3b of the Maastricht treaty, which areas of responsibility fall within the exclusive competence of the European Community.
Mr. Garel-Jones I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 23 October, at column 409 .
The European Community has exclusive competence where that is conferred upon it by treaty provision or measures taken under the treaty. It is not possible to draw up an exhaustive theoretical list. Current examples include the common agricultural policy, the common commercial policy and the external tariff.
Poland
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of Polish citizens refused entry to the United Kingdom, how many such refusals there were in the last available year ; and how many of those refusals were subject to appeal proceedings.
Mr. Wardle : I have been asked to reply.
In the 12 months to the end of August 1992, 445 nationals of Poland were refused leave to enter and removed at United Kingdom posts. Information on the number who exercised their right of appeal is not available centrally.
ENVIRONMENT
Rents
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the actual rent levels set, and the percentage increase on previous registrations, where applicable, for (a) housing association tenancies and (b) other tenancies, (i) where the rent was subject to appeal to the rent assessment committee and (ii) where the rent offices' registration was not subject to appeal, in each region of England over the period 1988 to 1992 ; and if he will publish figures on the retail prices index and the index of house prices over the same period.
Mr. Baldry : Information is given in the table on means registered rents and those which were determined after appeal to the rent assessment committee.
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United Kingdom |Retail price index|Mix adjusted house
|price index
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |106.9 |167
1989 |115.2 |202
1990 |126.1 |199
1991 |133.5 |196
1992 H1 |137.7 |191
Figures for 1992 refer to the first half year.
Figures for Rent Assessment Committee appeals for 1988 are not available
separately for housing associations.
United Kingdom |Retail price index|Mix adjusted house
|price index
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |106.9 |167
1989 |115.2 |202
1990 |126.1 |199
1991 |133.5 |196
1992 H1 |137.7 |191
Figures for 1992 refer to the first half year.
Figures for Rent Assessment Committee appeals for 1988 are not available
separately for housing associations.
Rents are registered for a period of two years. The percentage changes on previous rent quoted in the answer refer to
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the change over the two year period.The percentage changes to registered rent refer to the change arising from the rent assessment committee's decision.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his Department's latest estimate of the total sum set aside by local authorities in England derived from capital receipts not available for reinvestment.
Mr. Robin Squire : About £5 billion of the total of £5 billion set aside by local authorities as provision to meet credit liabilities at 31 March 1991 is likely to have originated from set aside capital receipts.
Thames House
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements the London Docklands development corporation is making to replace Thames house as a training centre in the royal docks.
Mr. Robin Squire : The London Docklands development corporation is asking consultants to evaluate the training requirements of the area, as a first step to securing permanent accommodation for Newham community college, which currently uses this building.
EC Life Programme
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make representations to the European Community to increase available funding under the European Community's Life programme for land management work and monitoring.
Mr. Maclean : The priorities agreed by the management committee for Life funding in 1993 include actions relating to land use planning and management, and to environmental monitoring networks. The indicative allocation of resources for each of the five "fields of action" is given in the Life Regulation--Council regulation (EEC) No. 1973/92. The precise level of resources allocated to land management or monitoring projects will reflect the number and quality of applications.
Poop Scoops
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to speed up local poop-scoop byelaws by allowing all local authorities to designate areas en bloc at the time of contract service planning ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Whilst we are keen to speed up the byelaw-making process, designation in the manner suggested is not possible under the present enabling legislation.
Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress being made in setting up a national environmental protection agency.
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Mr. Maclean : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones), at columns 857-58.
Improvement Grants
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to make changes to the improvement grant system to spread the available cash to more applicants and to take account by disregard in calculating income of mortgage payments and all disability benefits ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The changes to the house renovation grant system announced on 16 July-- Official Report, column 1047 --are designed to enable help to be given to more low income grant applicants by, among other things, making higher allowance in the means test for the general costs, including housing costs, they face. It would complicate an already necessarily complex system to make specific allowance for mortgage costs in the means test. The test already disregards disability benefits on the same basis as housing benefit.
Municipal Mutual Insurance Company
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will include in the calculation of local authority standard spending assessments increased insurance premiums as a result of the collapse of the Municipal Mutual Insurance Company.
