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Drinks Measures
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards section 43 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985 relating to beer or cider and froth.
Mr. Leigh : As part of the Government's dereguation initiative, my Department is reassessing the costs and benefits of the implementation of section 43. Interested parties have been asked to provide information relevant to this reassessment and their replies are being considered.
Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what formal discussions he has had with the European Commission on the possible re- authorisation of the
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non-fossil fuel obligation, under article 92(3) of the EC treaty, in order to remove Electricite de France's non- leviable status ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Eggar [holding answer 25 March 1993] : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has placed in the Library of the House a summary of legal advice received on trade in electricity across the interconnector with France. As that indicated, EdF's non-leviable status could not be removed without giving EdF the benefit of levy payments. In view of this, my right hon. Friend does not propose to pursue this with the Commission.
Electricity
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department was first informed of the application by Rich and Co. for a licence to supply electricity ; what steps were taken to interview its chairman ; when his Department was first informed of Offer's decision to grant a licence to Rich and Co.; if he will give details of the involvement of his Department in the decision to grant the licence ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 25 March 1993] : The authority to grant second tier supply licences was delegated by the Secretary of State to the Director General of Electricity Supply at the time of vesting in March 1990. The Department is neither consulted not informed of applications for, or the award of, second tier supply licences as the approval of the Department is not required in such cases.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list his statutory duties, and those of the Director General of Electricity Supply, under the Electricity Act 1989 in respect of the award of licences.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 25 March 1993] : The statutory duties of the President and of the Director General of Electricity Supply are set out in section 3 of the Electricity Act 1989, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Nuclear Review
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when the Government's review of nuclear power will commence ; and what will be the terms of reference ;
(2) how far in advance of the Government's nuclear review the terms of reference will be published.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 25 March 1993] : My Department's White Paper on the prospects for coal was published on Thursday 25 March. The White Paper contains the following statement in paragraph 16.6 : "The Government will bring forward work on its review (of the future prospects for nuclear power) and will make a further announcement later this year."
Manufacturing, Planning and Implementation Scheme Mr. Heseltine : To date, a total of 191 applications have been received. Fifty-two grants have been awarded, with a further 90 applications currently being processed. The
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scheme as announced on 19 February 1991 was for a three-year period to start on 1 June 1991 and end on 31 May 1994. To allow detailed appraisal no further applications will be considered after 31 May 1993.Colliery Review
Mr. Milburn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the contribution to the gross domestic product of each of the 31 pits in the colliery review process from each year since 1987-88 in (a) cash terms and (b) 1987-88 prices.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 26 March 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member on 22 March, Official Report, column 454.
Domestic Fuel
Mr. Dewar : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the percentage of households in each region and in the United Kingdom who rely mainly on (a) oil, (b) piped gas, (c) cylinder gas, (d) electricity and (e) coal as as source of domestic fuel.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 26 March 1993] : The Department of Trade and Industry estimates that households main energy sources are as follows :
|Per cent.
-------------------------------------
(a) Oil |3
(b) Piped gas |74
(c) Cylinder gas |n.a.
(d) Electricity |12
(e) Coal |9
Source: DTI estimates, using
Building Research Establishment
data.
n.a. not available.
These estimates relate to Great Britain only ; United Kingdom and regional data are unavailable. They are based on households' main heating fuel. Heating is the dominate use of energy in most households.
ENVIRONMENT
Bletchley Park Memorial
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his response to proposals to establish Bletchley Park as a memorial to those who worked there during world war II.
Mr. Howard : I have made it clear that I welcome the proposal to create at Bletchley Park a visible memorial to the war-time activities that took place there. The Bletchley Park Trust is at present reviewing its plans for such a development, including purchase of the site owned by the Government and BT once this becomes surplus to requirements later this year. I look forward to constructive discussions with the trust.
Radioactive Discharges
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith), Official Report, 10 March, column 629, if he will list (a) the scope
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of the selective monitoring for radioactive pollution in private water supplies, (b) the consultants contracted and (c) the value of the contracts to which he makes reference.Mr. Maclean : The monitoring provides for 100 samples from private water supplies in a given area of the United Kingdom to be taken and analysed each year. The areas covered by the current three-year contract, which is with ICI Tracerco, are : Beverley, East Yorkshire--1990 ; Dolgellau, north Wales--1991 ; Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland--1992. The value of the contract over this three-year period is £143,299 excluding VAT.
Council Tax, Lambeth
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in Lambeth are liable to pay the council tax ; and what number fall into each band.
