House of Commons Hansard Debates for 23 Feb 1993

Mr. Robin Squire : I will write to the hon. Member.

Tourism

Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations of "Tourism in the UK : Realising the Potential" as it applies to his Department's responsibilities ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Robin Squire : Together with the Department of National Heritage, we have commissioned research into

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the feasibility of obtaining better information on the numbers of day visitors, to assist the calculation of standard spending assessments. It is hoped that the results of this research will be available for incorporation into SSAs for 1994-95.

Urban Needs

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what factors he proposes to take into account in his analysis of urban needs based on the 1991 census data ; what weighting he proposes to give to each factor ; and what additional data not contained in the census he will be seeking.

Mr. Robin Squire : A report on this subject by the Centre for Urban Policy Studies will shortly be circulated to local authority associations and voluntary organisations. The report will consider the factors which might be taken into account in analysing urban needs in the light of the 1991 census and other data. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Water and Sewerage Services

Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the Ofwat report regarding discrepancies in the cost of water and sewerage services.

Mr. Maclean : None. The system established under the 1989 legislation is designed to encourage companies to become as efficient as possible. Some variation in unit costs between companies will result from their differing circumstances. The Director General of Water Services is continuing to examine differences in unit costs.

Rent Rebates

Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what payment of rent rebates on housing revenue account tenancies was paid to Lambeth council for February, March and April 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : A housing authority's expenditure on the rent rebates it grants to its housing revenue account tenants is one of several factors which are taken into account when determining its entitlement to housing revenue account subsidy. For each financial year, on-account payments of HRA subsidy are made to housing authorities by my Department in 10 instalments, from May to February. Payments are not made in March or April.

Details of on-account payments of HRA subsidy to Lambeth borough council in respect of HRA rent rebate expenditure throughout 1992, were included in the answer given to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security on 15 February, Hansard, Vol. 219, cols 100-01.

British Waterways Bill

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of the British Waterways Bill on commercial shipping ;

(2) if he will list the British waterways docks planned to be closed as a result of the British Waterways Bill.

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Mr. Maclean : The British Waterways Bill removes the statutory duty to make the Weston Points docks available to commercial traffic, but does not prevent navigation through the docks or their operation by another party. I understand that for some years there has been no such traffic through Weston Point docks. There should be no effect on commercial shipping. More generally the Bill seeks to enable the British Waterways Board to carry out its functions more efficiently to the benefit of all users, including commercial shipping.

Ozone Depletion

Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to inform the public about ozone depletion levels over the United Kingdom and the northern hemisphere for the winter and spring of 1992-93.

Mr. Maclean : Details of ozone levels over the United Kingdom and the northern hemisphere this winter and spring will be published in the autumn in the next report by the Department's stratospheric ozone review group. Dobson spectrophotomer data would be made available through the Meteorological Office in the event of significant deviations from the normal range of winter and spring ozone levels.

Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department is funding to monitor the rate of ozone depletion over the United Kingdom for the winter and spring of 1992-93.

Mr. Maclean : The Department has supported atmospheric ozone measurements at Lerwick since 1991 and will continue to do so throughout the winter and spring of 1992-93 and beyond. In addition, the Department also supports the development of methods for monitoring ground level UVB irradiation at Reading university.

Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the latest available information on ozone depletion over the United Kingdom and northern hemisphere for the winter of 1992-93.

Mr. Maclean : The latest estimate of the average depletion of the ozone layer at British latitudes, based on the 1992 WMO/UNEP scientific assessment of ozone depletion, is 8 per cent. per decade in winter and early spring. I am advised by the Cambridge ozone research co-ordinating unit and the Meteorological Office that the levels of ozone measured over the United Kingdom during the current winter are consistent with the WMO/UNEP assessment of long-term depletion, but still within the previously observed ranges for the time of year.

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the current ozone depletion levels for the United Kingdom.

Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) earlier today.

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how often the levels of ozone depletion are measured over the United Kingdom ; and how the figures are made publicly available.

