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Student Accommodation
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to compensate the student housing sector if Scottish Homes maintains its decision to withdraw funding for student accommodation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 February 1993] : No. Scottish Homes has not withdrawn funding for student accommodation. It has issued guidance on the relative priority to be attached to student accommodation projects compared with other housing needs. Scottish Homes has only very occasionally funded student accommodation. The impact of the guidance, in terms of housing for students, will therefore be minimal.
ENVIRONMENT
Country Sports
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the total income, tax revenues and jobs resulting from country sporting activities.
Mr. Maclean : I am aware of the recent report by Cobham Resource Consultants, produced on behalf of the standing conference on countryside sports, entitled "Countryside Sports--Their Economic and Conservation Significance." This report demonstrates the significance of country sports to the rural economy and we have noted its conclusions with interest.
The report estimates that total direct expenditure by organisers of and participants in country sports in Great Britain, amounted to some £1.4 billion in 1991, and provided for direct employment equivalent to 65,000 full-time jobs and indirect employment equivalent to 60,000 full-time jobs.
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Clean Technology
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been undertaken by his Department to encourage European Community co-operation on the promotion of clean technology following the European Commission report "Industrial Competitiveness and Environmental Protection" of 1986.
Mr. Maclean : The Commission communication, reference number SEC(92)1986, was produced in November last year and discussed under the United Kingdom presidency of the Council of Ministers on 24 November 1992. The Council warmly welcomed the communication and, inter alia, invited the Commission and member states to co-operate to encourage the development and diffusion of cleaner technologies. The Council of Environment Ministers in December welcomed the communication as a step forward in integrating environmental considerations into other policy areas. The Government look forward to further discussions under the Danish presidency.
Oil Spills
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the implications for United Kingdom policy of decisions undertaken at the emergency meeting of the joint European Environment and Transport Council in January to discuss oil spills.
Mr. Maclean : As the answer of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 28 January at column 796 made clear, no decisions were taken at the meeting which require any change in United Kingdom policy.
Departmental Publicity
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the actual expenditure on departmental publicity relating to housing matters in each year since 1979.
Sir George Young : The information in respect of publicity relating to housing matters (excluding staff costs) is as follows :
'
Year |Expenditure
|£
---------------------------------------
1987-88 |362,252
1988-89 |261,764
1989-90 |1,540,580
1990-91 |1,206,323
1991-92 |1,392,074
1992-93 |<1>1,399,500
<1> Forecast.
It is not possible to identify related staff costs. Expenditure figures for 1979-80 to 1986-87 are not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Energy Efficiency Office in testing materials used under the home energy efficiency scheme.
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Mr. Maclean : This is a matter for the scheme's administering agency, the Energy Action Grants Agency.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are currently undertaken by his Department to monitor the standard of installations carried out under the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Maclean : The Energy Action Grants Agency (EAGA) which administers the home energy efficiency scheme employs technical monitoring officers who make physical inspections of a proportion of all work carried out under the scheme.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to review the maximum levels of grant offered for home insulation under the home energy efficiency scheme ; (2) what plans he has to extend the range of improvements which can be grant aided to low-income households under the home energy efficiency scheme ;
(3) what plans he has to increase the rate of loft insulation and draughtproofing in low-income households as part of the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Maclean : There will be a small increase in the amount of grant available under the home energy efficiency scheme from some £35 million in the current year to £37.5 million in 1993-94. The scheme is intended to ensure that the greatest number of low income households can benefit from basic energy efficiency measures. I have no current plans to introduce changes to the scheme which would increase the average cost per household and thus reduce the number who could benefit.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being undertaken by his Department to encourage take-up of energy advice offered under the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Maclean : Neighbourhood energy action is currently undertaking research for the Energy Action Grants Agency on the delivery of energy advice under the scheme.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish pilot schemes to test the value of introducing energy efficiency measures for households in addition to those specified under the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Maclean : I have no plans to do so.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to provide funds under the home energy efficiency scheme on the basis of numbers of eligible households within a given area.