Mr. Robin Squire : The number of dwellings in each valuation band on the proposed valuation list sent to the London borough of Lambeth in November 1992 was as follows :
Council tax band |Number of dwellings
------------------------------------------------------------
A |3,556
B |30,838
C |34,126
D |24,328
E |11,647
F |8,985
G |4,596
H |244
|-------
Total |118,320
The Department does not hold information about the number of households liable to pay the council tax. The number involved will be different from the number of dwellings shown above to the extent that there are more empty or exempt dwellings than dwellings which are occupied by more than one household.
Red Squirrels
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the organisation Red Alert about measures needed to preserve the indigenous red squirrels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : I have had no discussions with Red Alert about the preservation of red squirrels. Research by Red Alert is supported by grant aid from English Nature, the Government's statutory advisers on nature conservation, and regular contact is maintained between the two organisations. I am very much aware of the threat to our indigenous red squirrels and will encourage all measures to help them.
Oil Pollution
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for further interim action to protect the United Kingdom coastline against oil pollution from merchant ships in advance of the report of the Donaldson inquiry.
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Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport gave to the hon. Member for Richmond (Mr. Hague) on 26 February 1993 at column 696 on the interim measures that have been voluntarily agreed by the shipping industry pending Lord Donaldson's report. If further measures seem essential, we shall take them.
Environmental Action Fund
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all groups which have received funds from the environmental action fund for the 1993-94 financial year and the amounts granted to each group.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 15 March, Official Report, column 83.
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline his criteria for deciding which groups receive funding from the environmental action fund for the financial year 1993-94.
Mr. Maclean : Applications to the environmental action fund were assessed against the priorities I announced when launching the fund on 20 July 1992, the extent to which the proposals would produce tangible benefits to the environment, and the degree to which they would provide value for money.
Women and the Environment
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which environmental groups have been funded by his Department which deal specifically with women and the environment for the financial year 1993-94.
Mr. Maclean : No such groups were funded under our original invitation to apply, but the townswomen's guilds later sought funding for an environmental project, and I am looking sympathetically at their request.
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action has been taken to clarify the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 in respect of the definition of transferral of an economic entity with regard to the compulsory competitive tendering of public services ;
(2) what are the reasons for the non-application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the EC acquired rights directive with regard to a normal contract let under the compulsory competitive tendering legislation.
Mr. Robin Squire : My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced on 11 March that he had issued and placed in the Library guidance on the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)--TUPE--Regulations 1981 to the market testing of public services, including the contracting-out of local authority services following compulsory competitive tendering--CCT-- Official Report, column 648. As the guidance indicates, the contracted-out provision of a service is not affected by the TUPE regulations unless it
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involves the transfer of an undertaking in the terms of the regulations--that is to say, the transfer of an economic entity which is capable of operating as a going concern, and which retains its identity. Whether or not a particular case of contracting-out following CCT involves such a transfer will depend on the nature of the service in question, and the arrangements under which the contractor carries out the provision of the service.Mr. Pickles : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to make regulations and issue guidance to ensure that local authorities seek competitive tenders for services in a fair manner.
Mr. Robin Squire : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland have today laid before the House regulations made under section 9 of the Local Government Act 1992. These come into force on 10 May, when guidance will be issued.
The regulations and guidance meet our commitment in the Government's Green Paper "Competing for Quality : Competition in Provision of Local Services" to establish a clear statutory framework for compulsory competitive tendering. They will ensure that competition for local services is fair, allowing local taxpayers to receive quality services which offer value for money.
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether local authorities in England which are to undergo a structural reorganisation following the Local Government Commission's recommendations will also be required to seek tenders for work under the compulsory competitive tendering legislation.
Mr. Robin Squire : This Government are committed to efficient, effective local government. The work of the Local Government Commission in England and the compulsory competitive
tendering--CCT--regime both have an important part to play in achieving this aim.
Reorganisation of boundaries and responsibilities is bound to put extra pressures on local authorities. Moreover, existing arrangements for the provision of services will not necessarily be appropriate for the reorganised authority structure. We therefore intend that local authorities which, following a review by the Local Government Commission, are about to undergo a structural reorganisation, or have recently undergone such a reorganisation, will be exempt for a short period from the obligatory requirements of CCT. In doing so, we also intend to protect the interests of contractors engaged by the local authority.
For those services already subject to CCT under the Local Government Act 1988, local authorities will be seeking to retender work throughout the period over which the commission will be conducting reviews of English authorities. We intend that the local authority undergoing restructuring will be exempt from the statutory requirement to seek competitive tenders before the work can be awarded to their own direct services organisation-- DSO. This exemption will start from the date at which Parliament approves the statutory instrument making the structural change. New authorities will then be required to start CCT tendering as soon as possible after their setting-up, so as to have new contracts in operation within 18 months of reorganisation, or sooner.
