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associations. Other measures include the sale or lease of surplus property to housing associations in return for the reservation of places for rent by service personnel, and the provision by the Housing Corporation of do-it-yourself shared ownership opportunities specifically for those leaving the services. Any redundee who has failed to find accommodation by the time he comes to leave the services, will be allowed to stay on temporarily in his married quarter provided it is not required for a service family.ENVIRONMENT
Education Spending
Mr. Nicholls : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what correlation there is between the level of standard spending assessment per pupil and the league table of secondary school performance results.
Mr. Robin Squire : For English local education authorities, excluding the Isles of Scilly, in 1991-92 the SSA per pupil for 11 to 15- year-olds was negatively correlated with the corresponding proportion of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A to C. However, authorities with similar levels of SSA per head exhibit a wide variation of performance at GCSE.
Clarence Dock, Liverpool
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when negotiations were first entered into by the Merseyside development corporation to acquire the Clarence dock site, Liverpool, from Oldham Brothers Ltd., what offers have been made to the owners ; when the offers were withdrawn ; what estimated costs have been incurred by both sides ; whether a public inquiry is planned ; what is its estimated cost ; what plans the Merseyside development corporation has for the site ; what timetable it has for resolving this matter ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Robin Squire : Merseyside development corporation made a first resolution for a compulsory purchase order in April 1989. On 20 April 1989 MDC wrote to Oldham Brothers Ltd, inquiring whether it be prepared to enter into negotiations.
Information as to offers made to the owners is
commercial-in-confidence. I shall write about that to the honourable Member.
Costs of approximately £11,000 have been incurred by MDC to date. The costs incurred by Oldham Brothers are not known.
A public inquiry is to commence on 22 June 1993 with an anticipated hearing of four days. The full cost will not be known until after the hearing, but the estimated cost excluding legal fees is approximately £10,000.
MDC has identified the site for a mixed use development to include low rise offices/studios, watersports centre, residential appartments and local shops and services.
The former Clarence dock power station has been partly demolished for several years and the remaining structure is derelict, acting as a disincentive to inward investment and redevelopment. For these reasons MDC wishes to conclude purchase at the earliest opportunity, subject to agreement on price assessed on the basis of the land compensation code. If the compulsory purchase order
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is confirmed the property could be transferred to MDC in spring 1994. If compensation cannot be agreed, the lands tribunal may determine the compensation payable.House Condition Survey
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the publication of the house condition survey ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : Since work on the 1991 English house condition survey began in September 1991 10 questions have been asked in the House regarding its publication. In answer to a question on 26 March from the hon. Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) at column 739, the Minister for Housing and Planning announced the timetable for the publication of the results of this survey.
Used Tyres
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new guidelines he plans to issue (a) to enable local authorities to more effectively deal with the problem of unregulated tyre dumps and (b) to ensure the safe disposal of used tyres so as to cause minimal effect on the environment.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities already have powers under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, the Refuse Disposal Amenity Act 1978 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to prosecute those guilty of treating, keeping or disposing of tyres illegally. The maximum penalty for such an offence is imprisonment for up to two years and an unlimited fine.
Those with waste tyres to dispose of are also subject to the duty of care under section 34 of the 1990 Act, which requires that they can pass waste tyres only to a carrier registered with the waste regulation authority or to a licensed disposal facility. A breach of the duty of care is a criminal offence punishable, on conviction on indictment, by an unlimited fine.
My Department is currently involved with the EC priority waste stream project group on used tyres and in the course of this work will be considering all possibilities for achieving satisfactory disposal of used tyres.
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy on the disposal of used tyres from its own car fleet.
Mr. Maclean : Used tyres from the Government car service are transferred for disposal to persons appropri-ately authorised for the purposes of the duty of care under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken with other EC countries to identify a common policy on the safe disposal of used tyres.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
An EC "priority waste stream" group, made up of all interested parties, including member states, has for the past two years been devising action plans to reduce the environmental impact of used tyres. The group, in which my Department has participated fully, is expected to complete its work by the end of the year and to propose targets and measures aimed at reducing the quantities of used tyres going for disposal and at promoting their re- use, retreading, and recycling throughout the Community.
