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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 27 October 1992
TRANSPORT
Agricultural Vehicles
Mr. Whittingdale : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of road traffic accidents involving agricultural vehicles between the hours of sunset and sunrise in each of the past five years.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : During 1991, there were 92 reported injury road accidents during the hours of darkness involving vehicles whose body type could be identified from registration details as being an agricultural machine. During 1990, there were 100 such accidents. Comparable data for earlier years are not available.
Computer Projects
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table setting out for the period since9 April (a) each tender issued by his Department for projects requiring the supply of (i) computer hardware and (ii) computer software, (b) a description of the services required, (c) the number of companies that were invited to tender, (d) the number of companies that submitted a bid without prior invitation by his Department, (e) which company was awarded the contract, (f) the value of each contract and (g) the length of period over which the contract will run.
Mr. Norris : This information is not held centrally and could only be given at disproportionate cost.
Car Model Tests
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, as part of his quality service objectives, he will require the publication of the findings of each new car model test commissioned since 1988 using public money.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : All mass-produced new cars have to be type- approval tested against a range of standards before they can be registered. Although testing is supervised by the Vehicle Certification Agency, it is paid for by manufacturers, which are at liberty to make test results available voluntarily if they wish. Our principal concern is to confirm that type-approved vehicles meet key safety standards, rather than to record the extent by which they exceed those standards.
We are nevertheless currently considering whether basic data about exhaust and noise emissions could be made available in future. Precise figures are recorded for these aspects of type-approval testing, and it may be possible to publish information like the official list on car fuel consumption, which has been published twice a year since 1983. Such a list may have to be compiled on an EC-wide basis as much type-approval testing of United Kingdom registered cars is undertaken elsewhere in the Community.
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Trunk Roads
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions his Department has recently directed local planning authorities to refuse planning permission for the creation of access to side roads from trunk roads.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 23 October 1992] : Ninety-seven since 1 April 1992.
ENVIRONMENT
Toxic Waste
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will put an end to the export of toxic wastes to third world countries by ensuring a complete EC ban on the export of all forms of toxic waste ;
(2) if he will ensure that the right to ban toxic waste trade is enshrined in new EC regulations ;
(3) if he will set a date for an end to the import and export of toxic waste into and out of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 October 1992] : The EC waste shipments regulation was agreed at the meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers on 20 October, chaired by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State. I represented the United Kingdom.
The regulation will enable member states to ban imports for final disposal from other member states unless they produce hazardous waste in such a small quantity that it would be uneconomic to provide new specialised disposal facilities. Imports for disposal will also be permitted from developing countries which do not have and cannot acquire the technical capacity and necessary facilities in order to dispose of waste in an environmentally sound manner.
Exports for disposal will only be permitted to European Free Trade Association countries which are parties to the Basel convention. Movements of waste for recovery, which provide valuable substitutes for raw materials, will continue between Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, subject to the environmental controls set out in an OECD decision. There will be strict controls on exports of hazardous wastes for recovery outside the OECD area. Exports will have to accord with the environmental safeguards included in the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. Exports will be prohibited where a third country refuses to accept them or if the exporting member state has reason to believe that the waste will not be managed on arrival in an environmentally sound way.
The regulation is likely to come into operation in 1994.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy at the meeting under his presidency on 20 October to (a) ensure that the clause which will allow EC member states to bar waste imports is inserted into the final regulations, (b) set a date for an end to the import and export of toxic wastes and (c) ensure that the regulation will stop the export of all toxic wastes to non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave earlier today.
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Water Industry
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the additional cost to the water industry in meeting European Community legislation on drinking and bathing water standards since 1980.
Mr. Maclean : There are no separate records for the whole period. However, of the £30 billion programme of improvements for the decade beginning in 1989, £12.1 billion is for water treatment and supply. This includes investment to meet our national requirements for drinking water which takes account of EC directives. The £30 billion also includes a £2 billion programme to meet EC standards for bathing waters.
Radiation Monitoring
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to invite in European Commission inspectors to evaluate radiation monitoring standards under article 35 of the Euratom treaty, at British Nuclear Fuels plants at Sellafield, Springfields, Capenhurst and Chapelcross.