Mr. Robin Squire : There is no separate provision for insurance premiums within standard spending assessments. In setting total standard spending for local authorities for 1993-94 proper account will be taken of all authorities' spending needs.
Urban Land
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hectares of land in Britain have become urbanised so far this year ; what were comparable figures for 1989, 1990 and 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The information requested is not available. The Government recognise the need for information on land use change to inform planning policy and to contribute to the wider debate on national land use policy issues. In 1985 the Department of the Environment established a new series of land use change statistics--LUCS--which are collected by Ordnance Survey as part of its map revision process. Recent research has confirmed the value of these data, especially for monitoring land changing to urban uses. The LUCS data show that in England during the period 1985-87 there was an average net transfer of 6,000 hectares a year from rural uses to urban uses, as defined for LUCS purposes. At present, the Ordnance Survey is testing new procedures with the objective of providing consistent information for all urban areas across the country within one year of any change occurring.
Recent research on rates of urbanisation has concluded that the overall area of land likely to change to urban use between 1981 and 2001 in England is in the order of 105,000 hectares, representing 0.8 per cent. of England's
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area. By 2001 it is forecast that around 11 per cent. of England is likely to be in urban use. The Department has also recently carried out research to investigate ways of improving information on land use stock and is proceeding to develop the methodology and carry out pilot work for a land use stock system.Opencast Coal
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sites where British Coal is (a) prospecting for opencast coal and (b) actively applying for permission to opencast coal ; and what assessment he has made of the damage to wildlife should opencast coal mining proceed on each of these sites.
Mr. Baldry : This information is not held centrally. MPG 3 advises mineral planning authorities to consider in detail the environmental and other effects of every proposal for opencast coal mining. It also makes clear that environmental assessment is required in appropriate cases.
Air Monitoring
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation he has made of the effectiveness of air monitoring conducted by local authorities under the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities are not specifically required to undertake air monitoring by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Normally the operator of a process prescribed for local authority air pollution control under part I of the Act will be required to carry out any monitoring needed to demonstrate compliance with the conditions of the plant's authorisation. Local authorities may, exceptionally, decide to carry out such monitoring themselves.
Recycling
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further encouragements he intends to announce to get industry more involved in recycling and especially the down-stream line of recycling ; and how his targets are being met.
Mr. Maclean : The Government's policy is that manufacturers, distributors and retailers should take their share of responsibility for what ultimately happens to products which they place on the market. I therefore welcome the recent initiative announced by the vehicle manufacturers in this area. A full statement of Government policy on recycling and an account of progress against targets is set out in "This Common Inheritance : the Second Year Report" (Cm 2068).
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what study his Department has done on the cost implications for local authorities of enforcing and administering the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Discussions between my Department and the local authority associations about the local government finance settlement have covered the cost
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implications of administering the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Act provides in some cases for local authorities to charge to recover their costs.Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to establish a centralised data bank of successful prosecutions conducted under the duty of care provisions in section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mr. Maclean : The Home Office keeps records of the numbers of prosecutions in England and Wales and the number resulting in convictions, as notified to it by the courts. Statistics to be kept for offences under the Environmental Protection Act will include separate figures for offences under section 34 of the Act. I understand that waste regulation authorities, through the co-ordinated local authority database of registered waste carriers (CLADWAC), have set up a system for the exchange of information about convictions for offences prescribed under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, for the purposes of waste carrier registration. These prescribed offences include offences under section 34 of the 1990 Act.
Wildlife Habitat
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take during the United Kingdom presidency to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with assurances already given on the protection of wildlife habitat.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom has an excellent record in Nature Conservation. We have built steadily on the framework for conservation provided by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to implement our declared policies and meet our international commitments. The Government are considering what additional measures are necessary to fulfil its obligations under the recently agreed Habitats Directive. Members are required to introduce the necessary legal measures by June 1994.
European Economic Area
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the criteria to be adopted to judge whether environmental difficulties arising from the economic area agreement are persistent ; and how intervention will be judged as appropriate, in regard to the safeguard measures set out in article 112 of the "Agreement on the European Economic Area", Cm. 2073.
