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Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of resources has been granted by his Department to mineral planning authorities in Wales in each year of the last 10 years ; and what plans he has to increase the level of resources.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Mineral planning is one of the services for which county councils in Wales are responsible. Resource requirements for mineral planning are taken into account in setting standard spending assessments for county councils as part of the annual local government settlement. Proposals for the 1993-94 local government revenue settlement will be announced in due course.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what account has been taken by his Department of the implications of local government reform in Wales upon (a) strategic mineral planning policies (b) the review and upgrading of old minerals permissions and (c) the resourcing of such a review and upgrading.
Mr. David Hunt : Matters relating to minerals planning have been considered by the planning and economic development sub-group established under the auspices of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government. I am now considering the reports submitted by that and other sub-groups.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will publish his Department's definition of sustainable development ; and if he will make a statement on the application of this concept to the work of his Department ;
(2) if he will amend the planning policy guidance notes produced by his Department so as to include references on the importance of an environmentally sustainable approach to the development of the Welsh coastline ;
(3) if he will issue guidelines to planning authorities in Wales on the application of environmental sustainability within the planning process.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Brundtland commission, in its report "Our Common Future" published 1987 stated :
"Humanity has the opportunity to make development sustainable--to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". In their environment White Papers, starting with "This Common Inheritance", the Government have made clear their intention to work towards ensuring that development and growth are sustainable. The concept of sustainable development is a global one, and it is for the Government to develop policies consistent with that concept, which can be reflected in local decisions. The planning system, and the preparation of development plans in particular, can play an important part in ensuring that development as a
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whole is sustainable. The sum total of decisions in the planning field, as elsewhere, should not deny future generations the best of today's environment. The need to reflect the principle of sustainable development lies behind the revision of the range of planning policy guidance notes, currently well under way.Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the chairmen of the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales to encourage them to integrate their statutory objectives in the interest of formulating a sustainable development plan for the coastal areas of Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : There is regular liaison between the two agencies on rural development matters as on all matters of common interest and each agency is represented on the board of the other.
Air Quality
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts are currently undertaken by his Department to monitor air quality on a continuous basis around opencast coal mining sites ; which sites have been selected for such air monitoring ; and if he will make it his policy to make such monitoring data available to the general public.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The position on air monitoring around opencast coal-mining sites is described in paragraphs 12 and 13 of the Government's response to the second report of the Welsh Affairs Committee, Session 1990- 91 "The Future of Opencast Coalmining in Wales", Cm 1652, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Environment Guide
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of "The Welsh Environment ; a Guide to your Rights and
Responsibilities" have been (a) produced and (b) distributed by his Department ; and if he will list the main outlets for distribution.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : A total of 60,000 copies of "The Welsh Environment : A Guide to your Rights and Responsibilities" were produced for the Welsh Office. To date 59,700 have been distributed, largely through county and district councils, main libraries and citizens advice bureaux in Wales.
Supermarket Development
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the occasions during each of the last five years where coastal sites have been utilised for supermarket development in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is not held centrally.
EC Environment Directive
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the organisations consulted by his Department on the implementation of the EC directive on the freedom of access to information on the environment ;
(2) if he will issue guidelines to local authorities in Wales defining in detail the new procedures to be
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undertaken in connection with the implementation of the EC directive on freedom of access of information on the environment.Mr. Gwilym Jones : On 29 October the Department of the Environment published for consultation with local authorities and other organisations in Great Britain, draft regulations and guidance on the implementation of the EC directive on freedom of access of information on the environment. The organisations in Wales that are being consulted are as follows :
Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales
The All Wales Chief Environmental Health Officers' Panel Assembly of Welsh Counties
Brecon Beacons National Park
Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
Council of Welsh Districts
Country Landowners Association (Wales Regional Office)
Countryside Council for Wales
County and District Councils in Wales
The Development Board for Rural Wales
Farmers Union of Wales
Friends of the Earth Cymru
Land Authority for Wales
National Farmers Union, Wales
North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Prince of Wales Committee
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wales
Snowdonia National Park
South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee
The Associated Law Society in Wales
Wales Tourist Board
Wales Wildlife and Countryside Link
Welsh Association of Community and Town Councils
Welsh Development Agency
Opencast Mining
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake a comprehensive community health study in areas affected by opencast mining developments in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : We have no plans for such a study.