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Mr. Maclean : Total ozone measurements are made daily when meteorological conditions permit by the United Kingdom Meteorological Office and the results submitted to the provisional centre for the World Meteorological Organisation's ozone mapping project. The Department supports two ozone profile measurements per week at Lerwick and the results are disseminated through the scientific literature and by the reports of the Department's stratospheric ozone review group. I would also refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) earlier today.

Business Rate Appeals

Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many business rate appeals are currently outstanding.

Mr. Robin Squire : At the end of December 1992 valuation tribunals in England had outstanding some 460,000 non-domestic rating appeals. Following the revaluation on 1 April 1990, English tribunals initially received some 600,000 appeals, mostly towards the end of that financial year. Since then around 470,000 appeals have been resolved, and a further 330,000 received.

Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 106, when he expects to publish estimates of nitrous oxide emissions in the United Kingdom during 1991 and 1992.

Mr. Maclean : The best current estimate for emissions of nitrous oxide in the United Kingdom will be reported in my Department's Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics No. 15, which is due for release in April 1993.

An estimate of emissions during 1992 will be released in Digest No. 16, which is due for publication in spring 1994.

Water Disconnections

Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people in England had their water supplies disconnected in 1992 for non-payment of bills ; and what percentage were pensioners.

Mr. Maclean : Information on disconnections of water supplies to pensioners is not available. Total numbers of domestic disconnections for 1991-92 were given in my answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mrs. Jackson) on 4 November 1992, Official Report , columns 234-35. Information on domestic disconnections for the six-month period from 1 April to 30 September 1992 was given in my answer to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon) on 18 November 1992, Official Report, columns 204-5.

Local Authority Tenants

Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to give local authority tenants, living in homes in serious disrepair, the same protection as is afforded to private sector tenants under the Housing Act 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Baldry : None. I have seen no evidence to suggest that the law as it stands is in practice giving rise to any unfairness to council tenants.

Capital Receipts

Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the value of local authorities' capital receipts resulting from (a) sales of council housing and (b) sales of other assets made subsequent to the autumn statement.

Mr. Robin Squire : Local authorities provide quarterly returns to the Department, giving their current estimates of capital receipts received to date. The first available information on cumulative receipts received up to 31 December 1992 is expected to be available during April.

Water Metering

Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many EC member countries currently have some system of water metering ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean : Some system of water metering exists in all EC countries. In England and Wales it is for water companies to decide on their preferred method of charging in the light of the circumstances in their operating area.

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will order an inquiry into the Isle of Wight water metering project when it finishes ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean : No. Information on setting up and running the Isle of Wight water metering trial and the small-scale trials is contained in two interim reports, copies of which are in the Library. A final report is expected to be published in the spring. I will ensure that copies of this report are also placed in the Library.

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the people of the Isle of Wight regarding the water metering project ; if he will publish them ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean : I have received a small number of letters about meter installation and billing issues. I do not intend to make these public. For details of reports on the metering trial on the Isle of Wight I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him earlier.

Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present extent of (a) volumetric and (b) pre- payment metering consumption in domestic properties in England and Wales, region by region.

Mr. Maclean [holding answer Monday 22 February] : The information requested is not held centrally. However, I understand that about 3 per cent. of households receive a metered water supply and that several small-scale trials of prepayment meters are being conducted. The second interim report of the water metering trials indicates that in the small-scale trials the average annual consumption per property was 137 cu m.

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Environment Agency

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made towards the establishment of the proposed environment agency.

Mr. Maclean : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced the Government's plans for the environment agency on 15 July 1992. Consideration is now being given to the detailed provisions which would be necessary to establish such an agency and legislation will be introduced at the earliest opportunity.

Packaging

Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to reduce levels of packaging in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Maclean : We have no such plans at present. We have been discussing with the packaging industry ways in which the environmental impact of packaging can be reduced and are currently considering whether to introduce economic instruments to encourage the recovery of resources from waste.