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Energy Savings Trust
the Energy Savings Trust.
Mr. Maclean : There is no formal local or central government representation on the board of directors of the Energy Saving Trust. In addition to the chairman, Lord Moore, the trust's board consists of two representatives from British Gas, two from the regional electricity companies and four independent directors, who have been chosen for their wide knowledge and experience, which they bring to bear in developing and directing the trust.
Harmful Substances
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will implement section 140 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mr. Maclean : Section 140 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 came into force two months after the Act was passed ; the committee referred to in section 140(5) was established in July 1991 and several statutory instruments have been made using section 140.
Leases (Confidentiality Clauses)
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make it illegal to include confidentiality clauses in leases ; and what consideration is being given by the Director General of Fair Trading as to whether such clauses are regarded as being anti-competitive.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 31 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sir H. Miller), Official Report, columns 293-94.
Housing Associations
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Members for Oldham, Central and Royton (Mr. Davies) and for
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Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton) of 24 March, Official Report, column 626, when he expects his Department to complete its assessment of the impact of the proposed reduction in average grant levels to housing associations to 55 per cent. in 1995-96 on averge weekly rents for housing association tenants.Mr. Baldry : Our consideration of evidence put forward by the Housing Corporation, the National Federation of Housing Associations and others about grant rates in 1994-95 and beyond is continuing. Final decisions about grant rates for 1995-96 would not normally be taken until late 1994.
City Action Teams
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what effect the planned future expenditure in respect of the eight existing city action teams as published in his Department's annual report will have on the level of activity of the teams ; (2) what plans he has to wind up each of the eight existing city action teams ; and on what date.
Mr. Robin Squire : The city action teams' main task is the co- ordination locally of the Government's programmes for our urban areas, including city challenge. Our expenditure plans will enable that work to continue. The Government are keeping urban needs under review, taking account of information derived from the 1991 census and other sources, and will consider the future of city action teams in the light of that.
City Challenge
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, for each city challenge area, the most recent figures for (a) population, (b) area of geographical coverage, (c) number of residential dwellings, (d) unemployment rate, (e) the number of training places created since their inception and (f) the numbers completing training courses, by type of course.
Mr. Robin Squire : The information requested is shown in the table. Data are not available to show numbers completing training courses.
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City challenge area |Population |Area (hectares) |Residential |Unemployment rate |Forecast training
|dwellings |(percentage) |weeks 1993-94
|(a) |(b) |(c) |(d) |(e)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacemakers:
Bradford |42,997 |1,400 |15,184 |36.0 |17,040
Dearne Valley |76,000 |5,750 |32,004 |16.0 |n/a
Lewisham |28,000 |494 |12,000 |20.8 |28,300
Liverpool |4,000 |138 |1,196 |27.0 |n/a
Manchester |10,000 |110 |5,375 |31.0 |n/a
Middlesbrough |40,300 |792 |15,900 |20.0 |5,067
Newcastle |35,200 |580 |20,236 |25.0 |n/a
Nottingham |25,000 |405 |10,400 |24.4 |10,513
Tower Hamlets |13,500 |145 |4,071 |21.8 |n/a
Wirral |29,000 |683 |8,883 |29 |800
Wolverhampton |22,000 |560 |6,600 |n/a |13,613
Round 2:
Barnsley |17,000 |850 |n/a |12.5 |285
Birmingham |12,000 |265 |5,000 |26.5 |3,654
Blackburn |19,500 |400 |6,000 |22.0 |4,375
Bolton |19,500 |506 |7,000 |17.0 |19,894
Brent |20,000 |320 |10,000 |30.0 |20,600
Derby |26,000 |240 |n/a |25.0 |13,550
Hackney |23,000 |215 |8,027 |23.6 |19,323
Hartlepool |11,200 |280 |4,600 |22.7 |936
Kensington |25,000 |216 |11,000 |18.1 |3,777
Kirklees |20,000 |550 |7,000 |<1>10.8 |4,316
Lambeth |30,000 |250 |n/a |29.0 |18,422
Leicester |13,600 |370 |n/a |13.6 |1,000
Newham |17,000 |518 |6,899 |20.8 |22,300
North Tyneside |36,000 |1,128 |n/a |15.4 |5,282
Sandwell |27,000 |606 |9,300 |16.0 |13,211
Sefton |29,000 |800 |n/a |36.0 |100
Stockton |23,600 |695 |10,000 |22.8 |6,786
Sunderland |37,000 |2,950 |12,680 |<1>16.1 |9,841
Walsall |15,000 |470 |5,000 |17.2 |n/a
Wigan |20,000 |800 |8,400 |16.0 |4,862
n/a = Data is not available.