Transport Supplementary Grant
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the amount specifically allocated through the transport supplementary grant for local safety schemes proposed by local authorities in Wales in (a) 1991-92 and (b) 1992-93.
Sir Wyn Roberts : As agreed with local authority associations only projects costing over £5 million can attract transport grant. Authorities finance local safety schemes from unhypothecated resources.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings of the Council of Ministers he has attended during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Council of Ministers.
Mr. David Hunt : Although it is not the practice for territorial Ministers to attend the majority of Council Ministers meetings, the United Kingdom's position at Councils represents the collective view reached following ministerial discussions in which I fully participate. I have also this year had the pleasure of hosting a gathering of Ministers as part of the EC informal Council on Social Affairs which met in Wales in October.
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Railways
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the rail network in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : British Rail constantly reviews the performance of its services in Wales and in particular the quality of the service it provides in accordance with the objectives of the passengers charter.
I am pleased to see the latest expansion of services on the Maesteg to Cardiff line supported by Mid Glamorgan county council with the benefit of supplementary credit approvals from the Department.
Car Sharing
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what study he has made of the benefits to the environment in Wales that could arise from the introduction of incentives to establish car sharing schemes in (a) urban areas (b) rural areas.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I have made no such study, but the Government introduced substantial changes to insurance regulations several years ago to encourage car sharing.
Hotel and Catering Industry
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the total numbers of (a) hotels, (b) guest houses and (c) catering establishments which have closed down in Wales during each of the last five years.
Sir Wyn Roberts : This information is not available centrally.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the number of training weeks contracted for under employment training (a) in 1991-92 and (b) in 1992-93 ; and what was the percentage difference between those years in each TEC.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is set out in the table.
Employment training-training weeks
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |88,284 |82,250 |-6.83
Mid Glamorgan |99,629 |89,000 |-10.67
North East Wales |37,758 |39,000 |3.29
North West Wales |48,084 |50,965 |5.99
Powys |17,174 |15,000 |-12.66
South Glamorgan |63,140 |65,550 |3.82
West Wales |139,283 |135,000 |-3.08
|---- |---- |----
Total Wales |493,352 |476,765 |-3.36
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the budget made available from his Department for the provision of youth training places for 1991-92 and 1992-93 (a) at current prices and (b) at 1992-93 prices, indicating in both cases the percentage difference.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is shown in the tables.
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Youth training budgets
(a) At current prices £ million
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|expenditure |percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |8.310 |7.924 |-4.65
Mid Glamorgan |10.154 |9.764 |-3.84
North East Wales |5.526 |5.115 |-7.44
North West Wales |6.493 |6.007 |-7.48
Powys |1.778 |1.785 |0.39
South Glamorgan |4.400 |4.786 |8.77
West Wales |12.082 |11.257 |-6.83
|------- |------- |-------
Total Wales |48.743 |46.638 |-4.32
(b) At 1992-93 prices £ million
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|expenditure |percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |8.684 |7.924 |-8.75
Mid Glamorgan |10.611 |9.764 |-7.98
North East Wales |5.775 |5.115 |-11.42
North West Wales |6.785 |6.007 |-11.47
Powys |1.858 |1.785 |-3.93
South Glamorgan |4.598 |4.786 |4.09
West Wales |12.020 |11.257 |-10.84
|------- |------- |-------
Total Wales |50.936 |46.638 |-8.44
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is shown in the tables.