Small Firms (Regulations)

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those regulations affecting small firms which have been abolished by his Department in each year since 1979.

Mr. Robin Squire : Since 1979 a series of measures has been taken to reduce and simplify the amount of regulation. All my Department's regulations which impact on business are currently being reviewed to ensure that, where they are necessary, they impose the minimum burden.

Sellafield

Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the alpha discharges were from the B204 stack at Sellafield for the last five years.

Mr. Maclean : Using the latest calibration factors the alpha releases from the B204 stack and for comparison the total for all schedule 1 stacks were :


               |B204 stack    |All schedule 1               

                              |stacks                       

               |MBq           |MBq                          

------------------------------------------------------------

<1>1992        |113           |169                          

1991           |158           |274                          

1990           |193           |263                          

1989           |262           |338                          

1988           |376           |459                          

<1>The 1992 figures do not yet include the December         

returns.

The present annual limit for all schedule 1 stacks is 4,300 MBq. These should be compared with the range in my answer to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham), on 15 February, at column 21.

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Ward Boundaries, Brent

Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision regarding the Local Government Boundary Commission's recommendations for changes in the local ward boundaries of Brent.

Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 22 February 1993] : My right hon. and learned Friend has not yet reached his decision on the Local Government Boundary Commission proposals for changes to the local government boundaries around Brent. When a decision is reached on boundary changes, he will consult the Home Secretary on any electoral consequences.

Disused Canals

Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the protection of the lines of disused canals within local planning procedures.

Mr. Baldry [holding answer 22 February 1993] : Our policy is set out in our planning policy guidance notes--PPG4, paragraph 11, and more generally in PPG12. We will consult shortly on more detailed guidance in a revised PPG13, "Transport".

Office of Water Services

Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the administration of OFWAT in each year from 1990-91, and projected for 1993-94.

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 22 February 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on 1 December 1992, Official Report, column 154. The Director General's "Annual Report 1990", a copy of which is in the Library, records OFWAT's expenditure in 1990-91 as £4.3 million. £9.7 million has been voted in estimates, class VII, vote 9, to cover the expenditure of OFWAT for 1993-94.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Veal

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what steps he is taking to ensure that veal used by parliamentary caterers is produced by the Quantock method rather than by crating ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Colin Shepherd : The Director of Catering Services informs me that the veal used in the Refreshment Department is purchased only from suppliers who use the Quantock method of rearing veal calves.

Sitting Hours

Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will report progress on the reform of the sitting hours of the House.

Mr. Newton : I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer I gave on Monday 22 February, at column 679, to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs).

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Training and Employment Agency

Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the assistance and programmes the Training and Employment Agency makes available to assist unemployed people look for work ; what changes are planned in these programmes in 1993-94 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. S. Crozier. I have asked him for a reply to be given.

Letter from J. S. Crozier to Ms. Clare Short, dated 22 February 1993 :

You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he would make a statement about the assistance and programmes the Training and Employment Agency makes available to assist unemployed people look for work and what changes are planned in these programmes in 1993-94. The Secretary of State has passed your questions to me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, for reply. The Agency has a network of 31 local offices, linked by central computer, which delivers an all-age guidance and placement service. The full range of employment and training services is available through the network of "one stop shops" which, since April 1992, have helped around 35,000 adults to find jobs or a place on an Agency scheme.

For those out of work for a lengthy period the Agency runs a Restart programme which is specifically designed to provide help and encouragement to those who have been unemployed for more than six months. In the course of the programme everyone in this category is invited to attend an interview in their local Agency office. During the interview each person is given advice on job vacancies or offered a place on an Action for Community Employment (ACE) Scheme, Jobclub or training course. Responsibility for the Restart Programme will transfer to the Social Security Agency from April 1993.

The Training and Employment Agency also provides practical help with job- hunting for the long-term unemployed, through a network of 28 Jobclubs. Members are given advice on aspects such as the completion of application forms, CVs, preparation for interviews etc and the Jobclub provides photocopying, typing, telephone, stationery and postage facilities.