Mr. Maclean : United Kingdom officials have agreed with officials of the European Commission the procedures to be followed in carrying out under article 35 of the Euratom treaty verifications of the operation and efficiency of environmental monitoring facilities in the United Kingdom. It is for the Commission to indicate in which areas it would like to undertake such a verification visit. The United Kingdom has not yet received a formal request from the Commission in respect of any specific area.
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The UK Environment"
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of his Department's publication entitled "The UK Environment" have been published ; and what steps have been taken to promote its widespread distribution.
Mr. Maclean : Her Majesty's Stationery Office published "The UK Environment" on 14 October on behalf of the Department of the Environment. The initial print run was 4,500 copies. A press notice went to all correspondents dealing with environment, water, pollution, education and the House of Commons in the national media. The report will feature in HMSO's catalogues and bibliographic listings and in a mailing to educational establishments scheduled for November. Copies are available by mail order directly from HMSO books, as well as from HMSO bookshops and HMSO agents both in the United Kingdom and overseas and the general book trade.
Pollution, Newham
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being taken by his Department to measure the extent of atmospheric pollution in the London borough of Newham ; and what information is available on it.
Mr. Maclean : Continuously operated sulphur dioxide, SO , and smoke monitoring was carried out at 383 Stratford high street, Newham between 1963 and 1988. The data for the past eight years of operation are given. The data were discontinued thereafter because the values recorded were consistently well below the air quality limit values for SO and smoke prescribed in EC directive 80/779/EEC.
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Smoke SO2
Year commencing |Median |98th percentile |Median |98th percentile
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1980 |20 (29 per cent.) |104 (49 per cent.)|52 (43 per cent.) |163 (47 per cent.)
April 1981 |23 (34 per cent.) |86 (40 per cent.) |57 (48 per cent.) |195 (56 per cent.)
April 1982 |9 (13 per cent.) |43 (20 per cent.) |65 (54 per cent.) |141 (40 per cent.)
April 1983 |8 (12 per cent.) |58 (27 per cent.) |50 (42 per cent.) |180 (51 per cent.)
April 1984 |15 (22 per cent.) |38 (18 per cent.) |44 (37 per cent.) |140 (40 per cent.)
April 1985 |16 (24 per cent.) |57 (27 per cent.) |55 (46 per cent.) |125 (36 per cent.)
April 1986 |13 (19 per cent.) |44 (21 per cent.) |50 (42 per cent.) |110 (31 per cent.)
April 1987 |18 (26 per cent.) |73 (34 per cent.) |46 (38 per cent.) |94 (27 per cent.)
Note: All values are in micrograms per cubic metre and the smoke concentrations are to the British standard
calibration. The percentages in brackets relate to the relevant EC directive limit value.
In 1986, diffusion tube measurements of nitrogen dioxide at the Stratford site gave an average concentration of 32.2ppb-parts per billion-for the period July to December. The average for the whole of Greater London for the same period was 27ppb. When the study was repeated in 1991, only two months of data were obtained for this site, and the average concentration for this limited period was found to be 35ppb.
The London borough of Newham has agreed to participate in a new long-term study of nitrogen dioxide, using diffusion tube samplers, currently being organised by the Department in conjunction with local authorities. Four measurement sites will be established in the borough in January 1993 as part of this survey.
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Energy Efficiency
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment what recent initiatives he has taken to improve public education on energy saving and energy efficiency.
Mr. Maclean : The Government seek to promote the teaching of energy efficiency in primary and secondary schools through its involvement with CREATE--the Centre for Research, Education and Training in Energy--and is discussing with CREATE a number of new projects and improved funding arrangements.
As part of its "Helping the Earth Begins at Home" Campaign, the Government are developing an education strategy to encourage school children and teachers to understand the link between the efficient use of energy, CO emissions and global warming.
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Sellafield
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent objections he has received over the environmental implications of the operation of the new thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
Mr. Maclean : My Department has received a number of
representations from members of the public objecting to the proposals for discharges of radioactive waste resulting from the proposals to operate the new thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield. I understand that the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will shortly be consulting on the revised draft authorisations for the discharge of radioactive waste from Sellafield.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding progress made by UK Nirex in locating a site to dispose of low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes.
Mr. Maclean : UK Nirex is continuing to carry out site investigation studies in the Sellafield area. The company announced its intention to construct a rock characterisation facility at Sellafield as part of these studies, and issued a consultation document setting out these proposals on 21 October.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his Department participated in the special scientific programme on radioactive waste held at the International Atomic Energy Agency's annual general conference on 22 September.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 October 1992] : No Department of the Environment officials attended the meeting on 22 September. However, some officials from the Health and Safety Executive did do so.