Mr. Maclean : No. Eligibility for grant under the scheme depends on the client being in receipt of a qualifying benefit. Allocations of funding to installers must take account of the amount of similar work already carried out in an area and the installer's ability to use the allocation.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to establish energy audits on a sample of households which have been assisted under the home energy efficiency scheme.
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Mr. Maclean : The interim evaluation of the home energy efficiency scheme currently being carried out by the building research energy conservation support unit includes energy audits of a sample of households assisted by the scheme. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library of the House when it is available.
Landfill
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recommendations have been made by the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment on landfill pricing ; when their recommendations were made ; what action has been taken ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment recommended in October 1991 that the price of landfill in the United Kingdom should be increased significantly to levels obtaining elsewhere in the EC. In our response in October 1991, we pointed out that the Environmental Protection Act 1990 was already having an upward impact on landfill prices. However, we agreed to re-examine landfill pricing and have undertaken a programme of work since then. On 9 February this year, I announced the publication of a consultants' report for the Department, "Landfill Costs and Prices : Correcting Possible Market Distortions". We have invited comments on the report by 26 March 1993. We will then consider whether to introduce one or more economic instruments for solid waste.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average gate fee for municipal solid waste disposed to landfill in the United Kingdom ; and what information he has about gate fees obtaining in other member states of the European Community.
Mr. Maclean : The report published by my Department last month, which examines the possibility of a levy on waste going to landfill, indicates that the costs of landfilling municipal solid waste in this country range from £5 to £30 per tonne. Comprehensive information is not held about gate prices for municipal solid waste disposal in other member states of the European Community. Prices in some countries are thought to be below the minimum figure for this country. Prices in those countries which have introduced a tax on waste going to landfill are considerably higher than the maximum for this country.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average gate fee for municipal solid waste disposal to landfill in the United Kingdom ; and what assessment he has made as to whether that price fully reflects (a) the cost of compliance with the existing pollution control regime, (b) the cost of damage to the environment and harm to human health and (c) the position of landfill in the waste management hierarchy as the disposal route of last resort.
Mr. Maclean : The prices charged for municipal solid waste disposed to landfill are set by the operators of individual sites. In determining prices, operators will take account of the conditions imposed through the licensing regime which require measures to be taken in order to prevent disposal operations causing pollution or harm to human health.
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Waste management in this country takes place within a legislative framework which ensures that each operation is strictly controlled so as to avoid pollution or harm to human health. Within this framework, market forces currently generally determine the disposal option for waste destined for final disposal. In the 1992 Environment White Paper, the Government indicated that they would in future make a presumption in favour of using economic instruments to achieve environmental objectives. As part of our programme of work to explore the use of economic instruments, we have recently published a report which examines the idea of placing a levy on waste going to landfill.Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of municipal solid waste is disposed to landfill in the United Kingdom ; and what information he has on practice in other member states of the European Community.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom produces about 20 million tonnes of municipal waste each year of which about 85 to 90 per cent. is currently disposed to landfill. Landfill has historically been the principal waste disposal route for most European countries. Other countries do not benefit from the geology that makes landfill an environmentally sound disposal option in the United Kingdom. Some are now reducing their dependence on landfill although it continues to be a major means of waste disposal for most states. Information produced by the statistical office of the European Communities shows that the proportion of municipal waste disposed to landfill by other member states is as follows :
|Per cent.
--------------------------------
Belgium |50
Denmark |53
Germany |66
Greece |98
Spain |77
France |45
Ireland |100
Italy |31
Luxembourg |30
Netherlands |55
Portugal |28
EC Habitats Directive
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to implement the EC habitats directive by primary legislation.
Mr. Maclean : The Government are assessing what is necessary to implement the directive. Our proposals will be issued in due course.
Wildlife Sites
Ms. Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases of damage to wildlife sites from destruction or damage by developers subsequent to refusal of planning permission on nature conservation grounds have been brought to his attention in the years from 1989 to 1992.