TEC Budgets
(a) at current prices
£ million
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 Budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|expenditure |percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |17.390 |17.909 |2.98
Mid Glamorgan |20.039 |20.561 |2.60
North East Wales |11.363 |11.149 |-1.88
North West Wales |12.883 |14.163 |9.94
Powys |4.352 |4.415 |1.45
South Glamorgan |11.670 |13.066 |11.96
West Wales |29.294 |27.911 |-4.72
Total Wales |106.991 |109.174 |2.04
(b) at 1992-93 prices
£ million
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 Budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|expenditure |percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |18.173 |17.909 |-1.45
Mid Glamorgan |20.941 |20.561 |-1.81
North East Wales |11.874 |11.149 |-6.11
North West Wales |13.463 |14.163 |5.20
Powys |4.548 |4.415 |-2.92
South Glamorgan |12.195 |13.066 |7.14
West Wales |30.612 |27.911 |-8.82
Total Wales |111.806 |109.174 |-2.35
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Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the number of training weeks contracted for under youth training in (a) 1991-92 and (b) in 1992-93 ; and what was the percentage difference between those years in each TEC.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is set out in the following table :
Youth training training weeks
TEC |1991-92 Actual |1992-93 Budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |164,755 |170,000 |3.18
Mid Glamorgan |190,292 |198,000 |4.05
North East Wales |93,591 |87,000 |-7.04
North West Wales |114,682 |125,000 |9.00
Powys |35,810 |37,000 |3.32
South Glamorgan |94,810 |105,000 |10.75
West Wales |228,553 |227,240 |-0.57
|------- |------- |-------
Total Wales |922,493 |949,240 |2.90
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each training and enterprise council the budget made available from his Department for the provision of employment training places for 1991-92 and 1992-93 (a) at current prices and (b) at 1992-93 prices, indicating in both cases the percentage difference.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is shown in the tables.
Employment training budget
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|expenditure |percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |4.399 |4.227 |-3.91
Mid Glamorgan |4.680 |4.767 |1.86
North East Wales |2.520 |2.081 |-17.42
North West Wales |2.565 |2.857 |11.38
Powys |0.837 |0.885 |5.73
South Glamorgan |3.274 |3.426 |4.64
West Wales |8.239 |6.661 |-19.15
|------- |------- |-------
Total Wales |26.514 |24.904 |-6.07
TEC |1991-92 actual |1992-93 budget |1991-92 to 1992-93
|expenditure |percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwent |4.597 |4.227 |-8.05
Mid Glamorgan |4.891 |4.767 |-2.53
North East Wales |2.633 |2.081 |-20.98
North West Wales |2.680 |2.857 |6.59
Powys |0.875 |0.885 |1.18
South Glamorgan |3.421 |3.426 |0.14
West Wales |8.610 |6.661 |-22.63
|------- |------- |-------
Total Wales |27.707 |24.904 |-10.12
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy towards the voluntary sector in the social services.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Government believe that local authorities should secure a mixture of social care provision by statutory, voluntary and private organisations, in order to increase the available range of options and to provide wider consumer choice. Social services departments in Wales, as the lead agencies in social care planning, are expected to involve fully the voluntary sector as partners in the process. Specific grant schemes, unique to Wales, have been introduced to foster and develop the voluntary sector contribution.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he gives to county and district authorities to assist voluntary organisations.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : It is for local authorities to decide which voluntary organisations they wish to assist and to what extent. It is not for central Government to tell authorities how they should manage their relationships with the voluntary sector, although my right hon. Friend and I do encourage close working relations between the two.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the amount of financial support he gives in (a) Clwyd and (b) Wales to voluntary organisations.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The latest figures available indicate that grants paid directly by the Welsh Office to voluntary organisations in Wales totalled £8.8 million in 1990-91. The figure excludes indirect grants paid to housing associations--£131.4 million--and those paid through intermediaries, for example, local or health authorities, under such schemes as the urban programme--£3.1 million.
Figures for Clwyd are not readily available.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he will take to encourage partnerships between voluntary organisations and local authorities in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : My right hon. Friend and I will continue, through the various grant scheme mechanisms operated by the Department, to encourage local authorities to examine the scope for involving voluntary organisations widely in the planning and delivery of their services.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those voluntary organisations he has met in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. David Hunt : The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount of financial support given to voluntary organisations in each of (a) the counties and (b) the districts in Wales ; and giving a per capita figure.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is not held by the Department. The hon. Gentleman would need to write to all voluntary organisations in Wales if he wishes to know the amount of financial support they receive and the geographical distribution of their expenditure.