Housing Associations
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the affordability of new housing association homes to households on low incomes if current presumptions continue to prevail ; and if he will make a statement on what action the Government intend to take.
Mr. Baldry : Grant rates for housing associations are proposed by the Housing Corporation and approved by the Secretary of State in the light of all relevant factors, including outturn rents on completed schemes. We are currently considering the rates of housing association grant for 1993- 94. Outturn rent levels are for associations to determine. The Government do not publish the underlying factors and assumptions implicit in the grant rate model, nor any general definition of affordability, since they do not wish to imply a view as to what constitutes an affordable rent in any particular case.
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what change he expects to make in housing association grant rates for housing association developments, and what will be the average housing association grant rate in 1993-94 ;
(2) what percentage change he expects to make in the total cost indicator levels applicable to housing association developments in 1993-94 ;
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(3) when he expects to announce his decision on total cost indicator and grant rates for housing association development schemes in 1993-94.Mr. Baldry : Final decisions on grant rates and total cost indicators are not yet available but will be communicated to associations as soon as they are announced.
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 16 July, Official Report, column 1044, whether his Department has received any further evidence from the Housing Corporation on the affordability of new homes provided by housing associations ; and if he will place in the Library reports of the main findings and supporting research which the Housing Corporation has made available to his Department in the past six months.
Mr. Baldry : The Housing Corporation has made available to the Department some of the results of its continuous monitoring of rents set for new housing association tenants. Information on these rents, contained in the National Federation of Housing Associations' continuous recording-- CORE--quarterly bulletins, is already in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the output of (a) newly built and (b) rehabilitated housing associations homes in England, over the years 1975 to 1991, and his estimates of their expected output in 1992, 1993 and 1994.
Mr. Baldry : Estimates of housebuilding completions, and of renovations of dwellings, by housing associations in England are shown in tables 6.1(a) and 7.1 respectively of the annual publication "Housing and Construction Statistics". Figures for the years 1981 to 1991 will shortly be published in the 1981 to 1991 edition, and those for earlier years are shown in previous editions : viz for 1980 in the 1980 to 1990 edition, for 1979 in the 1979 to 1989 edition, etcetera. Copies of these publications are in the Library. The Department does not prepare forecasts of housebuilding completions, nor of conversions and renovations.
Housing Management Services
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) tenants and (b) organisations representative of tenants were consulted by (i) his Department and (ii) the consultants engaged by his Department in the course of preparing the proposals for the extension of compulsory competitive tendering by housing management services, as outlined in his Department's White Paper, "Competing for Quality".
Mr. Baldry : None. Tenants and tenants' organisations were given the opportunity to consider and respond to the consultation paper. Over 100 tenants organisations have responded.
Energy Conservation
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for the continuation and development of the Green House programme to promote energy conservation in local authority housing ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Baldry : An announcement on this will be made shortly.
Council House Building
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the number of new council homes which will be (a) started and (b) completed in 1992, 1993 and 1994.
Mr. Baldry : The Department does not prepare forecasts of housebuilding activity. Estimates of actual housebuilding starts and completions by local authorities are published in the annual and quarterly versions of "Housing and Construction Statistics". Copies of these publications are in the Library.
UNCED Agenda 21
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 17 June, Official Report, column 562, to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood), if he will deposit two copies of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Agenda 21 provisional document in the Library, pending the availability of official copies.
Mr. Maclean : Two copies of the provisional Agenda 21 document were deposited in the Library in July.
Water Meters
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to ensure that where a house is sold or let with a water meter installed, the purchaser or tenant is informed of this fact at the time of the purchase or letting.
Mr. Baldry : We have no intention of doing so. It is for the prospective purchaser or tenant to make the appropriate inquiries.
Waste
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decisions on waste reduction and packaging have been taken in recent meetings of the Environment Council.
Mr. Maclean : Waste reduction and packaging have not been on the agenda for recent meetings of the Environment Council.
Government Premises
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how long former Department of Trade and Industry premises in Victoria street have been empty ; how long he expects them to remain unoccupied ; what proposals he has for the future use of these premises ; and what is the weekly cost of keeping the premises unoccupied, including maintenance, insurance and security liabilities.