Mr. Maclean : I regret the information is not available in the form requested. Over the last two years about 24 cases have been drawn to the attention of the Department.
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Ms. Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the need for new powers to control wilful damage to wildlife sites of the kind occurring at Royate hill, Bristol.
Mr. Maclean : In the last 12 months 50 to 60 letters in support of proposals for some form of additional protection for sites of local wildlife importance have been received by the Department. The majority of these followed the unfortunate incident at Royate hill.
Ms. Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers are available to local authorities to prevent damage to wildlife sites from destruction or damage by developers subsequent to the refusal of planning permission on nature conservation grounds.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities may use their powers to enter into management agreements with landowners, to declare local nature reserves and make byelaws to protect them. They may make tree preservation orders and article 4 directions to remove permitted development rights. They have a number of powers to acquire land by agreement or, where authorised, compulsorily but it is for the local authority to decide which power or powers are appropriate. Wild birds and certain species of animal and plant are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or under specific legislation and local authorities and others have the power to prosecute offenders.
Nature Conservation Orders
Ms. Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with local authorities on the need for nature conservation orders.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Local Government Commission to issue notes of guidance on local government reorganisation for Avon, Humberside, Cleveland and Gloucestershire.
Mr. Robin Squire : The Local Government Commission is due to publish its draft recommendations for local government structure in Cleveland and Durham by 9 May. Draft recommendations for Avon, Gloucestershire and Somerset and for Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire are due to be published by 13 and 20 June respectively.
Illegal Camping
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress on consultation on the law relating to illegal camping.
Mr. Baldry : I am considering carefully over 1,200 responses to this Department's consultation paper "Reform of the Caravan Sites Act 1968". I have placed a list of the responses in the House of Commons Library, and copies of the responses are in the Department's library. An announcement about the way forward will be made as soon as practicable.
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Eco-labelling
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the eco-labelling regulation has been followed by the United Kingdom Eco-labelling Board in its development of criteria for eco-labels ; and if he will set out the consultations the board has had with interest groups and the assessment it has made of the full life cycle ecological impact of products.
Mr. Maclean : I have no reason to believe that the United Kingdom Eco-labelling Board has not followed the requirements of the EC regulations in its development of criteria for eco-labels. As the board has responsibility for operational aspects of the scheme I have asked it to write to my hon. Friend setting out the consultations it has carried out with interest groups with information on the assessments they have made of the full life cycle ecological impacts of the product groups.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to subject the eco-labelling scheme to a full cost- benefit analysis to establish if the environmental improvements achieved are consistent with the time and money being invested.
Mr. Maclean : We shall evaluate the effectiveness of the policy as we do with all new policy initiatives to ensure that it meets the objectives set and provides value for money.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what reasons underlie the targeting by the United Kingdom Eco-labelling Board of hairsprays, deodorants, and hair styling aids for eco-labels ; what plans he has to include furnishings, textiles, hi-fi equipment and other products with known environmental impacts ; and if he will make a statement on how product categories for new eco-labels will be selected in future ;
(2) what progress is being made with the European eco-labelling scheme ; and which product categories he expects to be finalised for launch in June.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom Eco-labelling Board has been established to administer and promote the European Community eco-labelling scheme nationally and has responsibility for dealing with the operational aspects of the scheme. I have therefore asked the board to reply to my hon. Friend direct.
Council Houses
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish for each local authority (a) the amount spent on council house repairs and maintenance, (b) the number of council-owned properties and (c) the average spent on repairs and maintenance per council-owned property, for 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Sir George Young : I have deposited a copy of tables showing the information requested by the hon. Member in the Library of the House. The amounts shown in the tables relate to revenue expenditure on repairs and maintenance and do not include expenditure on major repairs charged to capital.
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Norbreck Parade, London
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to call in the report of the inspector in relation to the appeal held on 3 and 11 February at Ealing town hall in relation to the creation of an access from the north circular road to Norbreck parade, London NW10.