<1> DOE estimate.
Sources:
(a)-(c) Original Pacemaker and Round 2 Bid Documents and Action Plans.
(d) Original Pacemaker and Round 2 Bid Documents and Action Plans. Since their submission, the unemployment rate may have changed.
(e) Training places are not available. The City Challenge output measure is a training week that is, more than 30 hours of weekly
attendance for training. The data shown is a forecast, taken from draft 1993-94 decision letters and subject to revision.
Community Selfbuild Agency
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent meetings ministers in his Department have had with the Community Selfbuild Agency.
Mr. Baldry : I am not aware of any meetings in the past year.
Urban Land
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the proportion of land in urban use for each of the regions and counties in England ; and what estimates there are for how this will change.
Mr. Baldry : Estimates of urban growth between 1981 and 2001 for counties and regions of England, and the proportion of land projected to be in urban use in 2001, are available from tables 1(a) and 1(b) in this Department's report "Rates of Urbanisation in England 1981-2001", published by HMSO in 1990, and available in the House of Commons Library.
London Government
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has had from outside bodies calling for a single strategic authority to oversee transport, land use and environment in London ; and if he will list them.
Mr. Baldry : My right hon. and learned Friend has recently received representations from the Institute for Metropolitan Studies, from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and from the CBI London region transport task force, calling for some form of strategic body with responsibility for transport, land use and the environment in London.
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Council Tax Debtors
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what safeguards exist against the forced sale of council tax debtors' property as a result of charging orders ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Robin Squire : A local authority cannot apply for a charging order if the outstanding debt is less than £1,000. The making of a charging order is at the discretion of the court. The court will consider all the circumstances of the case, including the personal circumstances of the debtor and whether any other creditors of the debtor would be likely to be prejudiced by the making of an order. Enforcement of a charging order by sale is a separate step. In deciding whether an application to enforce a charging order should be granted the court may have to balance the interest of the creditor with that of members of the debtor's family. The court may also have regard to the size of the debt outstanding in relation to the value of the dwelling to be sold.
Under both procedures the debtor has an opportunity to attend court and make representations.
Freemasons
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a code of practice for local authorities to ensure that local government employees declare any membership of masonic lodges in a public register.
Mr. Robin Squire : We have no plans to introduce such a code. Terms and conditions of employment for local government officers are matters for local authorities as employers.
Manchester City Planning Officer
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from Manchester's city planning officer about concerns over circular 26/92 ; what reply he is sending ; what action he is taking ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Baldry : The city planning officer has written to my Department following the demolition of the Tommy Ducks public house. That building was not listed as being of architectural or historic interest, nor was it in a conservation area ; consents under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 were therefore not required. The demolition of certain other types of building is subject to planning control under the Planning and Compensation Act 1991, section 13. Whether the demolition is subject to control depends on whether the building is either a dwelling house, or a building adjoining a dwelling house. The chief planning officer's view is that Government guidance on the interpretation of the legislation is unclear. I do not share that view, but it is inevitable that central guidance cannot deal with every eventuality and that cases must be considered individually by local planning authorities. The council concluded in this case that the building demolished was not one which fell within the category of buildings subject to planning control ; and it would not be right for me to comment on that decision. My officials have replied to the chief planning officer along these lines.
Homelessness
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest estimate of the number of homeless people in London, divided in (a) couples, (b) families with children and (c) single people.
Mr. Baldry : Local authorities in England report the number of households for whom they accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Houseing Act 1985 in their quarterly P1 return.
The latest estimate for London appears in table 1 of "Households found accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act 1985 : England. Statistics for the fourth quarter 1992", a copy of which is in the Library.