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Similar exemption provisions will apply to services subject to CCT under the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980.My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 10 November 1992 Official Report, column 743, the Government's intention to extend CCT to local authority construction-related and corporate services. We intend that these services will be brought into the CCT regime from 1995-96, and a detailed timetable will be announced shortly. The Government recognise that it is particularly important for the arrangements for the key corporate services to reflect the structural organisation of the authority concerned.
We therefore intend that, as with services already subject to CCT, any local authority which is undergoing a structural change will similarly be exempt, for the period immediately before and after reorganisation, from the statutory requirement to seek competitive tenders for these services before work can be awarded to their own DSO.
The provisions I have described will not apply to metropolitan districts and London boroughs. Nor will they apply to those authorities which, following review, are not subject to structural reorganisation.
My Department will give careful consideration to the position of authorities which do not fall to be considered by the Commission until after the date at which new services become subject to CCT. The general exemptions described above will not apply to these authorities, but it may nevertheless be inappropriate to introduce competition for new services where a reorganisation may shortly follow.
These general exemptions are intended to allow for a smooth transition to successor authorities and the continued effective operation of CCT thereafter. I anticipate they will affect only a relatively small proportion of the contracts let by English local authorities at any one time. They will relieve both local authorities and contractors tendering for this work from the uncertainties surrounding the reorganisation process.
While these arrangements remove the mandatory requirement on the authorities concerned, authorities will have the freedom to continue competitive tendering throughout the reorganisation period, where they judge this to be sensible, and with appropriate consultation with shadow successor authorities.
There are a number of technical issues relating to the reorganisation of DSOs and the protection of existing contractual arrangements. My Department will issue more detailed advice on the operation of CCT where local authorities are undergoing structural change in due course.
Property Services Agency
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements have been made within the Property Services Agency to deal with inquiries in respect of prospective buyers of the agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redmond : Inquiries in respect of prospective buyers of the PSA Building Management businesses are dealt with by the privatisation and strategy directorate within the Property Services Agency or by the press office as appropriate. Statements will be made when contracts have been exchanged with the preferred buyers of the different businesses, probably in early summer.
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Building Regulations
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration his Department gave to global warming considerations when considering proposals to increase domestic roof, wall and floor insulation standards in the Building Regulations part L revision.
Mr. Baldry : As stated in the consultation letter covering the proposals to review part L of the Building Regulations, these have been brought forward now because of growing environmental concerns and the Government's commitment to return CO emissions to 1990 levels by 2000.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish technical information supplied to his Department by the Building Research Establishment and the National House Building Council, which his Department has considered in reaching its proposal not to increase current United Kingdom insulation standards in domestic roofs, walls and floors in the current Building Regulations part L revision.
Mr. Baldry : The proposals for the revision of part L of the Building Regulations would increase significantly current insulation standards in domestic roofs, walls and floors by requiring more demanding calculation procedures, requiring improved insulation around window and door openings, and by not permitting lower standards of wall, floor and roof insulation where double-glazing is used. In addition, views are being invited on improving U-values for roof and floor insulation. Estimates made by the Building Research Establishment of the costs and savings of the proposals were included in the summary paper deposited in the Library of the House on 26 January 1993.
Defence Personnel (Housing)
Mr. Ancram : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue a circular to local authority housing departments, regarding the requirement of military authority possession orders for ex-service families and other irregular occupants of Ministry of Defence garrison properties, seeking to prove their eligibility for social housing.
Mr. Baldry : Advice to local authorities about this is already given in paragraph 10.21 of the "Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities", (third edition). That advice will be included in the draft text of an updated circular on housing for ex-service personnel, on which we intend to shortly to consult the local authority associations and other interested parties.
Burghfield Base
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations underlay the removal of Burghfield base, national grid ref. SU 6668, from the Ordnance Survey maps ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The feature was removed from editions of maps published later than 1976 at the request of the owning authority ; it is not considered to be in the national interest to publish details of the site. The need to impose restrictions on published material is regularly reviewed to ensure that detail is not unnecessarily withheld.
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Building Research Establishment
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those commercial organisations which have placed contracts with the Building Research Establishment over the last three years for which figures are available ; and what their contribution to the Building Research Establishment's income has been.
Mr. Baldry : The Building Research Establishment's list of firms and organisations for whom it has undertaken technical consultancy work is subject to normal client confidentiality. The total income earned from such clients over the last three financial years was :--
|£ million
------------------------------
1989-90 |1.8
1990-91 |2.9
1991-92 |2.7
Planning Appeals (Costs)
Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will announce the outcome of his review of the policy guidance, in his Department's circular 2/87, for the award costs to parties in appeals under town and country planning and other legislation.