Mr. Maclean : Decisions on environmental difficulties which might arise under the agreement would need to be addressed in the light of the circumstances at the time.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take as President of the European Environment Council to achieve the objectives set out in article 73 of the "Agreement on the European Economic Area", Cm. 2073.
Mr. Maclean : The Government strongly support the objectives set out in article 73, which reflects paragraph 1 of article 130R of the treaty of Rome. However, since the agreement on the european economic area has not yet entered into force, and will not do so during the United Kingdom presidency, there is no role for my right hon. and learned Friend under the agreement in his capacity as President of the Environment Council.
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Waste Brokers
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of the departmental consultation paper on the draft registration of waste brokers scheme, pursuant to EC directive 91/156/EEC, have been issued ; and what responses have been received to date.
Mr. Maclean : In England and Wales approximately 1,850 copies of the consultation paper on the draft registration of waste brokers scheme have been issued and 68 responses have been received to date.
EC Environment Report
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response has been made by Her Majesty's Government to the report by the president of the Court of Auditors of the European Communities concerning the environment--Fin 249--dated 21 September.
Mr. Maclean : The Government attach importance to such reports and will ensure that it is followed up effectively. It was raised at the Environment Council on 20 October and will be taken into account in our approach to the review of the structural funds. We shall be issuing an explanatory memorandum shortly.
Environment Research Programme
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response has been made to the report of the environment research programme by the Advisory Committee on Science and Technology issued in May.
Mr. Maclean : The Government today published their response to the Advisory Council of Science and Technology (ACOST) advice on environmental research programmes.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has, on behalf of the Government, welcomed the report as a very helpful contribution to the Government's developing policy on science and technology research.
The Government's response to the ACOST report is published by the Office of Science and Technology (Office of Public Service and Science).
Newt Colony, Barnfield Pond
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 14 July, Official Report, column 649, what proposals he now has for protection of the newt colony at Barnfield pond.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I have been asked to reply.
The consultant's assessment requested by English Nature indicated that realignment of the new road in the vicinity of the Barnfield pond would significantly increase the cost of the scheme and delay progress. Following further discussions with English Nature and Dr. Cummins a suitable new habitat for the newt colony was identified close to the existing site. The Department will be working closely with them on the detail of the revised habitat area.
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Fraud
35. Mr. Hain : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about prosecutions in serious fraud cases.
The Attorney-General : The current caseload of the Serious Fraud Office is 53 cases. Of these, 25 are being tried or are awaiting trial in the Crown court, 14 are awaiting committal or transfer to the Crown court and 14 cases are under investigation.
Crown Prosecution Service
36. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about the staffing of the Crown prosecution service.
The Solicitor-General : In the last 12 months the Crown prosecution service has recruited 194 lawyers, bringing the total complement of lawyers in post to 2,068. The number of administrative staff in post is 4,094.
Criminal Justice
37. Mr. Bennett : To ask the Attorney-General what action the Director of Public Prosecutions is taking to speed up criminal justice.
The Attorney-General : The Crown prosecution service has taken a leading role in the working group on pre-trial issues whose report is now being implemented. Its recommendations cover all stages of cases and offer benefits in efficiency and effectiveness for the entire criminal justice system.
Court Cases
39. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Attorney-General what steps his Department is taking to speed up the progress of cases coming to court.
The Attorney-General : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett). The Serious Fraud Office and the Crown prosecution service have also been participating in a working group on long criminal trials and ways to reduce their length. I expect a consultation paper to be published shortly.
Serious Fraud Squad
38. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Attorney-General how many times in the past year officers of the Serious Fraud Squad have visited Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The Solicitor-General : Since 1 January 1992 staff employed by or seconded to the Serious Fraud Office have made four separate visits to Switzerland or Liechtenstein in the course of inquiries. In addition, a number of visits to these countries have been made by police officers working in conjunction with the Serious Fraud Office.
British National Party
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 13 July, Official Report, column 399, if he will institute an independent review into the level
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of evidence required for a realistic prospect of conviction for offences contrary to part III of the Public Order Act 1986.The Attorney-General : No. I am satisfied that the correct criteria are being properly applied by the Crown prosecution service to cases involving allegations of such offences.
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