Information on households with dependent children and households in the other priority need categories and young single people in non-priority need can be found in percentage terms in table 3 of the same publication. The reported information does not identify couples and older single people and my Department has no estimates.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of people in London in (a) bed-and-breakfast accommodation, (b) hostels for the homeless and (c) sleeping rough for the latest available date and 1982.
Mr. Baldry : Information is reported quarterly to the Department-- half yearly before 1984--on homeless households for whom local authorities have accepted responsibility to secure permanent accommodation, under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and part III of the Housing Act 1985. Estimates of the number of such households in bed-and-breakfast and hostel accommodation in London at 31 December, including some on whom inquiries had not yet been completed, are as follows :
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|Bed-and-breakfast |Hostels (including
|women's refuges)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |1,150 |1,270
1992 |3,820 |3,550
In the 1991 census some 1,197 households were enumerated as sleeping rough in London on the night of 21-22 April. No count of persons sleeping rough was made in 1982.
Petrol and Diesel Fuel
Mr. Purchase : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the additional costs faced by local authorities resulting from the increased duties on petrol and diesel fuel and on authorities which have budgeted to spend at their limit ; and what additional resources he is making available to such authorities in order to prevent cuts in services.
Mr. Robin Squire : In reaching his decisions on the local government finance settlement, my right hon. and learned Friend took into consideration the expected level of inflation and the anticipated increases in pay and prices. Responsible local authorities make allowances for foreseeable expenditure arising during a financial year when setting their budgets, and we regard the effect of mineral oil excise duties on local authorities as constituting such expenditure. We do not therefore consider it appropriate or necessary to make additional resources available.
Ozone Depletion
Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the results of stratospheric ozone depletion measurement over the United Kingdom and the northern hemisphere during March ; and if he will make a statement on the significance of the results.
Mr. Maclean : Measurements of total ozone made at Lerwick and Camborne during March were between 10 and 13 per cent. below the long-term average for the month. This compares with measurements in February over 20 per cent. below the long-term average which I reported in my answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 11 March. These results reflect conditions over a wide area of the northern hemisphere where ozone levels have been affected by meteorological conditions and possibly the impact of the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption, as well as any contribution from ozone depleting substances.
The risk of an Arctic ozone hole developing this year is now rapidly diminishing as the stratosphere warms up. The reductions in ozone this year have not resulted in any increase in ground level ultraviolet radiation which is within the range expected for the time of year. There are no implications for health. While we rely on stratospheric ozone to absorb the potentially damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun, radiation is naturally very low at this time of year, even on clear days, because of the low angle of the sun. Analysis of measurements made this year will be included in the next report of the Department's stratospheric ozone review group, due to be published in the autumn.
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Hazardous Waste
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the principles of the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and the control regime under the EC Waste Shipments Regulation.
Mr. Maclean : The United Nations Environment Programme Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal entered into force in May 1992. The convention provides a framework for states to ban imports of hazardous waste. Shipments are not allowed between parties and non-parties without specific agreements. Where shipments do take place the convention provides a global system of environmental controls.
The convention does not distinguish between shipments of waste for final disposal and for recovery. In March 1992 OECD countries agreed a decision on the control of transfrontier movements of wastes destined for recovery operations. This decision, which is compatible with the convention, placed wastes on one of three lists--green, amber and red--according to the degree of hazard. Green list waste will only be subject to normal commercial controls. Red list waste will be subject broadly to the same controls as waste for disposal under the convention. Amber list waste will be subject to a more streamlined procedure.
The OECD controls have been incorporated in the EC waste shipments regulation agreed at Council in October under the United Kingdom presidency. The regulation will implement the EC's obligations under the Basel convention. The regulation's control system, like that of the convention, is based generally on the principle of prior informed consent.
The regulation will enable member states to ban imports of waste for disposal from other member states and EFTA countries, but there is an exemption for states which do not produce hazardous waste in a sufficient quantity to make the provision of specialised disposal facilities economic. Imports for disposal will also be allowed from other countries which are parties and from countries with which the Community or member states have bilateral agreements. Such imports will be permitted only where exporting countries do not have and cannot reasonably acquire the technical capacity and necessary facilities in order to dispose of waste in an environmentally sound manner. Exports for disposal will be prohibited, except to EFTA countries which are parties.