Mr. Baldry : The property was vacated in September 1991 because it needed major works to render it suitable for continued occupation. Some time beforehand, negotiations were opened with the landlords to agree to a package whereby the property would be refurbished at their expense and the Secretary of State would enter into a new lease at a modern rent.
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With the dramatic downturn in the property market, the landlords were reluctant to commit themselves to substantial capital expenditure while rents continued to fall. However, significant progress has been made and subject to finalisation of the negotiations a 24 -month contract period will deliver the building fully refurbished and ready for occupation. It is intended that the building will be re-occupied by a Government Department or Departments.We are still contractually liable, under the terms of a long lease, for rent plus costs for insurance, maintenance and security of £40, 000, but this will be reduced to £12,000 when the building contract commences shortly.
Auto Emissions 2000
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his Department was represented at the Auto Emissions 2000 conference in Brussels organised by the European Commission on 20 and 21 September ; and if he will deposit in the Library the papers prepared and presented to the conference.
Mr. Maclean : My Department was represented at this conference. I am arranging for a set of the papers to be placed in the Library.
Earth Summit
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the statement for climate change at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development will be submitted for ratification within the United Kingdom Parliament.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom was party to the Munich summit communique of July 1992 which urged other countries to join the Group of Seven countries in a commitment to seek to ratify the United Nations framework convention on climate change by the end of 1993. We will continue to press for early ratification by a wide range of countries to ensure effective action to tackle this global problem.
Mining Communities
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources he intends to make available to the Rural Development Commission to support mining communities.
Mr. Maclean : The Rural Development Commission's resources for future years are currently the subject of discussion in the public expenditure round. The commission already operates a range of economic and social programmes in two rural east midlands coalfield areas and has recently increased the range of assistance available in the more southerly area. The commission is examining urgently what further assistance it might provide in coalfield areas of rural England.
Natural Resources
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to encourage the establishment of an EC-wide inventory of natural resources during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC.
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Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom presidency is working for the early establishment of the European environment agency which will have as one of its priorities the development of a EC-wide inventory of sources of environmental data and information.
Leasehold Enfranchisement
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will put out for consultation draft legislation on his Department's proposals for leasehold enfranchisement, before a Bill is presented to Parliament, in view of their complex and radical nature.
Coastal Zone Planning
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek the establishment of an EC directive on coastal zone planning and management during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC.
Mr. Maclean : At present, the Commission has not published a proposed directive on coastal zone planning. Therefore, the United Kingdom cannot take this forward during the presidency.
Historic London
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with English Heritage on its views on the impact of enfranchisement on historic parts of London.
Sir George Young : My officials have discussed the proposals, including in particular the arrangements for estate management schemes, with English Heritage.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to encourage the establishment of a sustainable development commission for Europe during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom presidency is taking the lead in encouraging the early establishment of the sustainable development commission which will have world-wide responsibilities.
Environmental Policy
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC to secure that the implementation of subsidiarity will not lead to (a) weakening of member states' obligations on environmental policy, (b) loss of redress for EC citizens relating to environmental policy, or (c) diminution of the Commission's powers to intervene in environmental issues where member states do not meet obligations.
Building Regulations
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he plans to bring forward proposals to change building regulations in light of the construction products and workplace directives ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Baldry : The Building Regulations 1991, which came into force on 1 June 1992, contain appropriate references to the construction products directive, which was implemented in the United Kingdom through the Construction Products Regulations 1991. We are currently considering what further changes may be needed in the Building Regulations to make them consistent with regulations made to implement the workplace directive.
Drinking Water
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals to bring United Kingdom standards for lead pollution of drinking water into line with the World Health Organisation guideline level of 10 migrograms per litre ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : We are continuing urgent consideration of what more should be done by the Government and water companies in the light of the World Health Organisation's guideline, which we expect to be promulgated early next year. The World Health Organisation recognises that it will take time and money for countries to meet the new guideline.
Housing (Pregnant Women)
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many pregnant women were successfully prosecuted in each of the last five years for fraudulent attempts to gain priority status on housing waiting lists in Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Southampton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Hull, Salford and Bristol.
Mr. Baldry : Such information is not held centrally.
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority councillors were prosecuted in each of the last five years for fraudulently obtaining benefits while in receipt of council attendance allowances ; and if he will give the political party which they represented.
Mr. Robin Squire : My Department does not collect this information.
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