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Health Authority Targets
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each health authority in Wales the specific waiting list and performance targets and how each health authority has performed against those targets at (a) 31 March, (b) 30 June and (c) 31 August.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones [holding answer 9 November 1992] : Information on waiting times is collected on a quarterly basis ; the latest available figures are for 30 June 1992.
"Agenda for Action" targets are set for the year end. Health authorities are committed to achieving these targets.
Performance against both "Agenda for Action" and patients charter targets for March and June is given in the tables.
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DHA waiting lists against agenda for
action and patient's charter targets
(a) Performance at March 1992: Total
specialties
------------------------------------------
Clwyd |22.3|1.7 |2.9 |13.9
East Dyfed |28.0|0.0 |0.0 |17.7
Gwent |37.1|1.5 |0.0 |17.6
Gwynedd |22.8|0.0 |0.0 |20.2
Mid Glamorgan |35.4|2.3 |0.1 |15.2
Pembrokeshire |44.0|0.0 |0.0 |22.6
Powys |35.0|0.0 |0.0 |6.1
South Glamorgan |43.5|0.9 |6.2 |12.8
West Glamorgan |56.0|0.6 |0.0 |19.2
Wales |38.2|1.1 |1.5 |16.3
Target 1991-92 |28.0|0.0 |0.0 |19.0
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DHA waiting lists against Agenda for Action and Patients Charter targets
(b) Performance at June 1992: Total specialties
DHA |Out-patients waiting|Urgent in-patients |Urgent day-cases |In-patients waiting |Day-cases waiting |In-patients waiting |Day cases waiting
|over three months |waiting over one |waiting over one |over one year |over one year |over two years |over two years
|month |month
|Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Percent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agenda for Action Patient's Charter
Clwyd |27.7 |16.9 |2.1 |13.5 |5.1 |1.8 |0.4
East Dyfed |31.6 |0.0 |0.0 |17.5 |4.2 |0.0 |0.0
Gwent |44.1 |0.9 |0.1 |22.9 |3.9 |4.1 |1.7
Gwynedd |40.0 |0.0 |0.0 |15.9 |5.4 |5.8 |0.0
Mid Glamorgan |27.9 |1.4 |0.0 |20.5 |1.8 |8.6 |4.4
Pembrokeshire |36.2 |0.0 |0.0 |12.0 |7.6 |8.0 |2.3
Powys |34.1 |0.0 |0.0 |8.0 |3.3 |0.0 |0.0
South Glamorgan |50.0 |2.3 |12.4 |16.8 |18.1 |3.9 |5.5
West Glamorgan |55.5 |0.7 |0.0 |17.4 |2.9 |3.8 |0.0
Wales |40.9 |1.0 |2.2 |15.7 |6.6 |4.5 |1.8
Target 1992-93 |23.0 |nil |nil |15.0 |15.0 |nil |nil
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he intends to take against health authorities who do not meet "Agenda for Action" targets on waiting lists and performance.
Mr. Gwilym Jones [holding answer 9 November 1992] : All health authorities are committed to achieving patients charter guarantees by the end of the financial year and are collectively on course to achieve the "Agenda for Action" target that by the end of this financial year no more than 15 per cent. of in-patients and day cases will have to wait over one year for non-urgent treatment. Performance against targets is monitored very closely and has been discussed in great detail at the recent round of annual review meetings.
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All authorities are addressing as a matter of priority, the issue of out-patient waiting times, for it is widely recognised that performance here is currently furthest away from target.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Coal
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the predicted profits available from the sale of coal reserves known to exist in the 31 pits he announced would close against the loss of income tax, national insurance and indirect tax payments from coal miners made redundant, on the assumption of the maximum calculated length of operation of each pit to technical exhaustion.
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Mr. Eggar : We do not have the information requested on the predicted profits from the sale of coal reserves.
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