Mr. Baldry : The appeal has been recovered for the Secretary of State's decision.
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Local Government Employees
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were employed full time and part time in local government in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1984.
Mr. Robin Squire : The information is given in the table for each authority in Cambridgeshire. Totals have not been given because data for some authorities are not available centrally.
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Numbers employed in local authorities in Cambridgeshire
At June of each year
Authority 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cambridgeshire county |12,261 |8,349 |12,355 |8,617 |12,613 |10,135 |12,979 |10,914 |13,088 |11,022 |13,179 |11,059 |13,397 |11,374 |13,403 |11,712 |13,380 |12,369
Cambridge |911 |109 |942 |121 |933 |143 |1,005 |156 |1,051 |160 |1,112 |152 |1,242 |177 |1,084 |237 |950 |231
East Cambridgeshire |214 |31 |211 |29 |210 |22 |210 |20 |213 |20 |219 |19 |205 |26 |206 |26 |N/a |N/a
Fenland |367 |74 |365 |83 |362 |89 |368 |92 |383 |90 |392 |82 |406 |125 |413 |145 |392 |140
Huntingdon |567 |162 |563 |158 |555 |176 |559 |159 |570 |157 |549 |163 |600 |164 |609 |200 |580 |233
Peterborough |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |N/a |1,236 |127 |N/a |N/a
South Cambridgeshire |372 |30 |355 |31 |370 |36 |379 |40 |358 |40 |352 |43 |354 |46 |326 |45 |317 |51
N/a-Data not available.
Source: Joint Staffing Watch for England.
Note:Education, highways, fire services, police and social services are administered by Cambridgeshire county council. The other authorities shown are district councils which, amongst other services, administer
housing, planning and refuse collection.
Inland Bathing Waters
Mr. Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many inland bathing waters as required by article 1 of the EC water quality directive 76/160 he has designated.
Mr. Maclean : So far, no inland waters have been identified as within the scope of the bathing water directive.
Norfolk Beaches
Mr. Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require the National Rivers Authority to reinstate the programme of tests for enteroviruses on all Norfolk beaches in the current year.
Mr. Maclean : No. It is not a requirement of the bathing water directive to test for enteroviruses at all bathing waters.
Mr. Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reasons the National Rivers Authority discontinued testing for enteroviruses on all but two Norfolk beaches in 1992.
Mr. Maclean : In accordance with the requirements of the bathing water directive, bathing waters which failed the directive's coliform standards in 1991 were sampled by the National Rivers Authority for enteroviruses in 1992. Only two Norfolk bathing waters failed the coliform standards in 1991.
EC Structural Funds
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with the additionality criteria for European Community structrual funds ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Baldry : My Department is responsible for providing public expenditure cover for forecast ERDF receipts for local authority other services block schemes, for those non-departmental public bodies, agencies and charities which fall within my Department's ambit, and for privatised water companies. Provision for some £176 million has been made for 1993-94 as shown in the Department's annual report, which was laid in the House of Common's Library on 10 February 1993.
Revenue Support Grant
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of revenue support grant per inhabitant for (a) Ashfield, (b) Bassetlaw, (c) Broxtowe, (d) Gedling, (e) Mansfield, (f) Newark and Sherwood, (g) Nottingham, (h) Rushcliffe, (i) Westminster, (j) Wandsworth and (k) the City of London for 1992-93 and 1993-94.