In addition the Agency also provides training programmes for the unemployed. The Youth Training Programme (YTP) and the Job Training Programme (JTP) provide all entrants to the labour market and the adult unemployed respectively with the opportunity to obtain skills and qualifications to help them compete for suitable jobs. YTP offers 16 and 17 year olds a structured programme of directed and workplace training of up to 2 years' duration. JTP offers those aged 18 and under 60 an individually tailored programme of up to one year of directed training and practical workplace-based experience. The Action for Community Employment (ACE) Scheme provides temporary employment, with training, of up to one year's duration for long-term unemployed adults in a wide range of projects of benefit to the community. Each programme provides an element of jobsearch skills/interview techniques for participants.

There are no changes planned for YTP/JTP and ACE during 1993-94. However the Agency is currently piloting a single, integrated scheme which may replace both YTP and JTP and which will offer training to entrants to the labour market and to the unemployed.

I hope that this information is of help.

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Youth Training

Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the most recent information he has on the destination of youth training programme leavers ; and of those who found employment, how many were with the employer who provided their training.

Letter from J. S. Crozier to Ms. Clare Short, dated 22 February 1993 :

You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the most recent information he has on the destination of Youth Training Programme leavers ; and of those who found employment, how many were with the employer who provided the training.

As the Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency which has Executive responsibility for these matters I have been asked to reply.

The most recent information available on the destinations of participants leaving the Youth Training Programme is for the period 1 April 1992 to 31 January 1993. This shows that 6,264 (56 ) leavers went into employment, 1,335 (12 ) went into full time education and 3,651 (32 ) became unemployed.

Figures for YTP leavers who found employment with the employer who provided their training are not available.

Job Plan Workshops

Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce job plan workshops for the long-term unemployed ; what effect this will have on entitlement to benefit ; and if he will make a statement.

Letter from J. S. Crozier to Ms. Clare Short, dated 19 February 1993 :

You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce Jobplan Workshops for the long-term unemployed in Northern Ireland, what effect this would have on entitlement benefit and if he will make a statement.

As Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency I have been asked to reply.

The Training and Employment Agency currently provides practical help for long-term unemployed jobseekers through a network of 28 Jobclubs. Members are given advice on the completion of application forms and CVs and preparation for interviews etc. Jobclubs provide photocopying, typing, telephone, stationery and postage facilities. In addition assistance towards finding work or suitable training is provided to the long term unemployed through counselling under the Restart Programme.

At present there are no plans in Northern Ireland to introduce Jobplan Workshops but consideration will be given to what action should be taken to be of further help to the long term unemployed in the light of developments in Great Britain and local circumstances.

Action for Community Employment

Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at the latest available date how many people were employed on action for community employment ; how

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many of them were employed (a) part time and (b) full time ; and if he will divide the figures into males and females.

Letter from J. S. Crozier to Ms. Clare Short, dated 19 February 1993 :

You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at the latest available date how many people were employed on Action for Community Employment ; how many of them were employed (a) Part time, (b) Full time ; and if he will divide the figure into males and females. As Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency which has executive responsibility for this matter in Northern Ireland I have been asked to reply.

At 31 January there was a total of 9,660 people employed on the Action for Community Employment (ACE) programme. This figure was made up of 7,245 full time (4,347 males and 2,898 females) and 2,415 part time (676 males and 1,739 females).

Training

Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the eligibility rules for the job training programme and action for community employment schemes and on the training and income participants are entitled to when they participate in the programme ; and what changes are planned in these schemes for 1993-94.

Letter from J. S. Crozier to Ms. Clare Short, dated 22 February 1993 :

You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he would make a statement about the eligibility rules for the Job Training Programme and Action for Community Employment Schemes ; the training and income participants are entitled to when they participate in the programme ; and what changes are planned in these schemes for 1993-94.

The Secretary of State has passed your questions to me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, for reply. Applicants for the Job Training Programme (JTP) are eligible if they

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