Shipments of recoverables will continue between OECD countries and to and from non-OECD countries which are parties and/or have concluded bilateral agreements with the EC. All bilaterals involving exports of hazardous-- amber and red list--waste outside OECD will include safeguards to ensure environmentally sound management. Exports will be prohibited where a third country refuses to accept them. Before green list waste is exported outside OECD the country of destination will be asked to state whether it will accept the shipments without going through amber or red control procedures. Where the country of destination regards a green list waste as hazardous, shipments of that waste will be subject to the appropriate control regime.
The Environment Council in December agreed the instrument of approval of the convention on behalf of the EC. Council agreed that the EC and member states would
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as far as possible ratify the convention simultaneously. Under the convention there is a 90-day period between ratification and becoming a party. The waste shipments regulation dictates the legal timetable for ratification. Ratification of the convention by the EC and member states on 6 February 1994 would enable the EC and member states to be parties on 6 May 1994, when the regulation applies. Council on 23 March agreed that the EC would ratify no later than 6 February. In the Government's view ratification any earlier would produce a legal vacuum between the date when the EC and member states became parties and the date of application of the regulation. Ratification on 6 February is therefore the legally correct and practical solution.Countryside Stewardship Schemes
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the countryside stewardship scheme sites have been visited by Ministers or officials of his Department ; if, for each site, he will give the name, location, date and rank of personnel involved ; whether each site involved payments for additional access for the public ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 March 1993] : Information is not kept in the form requested. The scheme is administered by the Countryside Commission. The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials from the Department have visited a number of countryside stewardship sites since the scheme launch in June 1991.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by county all the 1992 countryside stewardship scheme sites for which access payments are made ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 March 1993] : A list in the form requested is being prepared. I will send it to the hon. Gentleman and will place copies in the Libraries of both Houses as soon as it is ready. Full details of each site will be sent to parish councils and will be included in new, improved county registers which will be sent to user groups and highway authorities within the next few months. Copies of the registers will be held at the Countryside Commission regional offices and headquarters and will be available on request. In addition, the Countryside Commission has reviewed its approach to signing and waymarking sites in light of first year experience. More robust and informative map boards will be put in place by June for all sites agreed in the first two years of the scheme. Paths and bridleways will be waymarked. The Countryside Commission is also considering the production of information leaflets to publicise sites further.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the linear access routes under the countryside stewardship scheme agreements made in 1992, involving additional access payments, are contiguous with pre-existing rights of way ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 26 March 1993] : Over 100 linear access routes included in 1992 countryside stewardship agreements or agreement offers are linked to existing public rights of way. No payment is made for existing rights of way under the countryside stewardship scheme.
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Private Finance Initiative
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department has taken to implement the private finance initiative announced in the autumn statement on 12 November 1992 and in the Treasury private finance guidance published on 9 December 1992.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 1 April 1993] : Private finance already makes a contribution of about £2 billion a year to the achievement of the Department's objectives, notably in housing and urban development.
Private finance is an important element in our housing programme. Housing associations, which are the main providers of new social housing, are required to raise part of their development funds from the private sector ; our objective is to increase the proportion of private funding in order to obtain the maximum benefit from the public resources available. In addition, some £1.5 billion of private finance has been raised as a result of large-scale voluntary transfers of local authority properties to housing associations ; this finance is being used to improve existing stock, to repay debt and to develop new social housing. We continue to encourage investment in the private rented sector, and to consider how to maximise the use of private sector funding and expertise in meeting housing need.
The Department continues to look for new opportunities to use private finance. An initial list of 21 new urban development projects, has been identified on which proposals from interested developers and financial institutions have been invited. A copy has been placed in the Library. Further projects are in the pipeline.
On 23 March I met the chairman and senior executives of a number of leading development companies to discuss private finance ; and I have held discussions with merchant banks and City financial institutions to explore ways in which projects could be financed using private finance.