Mr. Robin Squire : The level of revenue support grant per head of resident population for the authorities requested is given in the table :
Local authority |Revenue Support|Revenue Support
|Grant per head |Grant per head
|1992-93 |1993-94
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashfield |267.19 |16.98
Bassetlaw |285.41 |31.14
Broxtowe |264.73 |15.45
Gedling |275.29 |19.92
Mansfield |279.49 |26.67
Newark and Sherwood |286.69 |37.40
Nottingham |329.40 |83.43
Rushcliffe |257.90 |12.22
Westminster |958.85 |802.79
Wandsworth |714.59 |619.18
City of London |10,771.14 |11,225.31
The figures for the two years are not comparable since revenue support grant for the year 1993-94 is to be paid direct to each billing and major precepting authority,
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whereas in 1992-93 it was paid into the collection fund administered by the charging authority on behalf of all tiers of authority in the area.Shudehill Developments Ltd.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had from the chairman of Shudehill Developments Ltd. in regard to the proposed retail development at Dumplington in Greater Manchester ; what reply he is sending ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 2 March 1993] : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State received a letter from Mr. Melmoth only last week. Mr. Melmoth argues that the results of a study commissioned by his company show that, should the Dumplington shopping centre be allowed to proceed, the future of Manchester city centre as a regional shopping venue would be under very serious threat and the shopping development which his company proposes to develop at Shudehill might no longer be viable.
Mr. Melmoth's letter is being considered alongside the other representations we have received about Dumplington, about which we expect to make an announcement very shortly.
London Boroughs (Debt)
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he proposes to make available to London boroughs and the Common Council during 1993-94 in respect of the extra costs due to his decisions on housing revenue account subsidy in respect of debt from the former Greater London Council ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood [pursuant to his reply, 17 February 1993, c. 283-84] : My right hon. and learned Friend is currently contemplating the recovery of the amounts of housing subsidy paid in connection with deemed debt prior to 1 April 1990. Were he to recover such subsidy in any case, he intends to issue capitalisation directions and supplementary credit approvals (SCAs) to assist the authorities concerned.
DEFENCE
C-130J Aircraft
Mr. Jopling : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the percentage British input to the proposed C-130J aircraft to replace the Hercules fleet.
Mr. Aitken : The C-130J is one of the options being considered as a replacement for the existing RAF Hercules fleet. It is a new development of the Hercules aircraft being designed by Lockheed as a private venture. Several British companies are bidding as sub-contractors and I was pleased to hear recently that Dowty would be providing the propellers. However, this is a matter for Lockheed. The percentage of United Kingdom work content is one of the factors to be taken into account when bids are eventually sought.
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Civil Airline Research
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contributions have been made in the last five years from his departmental budget towards research and development costs of civil airlines.
Mr. Aitken : My Department makes no contributions towards the R and D costs of civil airlines. However, the Defence Research Agency undertakes a number of generic research programmes, jointly funded by the MOD and the DTI, of relevance to civil as well as military aircraft applications ; these have a current value of £40 million, of which the MOD will contribute £27 million.
Electronic Supplies Ltd.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the dispute between his Department and JNES engineering company ; whether he will investigate difficulties met by other engineering companies in fulfilling orders for identical components ; what assessment he has made of the extent to which problems are attributable to the designs provided by his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : My Department has received a number of representations on this subject. The issues involved have been fully investigated and were considered and settled at an arbitration hearing in 1990.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
French Fishing Industry
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has made to (a) the French Government and (b) the European Commission about the legality, and effects on competition, of the £33.8 million of aid provided to the French fishing industry and its effects on fair competition ; (2) what proposals he has to consult the fishing industry with a view to providing support to it equivalent to the subsidised loans and emergency aid made available to the French industry by the French Government ;
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the emergency aid given to the French fishing industry on the extent of French fishing within British waters as designated under the Fishing Limits Act 1976.
Mr. Curry : I have asked the French Government to supply information about the reported aid package for fishermen, in the course of pressing them for action in relation to the recent intolerable attacks on United Kingdom fish exports. We have also pressed the Commission to seek detailed information on this aid, so that it can discharge its responsibility to conclude whether it is compatible with the provisions of the treaty. I have no plans to consult the industry about the provision of similar aid in United Kingdom.
In the absence so far of fuller details, it is not possible fully to assess the effect of the aid. However, the vast bulk of the aid does not appear to take the form of grant but of loans to assist with the servicing of existing loans. The rights of French vessels to fish in United Kingdom waters are unaffected by the aid package, as they are strictly controlled by annual quota allocations and the rules of the common fisheries policy.
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