Mr. Baldry : We have today issued a comprehensive circular, giving policy guidance on the criteria for awards of parties' costs in planning and other similar proceedings. This guidance replaces the present DOE circulars 2/87 and 23/91--Welsh Office Circulars 5/87 and 77/91. A copy of the circular has been placed in the parliamentary Libraries.
Council Tax
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to establish how many disabled people have been disqualified from receiving reductions in their council tax because their properties have been placed in band A ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Robin Squire : The number of dwellings in band A which might qualify for a reduction could be determined only by asking residents of such properties to make applications. Such a request would be pointless, frustrating for the applicant and administratively costly.
Homeless Families (Cooking Facilities)
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information local authorities are required to keep on the type and standard of cooking facilities available to homeless families placed in temporary accommodation.
Mr. Baldry : The "Homelessness Code of Guidance to Local Authorities" issued by my Department advises authorities to ensure that temporary accommodation meets acceptable standards ; this would include the standard of cooking facilities. It is for each authority to decide what information to hold about this.
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Mackmurdo Building
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received about the demand by Cadogan Estates that their leaseholder, the John Lewis Partnership, demolish the listed Mackmurdo building.
Mr. Baldry : No formal information has been received by the Secretary of State.
Opencast Mining
Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning applications for opencast mining have been made and approved in each of the last five years ; and what was the expected quantity of coal indicated.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 24 March 1993] : This information is not held centrally. According to statistics compiled by the County Planning Officers Society's Committee No. 3, however, the information requested is as shown in the table.
|Number of |Number approved |Tonnage (thousands)
|applications
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |90 |60 |13,746
1988-89 |100 |66 |28,389
1989-90 |80 |49 |10,525
1990-91 |118 |79 |12,722
1991-92 |91 |63 |10,195
Water Quality (Norfolk)
Mr. Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the six beaches in Norfolk which failed tests for enteroviruses in 1991 were not tested for enteroviruses in 1992.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 25 March 1993] : National Rivers Authority policy is to test for enteroviruses where the coliform standards were not met the previous season. Two of the six were tested in 1992, the other four met the coliform standards in 1991.
Mr. Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many inland waters in Norfolk conform to the definition of bathing area in article 1 of the water quality directive EC 76/160.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 25 March 1993] : The Department is not aware of any that fall within the definition.
Conservation Areas
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list United Kingdom-designated or candidate special protection areas under directive 79/409/EEC.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 25 March 1993] : Sixty-nine special protection areas have now been designated in the United Kingdom and the Government are firmly committed to designating further sites. Details of designated and potential sites have been placed in the Library.
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Polluted Land
Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conditions are specified for standards to which ground stabilisation and chemical pollution are to be treated for land which is subject to Government grants for its redevelopment.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 March 1993] : The Department normally expects reclamation to be carried out in accordance with the current professional codes of practice applicable to the engineering operations involved, whether they be the stabilisation of ground or the treatment of contamination.
Hedgerows
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount has been allocated by his Department under the hedgerow incentive scheme for each year from 1992-93 to 1994-95 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 March 1993] : The following amounts have been made available to the Countryside Commission for this purpose :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1992-93 |0.55 1994-95 |1.75
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring his Department is carrying out with regard to the implementation of the hedgerow incentive scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 March 1993] : Consultants have been appointed to monitor the implementation of the scheme over its first three years. Agreements made under the scheme extend over a 10-year period, under which farmers and landowners are required not only to restore specific hedgerows, but to manage positively all the hedgerows on their land in an environmentally sympathetic way. The Countryside Commission has the means to ensure that works are properly carried out in accordance with the agreements made, and to recover grant where appropriate.
Services Resettlement
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the location of blocks of flats which have been transferred to housing associations under the arrangements set up for services resettlement giving the names of the housing associations involved.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have been asked to reply.
In line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Defence's housing task force, surplus married quarters which are not suitable for sale to service personnel at a discount are now being offered in the first instance to housing associations at a discount in return for nomination rights. To date the following sales have been completed :
108 flats at Stamshaw, Portsmouth ; Portsmouth Housing Association.
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12 flats Renown Gardens, Lovedean : Portsmouth Housing Association.18 flats, Ashley Court and Hutfield Court, Gosport ; Portsmouth Housing Association.
12 flats, Wyvern Villas, Bristol : Haig Homes.
32 houses at Shawbury : Bromford Corinthia Housing Association. We also have deals in Chatham, Gosport and Plymouth which we hope to complete shortly. In addition, deals in Plymouth, Woolwich, Portsmouth and Finningley are under negotiation.
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