In addition the Department will shortly publish guidance on how greater use could be made of private finance in the implementation of its policies and programmes.
Water Meters
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of domestic prepayment water meters installed in each water company area.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 1 April 1993] : I understand that the number of domestic prepayment water meters which have been installed to date by water companies is as follows :
|Number
--------------------------------------------
Bristol Water plc |10
North West Water Ltd. |20
Severn Trent Water Ltd. |44
Southern Water Services Ltd. |70
South Staffordshire Water plc |30
Wessex Water Services Ltd. |51
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by water company area, the
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numbers and percentage of households with domestic water meters ; and what the equivalent figures were for (a) 1979, (b) 1983 and (c) 1987.Mr. Maclean [holding answer 1 April 1993] : Current estimates are shown in the table : similar information for earlier years is not available centrally.
Water company |Metered supply |Proportion per cent.
|households (000s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anglian Water Services Ltd. |48 |3.3
Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water Company |5 |3.3
Bristol Water plc |14 |3.5
Cambridge Water Company |4 |3.7
Chester Waterworks Company |1 |2.3
Cholderton and District Water Company Ltd. |<1 |1.5
Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig |29 |2.8
East Surrey Water plc |3 |2.6
Essex Water plc |10 |1.9
Folkestone and Dover Water Services Ltd. |2 |2.8
Hartlepools Water Company |<1 |0.1
Mid Kent Water plc |4 |2.2
Mid Southern Water plc |11 |4.3
North East Water plc |6 |1.1
North Surrey Water Ltd. |8 |4.5
North West Water Ltd. |50 |1.9
Northumbrian Water Ltd. |2 |0.4
Portsmouth Water plc |<1 |0.1
Severn Trent Water Ltd. |134 |4.9
South East Water Ltd. |9 |3.8
South Staffordshire Water plc |9 |2.0
South West Water Services Ltd. |24 |4.2
Southern Water Services Ltd. |90 |10.5
Suffolk Water plc |4 |3.9
Sutton District Water plc |<1 |0.3
Tendring Hundred Water Services Ltd. |3 |4.8
Thames Water Utilities Ltd. |96 |3.3
Three Valleys Water Services plc |22 |2.5
Wessex Water Services Ltd. |21 |5.0
Wrexham and East Denbighshire Water Company |3 |4.6
York Waterworks plc |<1 |0.1
Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. |45 |2.7
|-- |--
England and Wales |657 |3.4
Note: Proportions may not tally exactly due to rounding.
Radon Gas
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to inform the public of the dangers arising from radon gas concentrations in dwellings ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 29 March 1993] : In March 1991 the Government launched a publicity campaign in Cornwall and Devon, the counties where the greatest numbers of homes above the action level of 200 Bq m 3 are found, to inform householders of the potential health risk posed by radon. This campaign was extended to Northamptonshire and Derbyshire in October 1992. The leaflet "Radon in Houses" explains what radon is, provides information on assistance available and offers a free measurement service to householders. It was delivered to all homes in the affected areas of these counties, and to other appropriate outlets--libraries, citizens advice bureaux etc. Public service announcements were made available to local radio. As a result, radon concentrations
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in some 100,000 homes have already been measured and 11,000 householders, whose homes have radon levels above the action level, have been advised on the further action which should be considered.SCOTLAND
Mentally Ill (Care)
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average cost of caring for a mentally ill person in (a) a mental illness hospital, (b) a general hospital psychiatric unit, (c) a four-to- six-bed group home, (d) a staffed hospital and (e) in the patient's own home.
Mr. Stewart : The average cost per day of caring for a mentally ill inpatient in 1991-92 was as follows :
|Amount (£)
---------------------------------------------------------
Mental Illness Hospital |74.20
General Hospital Psychiatric Units |108.90
Staffed Hospitals |77.60
Information on the costs of care in four-to-six-bed group homes and in patients' own homes is not collected centrally. The figure for staffed hospitals is the average cost for all hospitals which provide inpatient care for mentally ill persons.
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
Dr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers are in receipt of hill livestock compensatory allowance payments in (a) severely disadvantaged areas and (b) disadvantaged areas in each county in Scotland containing less favoured area land.
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